adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading An hour had passed since he began his evening toilet; yet here he was, still tinkering, so to speak, over the last of a dozen cravats.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The eleven others lay strewn about, hopelessly crumpled; mute witnesses of angry fingers and impassioned mutterings.
AndeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading An hour had passed since he began his evening toilet; yet here he was, still tinkering, so to speak, over the last of a dozen cravats.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The eleven others lay strewn about, hopelessly crumpled; mute witnesses of angry fingers and impassioned mutterings.
angryadjectiveUS /ˈæŋɡri/
feeling or showing anger
From this reading The eleven others lay strewn about, hopelessly crumpled; mute witnesses of angry fingers and impassioned mutterings.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Maurice, as he labored before his mirror, wondered why in the world it took him so long to dress.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Maurice, as he labored before his mirror, wondered why in the world it took him so long to dress.
beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading An hour had passed since he began his evening toilet; yet here he was, still tinkering, so to speak, over the last of a dozen cravats.
clothesnounUS /kloʊðz/
clothing in general
From this reading Usually he could slip into his evening clothes in less than thirty minutes.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Usually he could slip into his evening clothes in less than thirty minutes.
cravats
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading An hour had passed since he began his evening toilet; yet here he was, still tinkering, so to speak, over the last of a dozen cravats.
crumpledadjectiveUS /ˈkrʌmpəld/
of metal e.g.
From this reading The eleven others lay strewn about, hopelessly crumpled; mute witnesses of angry fingers and impassioned mutterings.
dozennounUS /ˈdʌzən/
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading An hour had passed since he began his evening toilet; yet here he was, still tinkering, so to speak, over the last of a dozen cravats.
dressverbUS /dres/
put on clothes
From this reading Maurice, as he labored before his mirror, wondered why in the world it took him so long to dress.
elevenadjectiveUS /ɪˈlevən/
being one more than ten
From this reading The eleven others lay strewn about, hopelessly crumpled; mute witnesses of angry fingers and impassioned mutterings.
eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading An hour had passed since he began his evening toilet; yet here he was, still tinkering, so to speak, over the last of a dozen cravats.
fingersnounUS /ˈfɪŋɡərz/
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading The eleven others lay strewn about, hopelessly crumpled; mute witnesses of angry fingers and impassioned mutterings.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading An hour had passed since he began his evening toilet; yet here he was, still tinkering, so to speak, over the last of a dozen cravats.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Maurice, as he labored before his mirror, wondered why in the world it took him so long to dress.
hereadverbUS /hiːr/
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading An hour had passed since he began his evening toilet; yet here he was, still tinkering, so to speak, over the last of a dozen cravats.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Maurice, as he labored before his mirror, wondered why in the world it took him so long to dress.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Maurice, as he labored before his mirror, wondered why in the world it took him so long to dress.
hopelesslyadverbUS /ˈhoʊpləsli/
in a hopeless manner
From this reading The eleven others lay strewn about, hopelessly crumpled; mute witnesses of angry fingers and impassioned mutterings.
hournounUS /ˈaʊər/
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading An hour had passed since he began his evening toilet; yet here he was, still tinkering, so to speak, over the last of a dozen cravats.
impassionedadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpæʃənd/
characterized by intense emotion
From this reading The eleven others lay strewn about, hopelessly crumpled; mute witnesses of angry fingers and impassioned mutterings.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Maurice, as he labored before his mirror, wondered why in the world it took him so long to dress.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Usually he could slip into his evening clothes in less than thirty minutes.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Maurice, as he labored before his mirror, wondered why in the world it took him so long to dress.
laboredadjectiveUS /ˈleɪbərd/
lacking natural ease
From this reading Maurice, as he labored before his mirror, wondered why in the world it took him so long to dress.
lastadjectiveUS /læst/
immediately past
From this reading An hour had passed since he began his evening toilet; yet here he was, still tinkering, so to speak, over the last of a dozen cravats.
layverbUS /leɪ/
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The eleven others lay strewn about, hopelessly crumpled; mute witnesses of angry fingers and impassioned mutterings.
lessadverbUS /les/
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading Usually he could slip into his evening clothes in less than thirty minutes.
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading Maurice, as he labored before his mirror, wondered why in the world it took him so long to dress.
