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 He could not forget that he had once been a sergeant in a regiment of infantry and had commanded a company through a battle fought in ditches along a Virginia country road.
able
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading He could not forget that he had once been a sergeant in a regiment of infantry and had commanded a company through a battle fought in ditches along a Virginia country road.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The civilian clothes that he wore caused an itching of the skin.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He could not forget that he had once been a sergeant in a regiment of infantry and had commanded a company through a battle fought in ditches along a Virginia country road.
battle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He could not forget that he had once been a sergeant in a regiment of infantry and had commanded a company through a battle fought in ditches along a Virginia country road.
becoming
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Windy McPherson, the father of the Caxton newsboy, Sam McPherson, had been war touched.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
caused
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The civilian clothes that he wore caused an itching of the skin.
Caxton
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Windy McPherson, the father of the Caxton newsboy, Sam McPherson, had been war touched.
chafed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He chafed under the fact of his present obscure position in life.
civilian
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The civilian clothes that he wore caused an itching of the skin.
clothes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The civilian clothes that he wore caused an itching of the skin.
commanded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He could not forget that he had once been a sergeant in a regiment of infantry and had commanded a company through a battle fought in ditches along a Virginia country road.
company
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He could not forget that he had once been a sergeant in a regiment of infantry and had commanded a company through a battle fought in ditches along a Virginia country road.
corn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He could not forget that he had once been a sergeant in a regiment of infantry and had commanded a company through a battle fought in ditches along a Virginia country road.
country
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He could not forget that he had once been a sergeant in a regiment of infantry and had commanded a company through a battle fought in ditches along a Virginia country road.
ditches
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He could not forget that he had once been a sergeant in a regiment of infantry and had commanded a company through a battle fought in ditches along a Virginia country road.
ended
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
evennounUS /even/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
fact
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He chafed under the fact of his present obscure position in life.
father
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Windy McPherson, the father of the Caxton newsboy, Sam McPherson, had been war touched.
feeding
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
felt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
forget
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He could not forget that he had once been a sergeant in a regiment of infantry and had commanded a company through a battle fought in ditches along a Virginia country road.
fought
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He could not forget that he had once been a sergeant in a regiment of infantry and had commanded a company through a battle fought in ditches along a Virginia country road.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Windy McPherson, the father of the Caxton newsboy, Sam McPherson, had been war touched.
hat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The civilian clothes that he wore caused an itching of the skin.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He chafed under the fact of his present obscure position in life.
housepainter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He could not forget that he had once been a sergeant in a regiment of infantry and had commanded a company through a battle fought in ditches along a Virginia country road.
infantry
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He could not forget that he had once been a sergeant in a regiment of infantry and had commanded a company through a battle fought in ditches along a Virginia country road.
itching
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The civilian clothes that he wore caused an itching of the skin.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
judge
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
lifenounUS /life/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He chafed under the fact of his present obscure position in life.
lived
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
made
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
marshal
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
McPherson
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Windy McPherson, the father of the Caxton newsboy, Sam McPherson, had been war touched.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
newsboy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Windy McPherson, the father of the Caxton newsboy, Sam McPherson, had been war touched.
night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He could not forget that he had once been a sergeant in a regiment of infantry and had commanded a company through a battle fought in ditches along a Virginia country road.
obscure
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He chafed under the fact of his present obscure position in life.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Windy McPherson, the father of the Caxton newsboy, Sam McPherson, had been war touched.
once
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He could not forget that he had once been a sergeant in a regiment of infantry and had commanded a company through a battle fought in ditches along a Virginia country road.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
position
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He chafed under the fact of his present obscure position in life.
present
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He chafed under the fact of his present obscure position in life.
raising
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
red
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
regiment
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He could not forget that he had once been a sergeant in a regiment of infantry and had commanded a company through a battle fought in ditches along a Virginia country road.
regimentals
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
replace
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
retained
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
road
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He could not forget that he had once been a sergeant in a regiment of infantry and had commanded a company through a battle fought in ditches along a Virginia country road.
robes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
Sam
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Windy McPherson, the father of the Caxton newsboy, Sam McPherson, had been war touched.
sergeant
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He could not forget that he had once been a sergeant in a regiment of infantry and had commanded a company through a battle fought in ditches along a Virginia country road.
shudder
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
skin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The civilian clothes that he wore caused an itching of the skin.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
statesman
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
steers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
stick
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
sweetness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The civilian clothes that he wore caused an itching of the skin.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Windy McPherson, the father of the Caxton newsboy, Sam McPherson, had been war touched.
thoughtnounUS /thought/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
throughnounUS /ˈthrough/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading He could not forget that he had once been a sergeant in a regiment of infantry and had commanded a company through a battle fought in ditches along a Virginia country road.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
touched
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Windy McPherson, the father of the Caxton newsboy, Sam McPherson, had been war touched.
ugh
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading He chafed under the fact of his present obscure position in life.
village
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
Virginia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He could not forget that he had once been a sergeant in a regiment of infantry and had commanded a company through a battle fought in ditches along a Virginia country road.
war
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Windy McPherson, the father of the Caxton newsboy, Sam McPherson, had been war touched.
Windy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Windy McPherson, the father of the Caxton newsboy, Sam McPherson, had been war touched.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Had he been able to replace his regimentals with the robes of a judge, the felt hat of a statesman, or even with the night stick of a village marshal life might have retained something of its sweetness, but to have ended by becoming an obscure housepainter in a village that lived by raising corn and by feeding that corn to red steers--ugh!--the thought made him shudder.
wore
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The civilian clothes that he wore caused an itching of the skin.
