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 A GLIMPSE AT THE HAYSTACK Harry Arnold was eighteen years old, and, as you may have noted from the position of his badge and the color of his scarf, he was leader of the Beaver patrol.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading There was nothing of the athletic faddist about him, and it was said by some of the Oakwood boys that he was not much of a sport.
active
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From this reading He was tall, lithe, and active, and, without being exactly an athlete, he gave the impression of being athletic.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He was tall, lithe, and active, and, without being exactly an athlete, he gave the impression of being athletic.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A GLIMPSE AT THE HAYSTACK Harry Arnold was eighteen years old, and, as you may have noted from the position of his badge and the color of his scarf, he was leader of the Beaver patrol.
appearancenounUS /ˈappearance/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading There was a certain indescribable something in his appearance which suggested the out-of-door life rather than a gymnasium training, and it is a fact that he seldom did a thing simply and solely because it would make him strong.
Arnold
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From this reading A GLIMPSE AT THE HAYSTACK Harry Arnold was eighteen years old, and, as you may have noted from the position of his badge and the color of his scarf, he was leader of the Beaver patrol.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading A GLIMPSE AT THE HAYSTACK Harry Arnold was eighteen years old, and, as you may have noted from the position of his badge and the color of his scarf, he was leader of the Beaver patrol.
ATprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A GLIMPSE AT THE HAYSTACK Harry Arnold was eighteen years old, and, as you may have noted from the position of his badge and the color of his scarf, he was leader of the Beaver patrol.
athlete
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was tall, lithe, and active, and, without being exactly an athlete, he gave the impression of being athletic.
athletic
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From this reading He was tall, lithe, and active, and, without being exactly an athlete, he gave the impression of being athletic.
badge
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From this reading A GLIMPSE AT THE HAYSTACK Harry Arnold was eighteen years old, and, as you may have noted from the position of his badge and the color of his scarf, he was leader of the Beaver patrol.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Of course, that depends on what you call sporting, but it must be confessed that he took but slight interest in games—as such.
Beaver
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From this reading A GLIMPSE AT THE HAYSTACK Harry Arnold was eighteen years old, and, as you may have noted from the position of his badge and the color of his scarf, he was leader of the Beaver patrol.
becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/
for the reason that
From this reading There was a certain indescribable something in his appearance which suggested the out-of-door life rather than a gymnasium training, and it is a fact that he seldom did a thing simply and solely because it would make him strong.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading He was tall, lithe, and active, and, without being exactly an athlete, he gave the impression of being athletic.
boys
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was nothing of the athletic faddist about him, and it was said by some of the Oakwood boys that he was not much of a sport.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Of course, that depends on what you call sporting, but it must be confessed that he took but slight interest in games—as such.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading There was nothing of the athletic faddist about him, and it was said by some of the Oakwood boys that he was not much of a sport.
call
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From this reading Of course, that depends on what you call sporting, but it must be confessed that he took but slight interest in games—as such.
certain
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From this reading There was a certain indescribable something in his appearance which suggested the out-of-door life rather than a gymnasium training, and it is a fact that he seldom did a thing simply and solely because it would make him strong.
color
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From this reading A GLIMPSE AT THE HAYSTACK Harry Arnold was eighteen years old, and, as you may have noted from the position of his badge and the color of his scarf, he was leader of the Beaver patrol.
confessed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Of course, that depends on what you call sporting, but it must be confessed that he took but slight interest in games—as such.
coursenounUS /course/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Of course, that depends on what you call sporting, but it must be confessed that he took but slight interest in games—as such.
depends
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From this reading Of course, that depends on what you call sporting, but it must be confessed that he took but slight interest in games—as such.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading There was a certain indescribable something in his appearance which suggested the out-of-door life rather than a gymnasium training, and it is a fact that he seldom did a thing simply and solely because it would make him strong.
eighteen
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From this reading A GLIMPSE AT THE HAYSTACK Harry Arnold was eighteen years old, and, as you may have noted from the position of his badge and the color of his scarf, he was leader of the Beaver patrol.
exactly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was tall, lithe, and active, and, without being exactly an athlete, he gave the impression of being athletic.
fact
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a certain indescribable something in his appearance which suggested the out-of-door life rather than a gymnasium training, and it is a fact that he seldom did a thing simply and solely because it would make him strong.
faddist
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was nothing of the athletic faddist about him, and it was said by some of the Oakwood boys that he was not much of a sport.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A GLIMPSE AT THE HAYSTACK Harry Arnold was eighteen years old, and, as you may have noted from the position of his badge and the color of his scarf, he was leader of the Beaver patrol.
games
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Of course, that depends on what you call sporting, but it must be confessed that he took but slight interest in games—as such.
gave
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was tall, lithe, and active, and, without being exactly an athlete, he gave the impression of being athletic.
