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 The road stretched in a pale, straight streak, narrowing to a mere thread at the limit of vision--the only living thing in the wild darkness.
All
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From this reading All was very still.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading In the pools of sky, between broken clouds, a few stars shone, and half of a thin moon was seen from time to time, like the fragment of a silver horn held up there in an invisible hand, waiting to be blown.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It had been raining; the wet heather and the pines gave forth scent, and little gusty shivers shook the dripping birch trees.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The road stretched in a pale, straight streak, narrowing to a mere thread at the limit of vision--the only living thing in the wild darkness.
aware
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From this reading Hard to say when I first became aware that there was movement on the road, little specks of darkness on it far away, till its end was blackened out of sight, and it seemed to shorten towards me.
away
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hard to say when I first became aware that there was movement on the road, little specks of darkness on it far away, till its end was blackened out of sight, and it seemed to shorten towards me.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading In the pools of sky, between broken clouds, a few stars shone, and half of a thin moon was seen from time to time, like the fragment of a silver horn held up there in an invisible hand, waiting to be blown.
became
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hard to say when I first became aware that there was movement on the road, little specks of darkness on it far away, till its end was blackened out of sight, and it seemed to shorten towards me.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It had been raining; the wet heather and the pines gave forth scent, and little gusty shivers shook the dripping birch trees.
betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading In the pools of sky, between broken clouds, a few stars shone, and half of a thin moon was seen from time to time, like the fragment of a silver horn held up there in an invisible hand, waiting to be blown.
birch
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It had been raining; the wet heather and the pines gave forth scent, and little gusty shivers shook the dripping birch trees.
blackenedadjectiveUS /ˈblækənd/
made dark by burning or soot made dark by soot, burning, or black marks
From this reading Hard to say when I first became aware that there was movement on the road, little specks of darkness on it far away, till its end was blackened out of sight, and it seemed to shorten towards me.
blown
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the pools of sky, between broken clouds, a few stars shone, and half of a thin moon was seen from time to time, like the fragment of a silver horn held up there in an invisible hand, waiting to be blown.
brokennounUS /broken/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading In the pools of sky, between broken clouds, a few stars shone, and half of a thin moon was seen from time to time, like the fragment of a silver horn held up there in an invisible hand, waiting to be blown.
clouds
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From this reading In the pools of sky, between broken clouds, a few stars shone, and half of a thin moon was seen from time to time, like the fragment of a silver horn held up there in an invisible hand, waiting to be blown.
darkness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road stretched in a pale, straight streak, narrowing to a mere thread at the limit of vision--the only living thing in the wild darkness.
dripping
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It had been raining; the wet heather and the pines gave forth scent, and little gusty shivers shook the dripping birch trees.
end
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From this reading Hard to say when I first became aware that there was movement on the road, little specks of darkness on it far away, till its end was blackened out of sight, and it seemed to shorten towards me.
far
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hard to say when I first became aware that there was movement on the road, little specks of darkness on it far away, till its end was blackened out of sight, and it seemed to shorten towards me.
few
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the pools of sky, between broken clouds, a few stars shone, and half of a thin moon was seen from time to time, like the fragment of a silver horn held up there in an invisible hand, waiting to be blown.
firstnounUS /first/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Hard to say when I first became aware that there was movement on the road, little specks of darkness on it far away, till its end was blackened out of sight, and it seemed to shorten towards me.
forth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It had been raining; the wet heather and the pines gave forth scent, and little gusty shivers shook the dripping birch trees.
fragmentnounUS /ˈfræɡ.mənt/
A small part broken or separated off something larger.
From this reading In the pools of sky, between broken clouds, a few stars shone, and half of a thin moon was seen from time to time, like the fragment of a silver horn held up there in an invisible hand, waiting to be blown.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading In the pools of sky, between broken clouds, a few stars shone, and half of a thin moon was seen from time to time, like the fragment of a silver horn held up there in an invisible hand, waiting to be blown.
gave
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It had been raining; the wet heather and the pines gave forth scent, and little gusty shivers shook the dripping birch trees.
gusty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It had been raining; the wet heather and the pines gave forth scent, and little gusty shivers shook the dripping birch trees.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It had been raining; the wet heather and the pines gave forth scent, and little gusty shivers shook the dripping birch trees.
halfnounUS /half/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading In the pools of sky, between broken clouds, a few stars shone, and half of a thin moon was seen from time to time, like the fragment of a silver horn held up there in an invisible hand, waiting to be blown.
hand
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the pools of sky, between broken clouds, a few stars shone, and half of a thin moon was seen from time to time, like the fragment of a silver horn held up there in an invisible hand, waiting to be blown.
