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 I bade her hand me hers, and she did it instantly, sliding it along to my rowlock and losing but a single stroke.
againnounUS /again/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading HOW I HELD THE NARROW WAY And so, once again I was pulling for dear life, and now indeed for more than life, with death, and more than death, coming on astern in venomous jerks and vicious leaps.
againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The odds were somewhat against us, but not so much as I feared.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading I bade her hand me hers, and she did it instantly, sliding it along to my rowlock and losing but a single stroke.
AndconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading HOW I HELD THE NARROW WAY And so, once again I was pulling for dear life, and now indeed for more than life, with death, and more than death, coming on astern in venomous jerks and vicious leaps.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The odds were somewhat against us, but not so much as I feared.
astern
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW I HELD THE NARROW WAY And so, once again I was pulling for dear life, and now indeed for more than life, with death, and more than death, coming on astern in venomous jerks and vicious leaps.
bade
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I bade her hand me hers, and she did it instantly, sliding it along to my rowlock and losing but a single stroke.
boat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were but the two oars in the boat.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading There were but the two oars in the boat.
Carette's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Carette's soft hands were not equal to work of this kind, and she saw it.
coming
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From this reading HOW I HELD THE NARROW WAY And so, once again I was pulling for dear life, and now indeed for more than life, with death, and more than death, coming on astern in venomous jerks and vicious leaps.
dear
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW I HELD THE NARROW WAY And so, once again I was pulling for dear life, and now indeed for more than life, with death, and more than death, coming on astern in venomous jerks and vicious leaps.
death
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW I HELD THE NARROW WAY And so, once again I was pulling for dear life, and now indeed for more than life, with death, and more than death, coming on astern in venomous jerks and vicious leaps.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading I bade her hand me hers, and she did it instantly, sliding it along to my rowlock and losing but a single stroke.
equal
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Carette's soft hands were not equal to work of this kind, and she saw it.
feared
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The odds were somewhat against us, but not so much as I feared.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading HOW I HELD THE NARROW WAY And so, once again I was pulling for dear life, and now indeed for more than life, with death, and more than death, coming on astern in venomous jerks and vicious leaps.
hand
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I bade her hand me hers, and she did it instantly, sliding it along to my rowlock and losing but a single stroke.
handsplural nounUS /hændz/
members of a ship’s crew
From this reading Carette's soft hands were not equal to work of this kind, and she saw it.
HELD
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From this reading HOW I HELD THE NARROW WAY And so, once again I was pulling for dear life, and now indeed for more than life, with death, and more than death, coming on astern in venomous jerks and vicious leaps.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading I bade her hand me hers, and she did it instantly, sliding it along to my rowlock and losing but a single stroke.
herspronounUS /hərz/
the one or ones belonging to her
From this reading I bade her hand me hers, and she did it instantly, sliding it along to my rowlock and losing but a single stroke.
HOW
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW I HELD THE NARROW WAY And so, once again I was pulling for dear life, and now indeed for more than life, with death, and more than death, coming on astern in venomous jerks and vicious leaps.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading HOW I HELD THE NARROW WAY And so, once again I was pulling for dear life, and now indeed for more than life, with death, and more than death, coming on astern in venomous jerks and vicious leaps.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading HOW I HELD THE NARROW WAY And so, once again I was pulling for dear life, and now indeed for more than life, with death, and more than death, coming on astern in venomous jerks and vicious leaps.
indeed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW I HELD THE NARROW WAY And so, once again I was pulling for dear life, and now indeed for more than life, with death, and more than death, coming on astern in venomous jerks and vicious leaps.
instantly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I bade her hand me hers, and she did it instantly, sliding it along to my rowlock and losing but a single stroke.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Carette's soft hands were not equal to work of this kind, and she saw it.
jerks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW I HELD THE NARROW WAY And so, once again I was pulling for dear life, and now indeed for more than life, with death, and more than death, coming on astern in venomous jerks and vicious leaps.
kind
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Carette's soft hands were not equal to work of this kind, and she saw it.
leaps
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW I HELD THE NARROW WAY And so, once again I was pulling for dear life, and now indeed for more than life, with death, and more than death, coming on astern in venomous jerks and vicious leaps.
lifenounUS /life/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading HOW I HELD THE NARROW WAY And so, once again I was pulling for dear life, and now indeed for more than life, with death, and more than death, coming on astern in venomous jerks and vicious leaps.
losing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I bade her hand me hers, and she did it instantly, sliding it along to my rowlock and losing but a single stroke.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I bade her hand me hers, and she did it instantly, sliding it along to my rowlock and losing but a single stroke.
