adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The Duchess and her brother, an ex-diplomatist, now deaf and patiently amiable and garrulous, had met on the doorstep of Snowdon House, and together they insisted on Lord Windlehurst coming in for a talk.
amiableadjectiveUS /ˈeɪmiəbəl/
disposed to please
From this reading The Duchess and her brother, an ex-diplomatist, now deaf and patiently amiable and garrulous, had met on the doorstep of Snowdon House, and together they insisted on Lord Windlehurst coming in for a talk.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The Duchess and her brother, an ex-diplomatist, now deaf and patiently amiable and garrulous, had met on the doorstep of Snowdon House, and together they insisted on Lord Windlehurst coming in for a talk.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Duchess and her brother, an ex-diplomatist, now deaf and patiently amiable and garrulous, had met on the doorstep of Snowdon House, and together they insisted on Lord Windlehurst coming in for a talk.
appointmentsnounUS /əˈpɔɪntmənts/
plural of “appointment” — the act of putting a person into a non-elective position
From this reading The two men had not met for a long time, and the retired official had been one of Lord Windlehurst's own best appointments in other days.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The two men had not met for a long time, and the retired official had been one of Lord Windlehurst's own best appointments in other days.
bestnounUS /best/
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading The two men had not met for a long time, and the retired official had been one of Lord Windlehurst's own best appointments in other days.
brothernounUS /ˈbrʌðər/
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading The Duchess and her brother, an ex-diplomatist, now deaf and patiently amiable and garrulous, had met on the doorstep of Snowdon House, and together they insisted on Lord Windlehurst coming in for a talk.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The ex-official could hear little, but he had cultivated the habit of talking constantly and well.
carriagenounUS /ˈkærɪdʒ/
a railcar where passengers ride
From this reading The Duchess had the carriage wait in consequence.
clearverbUS /klɪr/
rid of obstructions
From this reading There were some voices, however, which he could hear more distinctly than others, and Lord Windlehurst's was one of them--clear, well-modulated, and penetrating.
comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading The Duchess and her brother, an ex-diplomatist, now deaf and patiently amiable and garrulous, had met on the doorstep of Snowdon House, and together they insisted on Lord Windlehurst coming in for a talk.
consequencenounUS /ˈkɑːnsəkwəns/
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading The Duchess had the carriage wait in consequence.
constantlyadverbUS /ˈkɑːnstəntli/
without variation or change, in every case
From this reading The ex-official could hear little, but he had cultivated the habit of talking constantly and well.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The ex-official could hear little, but he had cultivated the habit of talking constantly and well.
cultivatedadjectiveUS /ˈkʌltəveɪtɪd/
(of land or fields) prepared for raising crops by plowing or fertilizing
From this reading The ex-official could hear little, but he had cultivated the habit of talking constantly and well.
daysnounUS /deɪz/
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading The two men had not met for a long time, and the retired official had been one of Lord Windlehurst's own best appointments in other days.
deafadjectiveUS /def/
lacking or deprived of the sense of hearing wholly or in part
From this reading The Duchess and her brother, an ex-diplomatist, now deaf and patiently amiable and garrulous, had met on the doorstep of Snowdon House, and together they insisted on Lord Windlehurst coming in for a talk.
distinctlyadverbUS /dɪˈstɪŋktli/
clear to the mind; with distinct mental discernment
From this reading There were some voices, however, which he could hear more distinctly than others, and Lord Windlehurst's was one of them--clear, well-modulated, and penetrating.
doorstepnounUS /ˈdɔːrstep/
the sill of a door; a horizontal piece of wood or stone that forms the bottom of a doorway and offers support when passing through a doorway
From this reading The Duchess and her brother, an ex-diplomatist, now deaf and patiently amiable and garrulous, had met on the doorstep of Snowdon House, and together they insisted on Lord Windlehurst coming in for a talk.
