adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading At that moment I caught sight of a portrait of my mother, on the table, close to where he had been sitting.
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading My stepfather had sacrificed all to save her from despair on learning the truth, and was she to receive the fatal blow from me, to learn at the same moment that the man she loved had killed her first husband, and that he had been killed by her son?
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It was a photograph, taken in her youth; she was represented in brilliant evening attire, her bare arms shaded with lace, pearls in her hair, gay, ay, better than gay, happy, with an ineffably pure expression overspreading her face.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading My stepfather had sacrificed all to save her from despair on learning the truth, and was she to receive the fatal blow from me, to learn at the same moment that the man she loved had killed her first husband, and that he had been killed by her son?
armsnounUS /ɑːrmz/
weapons considered collectively
From this reading It was a photograph, taken in her youth; she was represented in brilliant evening attire, her bare arms shaded with lace, pearls in her hair, gay, ay, better than gay, happy, with an ineffably pure expression overspreading her face.
AtprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At that moment I caught sight of a portrait of my mother, on the table, close to where he had been sitting.
attirenounUS /əˈtaɪər/
clothing of a distinctive style or for a particular occasion
From this reading It was a photograph, taken in her youth; she was represented in brilliant evening attire, her bare arms shaded with lace, pearls in her hair, gay, ay, better than gay, happy, with an ineffably pure expression overspreading her face.
awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading I replaced the sheet of paper on the table, and turned away from the corpse lying on the carpet, without casting a glance at it.
ay
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a photograph, taken in her youth; she was represented in brilliant evening attire, her bare arms shaded with lace, pearls in her hair, gay, ay, better than gay, happy, with an ineffably pure expression overspreading her face.
bareadjectiveUS /ber/
completely unclothed
From this reading It was a photograph, taken in her youth; she was represented in brilliant evening attire, her bare arms shaded with lace, pearls in her hair, gay, ay, better than gay, happy, with an ineffably pure expression overspreading her face.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading At that moment I caught sight of a portrait of my mother, on the table, close to where he had been sitting.
believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading I desire to believe, so that I may continue to hold myself in some esteem, that only the vision of her grief led me to my decision.
betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading It was a photograph, taken in her youth; she was represented in brilliant evening attire, her bare arms shaded with lace, pearls in her hair, gay, ay, better than gay, happy, with an ineffably pure expression overspreading her face.
blowverbUS /bloʊ/
exhale hard
From this reading My stepfather had sacrificed all to save her from despair on learning the truth, and was she to receive the fatal blow from me, to learn at the same moment that the man she loved had killed her first husband, and that he had been killed by her son?
brilliantadjectiveUS /ˈbrɪljənt/
of surpassing excellence
From this reading It was a photograph, taken in her youth; she was represented in brilliant evening attire, her bare arms shaded with lace, pearls in her hair, gay, ay, better than gay, happy, with an ineffably pure expression overspreading her face.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading My stepfather had sacrificed all to save her from despair on learning the truth, and was she to receive the fatal blow from me, to learn at the same moment that the man she loved had killed her first husband, and that he had been killed by her son?
carpetnounUS /ˈkɑːrpət/
floor covering consisting of a piece of thick heavy fabric (usually with nap or pile)
From this reading I replaced the sheet of paper on the table, and turned away from the corpse lying on the carpet, without casting a glance at it.
castingnounUS /ˈkæstɪŋ/
object formed by a mold
From this reading I replaced the sheet of paper on the table, and turned away from the corpse lying on the carpet, without casting a glance at it.
caughtverbUS /kɑːt/
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading At that moment I caught sight of a portrait of my mother, on the table, close to where he had been sitting.
closeadjectiveUS /kloʊs/
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading At that moment I caught sight of a portrait of my mother, on the table, close to where he had been sitting.
continueverbUS /kənˈtɪnjuː/
continue a certain state, condition, or activity
From this reading I desire to believe, so that I may continue to hold myself in some esteem, that only the vision of her grief led me to my decision.
corpsenounUS /kɔːrps/
the dead body of a human being
From this reading I replaced the sheet of paper on the table, and turned away from the corpse lying on the carpet, without casting a glance at it.
decisionnounUS /dɪˈsɪʒən/
the act of making up your mind about something
From this reading I desire to believe, so that I may continue to hold myself in some esteem, that only the vision of her grief led me to my decision.
desirenounUS /dɪˈzaɪər/
the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state
From this reading I desire to believe, so that I may continue to hold myself in some esteem, that only the vision of her grief led me to my decision.
despairnounUS /dɪˈsper/
a state in which all hope is lost or absent
From this reading My stepfather had sacrificed all to save her from despair on learning the truth, and was she to receive the fatal blow from me, to learn at the same moment that the man she loved had killed her first husband, and that he had been killed by her son?
