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 Was our future fate a punishment or not, for thus presuming to decide our own destiny?
againnounUS /again/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
all
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From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The time passed, to use Gatty's phrase, "fatally fast," in fact, we heard distant murmurs and fears expressed lest our dear old captain should return too soon.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
captainnounUS /ˈcaptain/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading The time passed, to use Gatty's phrase, "fatally fast," in fact, we heard distant murmurs and fears expressed lest our dear old captain should return too soon.
civilized
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From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
dear
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From this reading The time passed, to use Gatty's phrase, "fatally fast," in fact, we heard distant murmurs and fears expressed lest our dear old captain should return too soon.
decide
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From this reading Was our future fate a punishment or not, for thus presuming to decide our own destiny?
destiny
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From this reading Was our future fate a punishment or not, for thus presuming to decide our own destiny?
distantadjectiveUS /ˈdɪstənt/
not friendly or close
From this reading The time passed, to use Gatty's phrase, "fatally fast," in fact, we heard distant murmurs and fears expressed lest our dear old captain should return too soon.
dread
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From this reading On whose heart fell first the dread thought that something was pending over us, too horrible to be put into words?
excepting
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From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
expressed
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From this reading The time passed, to use Gatty's phrase, "fatally fast," in fact, we heard distant murmurs and fears expressed lest our dear old captain should return too soon.
fact
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From this reading The time passed, to use Gatty's phrase, "fatally fast," in fact, we heard distant murmurs and fears expressed lest our dear old captain should return too soon.
fast
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From this reading The time passed, to use Gatty's phrase, "fatally fast," in fact, we heard distant murmurs and fears expressed lest our dear old captain should return too soon.
fatally
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From this reading The time passed, to use Gatty's phrase, "fatally fast," in fact, we heard distant murmurs and fears expressed lest our dear old captain should return too soon.
fate
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From this reading Was our future fate a punishment or not, for thus presuming to decide our own destiny?
fears
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From this reading The time passed, to use Gatty's phrase, "fatally fast," in fact, we heard distant murmurs and fears expressed lest our dear old captain should return too soon.
feel
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From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
fell
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From this reading On whose heart fell first the dread thought that something was pending over us, too horrible to be put into words?
firstnounUS /first/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading On whose heart fell first the dread thought that something was pending over us, too horrible to be put into words?
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Was our future fate a punishment or not, for thus presuming to decide our own destiny?
fortnight
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From this reading A fortnight passed.
future
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From this reading Was our future fate a punishment or not, for thus presuming to decide our own destiny?
Gatty's
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From this reading The time passed, to use Gatty's phrase, "fatally fast," in fact, we heard distant murmurs and fears expressed lest our dear old captain should return too soon.
gipsies
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From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
happy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
heard
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From this reading The time passed, to use Gatty's phrase, "fatally fast," in fact, we heard distant murmurs and fears expressed lest our dear old captain should return too soon.
heart
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From this reading On whose heart fell first the dread thought that something was pending over us, too horrible to be put into words?
horrible
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From this reading On whose heart fell first the dread thought that something was pending over us, too horrible to be put into words?
imitating
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From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The time passed, to use Gatty's phrase, "fatally fast," in fact, we heard distant murmurs and fears expressed lest our dear old captain should return too soon.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading On whose heart fell first the dread thought that something was pending over us, too horrible to be put into words?
lestconjunctionUS /lest/
in order that something should not happen
From this reading The time passed, to use Gatty's phrase, "fatally fast," in fact, we heard distant murmurs and fears expressed lest our dear old captain should return too soon.
lifenounUS /life/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
Madame
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From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
merry
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From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
murmurs
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From this reading The time passed, to use Gatty's phrase, "fatally fast," in fact, we heard distant murmurs and fears expressed lest our dear old captain should return too soon.
nevernounUS /never/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
nonepronounUS /nʌn/
not one, and not any
From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Was our future fate a punishment or not, for thus presuming to decide our own destiny?
novel
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From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
old
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From this reading The time passed, to use Gatty's phrase, "fatally fast," in fact, we heard distant murmurs and fears expressed lest our dear old captain should return too soon.
OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On whose heart fell first the dread thought that something was pending over us, too horrible to be put into words?
opportunity
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From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Was our future fate a punishment or not, for thus presuming to decide our own destiny?
ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading The time passed, to use Gatty's phrase, "fatally fast," in fact, we heard distant murmurs and fears expressed lest our dear old captain should return too soon.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading On whose heart fell first the dread thought that something was pending over us, too horrible to be put into words?
own
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Was our future fate a punishment or not, for thus presuming to decide our own destiny?
passednounUS /passed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The time passed, to use Gatty's phrase, "fatally fast," in fact, we heard distant murmurs and fears expressed lest our dear old captain should return too soon.
pending
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From this reading On whose heart fell first the dread thought that something was pending over us, too horrible to be put into words?
phrase
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From this reading The time passed, to use Gatty's phrase, "fatally fast," in fact, we heard distant murmurs and fears expressed lest our dear old captain should return too soon.
present
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
presuming
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From this reading Was our future fate a punishment or not, for thus presuming to decide our own destiny?
punishment
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From this reading Was our future fate a punishment or not, for thus presuming to decide our own destiny?
put
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On whose heart fell first the dread thought that something was pending over us, too horrible to be put into words?
restored
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
return
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The time passed, to use Gatty's phrase, "fatally fast," in fact, we heard distant murmurs and fears expressed lest our dear old captain should return too soon.
seemednounUS /seemed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading The time passed, to use Gatty's phrase, "fatally fast," in fact, we heard distant murmurs and fears expressed lest our dear old captain should return too soon.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
soon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The time passed, to use Gatty's phrase, "fatally fast," in fact, we heard distant murmurs and fears expressed lest our dear old captain should return too soon.
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The time passed, to use Gatty's phrase, "fatally fast," in fact, we heard distant murmurs and fears expressed lest our dear old captain should return too soon.
There
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
thoughtnounUS /thought/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading On whose heart fell first the dread thought that something was pending over us, too horrible to be put into words?
thus
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Was our future fate a punishment or not, for thus presuming to decide our own destiny?
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The time passed, to use Gatty's phrase, "fatally fast," in fact, we heard distant murmurs and fears expressed lest our dear old captain should return too soon.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The time passed, to use Gatty's phrase, "fatally fast," in fact, we heard distant murmurs and fears expressed lest our dear old captain should return too soon.
too
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From this reading The time passed, to use Gatty's phrase, "fatally fast," in fact, we heard distant murmurs and fears expressed lest our dear old captain should return too soon.
unrestrained
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
uspronounUS /ʌs/
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
use
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The time passed, to use Gatty's phrase, "fatally fast," in fact, we heard distant murmurs and fears expressed lest our dear old captain should return too soon.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
wepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading The time passed, to use Gatty's phrase, "fatally fast," in fact, we heard distant murmurs and fears expressed lest our dear old captain should return too soon.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
whosedeterminerUS /huːz/
belonging to which person
From this reading On whose heart fell first the dread thought that something was pending over us, too horrible to be put into words?
willing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was something so novel and unrestrained in our present life, and we all seemed to feel we never should again have such an opportunity of imitating the gipsies, and we were so happy and merry, that, excepting Madame, we were none of us willing to be restored too soon to civilized life.
words
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On whose heart fell first the dread thought that something was pending over us, too horrible to be put into words?
