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 THE BEES AND THE WOULD-BES Men--a swarm of men--a hiveful of men.
activity
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From this reading An observer who did not understand would find it all as aimless as the activity of an ant-heap--as puzzling as the slow writhings of a swarm of bees.
aimless
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From this reading An observer who did not understand would find it all as aimless as the activity of an ant-heap--as puzzling as the slow writhings of a swarm of bees.
all
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From this reading An observer who did not understand would find it all as aimless as the activity of an ant-heap--as puzzling as the slow writhings of a swarm of bees.
AndeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading An observer who did not understand would find it all as aimless as the activity of an ant-heap--as puzzling as the slow writhings of a swarm of bees.
ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE BEES AND THE WOULD-BES Men--a swarm of men--a hiveful of men.
ant-heap
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From this reading An observer who did not understand would find it all as aimless as the activity of an ant-heap--as puzzling as the slow writhings of a swarm of bees.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading An observer who did not understand would find it all as aimless as the activity of an ant-heap--as puzzling as the slow writhings of a swarm of bees.
asides
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From this reading Men in knots, in groups, in throngs, pressing together, disintegrating to form new groups, revolving in the slow mass of the herd, shaking hands, crying greetings, mumbling confidential asides.
BEES
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From this reading THE BEES AND THE WOULD-BES Men--a swarm of men--a hiveful of men.
big
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lobbies, parlors, corridors, stairways of the big hotel packed with men.
blended
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From this reading Clouds of cigar smoke over all--voices blended into one continual diapason; medley, and miasma of close human contact.
cigar
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From this reading Clouds of cigar smoke over all--voices blended into one continual diapason; medley, and miasma of close human contact.
close
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From this reading Clouds of cigar smoke over all--voices blended into one continual diapason; medley, and miasma of close human contact.
Clouds
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From this reading Clouds of cigar smoke over all--voices blended into one continual diapason; medley, and miasma of close human contact.
confidentialadjectiveUS /ˌkɑnfəˈdɛnʃəl/
spoken privately and not for general knowledge
From this reading Men in knots, in groups, in throngs, pressing together, disintegrating to form new groups, revolving in the slow mass of the herd, shaking hands, crying greetings, mumbling confidential asides.
contact
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From this reading Clouds of cigar smoke over all--voices blended into one continual diapason; medley, and miasma of close human contact.
continual
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From this reading Clouds of cigar smoke over all--voices blended into one continual diapason; medley, and miasma of close human contact.
corridors
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From this reading Lobbies, parlors, corridors, stairways of the big hotel packed with men.
crying
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From this reading Men in knots, in groups, in throngs, pressing together, disintegrating to form new groups, revolving in the slow mass of the herd, shaking hands, crying greetings, mumbling confidential asides.
diapason
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From this reading Clouds of cigar smoke over all--voices blended into one continual diapason; medley, and miasma of close human contact.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading An observer who did not understand would find it all as aimless as the activity of an ant-heap--as puzzling as the slow writhings of a swarm of bees.
disintegrating
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From this reading Men in knots, in groups, in throngs, pressing together, disintegrating to form new groups, revolving in the slow mass of the herd, shaking hands, crying greetings, mumbling confidential asides.
find
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From this reading An observer who did not understand would find it all as aimless as the activity of an ant-heap--as puzzling as the slow writhings of a swarm of bees.
form
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From this reading Men in knots, in groups, in throngs, pressing together, disintegrating to form new groups, revolving in the slow mass of the herd, shaking hands, crying greetings, mumbling confidential asides.
greetings
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From this reading Men in knots, in groups, in throngs, pressing together, disintegrating to form new groups, revolving in the slow mass of the herd, shaking hands, crying greetings, mumbling confidential asides.
groups
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From this reading Men in knots, in groups, in throngs, pressing together, disintegrating to form new groups, revolving in the slow mass of the herd, shaking hands, crying greetings, mumbling confidential asides.
handsplural nounUS /hændz/
members of a ship’s crew
From this reading Men in knots, in groups, in throngs, pressing together, disintegrating to form new groups, revolving in the slow mass of the herd, shaking hands, crying greetings, mumbling confidential asides.
herd
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From this reading Men in knots, in groups, in throngs, pressing together, disintegrating to form new groups, revolving in the slow mass of the herd, shaking hands, crying greetings, mumbling confidential asides.
hiveful
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From this reading THE BEES AND THE WOULD-BES Men--a swarm of men--a hiveful of men.
hotel
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From this reading Lobbies, parlors, corridors, stairways of the big hotel packed with men.
human
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Clouds of cigar smoke over all--voices blended into one continual diapason; medley, and miasma of close human contact.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Men in knots, in groups, in throngs, pressing together, disintegrating to form new groups, revolving in the slow mass of the herd, shaking hands, crying greetings, mumbling confidential asides.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Clouds of cigar smoke over all--voices blended into one continual diapason; medley, and miasma of close human contact.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading An observer who did not understand would find it all as aimless as the activity of an ant-heap--as puzzling as the slow writhings of a swarm of bees.
knots
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Men in knots, in groups, in throngs, pressing together, disintegrating to form new groups, revolving in the slow mass of the herd, shaking hands, crying greetings, mumbling confidential asides.