esteemnounUS /əˈstiːm/
the condition of being honored (esteemed or respected or well regarded)
From this reading I desire to believe, so that I may continue to hold myself in some esteem, that only the vision of her grief led me to my decision.
eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading It was a photograph, taken in her youth; she was represented in brilliant evening attire, her bare arms shaded with lace, pearls in her hair, gay, ay, better than gay, happy, with an ineffably pure expression overspreading her face.
expressionnounUS /ɪkˈspreʃən/
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading It was a photograph, taken in her youth; she was represented in brilliant evening attire, her bare arms shaded with lace, pearls in her hair, gay, ay, better than gay, happy, with an ineffably pure expression overspreading her face.
facenounUS /feɪs/
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading It was a photograph, taken in her youth; she was represented in brilliant evening attire, her bare arms shaded with lace, pearls in her hair, gay, ay, better than gay, happy, with an ineffably pure expression overspreading her face.
fataladjectiveUS /ˈfeɪtəl/
bringing death
From this reading My stepfather had sacrificed all to save her from despair on learning the truth, and was she to receive the fatal blow from me, to learn at the same moment that the man she loved had killed her first husband, and that he had been killed by her son?
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading My stepfather had sacrificed all to save her from despair on learning the truth, and was she to receive the fatal blow from me, to learn at the same moment that the man she loved had killed her first husband, and that he had been killed by her son?
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading My stepfather had sacrificed all to save her from despair on learning the truth, and was she to receive the fatal blow from me, to learn at the same moment that the man she loved had killed her first husband, and that he had been killed by her son?
gayadjectiveUS /ɡeɪ/
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading It was a photograph, taken in her youth; she was represented in brilliant evening attire, her bare arms shaded with lace, pearls in her hair, gay, ay, better than gay, happy, with an ineffably pure expression overspreading her face.
glanceverbUS /ɡlæns/
throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading I replaced the sheet of paper on the table, and turned away from the corpse lying on the carpet, without casting a glance at it.
griefnounUS /ɡriːf/
intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one (especially by death)
From this reading I desire to believe, so that I may continue to hold myself in some esteem, that only the vision of her grief led me to my decision.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading At that moment I caught sight of a portrait of my mother, on the table, close to where he had been sitting.
hairnounUS /her/
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading It was a photograph, taken in her youth; she was represented in brilliant evening attire, her bare arms shaded with lace, pearls in her hair, gay, ay, better than gay, happy, with an ineffably pure expression overspreading her face.
happyadjectiveUS /ˈhæpi/
enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading It was a photograph, taken in her youth; she was represented in brilliant evening attire, her bare arms shaded with lace, pearls in her hair, gay, ay, better than gay, happy, with an ineffably pure expression overspreading her face.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading At that moment I caught sight of a portrait of my mother, on the table, close to where he had been sitting.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading It was a photograph, taken in her youth; she was represented in brilliant evening attire, her bare arms shaded with lace, pearls in her hair, gay, ay, better than gay, happy, with an ineffably pure expression overspreading her face.
holdverbUS /hoʊld/
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading I desire to believe, so that I may continue to hold myself in some esteem, that only the vision of her grief led me to my decision.
husbandnounUS /ˈhʌzbənd/
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading My stepfather had sacrificed all to save her from despair on learning the truth, and was she to receive the fatal blow from me, to learn at the same moment that the man she loved had killed her first husband, and that he had been killed by her son?
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading At that moment I caught sight of a portrait of my mother, on the table, close to where he had been sitting.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was a photograph, taken in her youth; she was represented in brilliant evening attire, her bare arms shaded with lace, pearls in her hair, gay, ay, better than gay, happy, with an ineffably pure expression overspreading her face.
ineffablyadverb
to an inexpressible degree
From this reading It was a photograph, taken in her youth; she was represented in brilliant evening attire, her bare arms shaded with lace, pearls in her hair, gay, ay, better than gay, happy, with an ineffably pure expression overspreading her face.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a photograph, taken in her youth; she was represented in brilliant evening attire, her bare arms shaded with lace, pearls in her hair, gay, ay, better than gay, happy, with an ineffably pure expression overspreading her face.
killedverbUS /kɪld/
past form of “kill” — cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
From this reading My stepfather had sacrificed all to save her from despair on learning the truth, and was she to receive the fatal blow from me, to learn at the same moment that the man she loved had killed her first husband, and that he had been killed by her son?
laceverbUS /leɪs/
spin, wind, or twist together
From this reading It was a photograph, taken in her youth; she was represented in brilliant evening attire, her bare arms shaded with lace, pearls in her hair, gay, ay, better than gay, happy, with an ineffably pure expression overspreading her face.
