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adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It might, in its relation to the huge quarry which contained it, have been part of the mountain itself, a vast boulder torn away from its parent rock, and retaining in relief the form of the socket from which it had parted.
AboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Above it sloped the stony steeps of the Flegère; below were huddled neglected terraces, like dams to check the further descent of the house into the valley.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading The Château di Rocco stood well back, among pine woods, from the little village of Les Chables on the Argentière Road.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Towers, pinnacles and walls, heaped up like an enormous ice-mould, seemed to have shaped themselves to the uproar of avalanches, and falling torrents, and the thunder of the wind which uproots whole hill-sides.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It might, in its relation to the huge quarry which contained it, have been part of the mountain itself, a vast boulder torn away from its parent rock, and retaining in relief the form of the socket from which it had parted.
Argentière
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From this reading The Château di Rocco stood well back, among pine woods, from the little village of Les Chables on the Argentière Road.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Yet it was so old itself as to have withstood a legion of assaults and survived unshaken.
assaults
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From this reading Yet it was so old itself as to have withstood a legion of assaults and survived unshaken.
avalanches
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From this reading Towers, pinnacles and walls, heaped up like an enormous ice-mould, seemed to have shaped themselves to the uproar of avalanches, and falling torrents, and the thunder of the wind which uproots whole hill-sides.
away
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From this reading It might, in its relation to the huge quarry which contained it, have been part of the mountain itself, a vast boulder torn away from its parent rock, and retaining in relief the form of the socket from which it had parted.
back
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From this reading The Château di Rocco stood well back, among pine woods, from the little village of Les Chables on the Argentière Road.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It might, in its relation to the huge quarry which contained it, have been part of the mountain itself, a vast boulder torn away from its parent rock, and retaining in relief the form of the socket from which it had parted.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading Above it sloped the stony steeps of the Flegère; below were huddled neglected terraces, like dams to check the further descent of the house into the valley.
boulder
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From this reading It might, in its relation to the huge quarry which contained it, have been part of the mountain itself, a vast boulder torn away from its parent rock, and retaining in relief the form of the socket from which it had parted.
Chables
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From this reading The Château di Rocco stood well back, among pine woods, from the little village of Les Chables on the Argentière Road.
check
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From this reading Above it sloped the stony steeps of the Flegère; below were huddled neglected terraces, like dams to check the further descent of the house into the valley.
ChâteaunounUS /ʃæˈtoʊ/
A large French country house or castle, often surrounded by expansive estates and private galleries.
From this reading The Château di Rocco stood well back, among pine woods, from the little village of Les Chables on the Argentière Road.
contained
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From this reading It might, in its relation to the huge quarry which contained it, have been part of the mountain itself, a vast boulder torn away from its parent rock, and retaining in relief the form of the socket from which it had parted.
dams
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From this reading Above it sloped the stony steeps of the Flegère; below were huddled neglected terraces, like dams to check the further descent of the house into the valley.
descentnounUS /dɪˈsent/
An action of moving downward, dropping, or falling into a deeper place.
From this reading Above it sloped the stony steeps of the Flegère; below were huddled neglected terraces, like dams to check the further descent of the house into the valley.
di
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From this reading The Château di Rocco stood well back, among pine woods, from the little village of Les Chables on the Argentière Road.
enormous
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From this reading Towers, pinnacles and walls, heaped up like an enormous ice-mould, seemed to have shaped themselves to the uproar of avalanches, and falling torrents, and the thunder of the wind which uproots whole hill-sides.
falling
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From this reading Towers, pinnacles and walls, heaped up like an enormous ice-mould, seemed to have shaped themselves to the uproar of avalanches, and falling torrents, and the thunder of the wind which uproots whole hill-sides.
Flegère
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From this reading Above it sloped the stony steeps of the Flegère; below were huddled neglected terraces, like dams to check the further descent of the house into the valley.
form
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From this reading It might, in its relation to the huge quarry which contained it, have been part of the mountain itself, a vast boulder torn away from its parent rock, and retaining in relief the form of the socket from which it had parted.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The Château di Rocco stood well back, among pine woods, from the little village of Les Chables on the Argentière Road.
further
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From this reading Above it sloped the stony steeps of the Flegère; below were huddled neglected terraces, like dams to check the further descent of the house into the valley.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It might, in its relation to the huge quarry which contained it, have been part of the mountain itself, a vast boulder torn away from its parent rock, and retaining in relief the form of the socket from which it had parted.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It might, in its relation to the huge quarry which contained it, have been part of the mountain itself, a vast boulder torn away from its parent rock, and retaining in relief the form of the socket from which it had parted.
heaped
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From this reading Towers, pinnacles and walls, heaped up like an enormous ice-mould, seemed to have shaped themselves to the uproar of avalanches, and falling torrents, and the thunder of the wind which uproots whole hill-sides.
hill-sides
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From this reading Towers, pinnacles and walls, heaped up like an enormous ice-mould, seemed to have shaped themselves to the uproar of avalanches, and falling torrents, and the thunder of the wind which uproots whole hill-sides.