GLIMPSE
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From this reading A GLIMPSE AT THE HAYSTACK Harry Arnold was eighteen years old, and, as you may have noted from the position of his badge and the color of his scarf, he was leader of the Beaver patrol.
gymnasium
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a certain indescribable something in his appearance which suggested the out-of-door life rather than a gymnasium training, and it is a fact that he seldom did a thing simply and solely because it would make him strong.
Harry
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A GLIMPSE AT THE HAYSTACK Harry Arnold was eighteen years old, and, as you may have noted from the position of his badge and the color of his scarf, he was leader of the Beaver patrol.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading A GLIMPSE AT THE HAYSTACK Harry Arnold was eighteen years old, and, as you may have noted from the position of his badge and the color of his scarf, he was leader of the Beaver patrol.
HAYSTACK
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A GLIMPSE AT THE HAYSTACK Harry Arnold was eighteen years old, and, as you may have noted from the position of his badge and the color of his scarf, he was leader of the Beaver patrol.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A GLIMPSE AT THE HAYSTACK Harry Arnold was eighteen years old, and, as you may have noted from the position of his badge and the color of his scarf, he was leader of the Beaver patrol.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading There was a certain indescribable something in his appearance which suggested the out-of-door life rather than a gymnasium training, and it is a fact that he seldom did a thing simply and solely because it would make him strong.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A GLIMPSE AT THE HAYSTACK Harry Arnold was eighteen years old, and, as you may have noted from the position of his badge and the color of his scarf, he was leader of the Beaver patrol.
impression
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was tall, lithe, and active, and, without being exactly an athlete, he gave the impression of being athletic.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There was a certain indescribable something in his appearance which suggested the out-of-door life rather than a gymnasium training, and it is a fact that he seldom did a thing simply and solely because it would make him strong.
indescribableadjectiveUS /ˌɪndɪˈskraɪbəbəl/
too intense to describe too intense or unusual to describe clearly
From this reading There was a certain indescribable something in his appearance which suggested the out-of-door life rather than a gymnasium training, and it is a fact that he seldom did a thing simply and solely because it would make him strong.
interest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Of course, that depends on what you call sporting, but it must be confessed that he took but slight interest in games—as such.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was a certain indescribable something in his appearance which suggested the out-of-door life rather than a gymnasium training, and it is a fact that he seldom did a thing simply and solely because it would make him strong.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading There was a certain indescribable something in his appearance which suggested the out-of-door life rather than a gymnasium training, and it is a fact that he seldom did a thing simply and solely because it would make him strong.
leader
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A GLIMPSE AT THE HAYSTACK Harry Arnold was eighteen years old, and, as you may have noted from the position of his badge and the color of his scarf, he was leader of the Beaver patrol.
lifenounUS /life/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading There was a certain indescribable something in his appearance which suggested the out-of-door life rather than a gymnasium training, and it is a fact that he seldom did a thing simply and solely because it would make him strong.
lithe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was tall, lithe, and active, and, without being exactly an athlete, he gave the impression of being athletic.
makenounUS /make/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading There was a certain indescribable something in his appearance which suggested the out-of-door life rather than a gymnasium training, and it is a fact that he seldom did a thing simply and solely because it would make him strong.
maymodal verbUS /meɪ/
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading A GLIMPSE AT THE HAYSTACK Harry Arnold was eighteen years old, and, as you may have noted from the position of his badge and the color of his scarf, he was leader of the Beaver patrol.
much
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was nothing of the athletic faddist about him, and it was said by some of the Oakwood boys that he was not much of a sport.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Of course, that depends on what you call sporting, but it must be confessed that he took but slight interest in games—as such.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading There was nothing of the athletic faddist about him, and it was said by some of the Oakwood boys that he was not much of a sport.
noted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A GLIMPSE AT THE HAYSTACK Harry Arnold was eighteen years old, and, as you may have noted from the position of his badge and the color of his scarf, he was leader of the Beaver patrol.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading There was nothing of the athletic faddist about him, and it was said by some of the Oakwood boys that he was not much of a sport.
Oakwood
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was nothing of the athletic faddist about him, and it was said by some of the Oakwood boys that he was not much of a sport.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A GLIMPSE AT THE HAYSTACK Harry Arnold was eighteen years old, and, as you may have noted from the position of his badge and the color of his scarf, he was leader of the Beaver patrol.
old
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A GLIMPSE AT THE HAYSTACK Harry Arnold was eighteen years old, and, as you may have noted from the position of his badge and the color of his scarf, he was leader of the Beaver patrol.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Of course, that depends on what you call sporting, but it must be confessed that he took but slight interest in games—as such.
out-of-door
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a certain indescribable something in his appearance which suggested the out-of-door life rather than a gymnasium training, and it is a fact that he seldom did a thing simply and solely because it would make him strong.