learnverbUS /lɜːrn/
gain knowledge or skills
From this reading My stepfather had sacrificed all to save her from despair on learning the truth, and was she to receive the fatal blow from me, to learn at the same moment that the man she loved had killed her first husband, and that he had been killed by her son?
learningnounUS /ˈlɜːrnɪŋ/
the cognitive process of acquiring skill or knowledge
From this reading My stepfather had sacrificed all to save her from despair on learning the truth, and was she to receive the fatal blow from me, to learn at the same moment that the man she loved had killed her first husband, and that he had been killed by her son?
lednounUS /led/
diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
From this reading I desire to believe, so that I may continue to hold myself in some esteem, that only the vision of her grief led me to my decision.
lovedadjectiveUS /lʌvd/
held dear
From this reading My stepfather had sacrificed all to save her from despair on learning the truth, and was she to receive the fatal blow from me, to learn at the same moment that the man she loved had killed her first husband, and that he had been killed by her son?
lyingnounUS /ˈlaɪɪŋ/
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading I replaced the sheet of paper on the table, and turned away from the corpse lying on the carpet, without casting a glance at it.
mannounUS /mæn/
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading My stepfather had sacrificed all to save her from despair on learning the truth, and was she to receive the fatal blow from me, to learn at the same moment that the man she loved had killed her first husband, and that he had been killed by her son?
maymodal verbUS /meɪ/
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading I desire to believe, so that I may continue to hold myself in some esteem, that only the vision of her grief led me to my decision.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading My stepfather had sacrificed all to save her from despair on learning the truth, and was she to receive the fatal blow from me, to learn at the same moment that the man she loved had killed her first husband, and that he had been killed by her son?
momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/
a particular point in time
From this reading At that moment I caught sight of a portrait of my mother, on the table, close to where he had been sitting.
mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading At that moment I caught sight of a portrait of my mother, on the table, close to where he had been sitting.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading At that moment I caught sight of a portrait of my mother, on the table, close to where he had been sitting.
myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading I desire to believe, so that I may continue to hold myself in some esteem, that only the vision of her grief led me to my decision.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At that moment I caught sight of a portrait of my mother, on the table, close to where he had been sitting.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading At that moment I caught sight of a portrait of my mother, on the table, close to where he had been sitting.
onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/
and nothing more
From this reading I desire to believe, so that I may continue to hold myself in some esteem, that only the vision of her grief led me to my decision.
overspreading
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a photograph, taken in her youth; she was represented in brilliant evening attire, her bare arms shaded with lace, pearls in her hair, gay, ay, better than gay, happy, with an ineffably pure expression overspreading her face.
papernounUS /ˈpeɪpər/
a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses
From this reading I replaced the sheet of paper on the table, and turned away from the corpse lying on the carpet, without casting a glance at it.
pearlsnounUS /pɜːrlz/
plural of “pearl” — a smooth lustrous round structure inside the shell of a clam or oyster; much valued as a jewel
From this reading It was a photograph, taken in her youth; she was represented in brilliant evening attire, her bare arms shaded with lace, pearls in her hair, gay, ay, better than gay, happy, with an ineffably pure expression overspreading her face.
photographverbUS /ˈfoʊtəɡræf/
record on photographic film
From this reading It was a photograph, taken in her youth; she was represented in brilliant evening attire, her bare arms shaded with lace, pearls in her hair, gay, ay, better than gay, happy, with an ineffably pure expression overspreading her face.
portraitnounUS /ˈpɔːrtrət/
a word picture of a person's appearance and character
From this reading At that moment I caught sight of a portrait of my mother, on the table, close to where he had been sitting.
pureadjectiveUS /pjʊr/
free of extraneous elements of any kind
From this reading It was a photograph, taken in her youth; she was represented in brilliant evening attire, her bare arms shaded with lace, pearls in her hair, gay, ay, better than gay, happy, with an ineffably pure expression overspreading her face.
receiveverbUS /rəˈsiːv/
get something; come into possession of
From this reading My stepfather had sacrificed all to save her from despair on learning the truth, and was she to receive the fatal blow from me, to learn at the same moment that the man she loved had killed her first husband, and that he had been killed by her son?
replacedverbUS /ˌriːˈpleɪst/
past form of “replace” — substitute a person or thing for (another that is broken or inefficient or lost or no longer working or yielding what is expected)
From this reading I replaced the sheet of paper on the table, and turned away from the corpse lying on the carpet, without casting a glance at it.
representedadjectiveUS /ˌreprɪˈzentɪd/
represented accurately or precisely
From this reading It was a photograph, taken in her youth; she was represented in brilliant evening attire, her bare arms shaded with lace, pearls in her hair, gay, ay, better than gay, happy, with an ineffably pure expression overspreading her face.
sacrificedverbUS /ˈsækrəfaɪst/
past form of “sacrifice” — endure the loss of
From this reading My stepfather had sacrificed all to save her from despair on learning the truth, and was she to receive the fatal blow from me, to learn at the same moment that the man she loved had killed her first husband, and that he had been killed by her son?
sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/
Identical; not different.
