adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Every time I had something good to say about Matilda she would assail her brutally The fact that Dora never referred to my story in the presence of her husband was a tacit confession that we had a secret from him.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading WE talked about my first love-affair for weeks.
ahout
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She asked me many questions ahout Matilda, mostly with that pretended air of amused curiosity.
airnounUS /er/
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading She asked me many questions ahout Matilda, mostly with that pretended air of amused curiosity.
amusedadjectiveUS /əˈmjuːzd/
pleasantly occupied
From this reading She asked me many questions ahout Matilda, mostly with that pretended air of amused curiosity.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
askedverbUS /æskt/
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading She asked me many questions ahout Matilda, mostly with that pretended air of amused curiosity.
assailverbUS /əˈseɪl/
attack someone physically or emotionally
From this reading Every time I had something good to say about Matilda she would assail her brutally The fact that Dora never referred to my story in the presence of her husband was a tacit confession that we had a secret from him.
brutallyadverbUS /ˈbruːtəli/
in a vicious manner
From this reading Every time I had something good to say about Matilda she would assail her brutally The fact that Dora never referred to my story in the presence of her husband was a tacit confession that we had a secret from him.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
caredverbUS /kerd/
past form of “care” — feel concern or interest
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
commonadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːmən/
belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
confabs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
confessionnounUS /kənˈfeʃən/
an admission of misdeeds or faults
From this reading Every time I had something good to say about Matilda she would assail her brutally The fact that Dora never referred to my story in the presence of her husband was a tacit confession that we had a secret from him.
confidantenounUS /ˈkɑːnfədænt/
a female confidant
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
coursenounUS /kɔːrs/
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
curiositynounUS /ˌkjʊriˈɑːsəti/
a state in which you want to learn more about something
From this reading She asked me many questions ahout Matilda, mostly with that pretended air of amused curiosity.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
Dora
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Every time I had something good to say about Matilda she would assail her brutally The fact that Dora never referred to my story in the presence of her husband was a tacit confession that we had a secret from him.
EverydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Every time I had something good to say about Matilda she would assail her brutally The fact that Dora never referred to my story in the presence of her husband was a tacit confession that we had a secret from him.
factnounUS /fækt/
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading Every time I had something good to say about Matilda she would assail her brutally The fact that Dora never referred to my story in the presence of her husband was a tacit confession that we had a secret from him.
fingerverbUS /ˈfɪŋɡər/
feel or handle with the fingers
From this reading Not that much," marking off the tip of her little finger "Why should you say that?
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading WE talked about my first love-affair for weeks.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading WE talked about my first love-affair for weeks.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Every time I had something good to say about Matilda she would assail her brutally The fact that Dora never referred to my story in the presence of her husband was a tacit confession that we had a secret from him.
goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Every time I had something good to say about Matilda she would assail her brutally The fact that Dora never referred to my story in the presence of her husband was a tacit confession that we had a secret from him.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Every time I had something good to say about Matilda she would assail her brutally The fact that Dora never referred to my story in the presence of her husband was a tacit confession that we had a secret from him.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Every time I had something good to say about Matilda she would assail her brutally The fact that Dora never referred to my story in the presence of her husband was a tacit confession that we had a secret from him.
herspronounUS /hərz/
the one or ones belonging to her
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Every time I had something good to say about Matilda she would assail her brutally The fact that Dora never referred to my story in the presence of her husband was a tacit confession that we had a secret from him.
husbandnounUS /ˈhʌzbənd/
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading Every time I had something good to say about Matilda she would assail her brutally The fact that Dora never referred to my story in the presence of her husband was a tacit confession that we had a secret from him.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Every time I had something good to say about Matilda she would assail her brutally The fact that Dora never referred to my story in the presence of her husband was a tacit confession that we had a secret from him.
ill-concealed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Every time I had something good to say about Matilda she would assail her brutally The fact that Dora never referred to my story in the presence of her husband was a tacit confession that we had a secret from him.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Not that much," marking off the tip of her little finger "Why should you say that?
love-affair
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WE talked about my first love-affair for weeks.
malicenounUS /ˈmæləs/
feeling a need to see others suffer
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading She asked me many questions ahout Matilda, mostly with that pretended air of amused curiosity.
markingnounUS /ˈmɑːrkɪŋ/
a distinguishing symbol
From this reading Not that much," marking off the tip of her little finger "Why should you say that?
Matilda
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She asked me many questions ahout Matilda, mostly with that pretended air of amused curiosity.
matternounUS /ˈmætər/
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She asked me many questions ahout Matilda, mostly with that pretended air of amused curiosity.
meantverbUS /ment/
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
minepronounUS /maɪn/
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
mostlyadverbUS /ˈmoʊstli/
in large part; mainly or chiefly
From this reading She asked me many questions ahout Matilda, mostly with that pretended air of amused curiosity.
muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Not that much," marking off the tip of her little finger "Why should you say that?
