adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading But the woman now in charge often puzzled herself greatly to account for the strange fact that however often she shut the door, which, like the rest, she took a great deal of unnecessary trouble to do, she was certain, the next time she went to it, to find it open.
accountnounUS /əˈkaʊnt/
a record or narrative description of past events
From this reading But the woman now in charge often puzzled herself greatly to account for the strange fact that however often she shut the door, which, like the rest, she took a great deal of unnecessary trouble to do, she was certain, the next time she went to it, to find it open.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Mistress of the Silver Moon When Curdie reached the castle, and ran into the little garden in front of it, there stood the door wide open.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading This was as he had hoped, for what could he have said if he had had to knock at it?
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading This was as he had hoped, for what could he have said if he had had to knock at it?
backadverbUS /bæk/
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading I speak now of the great front door, of course: the back door she as persistently kept wide: if people could only go in by that, she said, she would then know what sort they were, and what they wanted.
businessnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading Those whose business it is to open doors, so often mistake and shut them!
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the woman now in charge often puzzled herself greatly to account for the strange fact that however often she shut the door, which, like the rest, she took a great deal of unnecessary trouble to do, she was certain, the next time she went to it, to find it open.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading I speak now of the great front door, of course: the back door she as persistently kept wide: if people could only go in by that, she said, she would then know what sort they were, and what they wanted.
castlenounUS /ˈkæsəl/
a large and stately mansion
From this reading The Mistress of the Silver Moon When Curdie reached the castle, and ran into the little garden in front of it, there stood the door wide open.
certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading But the woman now in charge often puzzled herself greatly to account for the strange fact that however often she shut the door, which, like the rest, she took a great deal of unnecessary trouble to do, she was certain, the next time she went to it, to find it open.
chargeverbUS /tʃɑːrdʒ/
to make a rush at or sudden attack upon, as in battle
From this reading But the woman now in charge often puzzled herself greatly to account for the strange fact that however often she shut the door, which, like the rest, she took a great deal of unnecessary trouble to do, she was certain, the next time she went to it, to find it open.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading This was as he had hoped, for what could he have said if he had had to knock at it?
coursenounUS /kɔːrs/
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading I speak now of the great front door, of course: the back door she as persistently kept wide: if people could only go in by that, she said, she would then know what sort they were, and what they wanted.
Curdie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Mistress of the Silver Moon When Curdie reached the castle, and ran into the little garden in front of it, there stood the door wide open.
dealverbUS /diːl/
act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
From this reading But the woman now in charge often puzzled herself greatly to account for the strange fact that however often she shut the door, which, like the rest, she took a great deal of unnecessary trouble to do, she was certain, the next time she went to it, to find it open.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading But the woman now in charge often puzzled herself greatly to account for the strange fact that however often she shut the door, which, like the rest, she took a great deal of unnecessary trouble to do, she was certain, the next time she went to it, to find it open.
doornounUS /dɔːr/
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading The Mistress of the Silver Moon When Curdie reached the castle, and ran into the little garden in front of it, there stood the door wide open.
doorsnounUS /dɔːrz/
plural of “door” — a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Those whose business it is to open doors, so often mistake and shut them!
factnounUS /fækt/
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading But the woman now in charge often puzzled herself greatly to account for the strange fact that however often she shut the door, which, like the rest, she took a great deal of unnecessary trouble to do, she was certain, the next time she went to it, to find it open.
findverbUS /faɪnd/
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading But the woman now in charge often puzzled herself greatly to account for the strange fact that however often she shut the door, which, like the rest, she took a great deal of unnecessary trouble to do, she was certain, the next time she went to it, to find it open.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading This was as he had hoped, for what could he have said if he had had to knock at it?
frontnounUS /frʌnt/
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading The Mistress of the Silver Moon When Curdie reached the castle, and ran into the little garden in front of it, there stood the door wide open.
gardennounUS /ˈɡɑːrdən/
a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading The Mistress of the Silver Moon When Curdie reached the castle, and ran into the little garden in front of it, there stood the door wide open.
goverbUS /ɡoʊ/
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading I speak now of the great front door, of course: the back door she as persistently kept wide: if people could only go in by that, she said, she would then know what sort they were, and what they wanted.
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading But the woman now in charge often puzzled herself greatly to account for the strange fact that however often she shut the door, which, like the rest, she took a great deal of unnecessary trouble to do, she was certain, the next time she went to it, to find it open.
greatlyadverbUS /ˈɡreɪtli/
to an extraordinary extent or degree
From this reading But the woman now in charge often puzzled herself greatly to account for the strange fact that however often she shut the door, which, like the rest, she took a great deal of unnecessary trouble to do, she was certain, the next time she went to it, to find it open.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading This was as he had hoped, for what could he have said if he had had to knock at it?
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading This was as he had hoped, for what could he have said if he had had to knock at it?
