adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading To Etienne, Madame de la Baudraye was, to use his own phrase, “a fine feather in his cap.”
absolutionnounUS /ˌæbsəˈluːʃən/
the condition of being formally forgiven by a priest in the sacrament of penance
From this reading “His happiness will be my absolution.”
accountedverbUS /əˈkaʊntɪd/
past form of “account” — be the sole or primary factor in the existence, acquisition, supply, or disposal of something
From this reading These words, wrung from Madame de la Baudraye by her friend the lawyer, accounted for the existing state of things.
affectionnounUS /əˈfekʃən/
a positive feeling of liking
From this reading Far from preferring the joys of a shy and mysterious passion, of hiding such exquisite happiness from the eyes of the world, he found a vulgar satisfaction in displaying the first woman of respectability who had ever honored him with her affection.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Far from preferring the joys of a shy and mysterious passion, of hiding such exquisite happiness from the eyes of the world, he found a vulgar satisfaction in displaying the first woman of respectability who had ever honored him with her affection.
Baudraye
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading These words, wrung from Madame de la Baudraye by her friend the lawyer, accounted for the existing state of things.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “His happiness will be my absolution.”
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading These words, wrung from Madame de la Baudraye by her friend the lawyer, accounted for the existing state of things.
capnounUS /kæp/
a tight-fitting headdress
From this reading To Etienne, Madame de la Baudraye was, to use his own phrase, “a fine feather in his cap.”
denounUS /diː/
a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading These words, wrung from Madame de la Baudraye by her friend the lawyer, accounted for the existing state of things.
displayingverbUS /dɪˈspleɪɪŋ/
-ing form of “display” — to show, make visible or apparent
From this reading Far from preferring the joys of a shy and mysterious passion, of hiding such exquisite happiness from the eyes of the world, he found a vulgar satisfaction in displaying the first woman of respectability who had ever honored him with her affection.
Etienne
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The publicity of his triumph, flaunted by Etienne on the evening of the first performance, had very plainly shown the lawyer what Lousteau’s purpose was.
eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading The publicity of his triumph, flaunted by Etienne on the evening of the first performance, had very plainly shown the lawyer what Lousteau’s purpose was.
everadverbUS /ˈevər/
at any time
From this reading Far from preferring the joys of a shy and mysterious passion, of hiding such exquisite happiness from the eyes of the world, he found a vulgar satisfaction in displaying the first woman of respectability who had ever honored him with her affection.
existingadjectiveUS /ɪɡˈzɪstɪŋ/
presently existing
From this reading These words, wrung from Madame de la Baudraye by her friend the lawyer, accounted for the existing state of things.
exquisiteadjectiveUS /ˈekskwəzət/
intense or sharp
From this reading Far from preferring the joys of a shy and mysterious passion, of hiding such exquisite happiness from the eyes of the world, he found a vulgar satisfaction in displaying the first woman of respectability who had ever honored him with her affection.
eyesnounUS /aɪz/
opinion or judgment
From this reading Far from preferring the joys of a shy and mysterious passion, of hiding such exquisite happiness from the eyes of the world, he found a vulgar satisfaction in displaying the first woman of respectability who had ever honored him with her affection.
FaradverbUS /fɑːr/
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading Far from preferring the joys of a shy and mysterious passion, of hiding such exquisite happiness from the eyes of the world, he found a vulgar satisfaction in displaying the first woman of respectability who had ever honored him with her affection.
featherverbUS /ˈfeðər/
join tongue and groove, in carpentry
From this reading To Etienne, Madame de la Baudraye was, to use his own phrase, “a fine feather in his cap.”
fineadjectiveUS /faɪn/
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading To Etienne, Madame de la Baudraye was, to use his own phrase, “a fine feather in his cap.”
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The publicity of his triumph, flaunted by Etienne on the evening of the first performance, had very plainly shown the lawyer what Lousteau’s purpose was.
flauntedverbUS /ˈflɔːntɪd/
past form of “flaunt” — display proudly; act ostentatiously or pretentiously
From this reading The publicity of his triumph, flaunted by Etienne on the evening of the first performance, had very plainly shown the lawyer what Lousteau’s purpose was.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading These words, wrung from Madame de la Baudraye by her friend the lawyer, accounted for the existing state of things.
foundverbUS /faʊnd/
set up or found
From this reading Far from preferring the joys of a shy and mysterious passion, of hiding such exquisite happiness from the eyes of the world, he found a vulgar satisfaction in displaying the first woman of respectability who had ever honored him with her affection.
friendnounUS /frend/
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading These words, wrung from Madame de la Baudraye by her friend the lawyer, accounted for the existing state of things.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading These words, wrung from Madame de la Baudraye by her friend the lawyer, accounted for the existing state of things.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The publicity of his triumph, flaunted by Etienne on the evening of the first performance, had very plainly shown the lawyer what Lousteau’s purpose was.
happinessnounUS /ˈhæpinəs/
state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy
From this reading “His happiness will be my absolution.”
