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 At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/
from one side of something to the other
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Over against it curved a great blue sickle of forts, with trenches and parapets between.
alike
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Grey and blue alike had in the rear of their manned works a labyrinth and honeycomb of approaches, covered ways, pits, magazines, bomb-proofs, traverses.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
Appomattox
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
approaches
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Grey and blue alike had in the rear of their manned works a labyrinth and honeycomb of approaches, covered ways, pits, magazines, bomb-proofs, traverses.
Army
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the hot and sickly weather, under the hovering smoke, engineers of the Army of Northern Virginia, engineers of the Army of the Potomac worked like beavers.
artillery
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
AtprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
Beauregard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The grey line drawn by Beauregard early in the month was strengthened and pieced out.
beavers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the hot and sickly weather, under the hovering smoke, engineers of the Army of Northern Virginia, engineers of the Army of the Potomac worked like beavers.
betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading Over against it curved a great blue sickle of forts, with trenches and parapets between.
blue
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Over against it curved a great blue sickle of forts, with trenches and parapets between.
bomb-proofs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Grey and blue alike had in the rear of their manned works a labyrinth and honeycomb of approaches, covered ways, pits, magazines, bomb-proofs, traverses.
bullets
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
covered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Grey and blue alike had in the rear of their manned works a labyrinth and honeycomb of approaches, covered ways, pits, magazines, bomb-proofs, traverses.
curved
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Over against it curved a great blue sickle of forts, with trenches and parapets between.
day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
drawn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The grey line drawn by Beauregard early in the month was strengthened and pieced out.
duels
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
early
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The grey line drawn by Beauregard early in the month was strengthened and pieced out.
engineers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the hot and sickly weather, under the hovering smoke, engineers of the Army of Northern Virginia, engineers of the Army of the Potomac worked like beavers.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
forts
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Over against it curved a great blue sickle of forts, with trenches and parapets between.
greatnounUS /great/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Over against it curved a great blue sickle of forts, with trenches and parapets between.
grey
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The grey line drawn by Beauregard early in the month was strengthened and pieced out.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Grey and blue alike had in the rear of their manned works a labyrinth and honeycomb of approaches, covered ways, pits, magazines, bomb-proofs, traverses.
honeycomb
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Grey and blue alike had in the rear of their manned works a labyrinth and honeycomb of approaches, covered ways, pits, magazines, bomb-proofs, traverses.
hot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the hot and sickly weather, under the hovering smoke, engineers of the Army of Northern Virginia, engineers of the Army of the Potomac worked like beavers.
hovering
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the hot and sickly weather, under the hovering smoke, engineers of the Army of Northern Virginia, engineers of the Army of the Potomac worked like beavers.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
intervals
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Over against it curved a great blue sickle of forts, with trenches and parapets between.
June
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
labyrinth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Grey and blue alike had in the rear of their manned works a labyrinth and honeycomb of approaches, covered ways, pits, magazines, bomb-proofs, traverses.
like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the hot and sickly weather, under the hovering smoke, engineers of the Army of Northern Virginia, engineers of the Army of the Potomac worked like beavers.
line
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The grey line drawn by Beauregard early in the month was strengthened and pieced out.
longnounUS /long/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
magazines
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Grey and blue alike had in the rear of their manned works a labyrinth and honeycomb of approaches, covered ways, pits, magazines, bomb-proofs, traverses.
manned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Grey and blue alike had in the rear of their manned works a labyrinth and honeycomb of approaches, covered ways, pits, magazines, bomb-proofs, traverses.
miles
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
month
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The grey line drawn by Beauregard early in the month was strengthened and pieced out.
musketry
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
Northern
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the hot and sickly weather, under the hovering smoke, engineers of the Army of Northern Virginia, engineers of the Army of the Potomac worked like beavers.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The grey line drawn by Beauregard early in the month was strengthened and pieced out.
OverprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Over against it curved a great blue sickle of forts, with trenches and parapets between.
parapets
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Over against it curved a great blue sickle of forts, with trenches and parapets between.
pattering
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
perpetual
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
Petersburg
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
pieced
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The grey line drawn by Beauregard early in the month was strengthened and pieced out.
pits
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Grey and blue alike had in the rear of their manned works a labyrinth and honeycomb of approaches, covered ways, pits, magazines, bomb-proofs, traverses.
Potomac
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the hot and sickly weather, under the hovering smoke, engineers of the Army of Northern Virginia, engineers of the Army of the Potomac worked like beavers.
rain
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
rear
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Grey and blue alike had in the rear of their manned works a labyrinth and honeycomb of approaches, covered ways, pits, magazines, bomb-proofs, traverses.
Richmond
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
sharp
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
sharpshooters
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
sicklenounUS /ˈsɪkəl/
a hand tool with a curved blade for cutting grass
From this reading Over against it curved a great blue sickle of forts, with trenches and parapets between.
sickly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the hot and sickly weather, under the hovering smoke, engineers of the Army of Northern Virginia, engineers of the Army of the Potomac worked like beavers.
smoke
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the hot and sickly weather, under the hovering smoke, engineers of the Army of Northern Virginia, engineers of the Army of the Potomac worked like beavers.
sound
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
south
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
strengthened
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The grey line drawn by Beauregard early in the month was strengthened and pieced out.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Grey and blue alike had in the rear of their manned works a labyrinth and honeycomb of approaches, covered ways, pits, magazines, bomb-proofs, traverses.
thundernounUS /ˈthunder/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
torn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
traverses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Grey and blue alike had in the rear of their manned works a labyrinth and honeycomb of approaches, covered ways, pits, magazines, bomb-proofs, traverses.
trenches
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Over against it curved a great blue sickle of forts, with trenches and parapets between.
twenty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading In the hot and sickly weather, under the hovering smoke, engineers of the Army of Northern Virginia, engineers of the Army of the Potomac worked like beavers.
undersong
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
Virginia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the hot and sickly weather, under the hovering smoke, engineers of the Army of Northern Virginia, engineers of the Army of the Potomac worked like beavers.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The grey line drawn by Beauregard early in the month was strengthened and pieced out.
ways
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Grey and blue alike had in the rear of their manned works a labyrinth and honeycomb of approaches, covered ways, pits, magazines, bomb-proofs, traverses.
weather
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the hot and sickly weather, under the hovering smoke, engineers of the Army of Northern Virginia, engineers of the Army of the Potomac worked like beavers.
wentnounUS /went/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
worked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the hot and sickly weather, under the hovering smoke, engineers of the Army of Northern Virginia, engineers of the Army of the Potomac worked like beavers.
works
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Grey and blue alike had in the rear of their manned works a labyrinth and honeycomb of approaches, covered ways, pits, magazines, bomb-proofs, traverses.
