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adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Madeline’s name, which had come to be for him an epitome of what was finest and most valuable, most to be lived for, was dropping from men’s lips into a kind of an abyss of dishonourable suggestion.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading She may even have lied about it, but the truth was there, fundamentally, in the mere fact that it had been suggested to her imagination.
abyss
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madeline’s name, which had come to be for him an epitome of what was finest and most valuable, most to be lived for, was dropping from men’s lips into a kind of an abyss of dishonourable suggestion.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Madeline’s name, which had come to be for him an epitome of what was finest and most valuable, most to be lived for, was dropping from men’s lips into a kind of an abyss of dishonourable suggestion.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Madeline’s name, which had come to be for him an epitome of what was finest and most valuable, most to be lived for, was dropping from men’s lips into a kind of an abyss of dishonourable suggestion.
aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading There was no way out of it or around it.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading She--Violet--had unspeakably vulgarized it, but it must be true--it must be, to some extent, true.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading She may even have lied about it, but the truth was there, fundamentally, in the mere fact that it had been suggested to her imagination.
blackening
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a cloud which encompassed them, suddenly blackening down.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She--Violet--had unspeakably vulgarized it, but it must be true--it must be, to some extent, true.
cloud
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a cloud which encompassed them, suddenly blackening down.
comenounUS /come/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Madeline’s name, which had come to be for him an epitome of what was finest and most valuable, most to be lived for, was dropping from men’s lips into a kind of an abyss of dishonourable suggestion.
dishonourable
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madeline’s name, which had come to be for him an epitome of what was finest and most valuable, most to be lived for, was dropping from men’s lips into a kind of an abyss of dishonourable suggestion.
down
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a cloud which encompassed them, suddenly blackening down.
dropping
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madeline’s name, which had come to be for him an epitome of what was finest and most valuable, most to be lived for, was dropping from men’s lips into a kind of an abyss of dishonourable suggestion.
encompassed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a cloud which encompassed them, suddenly blackening down.
epitome
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madeline’s name, which had come to be for him an epitome of what was finest and most valuable, most to be lived for, was dropping from men’s lips into a kind of an abyss of dishonourable suggestion.
evennounUS /even/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading She may even have lied about it, but the truth was there, fundamentally, in the mere fact that it had been suggested to her imagination.
extent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She--Violet--had unspeakably vulgarized it, but it must be true--it must be, to some extent, true.
fact
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She may even have lied about it, but the truth was there, fundamentally, in the mere fact that it had been suggested to her imagination.
finest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madeline’s name, which had come to be for him an epitome of what was finest and most valuable, most to be lived for, was dropping from men’s lips into a kind of an abyss of dishonourable suggestion.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Madeline’s name, which had come to be for him an epitome of what was finest and most valuable, most to be lived for, was dropping from men’s lips into a kind of an abyss of dishonourable suggestion.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Madeline’s name, which had come to be for him an epitome of what was finest and most valuable, most to be lived for, was dropping from men’s lips into a kind of an abyss of dishonourable suggestion.
fundamentally
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She may even have lied about it, but the truth was there, fundamentally, in the mere fact that it had been suggested to her imagination.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She--Violet--had unspeakably vulgarized it, but it must be true--it must be, to some extent, true.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading She may even have lied about it, but the truth was there, fundamentally, in the mere fact that it had been suggested to her imagination.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She may even have lied about it, but the truth was there, fundamentally, in the mere fact that it had been suggested to her imagination.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Madeline’s name, which had come to be for him an epitome of what was finest and most valuable, most to be lived for, was dropping from men’s lips into a kind of an abyss of dishonourable suggestion.
imagination
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She may even have lied about it, but the truth was there, fundamentally, in the mere fact that it had been suggested to her imagination.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She may even have lied about it, but the truth was there, fundamentally, in the mere fact that it had been suggested to her imagination.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Madeline’s name, which had come to be for him an epitome of what was finest and most valuable, most to be lived for, was dropping from men’s lips into a kind of an abyss of dishonourable suggestion.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading She--Violet--had unspeakably vulgarized it, but it must be true--it must be, to some extent, true.
kind
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madeline’s name, which had come to be for him an epitome of what was finest and most valuable, most to be lived for, was dropping from men’s lips into a kind of an abyss of dishonourable suggestion.
lied
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She may even have lied about it, but the truth was there, fundamentally, in the mere fact that it had been suggested to her imagination.
lips
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madeline’s name, which had come to be for him an epitome of what was finest and most valuable, most to be lived for, was dropping from men’s lips into a kind of an abyss of dishonourable suggestion.
lived
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madeline’s name, which had come to be for him an epitome of what was finest and most valuable, most to be lived for, was dropping from men’s lips into a kind of an abyss of dishonourable suggestion.
