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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 He found the familiar little job difficult enough, for it seemed to him that there was never before so black a night.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Even looking upward, he could not see the great wind-tossed boughs of the chestnut-oak above his head.
absorption
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Despite his absorption, Birt paused to put them up, remembering the vagrant mountain cattle that might stray in upon the corn.
afternoonnounUS /ˈafternoon/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Rufe had forgotten to replace them that afternoon when he drove in the cow to be milked.
bars
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Birt reached the fence, he discovered that the bars were down.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Rufe had forgotten to replace them that afternoon when he drove in the cow to be milked.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading He found the familiar little job difficult enough, for it seemed to him that there was never before so black a night.
Birt
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From this reading When Birt reached the fence, he discovered that the bars were down.
black
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From this reading He found the familiar little job difficult enough, for it seemed to him that there was never before so black a night.
boughs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even looking upward, he could not see the great wind-tossed boughs of the chestnut-oak above his head.
cattle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Despite his absorption, Birt paused to put them up, remembering the vagrant mountain cattle that might stray in upon the corn.
chestnut-oak
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even looking upward, he could not see the great wind-tossed boughs of the chestnut-oak above his head.
corn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Despite his absorption, Birt paused to put them up, remembering the vagrant mountain cattle that might stray in upon the corn.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Even looking upward, he could not see the great wind-tossed boughs of the chestnut-oak above his head.
cow
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Rufe had forgotten to replace them that afternoon when he drove in the cow to be milked.
DespiteprepositionUS /dɪˈspaɪt/
although something is true; in spite of
From this reading Despite his absorption, Birt paused to put them up, remembering the vagrant mountain cattle that might stray in upon the corn.
difficult
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From this reading He found the familiar little job difficult enough, for it seemed to him that there was never before so black a night.
discovered
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From this reading When Birt reached the fence, he discovered that the bars were down.
down
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From this reading When Birt reached the fence, he discovered that the bars were down.
drove
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From this reading Rufe had forgotten to replace them that afternoon when he drove in the cow to be milked.
enough
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He found the familiar little job difficult enough, for it seemed to him that there was never before so black a night.
EvennounUS /even/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Even looking upward, he could not see the great wind-tossed boughs of the chestnut-oak above his head.
familiar
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From this reading He found the familiar little job difficult enough, for it seemed to him that there was never before so black a night.
fence
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Birt reached the fence, he discovered that the bars were down.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He found the familiar little job difficult enough, for it seemed to him that there was never before so black a night.
forgottenadjectiveUS /fərˈɡɑːt.n̩/
Not remembered; lapsed from memory.
From this reading Rufe had forgotten to replace them that afternoon when he drove in the cow to be milked.
foundnounUS /found/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He found the familiar little job difficult enough, for it seemed to him that there was never before so black a night.
greatnounUS /great/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Even looking upward, he could not see the great wind-tossed boughs of the chestnut-oak above his head.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Rufe had forgotten to replace them that afternoon when he drove in the cow to be milked.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When Birt reached the fence, he discovered that the bars were down.
head
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even looking upward, he could not see the great wind-tossed boughs of the chestnut-oak above his head.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He found the familiar little job difficult enough, for it seemed to him that there was never before so black a night.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Despite his absorption, Birt paused to put them up, remembering the vagrant mountain cattle that might stray in upon the corn.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Rufe had forgotten to replace them that afternoon when he drove in the cow to be milked.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He found the familiar little job difficult enough, for it seemed to him that there was never before so black a night.
job
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He found the familiar little job difficult enough, for it seemed to him that there was never before so black a night.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He found the familiar little job difficult enough, for it seemed to him that there was never before so black a night.
looking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even looking upward, he could not see the great wind-tossed boughs of the chestnut-oak above his head.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Despite his absorption, Birt paused to put them up, remembering the vagrant mountain cattle that might stray in upon the corn.
milked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Rufe had forgotten to replace them that afternoon when he drove in the cow to be milked.
mountain
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Despite his absorption, Birt paused to put them up, remembering the vagrant mountain cattle that might stray in upon the corn.
nevernounUS /never/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He found the familiar little job difficult enough, for it seemed to him that there was never before so black a night.
night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He found the familiar little job difficult enough, for it seemed to him that there was never before so black a night.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Even looking upward, he could not see the great wind-tossed boughs of the chestnut-oak above his head.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Even looking upward, he could not see the great wind-tossed boughs of the chestnut-oak above his head.
paused
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Despite his absorption, Birt paused to put them up, remembering the vagrant mountain cattle that might stray in upon the corn.
put
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Despite his absorption, Birt paused to put them up, remembering the vagrant mountain cattle that might stray in upon the corn.
reached
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Birt reached the fence, he discovered that the bars were down.
remembering
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Despite his absorption, Birt paused to put them up, remembering the vagrant mountain cattle that might stray in upon the corn.
replace
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Rufe had forgotten to replace them that afternoon when he drove in the cow to be milked.
Rufe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Rufe had forgotten to replace them that afternoon when he drove in the cow to be milked.
see
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even looking upward, he could not see the great wind-tossed boughs of the chestnut-oak above his head.
seemednounUS /seemed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He found the familiar little job difficult enough, for it seemed to him that there was never before so black a night.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He found the familiar little job difficult enough, for it seemed to him that there was never before so black a night.
stray
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Despite his absorption, Birt paused to put them up, remembering the vagrant mountain cattle that might stray in upon the corn.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading When Birt reached the fence, he discovered that the bars were down.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When Birt reached the fence, he discovered that the bars were down.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Rufe had forgotten to replace them that afternoon when he drove in the cow to be milked.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He found the familiar little job difficult enough, for it seemed to him that there was never before so black a night.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Rufe had forgotten to replace them that afternoon when he drove in the cow to be milked.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Despite his absorption, Birt paused to put them up, remembering the vagrant mountain cattle that might stray in upon the corn.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Despite his absorption, Birt paused to put them up, remembering the vagrant mountain cattle that might stray in upon the corn.
upward
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even looking upward, he could not see the great wind-tossed boughs of the chestnut-oak above his head.
vagrant
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Despite his absorption, Birt paused to put them up, remembering the vagrant mountain cattle that might stray in upon the corn.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He found the familiar little job difficult enough, for it seemed to him that there was never before so black a night.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading When Birt reached the fence, he discovered that the bars were down.
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading When Birt reached the fence, he discovered that the bars were down.
wind-tossed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even looking upward, he could not see the great wind-tossed boughs of the chestnut-oak above his head.