Hard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hard to say when I first became aware that there was movement on the road, little specks of darkness on it far away, till its end was blackened out of sight, and it seemed to shorten towards me.
heather
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It had been raining; the wet heather and the pines gave forth scent, and little gusty shivers shook the dripping birch trees.
held
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the pools of sky, between broken clouds, a few stars shone, and half of a thin moon was seen from time to time, like the fragment of a silver horn held up there in an invisible hand, waiting to be blown.
horn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the pools of sky, between broken clouds, a few stars shone, and half of a thin moon was seen from time to time, like the fragment of a silver horn held up there in an invisible hand, waiting to be blown.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Hard to say when I first became aware that there was movement on the road, little specks of darkness on it far away, till its end was blackened out of sight, and it seemed to shorten towards me.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The road stretched in a pale, straight streak, narrowing to a mere thread at the limit of vision--the only living thing in the wild darkness.
invisible
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the pools of sky, between broken clouds, a few stars shone, and half of a thin moon was seen from time to time, like the fragment of a silver horn held up there in an invisible hand, waiting to be blown.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It had been raining; the wet heather and the pines gave forth scent, and little gusty shivers shook the dripping birch trees.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Hard to say when I first became aware that there was movement on the road, little specks of darkness on it far away, till its end was blackened out of sight, and it seemed to shorten towards me.
like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the pools of sky, between broken clouds, a few stars shone, and half of a thin moon was seen from time to time, like the fragment of a silver horn held up there in an invisible hand, waiting to be blown.
limit
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road stretched in a pale, straight streak, narrowing to a mere thread at the limit of vision--the only living thing in the wild darkness.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It had been raining; the wet heather and the pines gave forth scent, and little gusty shivers shook the dripping birch trees.
living
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road stretched in a pale, straight streak, narrowing to a mere thread at the limit of vision--the only living thing in the wild darkness.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Hard to say when I first became aware that there was movement on the road, little specks of darkness on it far away, till its end was blackened out of sight, and it seemed to shorten towards me.
mere
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road stretched in a pale, straight streak, narrowing to a mere thread at the limit of vision--the only living thing in the wild darkness.
moon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the pools of sky, between broken clouds, a few stars shone, and half of a thin moon was seen from time to time, like the fragment of a silver horn held up there in an invisible hand, waiting to be blown.
movement
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hard to say when I first became aware that there was movement on the road, little specks of darkness on it far away, till its end was blackened out of sight, and it seemed to shorten towards me.
narrowing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road stretched in a pale, straight streak, narrowing to a mere thread at the limit of vision--the only living thing in the wild darkness.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The road stretched in a pale, straight streak, narrowing to a mere thread at the limit of vision--the only living thing in the wild darkness.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Hard to say when I first became aware that there was movement on the road, little specks of darkness on it far away, till its end was blackened out of sight, and it seemed to shorten towards me.
only
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road stretched in a pale, straight streak, narrowing to a mere thread at the limit of vision--the only living thing in the wild darkness.
out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hard to say when I first became aware that there was movement on the road, little specks of darkness on it far away, till its end was blackened out of sight, and it seemed to shorten towards me.
pale
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road stretched in a pale, straight streak, narrowing to a mere thread at the limit of vision--the only living thing in the wild darkness.
pines
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It had been raining; the wet heather and the pines gave forth scent, and little gusty shivers shook the dripping birch trees.
pools
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the pools of sky, between broken clouds, a few stars shone, and half of a thin moon was seen from time to time, like the fragment of a silver horn held up there in an invisible hand, waiting to be blown.
raining
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It had been raining; the wet heather and the pines gave forth scent, and little gusty shivers shook the dripping birch trees.
road
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road stretched in a pale, straight streak, narrowing to a mere thread at the limit of vision--the only living thing in the wild darkness.
say
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hard to say when I first became aware that there was movement on the road, little specks of darkness on it far away, till its end was blackened out of sight, and it seemed to shorten towards me.
scentnounUS /sɛnt/
A distinctive smell or aroma.