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Far from preferring the joys of a shy and mysterious passion, of hiding such exquisite happiness from the eyes of the world, he found a vulgar satisfaction in displaying the first woman of respectability who had ever honored him with her affection.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading These words, wrung from Madame de la Baudraye by her friend the lawyer, accounted for the existing state of things.
hidingnounUS /ˈhaɪdɪŋ/
the activity of keeping something secret
From this reading Far from preferring the joys of a shy and mysterious passion, of hiding such exquisite happiness from the eyes of the world, he found a vulgar satisfaction in displaying the first woman of respectability who had ever honored him with her affection.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Far from preferring the joys of a shy and mysterious passion, of hiding such exquisite happiness from the eyes of the world, he found a vulgar satisfaction in displaying the first woman of respectability who had ever honored him with her affection.
HisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “His happiness will be my absolution.”
honoredadjectiveUS /ˈɑːnərd/
having an illustrious reputation; respected
From this reading Far from preferring the joys of a shy and mysterious passion, of hiding such exquisite happiness from the eyes of the world, he found a vulgar satisfaction in displaying the first woman of respectability who had ever honored him with her affection.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading To Etienne, Madame de la Baudraye was, to use his own phrase, “a fine feather in his cap.”
joysnounUS /dʒɔɪz/
plural of “joy” — the emotion of great happiness
From this reading Far from preferring the joys of a shy and mysterious passion, of hiding such exquisite happiness from the eyes of the world, he found a vulgar satisfaction in displaying the first woman of respectability who had ever honored him with her affection.
lanounUS /lɑː/
a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth
From this reading These words, wrung from Madame de la Baudraye by her friend the lawyer, accounted for the existing state of things.
lawyernounUS /ˈlɔːjər/
a professional person authorized to practice law; conducts lawsuits or gives legal advice
From this reading These words, wrung from Madame de la Baudraye by her friend the lawyer, accounted for the existing state of things.
Lousteau's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The publicity of his triumph, flaunted by Etienne on the evening of the first performance, had very plainly shown the lawyer what Lousteau’s purpose was.
MadamenounUS /ˈmædəm/
title used for a married Frenchwoman
From this reading These words, wrung from Madame de la Baudraye by her friend the lawyer, accounted for the existing state of things.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “His happiness will be my absolution.”
mysteriousadjectiveUS /mɪˈstɪriəs/
of an obscure nature
From this reading Far from preferring the joys of a shy and mysterious passion, of hiding such exquisite happiness from the eyes of the world, he found a vulgar satisfaction in displaying the first woman of respectability who had ever honored him with her affection.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading These words, wrung from Madame de la Baudraye by her friend the lawyer, accounted for the existing state of things.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The publicity of his triumph, flaunted by Etienne on the evening of the first performance, had very plainly shown the lawyer what Lousteau’s purpose was.
ownverbUS /oʊn/
have ownership or possession of
From this reading To Etienne, Madame de la Baudraye was, to use his own phrase, “a fine feather in his cap.”
passionnounUS /ˈpæʃən/
a strong feeling or emotion
From this reading Far from preferring the joys of a shy and mysterious passion, of hiding such exquisite happiness from the eyes of the world, he found a vulgar satisfaction in displaying the first woman of respectability who had ever honored him with her affection.
performancenounUS /pərˈfɔːrməns/
a dramatic or musical entertainment
From this reading The publicity of his triumph, flaunted by Etienne on the evening of the first performance, had very plainly shown the lawyer what Lousteau’s purpose was.
phrasenounUS /freɪz/
an expression consisting of one or more words forming a grammatical constituent of a sentence
From this reading To Etienne, Madame de la Baudraye was, to use his own phrase, “a fine feather in his cap.”
plainlyadverbUS /ˈpleɪnli/
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading The publicity of his triumph, flaunted by Etienne on the evening of the first performance, had very plainly shown the lawyer what Lousteau’s purpose was.
preferringverbUS /prɪˈfɜːrɪŋ/
inflected form of “prefer” — like better; value more highly
From this reading Far from preferring the joys of a shy and mysterious passion, of hiding such exquisite happiness from the eyes of the world, he found a vulgar satisfaction in displaying the first woman of respectability who had ever honored him with her affection.