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading This was as he had hoped, for what could he have said if he had had to knock at it?
herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading But the woman now in charge often puzzled herself greatly to account for the strange fact that however often she shut the door, which, like the rest, she took a great deal of unnecessary trouble to do, she was certain, the next time she went to it, to find it open.
hopedverbUS /hoʊpt/
past form of “hope” — expect and wish
From this reading This was as he had hoped, for what could he have said if he had had to knock at it?
howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading But the woman now in charge often puzzled herself greatly to account for the strange fact that however often she shut the door, which, like the rest, she took a great deal of unnecessary trouble to do, she was certain, the next time she went to it, to find it open.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I speak now of the great front door, of course: the back door she as persistently kept wide: if people could only go in by that, she said, she would then know what sort they were, and what they wanted.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading This was as he had hoped, for what could he have said if he had had to knock at it?
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The Mistress of the Silver Moon When Curdie reached the castle, and ran into the little garden in front of it, there stood the door wide open.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The Mistress of the Silver Moon When Curdie reached the castle, and ran into the little garden in front of it, there stood the door wide open.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Those whose business it is to open doors, so often mistake and shut them!
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The Mistress of the Silver Moon When Curdie reached the castle, and ran into the little garden in front of it, there stood the door wide open.
keptadjectiveUS /kept/
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading I speak now of the great front door, of course: the back door she as persistently kept wide: if people could only go in by that, she said, she would then know what sort they were, and what they wanted.
knockverbUS /nɑːk/
deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading This was as he had hoped, for what could he have said if he had had to knock at it?
knowverbUS /noʊ/
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I speak now of the great front door, of course: the back door she as persistently kept wide: if people could only go in by that, she said, she would then know what sort they were, and what they wanted.
likeverbUS /laɪk/
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading But the woman now in charge often puzzled herself greatly to account for the strange fact that however often she shut the door, which, like the rest, she took a great deal of unnecessary trouble to do, she was certain, the next time she went to it, to find it open.
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The Mistress of the Silver Moon When Curdie reached the castle, and ran into the little garden in front of it, there stood the door wide open.
mistakenounUS /mɪˈsteɪk/
a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading Those whose business it is to open doors, so often mistake and shut them!
MistressnounUS /ˈmɪstrəs/
an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man
From this reading The Mistress of the Silver Moon When Curdie reached the castle, and ran into the little garden in front of it, there stood the door wide open.
MoonnounUS /muːn/
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading The Mistress of the Silver Moon When Curdie reached the castle, and ran into the little garden in front of it, there stood the door wide open.
nextadjectiveUS /nekst/
immediately following in time or order
From this reading But the woman now in charge often puzzled herself greatly to account for the strange fact that however often she shut the door, which, like the rest, she took a great deal of unnecessary trouble to do, she was certain, the next time she went to it, to find it open.
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading But the woman now in charge often puzzled herself greatly to account for the strange fact that however often she shut the door, which, like the rest, she took a great deal of unnecessary trouble to do, she was certain, the next time she went to it, to find it open.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Mistress of the Silver Moon When Curdie reached the castle, and ran into the little garden in front of it, there stood the door wide open.
oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/
many times at short intervals
From this reading Those whose business it is to open doors, so often mistake and shut them!
onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/
and nothing more
From this reading I speak now of the great front door, of course: the back door she as persistently kept wide: if people could only go in by that, she said, she would then know what sort they were, and what they wanted.
openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/
To move from a closed position.
From this reading The Mistress of the Silver Moon When Curdie reached the castle, and ran into the little garden in front of it, there stood the door wide open.
peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading I speak now of the great front door, of course: the back door she as persistently kept wide: if people could only go in by that, she said, she would then know what sort they were, and what they wanted.
persistentlyadverbUS /pərˈsɪstəntli/
in a persistent manner
From this reading I speak now of the great front door, of course: the back door she as persistently kept wide: if people could only go in by that, she said, she would then know what sort they were, and what they wanted.
puzzledadjectiveUS /ˈpʌzəld/
filled with bewilderment
From this reading But the woman now in charge often puzzled herself greatly to account for the strange fact that however often she shut the door, which, like the rest, she took a great deal of unnecessary trouble to do, she was certain, the next time she went to it, to find it open.
ranverbUS /ræn/
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading The Mistress of the Silver Moon When Curdie reached the castle, and ran into the little garden in front of it, there stood the door wide open.
reachedverbUS /riːtʃt/
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading The Mistress of the Silver Moon When Curdie reached the castle, and ran into the little garden in front of it, there stood the door wide open.
restverbUS /rest/
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading But the woman now in charge often puzzled herself greatly to account for the strange fact that however often she shut the door, which, like the rest, she took a great deal of unnecessary trouble to do, she was certain, the next time she went to it, to find it open.
saidadjectiveUS /sed/
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading This was as he had hoped, for what could he have said if he had had to knock at it?