From this reading My stepfather had sacrificed all to save her from despair on learning the truth, and was she to receive the fatal blow from me, to learn at the same moment that the man she loved had killed her first husband, and that he had been killed by her son?
saveprepositionUS /seɪv/
except for; apart from
From this reading My stepfather had sacrificed all to save her from despair on learning the truth, and was she to receive the fatal blow from me, to learn at the same moment that the man she loved had killed her first husband, and that he had been killed by her son?
shadedadjectiveUS /ˈʃeɪdɪd/
protected from heat and light with shade or shadow
From this reading It was a photograph, taken in her youth; she was represented in brilliant evening attire, her bare arms shaded with lace, pearls in her hair, gay, ay, better than gay, happy, with an ineffably pure expression overspreading her face.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was a photograph, taken in her youth; she was represented in brilliant evening attire, her bare arms shaded with lace, pearls in her hair, gay, ay, better than gay, happy, with an ineffably pure expression overspreading her face.
sheetnounUS /ʃiːt/
any broad thin expanse or surface
From this reading I replaced the sheet of paper on the table, and turned away from the corpse lying on the carpet, without casting a glance at it.
sightnounUS /saɪt/
an instance of visual perception
From this reading At that moment I caught sight of a portrait of my mother, on the table, close to where he had been sitting.
sittingnounUS /ˈsɪtɪŋ/
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading At that moment I caught sight of a portrait of my mother, on the table, close to where he had been sitting.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading I desire to believe, so that I may continue to hold myself in some esteem, that only the vision of her grief led me to my decision.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading I desire to believe, so that I may continue to hold myself in some esteem, that only the vision of her grief led me to my decision.
sonnounUS /sʌn/
a male human offspring
From this reading My stepfather had sacrificed all to save her from despair on learning the truth, and was she to receive the fatal blow from me, to learn at the same moment that the man she loved had killed her first husband, and that he had been killed by her son?
stepfathernounUS /ˈstepfɑːðər/
the husband of your mother by a subsequent marriage
From this reading My stepfather had sacrificed all to save her from despair on learning the truth, and was she to receive the fatal blow from me, to learn at the same moment that the man she loved had killed her first husband, and that he had been killed by her son?
tablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading At that moment I caught sight of a portrait of my mother, on the table, close to where he had been sitting.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading It was a photograph, taken in her youth; she was represented in brilliant evening attire, her bare arms shaded with lace, pearls in her hair, gay, ay, better than gay, happy, with an ineffably pure expression overspreading her face.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading It was a photograph, taken in her youth; she was represented in brilliant evening attire, her bare arms shaded with lace, pearls in her hair, gay, ay, better than gay, happy, with an ineffably pure expression overspreading her face.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading At that moment I caught sight of a portrait of my mother, on the table, close to where he had been sitting.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading At that moment I caught sight of a portrait of my mother, on the table, close to where he had been sitting.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading At that moment I caught sight of a portrait of my mother, on the table, close to where he had been sitting.
truthnounUS /truːθ/
a fact that has been verified
From this reading My stepfather had sacrificed all to save her from despair on learning the truth, and was she to receive the fatal blow from me, to learn at the same moment that the man she loved had killed her first husband, and that he had been killed by her son?
turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/
moved around an axis or center
From this reading I replaced the sheet of paper on the table, and turned away from the corpse lying on the carpet, without casting a glance at it.
visionnounUS /ˈvɪʒən/
a vivid mental image
From this reading I desire to believe, so that I may continue to hold myself in some esteem, that only the vision of her grief led me to my decision.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a photograph, taken in her youth; she was represented in brilliant evening attire, her bare arms shaded with lace, pearls in her hair, gay, ay, better than gay, happy, with an ineffably pure expression overspreading her face.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading At that moment I caught sight of a portrait of my mother, on the table, close to where he had been sitting.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading It was a photograph, taken in her youth; she was represented in brilliant evening attire, her bare arms shaded with lace, pearls in her hair, gay, ay, better than gay, happy, with an ineffably pure expression overspreading her face.
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading I replaced the sheet of paper on the table, and turned away from the corpse lying on the carpet, without casting a glance at it.
youthnounUS /juːθ/
a young person (especially a young man or boy)
From this reading It was a photograph, taken in her youth; she was represented in brilliant evening attire, her bare arms shaded with lace, pearls in her hair, gay, ay, better than gay, happy, with an ineffably pure expression overspreading her face.