patrol
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A GLIMPSE AT THE HAYSTACK Harry Arnold was eighteen years old, and, as you may have noted from the position of his badge and the color of his scarf, he was leader of the Beaver patrol.
position
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A GLIMPSE AT THE HAYSTACK Harry Arnold was eighteen years old, and, as you may have noted from the position of his badge and the color of his scarf, he was leader of the Beaver patrol.
rather
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a certain indescribable something in his appearance which suggested the out-of-door life rather than a gymnasium training, and it is a fact that he seldom did a thing simply and solely because it would make him strong.
said
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was nothing of the athletic faddist about him, and it was said by some of the Oakwood boys that he was not much of a sport.
scarf
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A GLIMPSE AT THE HAYSTACK Harry Arnold was eighteen years old, and, as you may have noted from the position of his badge and the color of his scarf, he was leader of the Beaver patrol.
seldom
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a certain indescribable something in his appearance which suggested the out-of-door life rather than a gymnasium training, and it is a fact that he seldom did a thing simply and solely because it would make him strong.
simply
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a certain indescribable something in his appearance which suggested the out-of-door life rather than a gymnasium training, and it is a fact that he seldom did a thing simply and solely because it would make him strong.
slight
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Of course, that depends on what you call sporting, but it must be confessed that he took but slight interest in games—as such.
solely
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a certain indescribable something in his appearance which suggested the out-of-door life rather than a gymnasium training, and it is a fact that he seldom did a thing simply and solely because it would make him strong.
some
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was nothing of the athletic faddist about him, and it was said by some of the Oakwood boys that he was not much of a sport.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading There was a certain indescribable something in his appearance which suggested the out-of-door life rather than a gymnasium training, and it is a fact that he seldom did a thing simply and solely because it would make him strong.
sport
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was nothing of the athletic faddist about him, and it was said by some of the Oakwood boys that he was not much of a sport.
sporting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Of course, that depends on what you call sporting, but it must be confessed that he took but slight interest in games—as such.
strong
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a certain indescribable something in his appearance which suggested the out-of-door life rather than a gymnasium training, and it is a fact that he seldom did a thing simply and solely because it would make him strong.
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Of course, that depends on what you call sporting, but it must be confessed that he took but slight interest in games—as such.
suggested
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a certain indescribable something in his appearance which suggested the out-of-door life rather than a gymnasium training, and it is a fact that he seldom did a thing simply and solely because it would make him strong.
tall
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was tall, lithe, and active, and, without being exactly an athlete, he gave the impression of being athletic.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading There was a certain indescribable something in his appearance which suggested the out-of-door life rather than a gymnasium training, and it is a fact that he seldom did a thing simply and solely because it would make him strong.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading There was a certain indescribable something in his appearance which suggested the out-of-door life rather than a gymnasium training, and it is a fact that he seldom did a thing simply and solely because it would make him strong.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A GLIMPSE AT THE HAYSTACK Harry Arnold was eighteen years old, and, as you may have noted from the position of his badge and the color of his scarf, he was leader of the Beaver patrol.
There
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a certain indescribable something in his appearance which suggested the out-of-door life rather than a gymnasium training, and it is a fact that he seldom did a thing simply and solely because it would make him strong.
thingnounUS /thing/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading There was a certain indescribable something in his appearance which suggested the out-of-door life rather than a gymnasium training, and it is a fact that he seldom did a thing simply and solely because it would make him strong.
tooknounUS /took/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Of course, that depends on what you call sporting, but it must be confessed that he took but slight interest in games—as such.
training
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a certain indescribable something in his appearance which suggested the out-of-door life rather than a gymnasium training, and it is a fact that he seldom did a thing simply and solely because it would make him strong.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A GLIMPSE AT THE HAYSTACK Harry Arnold was eighteen years old, and, as you may have noted from the position of his badge and the color of his scarf, he was leader of the Beaver patrol.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Of course, that depends on what you call sporting, but it must be confessed that he took but slight interest in games—as such.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading There was a certain indescribable something in his appearance which suggested the out-of-door life rather than a gymnasium training, and it is a fact that he seldom did a thing simply and solely because it would make him strong.
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading He was tall, lithe, and active, and, without being exactly an athlete, he gave the impression of being athletic.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading There was a certain indescribable something in his appearance which suggested the out-of-door life rather than a gymnasium training, and it is a fact that he seldom did a thing simply and solely because it would make him strong.
years
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A GLIMPSE AT THE HAYSTACK Harry Arnold was eighteen years old, and, as you may have noted from the position of his badge and the color of his scarf, he was leader of the Beaver patrol.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading A GLIMPSE AT THE HAYSTACK Harry Arnold was eighteen years old, and, as you may have noted from the position of his badge and the color of his scarf, he was leader of the Beaver patrol.