house
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Above it sloped the stony steeps of the Flegère; below were huddled neglected terraces, like dams to check the further descent of the house into the valley.
huddled
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From this reading Above it sloped the stony steeps of the Flegère; below were huddled neglected terraces, like dams to check the further descent of the house into the valley.
huge
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From this reading It might, in its relation to the huge quarry which contained it, have been part of the mountain itself, a vast boulder torn away from its parent rock, and retaining in relief the form of the socket from which it had parted.
ice-mould
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From this reading Towers, pinnacles and walls, heaped up like an enormous ice-mould, seemed to have shaped themselves to the uproar of avalanches, and falling torrents, and the thunder of the wind which uproots whole hill-sides.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It might, in its relation to the huge quarry which contained it, have been part of the mountain itself, a vast boulder torn away from its parent rock, and retaining in relief the form of the socket from which it had parted.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Above it sloped the stony steeps of the Flegère; below were huddled neglected terraces, like dams to check the further descent of the house into the valley.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Above it sloped the stony steeps of the Flegère; below were huddled neglected terraces, like dams to check the further descent of the house into the valley.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading It might, in its relation to the huge quarry which contained it, have been part of the mountain itself, a vast boulder torn away from its parent rock, and retaining in relief the form of the socket from which it had parted.
itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading It might, in its relation to the huge quarry which contained it, have been part of the mountain itself, a vast boulder torn away from its parent rock, and retaining in relief the form of the socket from which it had parted.
legion
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From this reading Yet it was so old itself as to have withstood a legion of assaults and survived unshaken.
Les
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From this reading The Château di Rocco stood well back, among pine woods, from the little village of Les Chables on the Argentière Road.
like
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From this reading Above it sloped the stony steeps of the Flegère; below were huddled neglected terraces, like dams to check the further descent of the house into the valley.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The Château di Rocco stood well back, among pine woods, from the little village of Les Chables on the Argentière Road.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading It might, in its relation to the huge quarry which contained it, have been part of the mountain itself, a vast boulder torn away from its parent rock, and retaining in relief the form of the socket from which it had parted.
mountain
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From this reading It might, in its relation to the huge quarry which contained it, have been part of the mountain itself, a vast boulder torn away from its parent rock, and retaining in relief the form of the socket from which it had parted.
neglected
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Above it sloped the stony steeps of the Flegère; below were huddled neglected terraces, like dams to check the further descent of the house into the valley.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Château di Rocco stood well back, among pine woods, from the little village of Les Chables on the Argentière Road.
old
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From this reading Yet it was so old itself as to have withstood a legion of assaults and survived unshaken.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The Château di Rocco stood well back, among pine woods, from the little village of Les Chables on the Argentière Road.
parent
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From this reading It might, in its relation to the huge quarry which contained it, have been part of the mountain itself, a vast boulder torn away from its parent rock, and retaining in relief the form of the socket from which it had parted.
partnounUS /part/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It might, in its relation to the huge quarry which contained it, have been part of the mountain itself, a vast boulder torn away from its parent rock, and retaining in relief the form of the socket from which it had parted.
parted
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From this reading It might, in its relation to the huge quarry which contained it, have been part of the mountain itself, a vast boulder torn away from its parent rock, and retaining in relief the form of the socket from which it had parted.
pine
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From this reading The Château di Rocco stood well back, among pine woods, from the little village of Les Chables on the Argentière Road.
pinnacles
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From this reading Towers, pinnacles and walls, heaped up like an enormous ice-mould, seemed to have shaped themselves to the uproar of avalanches, and falling torrents, and the thunder of the wind which uproots whole hill-sides.
quarry
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From this reading It might, in its relation to the huge quarry which contained it, have been part of the mountain itself, a vast boulder torn away from its parent rock, and retaining in relief the form of the socket from which it had parted.
relation
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From this reading It might, in its relation to the huge quarry which contained it, have been part of the mountain itself, a vast boulder torn away from its parent rock, and retaining in relief the form of the socket from which it had parted.
reliefnounUS /rɪˈliːf/
a feeling of comfort after worry or pain
From this reading It might, in its relation to the huge quarry which contained it, have been part of the mountain itself, a vast boulder torn away from its parent rock, and retaining in relief the form of the socket from which it had parted.
retaining
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From this reading It might, in its relation to the huge quarry which contained it, have been part of the mountain itself, a vast boulder torn away from its parent rock, and retaining in relief the form of the socket from which it had parted.
Road
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From this reading The Château di Rocco stood well back, among pine woods, from the little village of Les Chables on the Argentière Road.