DuchessnounUS /ˈdʌtʃəs/
the wife of a duke or a woman holding ducal title in her own right
From this reading The Duchess and her brother, an ex-diplomatist, now deaf and patiently amiable and garrulous, had met on the doorstep of Snowdon House, and together they insisted on Lord Windlehurst coming in for a talk.
ex-diplomatist
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Duchess and her brother, an ex-diplomatist, now deaf and patiently amiable and garrulous, had met on the doorstep of Snowdon House, and together they insisted on Lord Windlehurst coming in for a talk.
ex-official
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ex-official could hear little, but he had cultivated the habit of talking constantly and well.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The Duchess and her brother, an ex-diplomatist, now deaf and patiently amiable and garrulous, had met on the doorstep of Snowdon House, and together they insisted on Lord Windlehurst coming in for a talk.
garrulousadjectiveUS /ˈɡerələs/
full of trivial conversation
From this reading The Duchess and her brother, an ex-diplomatist, now deaf and patiently amiable and garrulous, had met on the doorstep of Snowdon House, and together they insisted on Lord Windlehurst coming in for a talk.
habitnounUS /ˈhæbət/
an established custom
From this reading The ex-official could hear little, but he had cultivated the habit of talking constantly and well.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The Duchess and her brother, an ex-diplomatist, now deaf and patiently amiable and garrulous, had met on the doorstep of Snowdon House, and together they insisted on Lord Windlehurst coming in for a talk.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The ex-official could hear little, but he had cultivated the habit of talking constantly and well.
hearverbUS /hiːr/
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading The ex-official could hear little, but he had cultivated the habit of talking constantly and well.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The Duchess and her brother, an ex-diplomatist, now deaf and patiently amiable and garrulous, had met on the doorstep of Snowdon House, and together they insisted on Lord Windlehurst coming in for a talk.
HousenounUS /haʊs/
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The Duchess and her brother, an ex-diplomatist, now deaf and patiently amiable and garrulous, had met on the doorstep of Snowdon House, and together they insisted on Lord Windlehurst coming in for a talk.
howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading There were some voices, however, which he could hear more distinctly than others, and Lord Windlehurst's was one of them--clear, well-modulated, and penetrating.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The Duchess and her brother, an ex-diplomatist, now deaf and patiently amiable and garrulous, had met on the doorstep of Snowdon House, and together they insisted on Lord Windlehurst coming in for a talk.
insistedverbUS /ˌɪnˈsɪstəd/
past form of “insist” — be emphatic or resolute and refuse to budge
From this reading The Duchess and her brother, an ex-diplomatist, now deaf and patiently amiable and garrulous, had met on the doorstep of Snowdon House, and together they insisted on Lord Windlehurst coming in for a talk.
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The ex-official could hear little, but he had cultivated the habit of talking constantly and well.
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 The two men had not met for a long time, and the retired official had been one of Lord Windlehurst's own best appointments in other days.
LordnounUS /lɔːrd/
terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading The Duchess and her brother, an ex-diplomatist, now deaf and patiently amiable and garrulous, had met on the doorstep of Snowdon House, and together they insisted on Lord Windlehurst coming in for a talk.
mennounUS /men/
the force of workers available
From this reading The two men had not met for a long time, and the retired official had been one of Lord Windlehurst's own best appointments in other days.
metverbUS /met/
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading The Duchess and her brother, an ex-diplomatist, now deaf and patiently amiable and garrulous, had met on the doorstep of Snowdon House, and together they insisted on Lord Windlehurst coming in for a talk.
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading There were some voices, however, which he could hear more distinctly than others, and Lord Windlehurst's was one of them--clear, well-modulated, and penetrating.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The two men had not met for a long time, and the retired official had been one of Lord Windlehurst's own best appointments in other days.
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The Duchess and her brother, an ex-diplomatist, now deaf and patiently amiable and garrulous, had met on the doorstep of Snowdon House, and together they insisted on Lord Windlehurst coming in for a talk.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Duchess and her brother, an ex-diplomatist, now deaf and patiently amiable and garrulous, had met on the doorstep of Snowdon House, and together they insisted on Lord Windlehurst coming in for a talk.
officialadjectiveUS /əˈfɪʃəl/
having official authority or sanction
From this reading The two men had not met for a long time, and the retired official had been one of Lord Windlehurst's own best appointments in other days.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The Duchess and her brother, an ex-diplomatist, now deaf and patiently amiable and garrulous, had met on the doorstep of Snowdon House, and together they insisted on Lord Windlehurst coming in for a talk.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The two men had not met for a long time, and the retired official had been one of Lord Windlehurst's own best appointments in other days.
otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading The two men had not met for a long time, and the retired official had been one of Lord Windlehurst's own best appointments in other days.
