Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading With a fork flourished above Raphael’s head, Emile outlined a crown upon it.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading With a fork flourished above Raphael’s head, Emile outlined a crown upon it.
acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/
from one side of something to the other
From this reading “Perhaps Moses, Sylla, Louis XI., Richelieu, Robespierre, and Napoleon were but the same man who crosses our civilizations now and again, like a comet across the sky,” said a disciple of Ballanche.
againnounUS /again/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
ant-hills
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
Babylon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
ballads
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Why try to fathom the designs of Providence?” said Canalis, maker of ballads.
Ballanche
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Perhaps Moses, Sylla, Louis XI., Richelieu, Robespierre, and Napoleon were but the same man who crosses our civilizations now and again, like a comet across the sky,” said a disciple of Ballanche.
beneathprepositionUS /bɪˈniːθ/
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
bethought
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
Bossuet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
Byzantium
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
Canalis
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Why try to fathom the designs of Providence?” said Canalis, maker of ballads.
Carthage
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
cities
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
civilizations
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Perhaps Moses, Sylla, Louis XI., Richelieu, Robespierre, and Napoleon were but the same man who crosses our civilizations now and again, like a comet across the sky,” said a disciple of Ballanche.
Claude
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
clientele
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
comet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Perhaps Moses, Sylla, Louis XI., Richelieu, Robespierre, and Napoleon were but the same man who crosses our civilizations now and again, like a comet across the sky,” said a disciple of Ballanche.
crosses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Perhaps Moses, Sylla, Louis XI., Richelieu, Robespierre, and Napoleon were but the same man who crosses our civilizations now and again, like a comet across the sky,” said a disciple of Ballanche.
crown
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With a fork flourished above Raphael’s head, Emile outlined a crown upon it.
crushed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
designs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Why try to fathom the designs of Providence?” said Canalis, maker of ballads.
destruction
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
disciple
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Perhaps Moses, Sylla, Louis XI., Richelieu, Robespierre, and Napoleon were but the same man who crosses our civilizations now and again, like a comet across the sky,” said a disciple of Ballanche.
drinking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
Emile
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With a fork flourished above Raphael’s head, Emile outlined a crown upon it.
Emperor
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
fathom
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Why try to fathom the designs of Providence?” said Canalis, maker of ballads.
fell
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
fivepence
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
flourished
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With a fork flourished above Raphael’s head, Emile outlined a crown upon it.
footnounUS /foot/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
fork
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With a fork flourished above Raphael’s head, Emile outlined a crown upon it.
gesture
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
giant
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
head
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With a fork flourished above Raphael’s head, Emile outlined a crown upon it.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
house
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
impossible
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading With a fork flourished above Raphael’s head, Emile outlined a crown upon it.
like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Perhaps Moses, Sylla, Louis XI., Richelieu, Robespierre, and Napoleon were but the same man who crosses our civilizations now and again, like a comet across the sky,” said a disciple of Ballanche.
line
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
Louis
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Perhaps Moses, Sylla, Louis XI., Richelieu, Robespierre, and Napoleon were but the same man who crosses our civilizations now and again, like a comet across the sky,” said a disciple of Ballanche.
Mahmoud
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
maker
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Why try to fathom the designs of Providence?” said Canalis, maker of ballads.
man
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
mocking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
moment
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
Moses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Perhaps Moses, Sylla, Louis XI., Richelieu, Robespierre, and Napoleon were but the same man who crosses our civilizations now and again, like a comet across the sky,” said a disciple of Ballanche.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
Napoleon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Perhaps Moses, Sylla, Louis XI., Richelieu, Robespierre, and Napoleon were but the same man who crosses our civilizations now and again, like a comet across the sky,” said a disciple of Ballanche.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
notary
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
now
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Perhaps Moses, Sylla, Louis XI., Richelieu, Robespierre, and Napoleon were but the same man who crosses our civilizations now and again, like a comet across the sky,” said a disciple of Ballanche.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading “Perhaps Moses, Sylla, Louis XI., Richelieu, Robespierre, and Napoleon were but the same man who crosses our civilizations now and again, like a comet across the sky,” said a disciple of Ballanche.
outlined
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With a fork flourished above Raphael’s head, Emile outlined a crown upon it.
passing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
peculiar
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
Perhaps
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Perhaps Moses, Sylla, Louis XI., Richelieu, Robespierre, and Napoleon were but the same man who crosses our civilizations now and again, like a comet across the sky,” said a disciple of Ballanche.
play
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
power
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
ProvidencenounUS /ˈprɑː.və.dəns/
The protective care of God or nature as a spiritual power. (Sự quan phòng, thiên ý phù hộ.)
From this reading “Why try to fathom the designs of Providence?” said Canalis, maker of ballads.
purchased
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
quitenounUS /quite/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
Raphael's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With a fork flourished above Raphael’s head, Emile outlined a crown upon it.
rate
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
Richelieu
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Perhaps Moses, Sylla, Louis XI., Richelieu, Robespierre, and Napoleon were but the same man who crosses our civilizations now and again, like a comet across the sky,” said a disciple of Ballanche.
Robespierre
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Perhaps Moses, Sylla, Louis XI., Richelieu, Robespierre, and Napoleon were but the same man who crosses our civilizations now and again, like a comet across the sky,” said a disciple of Ballanche.
said
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
samenounUS /same/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Perhaps Moses, Sylla, Louis XI., Richelieu, Robespierre, and Napoleon were but the same man who crosses our civilizations now and again, like a comet across the sky,” said a disciple of Ballanche.
say
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
secure
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
seemednounUS /seemed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
serve
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
Shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
sky
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Perhaps Moses, Sylla, Louis XI., Richelieu, Robespierre, and Napoleon were but the same man who crosses our civilizations now and again, like a comet across the sky,” said a disciple of Ballanche.
slave
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
some
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
soon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
sort
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
Sylla
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Perhaps Moses, Sylla, Louis XI., Richelieu, Robespierre, and Napoleon were but the same man who crosses our civilizations now and again, like a comet across the sky,” said a disciple of Ballanche.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
try
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Why try to fathom the designs of Providence?” said Canalis, maker of ballads.
Tyre
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading With a fork flourished above Raphael’s head, Emile outlined a crown upon it.
Valence
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
Valens
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
Valentinois
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
Venice
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
Vignon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
vouchsafed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
warning
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The notary bethought himself a moment, but soon fell to drinking again, with a gesture peculiar to himself; it was quite impossible, it seemed to say to secure in his clientele the cities of Valence and Byzantium, the Emperor Valens, Mahmoud, and the house of Valentinois.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Perhaps Moses, Sylla, Louis XI., Richelieu, Robespierre, and Napoleon were but the same man who crosses our civilizations now and again, like a comet across the sky,” said a disciple of Ballanche.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading “Should not the destruction of those ant-hills, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, and Venice, each crushed beneath the foot of a passing giant, serve as a warning to man, vouchsafed by some mocking power?” said Claude Vignon, who must play the Bossuet, as a sort of purchased slave, at the rate of fivepence a line.
Why
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Why try to fathom the designs of Providence?” said Canalis, maker of ballads.
WithprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading With a fork flourished above Raphael’s head, Emile outlined a crown upon it.
XI
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Perhaps Moses, Sylla, Louis XI., Richelieu, Robespierre, and Napoleon were but the same man who crosses our civilizations now and again, like a comet across the sky,” said a disciple of Ballanche.
