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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 An hour before dusk found the company that had dined in the valley making their way up the dry bed of a stream, through a gorge which cleft a line of precipitous hills.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading The road was a difficult one; for here a tall, fern-crowned rock left but a narrow passage between itself and the shaggy hillside, and there smooth and slippery ledges, mounting one above the other, spanned the way.
afoot
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From this reading Every man was afoot, none caring to risk a fall upon the rocks or into the black, cold water of the pools.
AndeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading An hour before dusk found the company that had dined in the valley making their way up the dry bed of a stream, through a gorge which cleft a line of precipitous hills.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The road was a difficult one; for here a tall, fern-crowned rock left but a narrow passage between itself and the shaggy hillside, and there smooth and slippery ledges, mounting one above the other, spanned the way.
avoid
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From this reading In places, too, the drought had left pools of dark, still water, difficult to avoid, and not infrequently the entire party must come to a halt while the axemen cleared from the path a fallen birch or hemlock.
axemen
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From this reading In places, too, the drought had left pools of dark, still water, difficult to avoid, and not infrequently the entire party must come to a halt while the axemen cleared from the path a fallen birch or hemlock.
bank
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From this reading On either hand the bank rose steeply, giving no footing for man or beast.
beast
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From this reading On either hand the bank rose steeply, giving no footing for man or beast.
bed
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From this reading An hour before dusk found the company that had dined in the valley making their way up the dry bed of a stream, through a gorge which cleft a line of precipitous hills.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading An hour before dusk found the company that had dined in the valley making their way up the dry bed of a stream, through a gorge which cleft a line of precipitous hills.
betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading The road was a difficult one; for here a tall, fern-crowned rock left but a narrow passage between itself and the shaggy hillside, and there smooth and slippery ledges, mounting one above the other, spanned the way.
birch
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From this reading In places, too, the drought had left pools of dark, still water, difficult to avoid, and not infrequently the entire party must come to a halt while the axemen cleared from the path a fallen birch or hemlock.
black
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From this reading Every man was afoot, none caring to risk a fall upon the rocks or into the black, cold water of the pools.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The road was a difficult one; for here a tall, fern-crowned rock left but a narrow passage between itself and the shaggy hillside, and there smooth and slippery ledges, mounting one above the other, spanned the way.
caring
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From this reading Every man was afoot, none caring to risk a fall upon the rocks or into the black, cold water of the pools.
cleared
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From this reading In places, too, the drought had left pools of dark, still water, difficult to avoid, and not infrequently the entire party must come to a halt while the axemen cleared from the path a fallen birch or hemlock.
cleft
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From this reading An hour before dusk found the company that had dined in the valley making their way up the dry bed of a stream, through a gorge which cleft a line of precipitous hills.
cold
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From this reading Every man was afoot, none caring to risk a fall upon the rocks or into the black, cold water of the pools.
comenounUS /come/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading In places, too, the drought had left pools of dark, still water, difficult to avoid, and not infrequently the entire party must come to a halt while the axemen cleared from the path a fallen birch or hemlock.
company
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From this reading An hour before dusk found the company that had dined in the valley making their way up the dry bed of a stream, through a gorge which cleft a line of precipitous hills.
dark
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From this reading In places, too, the drought had left pools of dark, still water, difficult to avoid, and not infrequently the entire party must come to a halt while the axemen cleared from the path a fallen birch or hemlock.
difficult
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road was a difficult one; for here a tall, fern-crowned rock left but a narrow passage between itself and the shaggy hillside, and there smooth and slippery ledges, mounting one above the other, spanned the way.
dined
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From this reading An hour before dusk found the company that had dined in the valley making their way up the dry bed of a stream, through a gorge which cleft a line of precipitous hills.
drought
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In places, too, the drought had left pools of dark, still water, difficult to avoid, and not infrequently the entire party must come to a halt while the axemen cleared from the path a fallen birch or hemlock.
dry
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From this reading An hour before dusk found the company that had dined in the valley making their way up the dry bed of a stream, through a gorge which cleft a line of precipitous hills.
dusk
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From this reading An hour before dusk found the company that had dined in the valley making their way up the dry bed of a stream, through a gorge which cleft a line of precipitous hills.
eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/
one or the other of two
From this reading On either hand the bank rose steeply, giving no footing for man or beast.
entire
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From this reading In places, too, the drought had left pools of dark, still water, difficult to avoid, and not infrequently the entire party must come to a halt while the axemen cleared from the path a fallen birch or hemlock.
EverydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Every man was afoot, none caring to risk a fall upon the rocks or into the black, cold water of the pools.
fall
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From this reading Every man was afoot, none caring to risk a fall upon the rocks or into the black, cold water of the pools.
fallen
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From this reading In places, too, the drought had left pools of dark, still water, difficult to avoid, and not infrequently the entire party must come to a halt while the axemen cleared from the path a fallen birch or hemlock.
fern-crowned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road was a difficult one; for here a tall, fern-crowned rock left but a narrow passage between itself and the shaggy hillside, and there smooth and slippery ledges, mounting one above the other, spanned the way.
footing
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From this reading On either hand the bank rose steeply, giving no footing for man or beast.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading On either hand the bank rose steeply, giving no footing for man or beast.
foundnounUS /found/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading An hour before dusk found the company that had dined in the valley making their way up the dry bed of a stream, through a gorge which cleft a line of precipitous hills.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading In places, too, the drought had left pools of dark, still water, difficult to avoid, and not infrequently the entire party must come to a halt while the axemen cleared from the path a fallen birch or hemlock.
giving
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On either hand the bank rose steeply, giving no footing for man or beast.
gorge
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From this reading An hour before dusk found the company that had dined in the valley making their way up the dry bed of a stream, through a gorge which cleft a line of precipitous hills.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading An hour before dusk found the company that had dined in the valley making their way up the dry bed of a stream, through a gorge which cleft a line of precipitous hills.
halt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In places, too, the drought had left pools of dark, still water, difficult to avoid, and not infrequently the entire party must come to a halt while the axemen cleared from the path a fallen birch or hemlock.
hand
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On either hand the bank rose steeply, giving no footing for man or beast.
hemlock
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From this reading In places, too, the drought had left pools of dark, still water, difficult to avoid, and not infrequently the entire party must come to a halt while the axemen cleared from the path a fallen birch or hemlock.
herenounUS /here/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The road was a difficult one; for here a tall, fern-crowned rock left but a narrow passage between itself and the shaggy hillside, and there smooth and slippery ledges, mounting one above the other, spanned the way.
hills
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From this reading An hour before dusk found the company that had dined in the valley making their way up the dry bed of a stream, through a gorge which cleft a line of precipitous hills.
hillside
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road was a difficult one; for here a tall, fern-crowned rock left but a narrow passage between itself and the shaggy hillside, and there smooth and slippery ledges, mounting one above the other, spanned the way.
hour
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading An hour before dusk found the company that had dined in the valley making their way up the dry bed of a stream, through a gorge which cleft a line of precipitous hills.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading An hour before dusk found the company that had dined in the valley making their way up the dry bed of a stream, through a gorge which cleft a line of precipitous hills.
infrequently
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From this reading In places, too, the drought had left pools of dark, still water, difficult to avoid, and not infrequently the entire party must come to a halt while the axemen cleared from the path a fallen birch or hemlock.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Every man was afoot, none caring to risk a fall upon the rocks or into the black, cold water of the pools.
itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading The road was a difficult one; for here a tall, fern-crowned rock left but a narrow passage between itself and the shaggy hillside, and there smooth and slippery ledges, mounting one above the other, spanned the way.
ledges
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From this reading The road was a difficult one; for here a tall, fern-crowned rock left but a narrow passage between itself and the shaggy hillside, and there smooth and slippery ledges, mounting one above the other, spanned the way.
leftnounUS /left/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The road was a difficult one; for here a tall, fern-crowned rock left but a narrow passage between itself and the shaggy hillside, and there smooth and slippery ledges, mounting one above the other, spanned the way.
line
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From this reading An hour before dusk found the company that had dined in the valley making their way up the dry bed of a stream, through a gorge which cleft a line of precipitous hills.
making
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From this reading An hour before dusk found the company that had dined in the valley making their way up the dry bed of a stream, through a gorge which cleft a line of precipitous hills.
man
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On either hand the bank rose steeply, giving no footing for man or beast.
mounting
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From this reading The road was a difficult one; for here a tall, fern-crowned rock left but a narrow passage between itself and the shaggy hillside, and there smooth and slippery ledges, mounting one above the other, spanned the way.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading In places, too, the drought had left pools of dark, still water, difficult to avoid, and not infrequently the entire party must come to a halt while the axemen cleared from the path a fallen birch or hemlock.
narrow
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road was a difficult one; for here a tall, fern-crowned rock left but a narrow passage between itself and the shaggy hillside, and there smooth and slippery ledges, mounting one above the other, spanned the way.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading On either hand the bank rose steeply, giving no footing for man or beast.
nonepronounUS /nʌn/
not one, and not any
From this reading Every man was afoot, none caring to risk a fall upon the rocks or into the black, cold water of the pools.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading In places, too, the drought had left pools of dark, still water, difficult to avoid, and not infrequently the entire party must come to a halt while the axemen cleared from the path a fallen birch or hemlock.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading An hour before dusk found the company that had dined in the valley making their way up the dry bed of a stream, through a gorge which cleft a line of precipitous hills.
OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On either hand the bank rose steeply, giving no footing for man or beast.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The road was a difficult one; for here a tall, fern-crowned rock left but a narrow passage between itself and the shaggy hillside, and there smooth and slippery ledges, mounting one above the other, spanned the way.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading On either hand the bank rose steeply, giving no footing for man or beast.
other
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road was a difficult one; for here a tall, fern-crowned rock left but a narrow passage between itself and the shaggy hillside, and there smooth and slippery ledges, mounting one above the other, spanned the way.
partynounUS /party/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading In places, too, the drought had left pools of dark, still water, difficult to avoid, and not infrequently the entire party must come to a halt while the axemen cleared from the path a fallen birch or hemlock.
passagenounUS /ˈpassage/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading The road was a difficult one; for here a tall, fern-crowned rock left but a narrow passage between itself and the shaggy hillside, and there smooth and slippery ledges, mounting one above the other, spanned the way.
path
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In places, too, the drought had left pools of dark, still water, difficult to avoid, and not infrequently the entire party must come to a halt while the axemen cleared from the path a fallen birch or hemlock.
places
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In places, too, the drought had left pools of dark, still water, difficult to avoid, and not infrequently the entire party must come to a halt while the axemen cleared from the path a fallen birch or hemlock.
pools
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In places, too, the drought had left pools of dark, still water, difficult to avoid, and not infrequently the entire party must come to a halt while the axemen cleared from the path a fallen birch or hemlock.
precipitous
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading An hour before dusk found the company that had dined in the valley making their way up the dry bed of a stream, through a gorge which cleft a line of precipitous hills.
risk
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Every man was afoot, none caring to risk a fall upon the rocks or into the black, cold water of the pools.
road
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road was a difficult one; for here a tall, fern-crowned rock left but a narrow passage between itself and the shaggy hillside, and there smooth and slippery ledges, mounting one above the other, spanned the way.
rock
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road was a difficult one; for here a tall, fern-crowned rock left but a narrow passage between itself and the shaggy hillside, and there smooth and slippery ledges, mounting one above the other, spanned the way.
rocks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Every man was afoot, none caring to risk a fall upon the rocks or into the black, cold water of the pools.
rose
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On either hand the bank rose steeply, giving no footing for man or beast.
shaggy
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From this reading The road was a difficult one; for here a tall, fern-crowned rock left but a narrow passage between itself and the shaggy hillside, and there smooth and slippery ledges, mounting one above the other, spanned the way.
slippery
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road was a difficult one; for here a tall, fern-crowned rock left but a narrow passage between itself and the shaggy hillside, and there smooth and slippery ledges, mounting one above the other, spanned the way.
smooth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road was a difficult one; for here a tall, fern-crowned rock left but a narrow passage between itself and the shaggy hillside, and there smooth and slippery ledges, mounting one above the other, spanned the way.
spanned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road was a difficult one; for here a tall, fern-crowned rock left but a narrow passage between itself and the shaggy hillside, and there smooth and slippery ledges, mounting one above the other, spanned the way.
steeply
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On either hand the bank rose steeply, giving no footing for man or beast.
stillnounUS /still/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading In places, too, the drought had left pools of dark, still water, difficult to avoid, and not infrequently the entire party must come to a halt while the axemen cleared from the path a fallen birch or hemlock.
stream
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading An hour before dusk found the company that had dined in the valley making their way up the dry bed of a stream, through a gorge which cleft a line of precipitous hills.
tall
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road was a difficult one; for here a tall, fern-crowned rock left but a narrow passage between itself and the shaggy hillside, and there smooth and slippery ledges, mounting one above the other, spanned the way.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading An hour before dusk found the company that had dined in the valley making their way up the dry bed of a stream, through a gorge which cleft a line of precipitous hills.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading An hour before dusk found the company that had dined in the valley making their way up the dry bed of a stream, through a gorge which cleft a line of precipitous hills.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading An hour before dusk found the company that had dined in the valley making their way up the dry bed of a stream, through a gorge which cleft a line of precipitous hills.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road was a difficult one; for here a tall, fern-crowned rock left but a narrow passage between itself and the shaggy hillside, and there smooth and slippery ledges, mounting one above the other, spanned the way.
throughnounUS /ˈthrough/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading An hour before dusk found the company that had dined in the valley making their way up the dry bed of a stream, through a gorge which cleft a line of precipitous hills.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In places, too, the drought had left pools of dark, still water, difficult to avoid, and not infrequently the entire party must come to a halt while the axemen cleared from the path a fallen birch or hemlock.
too
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In places, too, the drought had left pools of dark, still water, difficult to avoid, and not infrequently the entire party must come to a halt while the axemen cleared from the path a fallen birch or hemlock.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading An hour before dusk found the company that had dined in the valley making their way up the dry bed of a stream, through a gorge which cleft a line of precipitous hills.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Every man was afoot, none caring to risk a fall upon the rocks or into the black, cold water of the pools.
valley
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading An hour before dusk found the company that had dined in the valley making their way up the dry bed of a stream, through a gorge which cleft a line of precipitous hills.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The road was a difficult one; for here a tall, fern-crowned rock left but a narrow passage between itself and the shaggy hillside, and there smooth and slippery ledges, mounting one above the other, spanned the way.
water
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In places, too, the drought had left pools of dark, still water, difficult to avoid, and not infrequently the entire party must come to a halt while the axemen cleared from the path a fallen birch or hemlock.
way
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading An hour before dusk found the company that had dined in the valley making their way up the dry bed of a stream, through a gorge which cleft a line of precipitous hills.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading An hour before dusk found the company that had dined in the valley making their way up the dry bed of a stream, through a gorge which cleft a line of precipitous hills.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading In places, too, the drought had left pools of dark, still water, difficult to avoid, and not infrequently the entire party must come to a halt while the axemen cleared from the path a fallen birch or hemlock.
