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 But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
afternoonnounUS /ˈafternoon/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
againnounUS /again/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
Alice
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
all
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading For the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last quarter of an hour (and bearing it pretty well, considering); so you see that it _couldn’t_ have had any hand in the mischief.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading For the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last quarter of an hour (and bearing it pretty well, considering); so you see that it _couldn’t_ have had any hand in the mischief.
any
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last quarter of an hour (and bearing it pretty well, considering); so you see that it _couldn’t_ have had any hand in the mischief.
arm-chair
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
asleep
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
ball
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
bearing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last quarter of an hour (and bearing it pretty well, considering); so you see that it _couldn’t_ have had any hand in the mischief.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading For the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last quarter of an hour (and bearing it pretty well, considering); so you see that it _couldn’t_ have had any hand in the mischief.
beginningnounUS /ˈbeginning/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
black
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One thing was certain, that the _white_ kitten had had nothing to do with it:—it was the black kitten’s fault entirely.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading For the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last quarter of an hour (and bearing it pretty well, considering); so you see that it _couldn’t_ have had any hand in the mischief.
cat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last quarter of an hour (and bearing it pretty well, considering); so you see that it _couldn’t_ have had any hand in the mischief.
catching
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Oh, you wicked little thing!” cried Alice, catching up the kitten, and giving it a little kiss to make it understand that it was in disgrace.
certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading One thing was certain, that the _white_ kitten had had nothing to do with it:—it was the black kitten’s fault entirely.
children's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
comenounUS /come/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
considering
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last quarter of an hour (and bearing it pretty well, considering); so you see that it _couldn’t_ have had any hand in the mischief.
corner
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
couldn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last quarter of an hour (and bearing it pretty well, considering); so you see that it _couldn’t_ have had any hand in the mischief.
criednounUS /cried/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Oh, you wicked little thing!” cried Alice, catching up the kitten, and giving it a little kiss to make it understand that it was in disgrace.
curled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
Dinah
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
disgracenounUS /dɪsˈɡreɪs/
shame caused by unacceptable behaviour
From this reading “Oh, you wicked little thing!” cried Alice, catching up the kitten, and giving it a little kiss to make it understand that it was in disgrace.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading One thing was certain, that the _white_ kitten had had nothing to do with it:—it was the black kitten’s fault entirely.
doubt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
down
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
ear
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
earlier
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
entirelynounUS /ˈentirely/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading One thing was certain, that the _white_ kitten had had nothing to do with it:—it was the black kitten’s fault entirely.
face
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last quarter of an hour (and bearing it pretty well, considering); so you see that it _couldn’t_ have had any hand in the mischief.
faces
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
fault
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One thing was certain, that the _white_ kitten had had nothing to do with it:—it was the black kitten’s fault entirely.
feelingnounUS /ˈfeeling/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
finished
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
firstnounUS /first/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last quarter of an hour (and bearing it pretty well, considering); so you see that it _couldn’t_ have had any hand in the mischief.
game
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
giving
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Oh, you wicked little thing!” cried Alice, catching up the kitten, and giving it a little kiss to make it understand that it was in disgrace.
goodnounUS /good/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
grand
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
greatnounUS /great/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading One thing was certain, that the _white_ kitten had had nothing to do with it:—it was the black kitten’s fault entirely.
halfnounUS /half/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
hand
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last quarter of an hour (and bearing it pretty well, considering); so you see that it _couldn’t_ have had any hand in the mischief.
hard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading For the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last quarter of an hour (and bearing it pretty well, considering); so you see that it _couldn’t_ have had any hand in the mischief.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading For the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last quarter of an hour (and bearing it pretty well, considering); so you see that it _couldn’t_ have had any hand in the mischief.
hearth-rug
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
held
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
hour
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last quarter of an hour (and bearing it pretty well, considering); so you see that it _couldn’t_ have had any hand in the mischief.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading For the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last quarter of an hour (and bearing it pretty well, considering); so you see that it _couldn’t_ have had any hand in the mischief.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading One thing was certain, that the _white_ kitten had had nothing to do with it:—it was the black kitten’s fault entirely.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading For the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last quarter of an hour (and bearing it pretty well, considering); so you see that it _couldn’t_ have had any hand in the mischief.
just
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
kiss
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Oh, you wicked little thing!” cried Alice, catching up the kitten, and giving it a little kiss to make it understand that it was in disgrace.
kitten
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One thing was certain, that the _white_ kitten had had nothing to do with it:—it was the black kitten’s fault entirely.