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But the woman now in charge often puzzled herself greatly to account for the strange fact that however often she shut the door, which, like the rest, she took a great deal of unnecessary trouble to do, she was certain, the next time she went to it, to find it open.
shutverbUS /ʃʌt/
move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
From this reading Those whose business it is to open doors, so often mistake and shut them!
SilvernounUS /ˈsɪlvər/
a soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal; occurs in argentite and in free form; used in coins and jewelry and tableware and photography
From this reading The Mistress of the Silver Moon When Curdie reached the castle, and ran into the little garden in front of it, there stood the door wide open.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Those whose business it is to open doors, so often mistake and shut them!
sortnounUS /sɔːrt/
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading I speak now of the great front door, of course: the back door she as persistently kept wide: if people could only go in by that, she said, she would then know what sort they were, and what they wanted.
speakverbUS /spiːk/
express in speech
From this reading I speak now of the great front door, of course: the back door she as persistently kept wide: if people could only go in by that, she said, she would then know what sort they were, and what they wanted.
stoodverbUS /stʊd/
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading The Mistress of the Silver Moon When Curdie reached the castle, and ran into the little garden in front of it, there stood the door wide open.
strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading But the woman now in charge often puzzled herself greatly to account for the strange fact that however often she shut the door, which, like the rest, she took a great deal of unnecessary trouble to do, she was certain, the next time she went to it, to find it open.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But the woman now in charge often puzzled herself greatly to account for the strange fact that however often she shut the door, which, like the rest, she took a great deal of unnecessary trouble to do, she was certain, the next time she went to it, to find it open.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Mistress of the Silver Moon When Curdie reached the castle, and ran into the little garden in front of it, there stood the door wide open.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Those whose business it is to open doors, so often mistake and shut them!
thenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading I speak now of the great front door, of course: the back door she as persistently kept wide: if people could only go in by that, she said, she would then know what sort they were, and what they wanted.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading The Mistress of the Silver Moon When Curdie reached the castle, and ran into the little garden in front of it, there stood the door wide open.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I speak now of the great front door, of course: the back door she as persistently kept wide: if people could only go in by that, she said, she would then know what sort they were, and what they wanted.
ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This was as he had hoped, for what could he have said if he had had to knock at it?
ThosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Those whose business it is to open doors, so often mistake and shut them!
timenounUS /taɪm/
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading But the woman now in charge often puzzled herself greatly to account for the strange fact that however often she shut the door, which, like the rest, she took a great deal of unnecessary trouble to do, she was certain, the next time she went to it, to find it open.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading This was as he had hoped, for what could he have said if he had had to knock at it?
tookverbUS /tʊk/
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading But the woman now in charge often puzzled herself greatly to account for the strange fact that however often she shut the door, which, like the rest, she took a great deal of unnecessary trouble to do, she was certain, the next time she went to it, to find it open.
troublenounUS /ˈtrʌbəl/
a source of difficulty
From this reading But the woman now in charge often puzzled herself greatly to account for the strange fact that however often she shut the door, which, like the rest, she took a great deal of unnecessary trouble to do, she was certain, the next time she went to it, to find it open.
unnecessaryadjectiveUS /ənˈnesəseri/
not necessary
From this reading But the woman now in charge often puzzled herself greatly to account for the strange fact that however often she shut the door, which, like the rest, she took a great deal of unnecessary trouble to do, she was certain, the next time she went to it, to find it open.
wantedadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːntɪd/
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading I speak now of the great front door, of course: the back door she as persistently kept wide: if people could only go in by that, she said, she would then know what sort they were, and what they wanted.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This was as he had hoped, for what could he have said if he had had to knock at it?
wentverbUS /went/
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading But the woman now in charge often puzzled herself greatly to account for the strange fact that however often she shut the door, which, like the rest, she took a great deal of unnecessary trouble to do, she was certain, the next time she went to it, to find it open.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading I speak now of the great front door, of course: the back door she as persistently kept wide: if people could only go in by that, she said, she would then know what sort they were, and what they wanted.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading This was as he had hoped, for what could he have said if he had had to knock at it?
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading The Mistress of the Silver Moon When Curdie reached the castle, and ran into the little garden in front of it, there stood the door wide open.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading But the woman now in charge often puzzled herself greatly to account for the strange fact that however often she shut the door, which, like the rest, she took a great deal of unnecessary trouble to do, she was certain, the next time she went to it, to find it open.
whosedeterminerUS /huːz/
belonging to which person
From this reading Those whose business it is to open doors, so often mistake and shut them!
wideadjectiveUS /waɪd/
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading The Mistress of the Silver Moon When Curdie reached the castle, and ran into the little garden in front of it, there stood the door wide open.
womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading But the woman now in charge often puzzled herself greatly to account for the strange fact that however often she shut the door, which, like the rest, she took a great deal of unnecessary trouble to do, she was certain, the next time she went to it, to find it open.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading I speak now of the great front door, of course: the back door she as persistently kept wide: if people could only go in by that, she said, she would then know what sort they were, and what they wanted.