Maurice
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Maurice, as he labored before his mirror, wondered why in the world it took him so long to dress.
minutesnounUS /ˈmɪnəts/
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading Usually he could slip into his evening clothes in less than thirty minutes.
mirrornounUS /ˈmɪrər/
polished surface that forms images by reflecting light
From this reading Maurice, as he labored before his mirror, wondered why in the world it took him so long to dress.
muteadjectiveUS /mjuːt/
expressed without speech
From this reading The eleven others lay strewn about, hopelessly crumpled; mute witnesses of angry fingers and impassioned mutterings.
mutteringsnounUS /ˈmʌtərɪŋz/
plural of “muttering” — a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech
From this reading The eleven others lay strewn about, hopelessly crumpled; mute witnesses of angry fingers and impassioned mutterings.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading An hour had passed since he began his evening toilet; yet here he was, still tinkering, so to speak, over the last of a dozen cravats.
others
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The eleven others lay strewn about, hopelessly crumpled; mute witnesses of angry fingers and impassioned mutterings.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading An hour had passed since he began his evening toilet; yet here he was, still tinkering, so to speak, over the last of a dozen cravats.
passedverbUS /pæst/
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading An hour had passed since he began his evening toilet; yet here he was, still tinkering, so to speak, over the last of a dozen cravats.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading An hour had passed since he began his evening toilet; yet here he was, still tinkering, so to speak, over the last of a dozen cravats.
slipverbUS /slɪp/
move stealthily
From this reading Usually he could slip into his evening clothes in less than thirty minutes.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Maurice, as he labored before his mirror, wondered why in the world it took him so long to dress.
SomethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Something was wrong.
speakverbUS /spiːk/
express in speech
From this reading An hour had passed since he began his evening toilet; yet here he was, still tinkering, so to speak, over the last of a dozen cravats.
stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/
not in physical motion
From this reading An hour had passed since he began his evening toilet; yet here he was, still tinkering, so to speak, over the last of a dozen cravats.
strewnverbUS /struːn/
inflected form of “strew” — spread by scattering ("straw" is archaic)
From this reading The eleven others lay strewn about, hopelessly crumpled; mute witnesses of angry fingers and impassioned mutterings.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Usually he could slip into his evening clothes in less than thirty minutes.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Maurice, as he labored before his mirror, wondered why in the world it took him so long to dress.
thirtynounUS /ˈθɜːrdiː/
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and three
From this reading Usually he could slip into his evening clothes in less than thirty minutes.
tinkeringverbUS /ˈtɪŋkərɪŋ/
-ing form of “tinker” — do random, unplanned work or activities or spend time idly
From this reading An hour had passed since he began his evening toilet; yet here he was, still tinkering, so to speak, over the last of a dozen cravats.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Maurice, as he labored before his mirror, wondered why in the world it took him so long to dress.
toiletnounUS /ˈtɔɪlət/
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading An hour had passed since he began his evening toilet; yet here he was, still tinkering, so to speak, over the last of a dozen cravats.
tookverbUS /tʊk/
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Maurice, as he labored before his mirror, wondered why in the world it took him so long to dress.
UsuallyadverbUS /ˈjuːʒəwəli/
under normal conditions
From this reading Usually he could slip into his evening clothes in less than thirty minutes.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading An hour had passed since he began his evening toilet; yet here he was, still tinkering, so to speak, over the last of a dozen cravats.
whynounUS /waɪ/
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Maurice, as he labored before his mirror, wondered why in the world it took him so long to dress.
witnessesnounUS /ˈwɪtnəsəz/
plural of “witness” — someone who sees an event and reports what happened
From this reading The eleven others lay strewn about, hopelessly crumpled; mute witnesses of angry fingers and impassioned mutterings.
wonderedverbUS /ˈwʌndərd/
past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something
From this reading Maurice, as he labored before his mirror, wondered why in the world it took him so long to dress.
worldnounUS /wɜːrld/
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading Maurice, as he labored before his mirror, wondered why in the world it took him so long to dress.
wrongadjectiveUS /rɔːŋ/
not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth
From this reading Something was wrong.
yetconjunctionUS /jet/
but in spite of that
From this reading An hour had passed since he began his evening toilet; yet here he was, still tinkering, so to speak, over the last of a dozen cravats.