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW I HELD THE NARROW WAY And so, once again I was pulling for dear life, and now indeed for more than life, with death, and more than death, coming on astern in venomous jerks and vicious leaps.
much
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The odds were somewhat against us, but not so much as I feared.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I bade her hand me hers, and she did it instantly, sliding it along to my rowlock and losing but a single stroke.
NARROW
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW I HELD THE NARROW WAY And so, once again I was pulling for dear life, and now indeed for more than life, with death, and more than death, coming on astern in venomous jerks and vicious leaps.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Carette's soft hands were not equal to work of this kind, and she saw it.
now
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW I HELD THE NARROW WAY And so, once again I was pulling for dear life, and now indeed for more than life, with death, and more than death, coming on astern in venomous jerks and vicious leaps.
oars
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were but the two oars in the boat.
odds
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The odds were somewhat against us, but not so much as I feared.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Carette's soft hands were not equal to work of this kind, and she saw it.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading HOW I HELD THE NARROW WAY And so, once again I was pulling for dear life, and now indeed for more than life, with death, and more than death, coming on astern in venomous jerks and vicious leaps.
once
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW I HELD THE NARROW WAY And so, once again I was pulling for dear life, and now indeed for more than life, with death, and more than death, coming on astern in venomous jerks and vicious leaps.
pulling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW I HELD THE NARROW WAY And so, once again I was pulling for dear life, and now indeed for more than life, with death, and more than death, coming on astern in venomous jerks and vicious leaps.
rowlock
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I bade her hand me hers, and she did it instantly, sliding it along to my rowlock and losing but a single stroke.
saw
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Carette's soft hands were not equal to work of this kind, and she saw it.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Carette's soft hands were not equal to work of this kind, and she saw it.
single
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I bade her hand me hers, and she did it instantly, sliding it along to my rowlock and losing but a single stroke.
sliding
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I bade her hand me hers, and she did it instantly, sliding it along to my rowlock and losing but a single stroke.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading HOW I HELD THE NARROW WAY And so, once again I was pulling for dear life, and now indeed for more than life, with death, and more than death, coming on astern in venomous jerks and vicious leaps.
soft
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Carette's soft hands were not equal to work of this kind, and she saw it.
somewhat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The odds were somewhat against us, but not so much as I feared.
stroke
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I bade her hand me hers, and she did it instantly, sliding it along to my rowlock and losing but a single stroke.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading HOW I HELD THE NARROW WAY And so, once again I was pulling for dear life, and now indeed for more than life, with death, and more than death, coming on astern in venomous jerks and vicious leaps.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading HOW I HELD THE NARROW WAY And so, once again I was pulling for dear life, and now indeed for more than life, with death, and more than death, coming on astern in venomous jerks and vicious leaps.
There
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were but the two oars in the boat.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Carette's soft hands were not equal to work of this kind, and she saw it.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Carette's soft hands were not equal to work of this kind, and she saw it.
two
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were but the two oars in the boat.
uspronounUS /ʌs/
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The odds were somewhat against us, but not so much as I feared.
venomous
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW I HELD THE NARROW WAY And so, once again I was pulling for dear life, and now indeed for more than life, with death, and more than death, coming on astern in venomous jerks and vicious leaps.
vicious
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW I HELD THE NARROW WAY And so, once again I was pulling for dear life, and now indeed for more than life, with death, and more than death, coming on astern in venomous jerks and vicious leaps.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading HOW I HELD THE NARROW WAY And so, once again I was pulling for dear life, and now indeed for more than life, with death, and more than death, coming on astern in venomous jerks and vicious leaps.
WAY
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW I HELD THE NARROW WAY And so, once again I was pulling for dear life, and now indeed for more than life, with death, and more than death, coming on astern in venomous jerks and vicious leaps.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Carette's soft hands were not equal to work of this kind, and she saw it.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading HOW I HELD THE NARROW WAY And so, once again I was pulling for dear life, and now indeed for more than life, with death, and more than death, coming on astern in venomous jerks and vicious leaps.
work
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Carette's soft hands were not equal to work of this kind, and she saw it.