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading WE talked about my first love-affair for weeks.
naturenounUS /ˈneɪtʃər/
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Every time I had something good to say about Matilda she would assail her brutally The fact that Dora never referred to my story in the presence of her husband was a tacit confession that we had a secret from him.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
occasionnounUS /əˈkeɪʒən/
an event that occurs at a critical time
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She asked me many questions ahout Matilda, mostly with that pretended air of amused curiosity.
offadverbUS /ɔːf/
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Not that much," marking off the tip of her little finger "Why should you say that?
OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
ourspronounUS /ˈaʊərz/
the one or ones belonging to us
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
OutwardlyadverbUS /ˈaʊtwərdli/
with respect to the outside
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
presencenounUS /ˈprezəns/
the state of being present; current existence
From this reading Every time I had something good to say about Matilda she would assail her brutally The fact that Dora never referred to my story in the presence of her husband was a tacit confession that we had a secret from him.
pretendedadjectiveUS /priˈtendɪd/
adopted in order to deceive
From this reading She asked me many questions ahout Matilda, mostly with that pretended air of amused curiosity.
questionsnounUS /ˈkwestʃənz/
plural of “question” — an instance of questioning
From this reading She asked me many questions ahout Matilda, mostly with that pretended air of amused curiosity.
reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
referredverbUS /rəˈfɜːrd/
inflected form of “refer” — make reference to
From this reading Every time I had something good to say about Matilda she would assail her brutally The fact that Dora never referred to my story in the presence of her husband was a tacit confession that we had a secret from him.
saidadjectiveUS /sed/
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
sayverbUS /seɪ/
express in words
From this reading Every time I had something good to say about Matilda she would assail her brutally The fact that Dora never referred to my story in the presence of her husband was a tacit confession that we had a secret from him.
secretnounUS /ˈsiː.krət/
Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.
From this reading Every time I had something good to say about Matilda she would assail her brutally The fact that Dora never referred to my story in the presence of her husband was a tacit confession that we had a secret from him.
ShepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She asked me many questions ahout Matilda, mostly with that pretended air of amused curiosity.
shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading Not that much," marking off the tip of her little finger "Why should you say that?
solenounUS /soʊl/
the underside of footwear or a golf club
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Every time I had something good to say about Matilda she would assail her brutally The fact that Dora never referred to my story in the presence of her husband was a tacit confession that we had a secret from him.
storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading Every time I had something good to say about Matilda she would assail her brutally The fact that Dora never referred to my story in the presence of her husband was a tacit confession that we had a secret from him.
tacitadjectiveUS /ˈtæsɪt/
implied by or inferred from actions or statements
From this reading Every time I had something good to say about Matilda she would assail her brutally The fact that Dora never referred to my story in the presence of her husband was a tacit confession that we had a secret from him.
talkedverbUS /tɔːkt/
past form of “talk” — exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading WE talked about my first love-affair for weeks.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She asked me many questions ahout Matilda, mostly with that pretended air of amused curiosity.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Every time I had something good to say about Matilda she would assail her brutally The fact that Dora never referred to my story in the presence of her husband was a tacit confession that we had a secret from him.
thenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
timenounUS /taɪm/
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Every time I had something good to say about Matilda she would assail her brutally The fact that Dora never referred to my story in the presence of her husband was a tacit confession that we had a secret from him.
tipnounUS /tɪp/
the extreme end of something; especially something pointed
From this reading Not that much," marking off the tip of her little finger "Why should you say that?
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Every time I had something good to say about Matilda she would assail her brutally The fact that Dora never referred to my story in the presence of her husband was a tacit confession that we had a secret from him.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Every time I had something good to say about Matilda she would assail her brutally The fact that Dora never referred to my story in the presence of her husband was a tacit confession that we had a secret from him.
WEpronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading WE talked about my first love-affair for weeks.
weeksnounUS /wiːks/
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading WE talked about my first love-affair for weeks.
WhynounUS /waɪ/
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Not that much," marking off the tip of her little finger "Why should you say that?
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading She asked me many questions ahout Matilda, mostly with that pretended air of amused curiosity.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Every time I had something good to say about Matilda she would assail her brutally The fact that Dora never referred to my story in the presence of her husband was a tacit confession that we had a secret from him.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Outwardly it meant that the secret was mine, not hers; that she had nothing to do with it; but then there was another secret--the fact that she was my sole confidante in a matter of this nature--and this secret was ours in common On one occasion, in the course of one of these confabs of ours, she said, with ill-concealed malice: "Do you really think she cared for you?
