Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The first thing he did was to write a long and careful letter to his friend in Yorkshire.
acorn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a foggy morning, and the trees shed in noisy water-drops the moisture they had collected from the thick air, an acorn occasionally falling from its cup to the ground, in company with the drippings.
air
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a foggy morning, and the trees shed in noisy water-drops the moisture they had collected from the thick air, an acorn occasionally falling from its cup to the ground, in company with the drippings.
almost
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From this reading In the meads, sheets of spiders’-web, almost opaque with wet, hung in folds over the fences, and the falling leaves appeared in every variety of brown, green, and yellow hue.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It was a foggy morning, and the trees shed in noisy water-drops the moisture they had collected from the thick air, an acorn occasionally falling from its cup to the ground, in company with the drippings.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The first thing he did was to write a long and careful letter to his friend in Yorkshire.
appeared
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From this reading In the meads, sheets of spiders’-web, almost opaque with wet, hung in folds over the fences, and the falling leaves appeared in every variety of brown, green, and yellow hue.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
bearing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
breakfast
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
brown
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From this reading In the meads, sheets of spiders’-web, almost opaque with wet, hung in folds over the fences, and the falling leaves appeared in every variety of brown, green, and yellow hue.
careful
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From this reading The first thing he did was to write a long and careful letter to his friend in Yorkshire.
Casterbridge
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From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
collected
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From this reading It was a foggy morning, and the trees shed in noisy water-drops the moisture they had collected from the thick air, an acorn occasionally falling from its cup to the ground, in company with the drippings.
company
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a foggy morning, and the trees shed in noisy water-drops the moisture they had collected from the thick air, an acorn occasionally falling from its cup to the ground, in company with the drippings.
crossed
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From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
cup
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a foggy morning, and the trees shed in noisy water-drops the moisture they had collected from the thick air, an acorn occasionally falling from its cup to the ground, in company with the drippings.
day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading The first thing he did was to write a long and careful letter to his friend in Yorkshire.
direction
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
drippings
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a foggy morning, and the trees shed in noisy water-drops the moisture they had collected from the thick air, an acorn occasionally falling from its cup to the ground, in company with the drippings.
early
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SECOND THOUGHTS The next morning the vicar rose early.
eating
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading In the meads, sheets of spiders’-web, almost opaque with wet, hung in folds over the fences, and the falling leaves appeared in every variety of brown, green, and yellow hue.
falling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a foggy morning, and the trees shed in noisy water-drops the moisture they had collected from the thick air, an acorn occasionally falling from its cup to the ground, in company with the drippings.
fences
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the meads, sheets of spiders’-web, almost opaque with wet, hung in folds over the fences, and the falling leaves appeared in every variety of brown, green, and yellow hue.
firstnounUS /first/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The first thing he did was to write a long and careful letter to his friend in Yorkshire.
foggy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a foggy morning, and the trees shed in noisy water-drops the moisture they had collected from the thick air, an acorn occasionally falling from its cup to the ground, in company with the drippings.
folds
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the meads, sheets of spiders’-web, almost opaque with wet, hung in folds over the fences, and the falling leaves appeared in every variety of brown, green, and yellow hue.
foot-post
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
friend
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The first thing he did was to write a long and careful letter to his friend in Yorkshire.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading It was a foggy morning, and the trees shed in noisy water-drops the moisture they had collected from the thick air, an acorn occasionally falling from its cup to the ground, in company with the drippings.
green
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the meads, sheets of spiders’-web, almost opaque with wet, hung in folds over the fences, and the falling leaves appeared in every variety of brown, green, and yellow hue.
ground
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a foggy morning, and the trees shed in noisy water-drops the moisture they had collected from the thick air, an acorn occasionally falling from its cup to the ground, in company with the drippings.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The first thing he did was to write a long and careful letter to his friend in Yorkshire.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The first thing he did was to write a long and careful letter to his friend in Yorkshire.
hue
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the meads, sheets of spiders’-web, almost opaque with wet, hung in folds over the fences, and the falling leaves appeared in every variety of brown, green, and yellow hue.
hung
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the meads, sheets of spiders’-web, almost opaque with wet, hung in folds over the fences, and the falling leaves appeared in every variety of brown, green, and yellow hue.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The first thing he did was to write a long and careful letter to his friend in Yorkshire.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
leaves
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the meads, sheets of spiders’-web, almost opaque with wet, hung in folds over the fences, and the falling leaves appeared in every variety of brown, green, and yellow hue.