others
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were some voices, however, which he could hear more distinctly than others, and Lord Windlehurst's was one of them--clear, well-modulated, and penetrating.
ownverbUS /oʊn/
have ownership or possession of
From this reading The two men had not met for a long time, and the retired official had been one of Lord Windlehurst's own best appointments in other days.
patientlyadverbUS /ˈpeɪʃəntli/
with patience; in a patient manner
From this reading The Duchess and her brother, an ex-diplomatist, now deaf and patiently amiable and garrulous, had met on the doorstep of Snowdon House, and together they insisted on Lord Windlehurst coming in for a talk.
penetratingadjectiveUS /ˈpenətreɪtɪŋ/
having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
From this reading There were some voices, however, which he could hear more distinctly than others, and Lord Windlehurst's was one of them--clear, well-modulated, and penetrating.
retiredadjectiveUS /rɪˈtaɪrd/
no longer active in your work or profession
From this reading The two men had not met for a long time, and the retired official had been one of Lord Windlehurst's own best appointments in other days.
Snowdon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Duchess and her brother, an ex-diplomatist, now deaf and patiently amiable and garrulous, had met on the doorstep of Snowdon House, and together they insisted on Lord Windlehurst coming in for a talk.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading There were some voices, however, which he could hear more distinctly than others, and Lord Windlehurst's was one of them--clear, well-modulated, and penetrating.
talkverbUS /tɔːk/
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading The Duchess and her brother, an ex-diplomatist, now deaf and patiently amiable and garrulous, had met on the doorstep of Snowdon House, and together they insisted on Lord Windlehurst coming in for a talk.
talkingnounUS /ˈtɔːkɪŋ/
an exchange of ideas via conversation
From this reading The ex-official could hear little, but he had cultivated the habit of talking constantly and well.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading There were some voices, however, which he could hear more distinctly than others, and Lord Windlehurst's was one of them--clear, well-modulated, and penetrating.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Duchess and her brother, an ex-diplomatist, now deaf and patiently amiable and garrulous, had met on the doorstep of Snowdon House, and together they insisted on Lord Windlehurst coming in for a talk.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading There were some voices, however, which he could hear more distinctly than others, and Lord Windlehurst's was one of them--clear, well-modulated, and penetrating.
ThereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading There were some voices, however, which he could hear more distinctly than others, and Lord Windlehurst's was one of them--clear, well-modulated, and penetrating.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The Duchess and her brother, an ex-diplomatist, now deaf and patiently amiable and garrulous, had met on the doorstep of Snowdon House, and together they insisted on Lord Windlehurst coming in for a talk.
timenounUS /taɪm/
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The two men had not met for a long time, and the retired official had been one of Lord Windlehurst's own best appointments in other days.
togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading The Duchess and her brother, an ex-diplomatist, now deaf and patiently amiable and garrulous, had met on the doorstep of Snowdon House, and together they insisted on Lord Windlehurst coming in for a talk.
twonounUS /tuː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The two men had not met for a long time, and the retired official had been one of Lord Windlehurst's own best appointments in other days.
voicesnounUS /ˈvɔɪsəz/
plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading There were some voices, however, which he could hear more distinctly than others, and Lord Windlehurst's was one of them--clear, well-modulated, and penetrating.
waitverbUS /weɪt/
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading The Duchess had the carriage wait in consequence.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There were some voices, however, which he could hear more distinctly than others, and Lord Windlehurst's was one of them--clear, well-modulated, and penetrating.
welladverbUS /wel/
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading The ex-official could hear little, but he had cultivated the habit of talking constantly and well.
well-modulated
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were some voices, however, which he could hear more distinctly than others, and Lord Windlehurst's was one of them--clear, well-modulated, and penetrating.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There were some voices, however, which he could hear more distinctly than others, and Lord Windlehurst's was one of them--clear, well-modulated, and penetrating.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading There were some voices, however, which he could hear more distinctly than others, and Lord Windlehurst's was one of them--clear, well-modulated, and penetrating.
Windlehurst
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Duchess and her brother, an ex-diplomatist, now deaf and patiently amiable and garrulous, had met on the doorstep of Snowdon House, and together they insisted on Lord Windlehurst coming in for a talk.
Windlehurst's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The two men had not met for a long time, and the retired official had been one of Lord Windlehurst's own best appointments in other days.