Madeline's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madeline’s name, which had come to be for him an epitome of what was finest and most valuable, most to be lived for, was dropping from men’s lips into a kind of an abyss of dishonourable suggestion.
maymodal verbUS /meɪ/
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading She may even have lied about it, but the truth was there, fundamentally, in the mere fact that it had been suggested to her imagination.
men's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madeline’s name, which had come to be for him an epitome of what was finest and most valuable, most to be lived for, was dropping from men’s lips into a kind of an abyss of dishonourable suggestion.
mere
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She may even have lied about it, but the truth was there, fundamentally, in the mere fact that it had been suggested to her imagination.
most
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madeline’s name, which had come to be for him an epitome of what was finest and most valuable, most to be lived for, was dropping from men’s lips into a kind of an abyss of dishonourable suggestion.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading She--Violet--had unspeakably vulgarized it, but it must be true--it must be, to some extent, true.
namenounUS /name/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Madeline’s name, which had come to be for him an epitome of what was finest and most valuable, most to be lived for, was dropping from men’s lips into a kind of an abyss of dishonourable suggestion.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading There was no way out of it or around it.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Madeline’s name, which had come to be for him an epitome of what was finest and most valuable, most to be lived for, was dropping from men’s lips into a kind of an abyss of dishonourable suggestion.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading There was no way out of it or around it.
out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was no way out of it or around it.
ShepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She--Violet--had unspeakably vulgarized it, but it must be true--it must be, to some extent, true.
some
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She--Violet--had unspeakably vulgarized it, but it must be true--it must be, to some extent, true.
suddenlynounUS /ˈsuddenly/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading It was a cloud which encompassed them, suddenly blackening down.
suggested
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She may even have lied about it, but the truth was there, fundamentally, in the mere fact that it had been suggested to her imagination.
suggestion
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madeline’s name, which had come to be for him an epitome of what was finest and most valuable, most to be lived for, was dropping from men’s lips into a kind of an abyss of dishonourable suggestion.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She may even have lied about it, but the truth was there, fundamentally, in the mere fact that it had been suggested to her imagination.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She may even have lied about it, but the truth was there, fundamentally, in the mere fact that it had been suggested to her imagination.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading It was a cloud which encompassed them, suddenly blackening down.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She may even have lied about it, but the truth was there, fundamentally, in the mere fact that it had been suggested to her imagination.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She--Violet--had unspeakably vulgarized it, but it must be true--it must be, to some extent, true.
true
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She--Violet--had unspeakably vulgarized it, but it must be true--it must be, to some extent, true.
truth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She may even have lied about it, but the truth was there, fundamentally, in the mere fact that it had been suggested to her imagination.
unspeakably
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She--Violet--had unspeakably vulgarized it, but it must be true--it must be, to some extent, true.
valuable
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madeline’s name, which had come to be for him an epitome of what was finest and most valuable, most to be lived for, was dropping from men’s lips into a kind of an abyss of dishonourable suggestion.
Violet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She--Violet--had unspeakably vulgarized it, but it must be true--it must be, to some extent, true.
vulgarized
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She--Violet--had unspeakably vulgarized it, but it must be true--it must be, to some extent, true.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She may even have lied about it, but the truth was there, fundamentally, in the mere fact that it had been suggested to her imagination.
way
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was no way out of it or around it.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Madeline’s name, which had come to be for him an epitome of what was finest and most valuable, most to be lived for, was dropping from men’s lips into a kind of an abyss of dishonourable suggestion.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Madeline’s name, which had come to be for him an epitome of what was finest and most valuable, most to be lived for, was dropping from men’s lips into a kind of an abyss of dishonourable suggestion.