leftnounUS /left/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
letter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The first thing he did was to write a long and careful letter to his friend in Yorkshire.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
longnounUS /long/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The first thing he did was to write a long and careful letter to his friend in Yorkshire.
loss
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
meadows
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
meads
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the meads, sheets of spiders’-web, almost opaque with wet, hung in folds over the fences, and the falling leaves appeared in every variety of brown, green, and yellow hue.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
moisture
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a foggy morning, and the trees shed in noisy water-drops the moisture they had collected from the thick air, an acorn occasionally falling from its cup to the ground, in company with the drippings.
morningnounUS /morning/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading SECOND THOUGHTS The next morning the vicar rose early.
nextnounUS /next/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading SECOND THOUGHTS The next morning the vicar rose early.
noisy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a foggy morning, and the trees shed in noisy water-drops the moisture they had collected from the thick air, an acorn occasionally falling from its cup to the ground, in company with the drippings.
obviate
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
occasionally
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a foggy morning, and the trees shed in noisy water-drops the moisture they had collected from the thick air, an acorn occasionally falling from its cup to the ground, in company with the drippings.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
office
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
opaque
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the meads, sheets of spiders’-web, almost opaque with wet, hung in folds over the fences, and the falling leaves appeared in every variety of brown, green, and yellow hue.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading In the meads, sheets of spiders’-web, almost opaque with wet, hung in folds over the fences, and the falling leaves appeared in every variety of brown, green, and yellow hue.
pocket
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
post
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
resulted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
rose
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SECOND THOUGHTS The next morning the vicar rose early.
SECOND
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From this reading SECOND THOUGHTS The next morning the vicar rose early.
shed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a foggy morning, and the trees shed in noisy water-drops the moisture they had collected from the thick air, an acorn occasionally falling from its cup to the ground, in company with the drippings.
sheets
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the meads, sheets of spiders’-web, almost opaque with wet, hung in folds over the fences, and the falling leaves appeared in every variety of brown, green, and yellow hue.
spiders
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the meads, sheets of spiders’-web, almost opaque with wet, hung in folds over the fences, and the falling leaves appeared in every variety of brown, green, and yellow hue.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading SECOND THOUGHTS The next morning the vicar rose early.
Then
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was a foggy morning, and the trees shed in noisy water-drops the moisture they had collected from the thick air, an acorn occasionally falling from its cup to the ground, in company with the drippings.
thick
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a foggy morning, and the trees shed in noisy water-drops the moisture they had collected from the thick air, an acorn occasionally falling from its cup to the ground, in company with the drippings.
thingnounUS /thing/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The first thing he did was to write a long and careful letter to his friend in Yorkshire.
THOUGHTS
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SECOND THOUGHTS The next morning the vicar rose early.
throughnounUS /ˈthrough/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The first thing he did was to write a long and careful letter to his friend in Yorkshire.
town
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
transmission
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
trees
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a foggy morning, and the trees shed in noisy water-drops the moisture they had collected from the thick air, an acorn occasionally falling from its cup to the ground, in company with the drippings.
variety
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the meads, sheets of spiders’-web, almost opaque with wet, hung in folds over the fences, and the falling leaves appeared in every variety of brown, green, and yellow hue.
vicar
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SECOND THOUGHTS The next morning the vicar rose early.
village
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The first thing he did was to write a long and careful letter to his friend in Yorkshire.
water-drops
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a foggy morning, and the trees shed in noisy water-drops the moisture they had collected from the thick air, an acorn occasionally falling from its cup to the ground, in company with the drippings.
web
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the meads, sheets of spiders’-web, almost opaque with wet, hung in folds over the fences, and the falling leaves appeared in every variety of brown, green, and yellow hue.
wet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the meads, sheets of spiders’-web, almost opaque with wet, hung in folds over the fences, and the falling leaves appeared in every variety of brown, green, and yellow hue.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading It was a foggy morning, and the trees shed in noisy water-drops the moisture they had collected from the thick air, an acorn occasionally falling from its cup to the ground, in company with the drippings.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Then, eating a little breakfast, he crossed the meadows in the direction of Casterbridge, bearing his letter in his pocket, that he might post it at the town office, and obviate the loss of one day in its transmission that would have resulted had he left it for the foot-post through the village.
write
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The first thing he did was to write a long and careful letter to his friend in Yorkshire.
yellow
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the meads, sheets of spiders’-web, almost opaque with wet, hung in folds over the fences, and the falling leaves appeared in every variety of brown, green, and yellow hue.
Yorkshire
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The first thing he did was to write a long and careful letter to his friend in Yorkshire.