Lobbies
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lobbies, parlors, corridors, stairways of the big hotel packed with men.
mass
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From this reading Men in knots, in groups, in throngs, pressing together, disintegrating to form new groups, revolving in the slow mass of the herd, shaking hands, crying greetings, mumbling confidential asides.
medley
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Clouds of cigar smoke over all--voices blended into one continual diapason; medley, and miasma of close human contact.
Men
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From this reading THE BEES AND THE WOULD-BES Men--a swarm of men--a hiveful of men.
miasma
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From this reading Clouds of cigar smoke over all--voices blended into one continual diapason; medley, and miasma of close human contact.
mumbling
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From this reading Men in knots, in groups, in throngs, pressing together, disintegrating to form new groups, revolving in the slow mass of the herd, shaking hands, crying greetings, mumbling confidential asides.
new
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Men in knots, in groups, in throngs, pressing together, disintegrating to form new groups, revolving in the slow mass of the herd, shaking hands, crying greetings, mumbling confidential asides.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading An observer who did not understand would find it all as aimless as the activity of an ant-heap--as puzzling as the slow writhings of a swarm of bees.
observer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading An observer who did not understand would find it all as aimless as the activity of an ant-heap--as puzzling as the slow writhings of a swarm of bees.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE BEES AND THE WOULD-BES Men--a swarm of men--a hiveful of men.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Clouds of cigar smoke over all--voices blended into one continual diapason; medley, and miasma of close human contact.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Clouds of cigar smoke over all--voices blended into one continual diapason; medley, and miasma of close human contact.
packed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lobbies, parlors, corridors, stairways of the big hotel packed with men.
parlors
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lobbies, parlors, corridors, stairways of the big hotel packed with men.
pressing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Men in knots, in groups, in throngs, pressing together, disintegrating to form new groups, revolving in the slow mass of the herd, shaking hands, crying greetings, mumbling confidential asides.
puzzling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading An observer who did not understand would find it all as aimless as the activity of an ant-heap--as puzzling as the slow writhings of a swarm of bees.
revolving
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Men in knots, in groups, in throngs, pressing together, disintegrating to form new groups, revolving in the slow mass of the herd, shaking hands, crying greetings, mumbling confidential asides.
shakingnounUS /ˈshaking/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Men in knots, in groups, in throngs, pressing together, disintegrating to form new groups, revolving in the slow mass of the herd, shaking hands, crying greetings, mumbling confidential asides.
slow
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Men in knots, in groups, in throngs, pressing together, disintegrating to form new groups, revolving in the slow mass of the herd, shaking hands, crying greetings, mumbling confidential asides.
smoke
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Clouds of cigar smoke over all--voices blended into one continual diapason; medley, and miasma of close human contact.
stairways
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lobbies, parlors, corridors, stairways of the big hotel packed with men.
swarm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE BEES AND THE WOULD-BES Men--a swarm of men--a hiveful of men.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE BEES AND THE WOULD-BES Men--a swarm of men--a hiveful of men.
throngs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Men in knots, in groups, in throngs, pressing together, disintegrating to form new groups, revolving in the slow mass of the herd, shaking hands, crying greetings, mumbling confidential asides.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Men in knots, in groups, in throngs, pressing together, disintegrating to form new groups, revolving in the slow mass of the herd, shaking hands, crying greetings, mumbling confidential asides.
together
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Men in knots, in groups, in throngs, pressing together, disintegrating to form new groups, revolving in the slow mass of the herd, shaking hands, crying greetings, mumbling confidential asides.
understandnounUS /understand/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading An observer who did not understand would find it all as aimless as the activity of an ant-heap--as puzzling as the slow writhings of a swarm of bees.
voices
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Clouds of cigar smoke over all--voices blended into one continual diapason; medley, and miasma of close human contact.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading An observer who did not understand would find it all as aimless as the activity of an ant-heap--as puzzling as the slow writhings of a swarm of bees.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Lobbies, parlors, corridors, stairways of the big hotel packed with men.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading An observer who did not understand would find it all as aimless as the activity of an ant-heap--as puzzling as the slow writhings of a swarm of bees.
WOULD-BES
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From this reading THE BEES AND THE WOULD-BES Men--a swarm of men--a hiveful of men.
writhings
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading An observer who did not understand would find it all as aimless as the activity of an ant-heap--as puzzling as the slow writhings of a swarm of bees.