From this reading It had been raining; the wet heather and the pines gave forth scent, and little gusty shivers shook the dripping birch trees.
seemednounUS /seemed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Hard to say when I first became aware that there was movement on the road, little specks of darkness on it far away, till its end was blackened out of sight, and it seemed to shorten towards me.
seen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the pools of sky, between broken clouds, a few stars shone, and half of a thin moon was seen from time to time, like the fragment of a silver horn held up there in an invisible hand, waiting to be blown.
shivers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It had been raining; the wet heather and the pines gave forth scent, and little gusty shivers shook the dripping birch trees.
shone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the pools of sky, between broken clouds, a few stars shone, and half of a thin moon was seen from time to time, like the fragment of a silver horn held up there in an invisible hand, waiting to be blown.
shook
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It had been raining; the wet heather and the pines gave forth scent, and little gusty shivers shook the dripping birch trees.
shorten
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hard to say when I first became aware that there was movement on the road, little specks of darkness on it far away, till its end was blackened out of sight, and it seemed to shorten towards me.
sight
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hard to say when I first became aware that there was movement on the road, little specks of darkness on it far away, till its end was blackened out of sight, and it seemed to shorten towards me.
silver
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the pools of sky, between broken clouds, a few stars shone, and half of a thin moon was seen from time to time, like the fragment of a silver horn held up there in an invisible hand, waiting to be blown.
sky
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the pools of sky, between broken clouds, a few stars shone, and half of a thin moon was seen from time to time, like the fragment of a silver horn held up there in an invisible hand, waiting to be blown.
specks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hard to say when I first became aware that there was movement on the road, little specks of darkness on it far away, till its end was blackened out of sight, and it seemed to shorten towards me.
stars
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the pools of sky, between broken clouds, a few stars shone, and half of a thin moon was seen from time to time, like the fragment of a silver horn held up there in an invisible hand, waiting to be blown.
stillnounUS /still/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading All was very still.
straight
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road stretched in a pale, straight streak, narrowing to a mere thread at the limit of vision--the only living thing in the wild darkness.
streak
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road stretched in a pale, straight streak, narrowing to a mere thread at the limit of vision--the only living thing in the wild darkness.
stretched
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road stretched in a pale, straight streak, narrowing to a mere thread at the limit of vision--the only living thing in the wild darkness.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Hard to say when I first became aware that there was movement on the road, little specks of darkness on it far away, till its end was blackened out of sight, and it seemed to shorten towards me.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The road stretched in a pale, straight streak, narrowing to a mere thread at the limit of vision--the only living thing in the wild darkness.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the pools of sky, between broken clouds, a few stars shone, and half of a thin moon was seen from time to time, like the fragment of a silver horn held up there in an invisible hand, waiting to be blown.
thinadjectiveUS /θɪn/
Having little thickness or extent.
From this reading In the pools of sky, between broken clouds, a few stars shone, and half of a thin moon was seen from time to time, like the fragment of a silver horn held up there in an invisible hand, waiting to be blown.
thingnounUS /thing/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The road stretched in a pale, straight streak, narrowing to a mere thread at the limit of vision--the only living thing in the wild darkness.
thread
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road stretched in a pale, straight streak, narrowing to a mere thread at the limit of vision--the only living thing in the wild darkness.
tillprepositionUS /tɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Hard to say when I first became aware that there was movement on the road, little specks of darkness on it far away, till its end was blackened out of sight, and it seemed to shorten towards me.
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading In the pools of sky, between broken clouds, a few stars shone, and half of a thin moon was seen from time to time, like the fragment of a silver horn held up there in an invisible hand, waiting to be blown.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The road stretched in a pale, straight streak, narrowing to a mere thread at the limit of vision--the only living thing in the wild darkness.
towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/
in the direction of
From this reading Hard to say when I first became aware that there was movement on the road, little specks of darkness on it far away, till its end was blackened out of sight, and it seemed to shorten towards me.
trees
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It had been raining; the wet heather and the pines gave forth scent, and little gusty shivers shook the dripping birch trees.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the pools of sky, between broken clouds, a few stars shone, and half of a thin moon was seen from time to time, like the fragment of a silver horn held up there in an invisible hand, waiting to be blown.
very
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All was very still.
vision
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road stretched in a pale, straight streak, narrowing to a mere thread at the limit of vision--the only living thing in the wild darkness.
waiting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the pools of sky, between broken clouds, a few stars shone, and half of a thin moon was seen from time to time, like the fragment of a silver horn held up there in an invisible hand, waiting to be blown.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading All was very still.
wet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It had been raining; the wet heather and the pines gave forth scent, and little gusty shivers shook the dripping birch trees.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading Hard to say when I first became aware that there was movement on the road, little specks of darkness on it far away, till its end was blackened out of sight, and it seemed to shorten towards me.
wild
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road stretched in a pale, straight streak, narrowing to a mere thread at the limit of vision--the only living thing in the wild darkness.
