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Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Chapter XV

We judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after.

Among the Snags
Context Illustration Reading 1/26 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
We judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after.
We would sell the raft and get on a steamboat and go way up the Ohio amongst the free States, and then be out of trouble.
Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.
I passed the line around one of them right on the edge of the cut bank, but there was a stiff current, and the raft come booming down so lively she tore it out by the roots and away she went.
I see the fog closing down, and it made me so sick and scared I couldn’t budge for most a half a minute it seemed to me—and then there warn’t no raft in sight; you couldn’t see twenty yards.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Chapter XV

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
We judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after.
Line 2
We would sell the raft and get on a steamboat and go way up the Ohio amongst the free States, and then be out of trouble.
Line 3
Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.
Line 4
I passed the line around one of them right on the edge of the cut bank, but there was a stiff current, and the raft come booming down so lively she tore it out by the roots and away she went.
Line 5
I see the fog closing down, and it made me so sick and scared I couldn’t budge for most a half a minute it seemed to me—and then there warn’t no raft in sight; you couldn’t see twenty yards.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

judged verb US /dʒʌdʒd/

past form of “judge” — determine the result of (a competition)

From this reading “We judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after.”

Collocations
We judgedA source-grounded phrase from this reading.
judged thatA source-grounded phrase from this reading.
All words in this reading · 107

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 We would sell the raft and get on a steamboat and go way up the Ohio amongst the free States, and then be out of trouble.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading We judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after.

ahead

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.

amongstprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋst/

surrounded by; in the company of

From this reading We would sell the raft and get on a steamboat and go way up the Ohio amongst the free States, and then be out of trouble.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading We judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after.

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading I passed the line around one of them right on the edge of the cut bank, but there was a stiff current, and the raft come booming down so lively she tore it out by the roots and away she went.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading We judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after.

away

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I passed the line around one of them right on the edge of the cut bank, but there was a stiff current, and the raft come booming down so lively she tore it out by the roots and away she went.

bank

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I passed the line around one of them right on the edge of the cut bank, but there was a stiff current, and the raft come booming down so lively she tore it out by the roots and away she went.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading We would sell the raft and get on a steamboat and go way up the Ohio amongst the free States, and then be out of trouble.

begun

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.

boomingnounUS /ˈbooming/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading I passed the line around one of them right on the edge of the cut bank, but there was a stiff current, and the raft come booming down so lively she tore it out by the roots and away she went.

bottom

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after.

budge

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I see the fog closing down, and it made me so sick and scared I couldn’t budge for most a half a minute it seemed to me—and then there warn’t no raft in sight; you couldn’t see twenty yards.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading I passed the line around one of them right on the edge of the cut bank, but there was a stiff current, and the raft come booming down so lively she tore it out by the roots and away she went.

Cairo

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after.

canoe

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.

closing

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I see the fog closing down, and it made me so sick and scared I couldn’t budge for most a half a minute it seemed to me—and then there warn’t no raft in sight; you couldn’t see twenty yards.

comenounUS /come/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.

comes

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after.

couldn't

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I see the fog closing down, and it made me so sick and scared I couldn’t budge for most a half a minute it seemed to me—and then there warn’t no raft in sight; you couldn’t see twenty yards.

currentnounUS /ˈcurrent/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading I passed the line around one of them right on the edge of the cut bank, but there was a stiff current, and the raft come booming down so lively she tore it out by the roots and away she went.

cut

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I passed the line around one of them right on the edge of the cut bank, but there was a stiff current, and the raft come booming down so lively she tore it out by the roots and away she went.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.

down

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I passed the line around one of them right on the edge of the cut bank, but there was a stiff current, and the raft come booming down so lively she tore it out by the roots and away she went.

edge

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I passed the line around one of them right on the edge of the cut bank, but there was a stiff current, and the raft come booming down so lively she tore it out by the roots and away she went.

fast

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.

fetch

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after.

fog

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.

freeadjectiveUS /friː/

acting without enough restraint or discipline

From this reading We would sell the raft and get on a steamboat and go way up the Ohio amongst the free States, and then be out of trouble.

get

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We would sell the raft and get on a steamboat and go way up the Ohio amongst the free States, and then be out of trouble.

go

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We would sell the raft and get on a steamboat and go way up the Ohio amongst the free States, and then be out of trouble.

halfnounUS /half/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading I see the fog closing down, and it made me so sick and scared I couldn’t budge for most a half a minute it seemed to me—and then there warn’t no raft in sight; you couldn’t see twenty yards.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.

Illinois

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading We judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.

judgedverbUS /dʒʌdʒd/

past form of “judge” — determine the result of (a competition)

From this reading We judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after.

line

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.

littlenounUS /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.

lively

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I passed the line around one of them right on the edge of the cut bank, but there was a stiff current, and the raft come booming down so lively she tore it out by the roots and away she went.

made

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.

makenounUS /make/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading I see the fog closing down, and it made me so sick and scared I couldn’t budge for most a half a minute it seemed to me—and then there warn’t no raft in sight; you couldn’t see twenty yards.

minute

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I see the fog closing down, and it made me so sick and scared I couldn’t budge for most a half a minute it seemed to me—and then there warn’t no raft in sight; you couldn’t see twenty yards.

more

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after.

most

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I see the fog closing down, and it made me so sick and scared I couldn’t budge for most a half a minute it seemed to me—and then there warn’t no raft in sight; you couldn’t see twenty yards.

night

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.

nightsnounUS /naɪts/

Periods of darkness between sunset and sunrise.