publicitynounUS /pəˈblɪsəti/
a message issued in behalf of some product or cause or idea or person or institution
From this reading The publicity of his triumph, flaunted by Etienne on the evening of the first performance, had very plainly shown the lawyer what Lousteau’s purpose was.
purposenounUS /ˈpɜːrpəs/
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading The publicity of his triumph, flaunted by Etienne on the evening of the first performance, had very plainly shown the lawyer what Lousteau’s purpose was.
respectabilitynounUS /riˌspektəˈbɪlɪti/
honorableness by virtue of being respectable and having a good reputation
From this reading Far from preferring the joys of a shy and mysterious passion, of hiding such exquisite happiness from the eyes of the world, he found a vulgar satisfaction in displaying the first woman of respectability who had ever honored him with her affection.
satisfactionnounUS /ˌsætəˈsfækʃən/
the contentment one feels when one has fulfilled a desire, need, or expectation
From this reading Far from preferring the joys of a shy and mysterious passion, of hiding such exquisite happiness from the eyes of the world, he found a vulgar satisfaction in displaying the first woman of respectability who had ever honored him with her affection.
shownverbUS /ʃoʊn/
inflected form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading The publicity of his triumph, flaunted by Etienne on the evening of the first performance, had very plainly shown the lawyer what Lousteau’s purpose was.
shyverbUS /ʃaɪ/
start suddenly, as from fright
From this reading Far from preferring the joys of a shy and mysterious passion, of hiding such exquisite happiness from the eyes of the world, he found a vulgar satisfaction in displaying the first woman of respectability who had ever honored him with her affection.
statenounUS /steɪt/
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading These words, wrung from Madame de la Baudraye by her friend the lawyer, accounted for the existing state of things.
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Far from preferring the joys of a shy and mysterious passion, of hiding such exquisite happiness from the eyes of the world, he found a vulgar satisfaction in displaying the first woman of respectability who had ever honored him with her affection.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading These words, wrung from Madame de la Baudraye by her friend the lawyer, accounted for the existing state of things.
ThesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading These words, wrung from Madame de la Baudraye by her friend the lawyer, accounted for the existing state of things.
thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading These words, wrung from Madame de la Baudraye by her friend the lawyer, accounted for the existing state of things.
ToparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To Etienne, Madame de la Baudraye was, to use his own phrase, “a fine feather in his cap.”
triumphnounUS /ˈtraɪəmf/
a successful ending of a struggle or contest
From this reading The publicity of his triumph, flaunted by Etienne on the evening of the first performance, had very plainly shown the lawyer what Lousteau’s purpose was.
usenounUS /juːs/
the act of using
From this reading To Etienne, Madame de la Baudraye was, to use his own phrase, “a fine feather in his cap.”
veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/
precisely as stated
From this reading The publicity of his triumph, flaunted by Etienne on the evening of the first performance, had very plainly shown the lawyer what Lousteau’s purpose was.
vulgaradjectiveUS /ˈvʌlɡər/
lacking refinement or cultivation or taste
From this reading Far from preferring the joys of a shy and mysterious passion, of hiding such exquisite happiness from the eyes of the world, he found a vulgar satisfaction in displaying the first woman of respectability who had ever honored him with her affection.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The publicity of his triumph, flaunted by Etienne on the evening of the first performance, had very plainly shown the lawyer what Lousteau’s purpose was.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading The publicity of his triumph, flaunted by Etienne on the evening of the first performance, had very plainly shown the lawyer what Lousteau’s purpose was.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading Far from preferring the joys of a shy and mysterious passion, of hiding such exquisite happiness from the eyes of the world, he found a vulgar satisfaction in displaying the first woman of respectability who had ever honored him with her affection.
willmodal verbUS /wɪl/
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading “His happiness will be my absolution.”
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Far from preferring the joys of a shy and mysterious passion, of hiding such exquisite happiness from the eyes of the world, he found a vulgar satisfaction in displaying the first woman of respectability who had ever honored him with her affection.
womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Far from preferring the joys of a shy and mysterious passion, of hiding such exquisite happiness from the eyes of the world, he found a vulgar satisfaction in displaying the first woman of respectability who had ever honored him with her affection.
wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/
the words that are spoken
From this reading These words, wrung from Madame de la Baudraye by her friend the lawyer, accounted for the existing state of things.
worldnounUS /wɜːrld/
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading Far from preferring the joys of a shy and mysterious passion, of hiding such exquisite happiness from the eyes of the world, he found a vulgar satisfaction in displaying the first woman of respectability who had ever honored him with her affection.
wrungverbUS /rʌŋ/
inflected form of “wring” — twist and press out of shape
From this reading These words, wrung from Madame de la Baudraye by her friend the lawyer, accounted for the existing state of things.