kitten's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One thing was certain, that the _white_ kitten had had nothing to do with it:—it was the black kitten’s fault entirely.
knots
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
lastnounUS /last/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading For the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last quarter of an hour (and bearing it pretty well, considering); so you see that it _couldn’t_ have had any hand in the mischief.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Oh, you wicked little thing!” cried Alice, catching up the kitten, and giving it a little kiss to make it understand that it was in disgrace.
lying
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
makenounUS /make/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Oh, you wicked little thing!” cried Alice, catching up the kitten, and giving it a little kiss to make it understand that it was in disgrace.
meant
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
middle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
mischief
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last quarter of an hour (and bearing it pretty well, considering); so you see that it _couldn’t_ have had any hand in the mischief.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
nose
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading One thing was certain, that the _white_ kitten had had nothing to do with it:—it was the black kitten’s fault entirely.
now
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading For the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last quarter of an hour (and bearing it pretty well, considering); so you see that it _couldn’t_ have had any hand in the mischief.
Oh
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Oh, you wicked little thing!” cried Alice, catching up the kitten, and giving it a little kiss to make it understand that it was in disgrace.
old
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last quarter of an hour (and bearing it pretty well, considering); so you see that it _couldn’t_ have had any hand in the mischief.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
OnepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One thing was certain, that the _white_ kitten had had nothing to do with it:—it was the black kitten’s fault entirely.
other
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
own
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
paw
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
poornounUS /poor/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
pretty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last quarter of an hour (and bearing it pretty well, considering); so you see that it _couldn’t_ have had any hand in the mischief.
purr
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
quarter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last quarter of an hour (and bearing it pretty well, considering); so you see that it _couldn’t_ have had any hand in the mischief.
quitenounUS /quite/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
rolling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
romps
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
rubbed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
runningnounUS /ˈrunning/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
said
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
see
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last quarter of an hour (and bearing it pretty well, considering); so you see that it _couldn’t_ have had any hand in the mischief.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
sitting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading For the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last quarter of an hour (and bearing it pretty well, considering); so you see that it _couldn’t_ have had any hand in the mischief.
spread
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
stillnounUS /still/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
tail
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
talking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
tangles
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading One thing was certain, that the _white_ kitten had had nothing to do with it:—it was the black kitten’s fault entirely.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading One thing was certain, that the _white_ kitten had had nothing to do with it:—it was the black kitten’s fault entirely.
then
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
thingnounUS /θɪŋ/
a special situation
From this reading One thing was certain, that the _white_ kitten had had nothing to do with it:—it was the black kitten’s fault entirely.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
tillprepositionUS /tɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading One thing was certain, that the _white_ kitten had had nothing to do with it:—it was the black kitten’s fault entirely.
trying
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
understandnounUS /understand/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Oh, you wicked little thing!” cried Alice, catching up the kitten, and giving it a little kiss to make it understand that it was in disgrace.
undone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading One thing was certain, that the _white_ kitten had had nothing to do with it:—it was the black kitten’s fault entirely.
washed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last quarter of an hour (and bearing it pretty well, considering); so you see that it _couldn’t_ have had any hand in the mischief.
way
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
well
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last quarter of an hour (and bearing it pretty well, considering); so you see that it _couldn’t_ have had any hand in the mischief.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
white
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One thing was certain, that the _white_ kitten had had nothing to do with it:—it was the black kitten’s fault entirely.
wicked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Oh, you wicked little thing!” cried Alice, catching up the kitten, and giving it a little kiss to make it understand that it was in disgrace.
windnounUS /wind/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading One thing was certain, that the _white_ kitten had had nothing to do with it:—it was the black kitten’s fault entirely.
work
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
worsted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the black kitten had been finished with earlier in the afternoon, and so, while Alice was sitting curled up in a corner of the great arm-chair, half talking to herself and half asleep, the kitten had been having a grand game of romps with the ball of worsted Alice had been trying to wind up, and had been rolling it up and down till it had all come undone again; and there it was, spread over the hearth-rug, all knots and tangles, with the kitten running after its own tail in the middle.
wrong
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The way Dinah washed her children’s faces was this: first she held the poor thing down by its ear with one paw, and then with the other paw she rubbed its face all over, the wrong way, beginning at the nose: and just now, as I said, she was hard at work on the white kitten, which was lying quite still and trying to purr—no doubt feeling that it was all meant for its good.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading For the white kitten had been having its face washed by the old cat for the last quarter of an hour (and bearing it pretty well, considering); so you see that it _couldn’t_ have had any hand in the mischief.