From this reading We judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading I see the fog closing down, and it made me so sick and scared I couldn’t budge for most a half a minute it seemed to me—and then there warn’t no raft in sight; you couldn’t see twenty yards.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading We judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after.

Ohio

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading We would sell the raft and get on a steamboat and go way up the Ohio amongst the free States, and then be out of trouble.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading I passed the line around one of them right on the edge of the cut bank, but there was a stiff current, and the raft come booming down so lively she tore it out by the roots and away she went.

out

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We would sell the raft and get on a steamboat and go way up the Ohio amongst the free States, and then be out of trouble.

paddled

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.

passednounUS /passed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading I passed the line around one of them right on the edge of the cut bank, but there was a stiff current, and the raft come booming down so lively she tore it out by the roots and away she went.

raft

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We would sell the raft and get on a steamboat and go way up the Ohio amongst the free States, and then be out of trouble.

rightnounUS /right/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading I passed the line around one of them right on the edge of the cut bank, but there was a stiff current, and the raft come booming down so lively she tore it out by the roots and away she went.

River

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after.

roots

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I passed the line around one of them right on the edge of the cut bank, but there was a stiff current, and the raft come booming down so lively she tore it out by the roots and away she went.

run

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.

saplings

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.

scared

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I see the fog closing down, and it made me so sick and scared I couldn’t budge for most a half a minute it seemed to me—and then there warn’t no raft in sight; you couldn’t see twenty yards.

second

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.

see

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I see the fog closing down, and it made me so sick and scared I couldn’t budge for most a half a minute it seemed to me—and then there warn’t no raft in sight; you couldn’t see twenty yards.

seemednounUS /seemed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading I see the fog closing down, and it made me so sick and scared I couldn’t budge for most a half a minute it seemed to me—and then there warn’t no raft in sight; you couldn’t see twenty yards.

sell

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We would sell the raft and get on a steamboat and go way up the Ohio amongst the free States, and then be out of trouble.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading I passed the line around one of them right on the edge of the cut bank, but there was a stiff current, and the raft come booming down so lively she tore it out by the roots and away she went.

sick

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I see the fog closing down, and it made me so sick and scared I couldn’t budge for most a half a minute it seemed to me—and then there warn’t no raft in sight; you couldn’t see twenty yards.

sight

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I see the fog closing down, and it made me so sick and scared I couldn’t budge for most a half a minute it seemed to me—and then there warn’t no raft in sight; you couldn’t see twenty yards.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading I passed the line around one of them right on the edge of the cut bank, but there was a stiff current, and the raft come booming down so lively she tore it out by the roots and away she went.

States

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We would sell the raft and get on a steamboat and go way up the Ohio amongst the free States, and then be out of trouble.

steamboat

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We would sell the raft and get on a steamboat and go way up the Ohio amongst the free States, and then be out of trouble.

stiff

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I passed the line around one of them right on the edge of the cut bank, but there was a stiff current, and the raft come booming down so lively she tore it out by the roots and away she went.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading We judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading We judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading I passed the line around one of them right on the edge of the cut bank, but there was a stiff current, and the raft come booming down so lively she tore it out by the roots and away she went.

then

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We would sell the raft and get on a steamboat and go way up the Ohio amongst the free States, and then be out of trouble.

there

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.

three

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after.

tie

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading We judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after.

tore

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I passed the line around one of them right on the edge of the cut bank, but there was a stiff current, and the raft come booming down so lively she tore it out by the roots and away she went.

tow-head

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.

trouble

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We would sell the raft and get on a steamboat and go way up the Ohio amongst the free States, and then be out of trouble.

try

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.

twenty

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I see the fog closing down, and it made me so sick and scared I couldn’t budge for most a half a minute it seemed to me—and then there warn’t no raft in sight; you couldn’t see twenty yards.

up

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We would sell the raft and get on a steamboat and go way up the Ohio amongst the free States, and then be out of trouble.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading We judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after.

warn't

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading We judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after.

way

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We would sell the raft and get on a steamboat and go way up the Ohio amongst the free States, and then be out of trouble.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after.

Well

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.

wentnounUS /went/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading I passed the line around one of them right on the edge of the cut bank, but there was a stiff current, and the raft come booming down so lively she tore it out by the roots and away she went.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading We judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading We judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading We judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after.

wouldn't

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’t do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to.

yards

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I see the fog closing down, and it made me so sick and scared I couldn’t budge for most a half a minute it seemed to me—and then there warn’t no raft in sight; you couldn’t see twenty yards.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading I see the fog closing down, and it made me so sick and scared I couldn’t budge for most a half a minute it seemed to me—and then there warn’t no raft in sight; you couldn’t see twenty yards.