Rocco
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From this reading The Château di Rocco stood well back, among pine woods, from the little village of Les Chables on the Argentière Road.
rock
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From this reading It might, in its relation to the huge quarry which contained it, have been part of the mountain itself, a vast boulder torn away from its parent rock, and retaining in relief the form of the socket from which it had parted.
seemednounUS /seemed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Towers, pinnacles and walls, heaped up like an enormous ice-mould, seemed to have shaped themselves to the uproar of avalanches, and falling torrents, and the thunder of the wind which uproots whole hill-sides.
shaped
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Towers, pinnacles and walls, heaped up like an enormous ice-mould, seemed to have shaped themselves to the uproar of avalanches, and falling torrents, and the thunder of the wind which uproots whole hill-sides.
sloped
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Above it sloped the stony steeps of the Flegère; below were huddled neglected terraces, like dams to check the further descent of the house into the valley.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Yet it was so old itself as to have withstood a legion of assaults and survived unshaken.
socket
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It might, in its relation to the huge quarry which contained it, have been part of the mountain itself, a vast boulder torn away from its parent rock, and retaining in relief the form of the socket from which it had parted.
steeps
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Above it sloped the stony steeps of the Flegère; below were huddled neglected terraces, like dams to check the further descent of the house into the valley.
stony
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Above it sloped the stony steeps of the Flegère; below were huddled neglected terraces, like dams to check the further descent of the house into the valley.
stoodnounUS /stood/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The Château di Rocco stood well back, among pine woods, from the little village of Les Chables on the Argentière Road.
survived
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet it was so old itself as to have withstood a legion of assaults and survived unshaken.
terraces
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Above it sloped the stony steeps of the Flegère; below were huddled neglected terraces, like dams to check the further descent of the house into the valley.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Château di Rocco stood well back, among pine woods, from the little village of Les Chables on the Argentière Road.
themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading Towers, pinnacles and walls, heaped up like an enormous ice-mould, seemed to have shaped themselves to the uproar of avalanches, and falling torrents, and the thunder of the wind which uproots whole hill-sides.
thundernounUS /ˈthunder/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Towers, pinnacles and walls, heaped up like an enormous ice-mould, seemed to have shaped themselves to the uproar of avalanches, and falling torrents, and the thunder of the wind which uproots whole hill-sides.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Above it sloped the stony steeps of the Flegère; below were huddled neglected terraces, like dams to check the further descent of the house into the valley.
torn
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From this reading It might, in its relation to the huge quarry which contained it, have been part of the mountain itself, a vast boulder torn away from its parent rock, and retaining in relief the form of the socket from which it had parted.
torrents
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Towers, pinnacles and walls, heaped up like an enormous ice-mould, seemed to have shaped themselves to the uproar of avalanches, and falling torrents, and the thunder of the wind which uproots whole hill-sides.
Towers
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From this reading Towers, pinnacles and walls, heaped up like an enormous ice-mould, seemed to have shaped themselves to the uproar of avalanches, and falling torrents, and the thunder of the wind which uproots whole hill-sides.
unshaken
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet it was so old itself as to have withstood a legion of assaults and survived unshaken.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Towers, pinnacles and walls, heaped up like an enormous ice-mould, seemed to have shaped themselves to the uproar of avalanches, and falling torrents, and the thunder of the wind which uproots whole hill-sides.
uproar
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Towers, pinnacles and walls, heaped up like an enormous ice-mould, seemed to have shaped themselves to the uproar of avalanches, and falling torrents, and the thunder of the wind which uproots whole hill-sides.
uproots
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Towers, pinnacles and walls, heaped up like an enormous ice-mould, seemed to have shaped themselves to the uproar of avalanches, and falling torrents, and the thunder of the wind which uproots whole hill-sides.
valley
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Above it sloped the stony steeps of the Flegère; below were huddled neglected terraces, like dams to check the further descent of the house into the valley.
vast
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It might, in its relation to the huge quarry which contained it, have been part of the mountain itself, a vast boulder torn away from its parent rock, and retaining in relief the form of the socket from which it had parted.
village
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Château di Rocco stood well back, among pine woods, from the little village of Les Chables on the Argentière Road.
walls
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Towers, pinnacles and walls, heaped up like an enormous ice-mould, seemed to have shaped themselves to the uproar of avalanches, and falling torrents, and the thunder of the wind which uproots whole hill-sides.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Yet it was so old itself as to have withstood a legion of assaults and survived unshaken.
well
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Château di Rocco stood well back, among pine woods, from the little village of Les Chables on the Argentière Road.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Above it sloped the stony steeps of the Flegère; below were huddled neglected terraces, like dams to check the further descent of the house into the valley.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading It might, in its relation to the huge quarry which contained it, have been part of the mountain itself, a vast boulder torn away from its parent rock, and retaining in relief the form of the socket from which it had parted.
whole
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Towers, pinnacles and walls, heaped up like an enormous ice-mould, seemed to have shaped themselves to the uproar of avalanches, and falling torrents, and the thunder of the wind which uproots whole hill-sides.
windnounUS /wind/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Towers, pinnacles and walls, heaped up like an enormous ice-mould, seemed to have shaped themselves to the uproar of avalanches, and falling torrents, and the thunder of the wind which uproots whole hill-sides.
withstood
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet it was so old itself as to have withstood a legion of assaults and survived unshaken.
woods
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Château di Rocco stood well back, among pine woods, from the little village of Les Chables on the Argentière Road.
YetconjunctionUS /jet/
but in spite of that
From this reading Yet it was so old itself as to have withstood a legion of assaults and survived unshaken.
