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Hagar
Hagar

Chapter VIII

Cover illustration for Hagar
Context Illustration Reading 1/40 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
HAGAR AND LAYDON This is what they did.
The next day was soft as balm.
To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
The red surged over Hagar, her eyes, dark-ringed, half-closed.
Laydon, emerging from the alley, came straight toward her, over a space of gravel and wind-brought leaves.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Hagar

Chapter VIII

Reading 1/40 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
HAGAR AND LAYDON This is what they did.
Line 2
The next day was soft as balm.
Line 3
To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.
Line 4
The red surged over Hagar, her eyes, dark-ringed, half-closed.
Line 5
Laydon, emerging from the alley, came straight toward her, over a space of gravel and wind-brought leaves.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Above preposition US /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading “To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.”

Next noun US /next/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The next day was soft as balm.”

Over preposition US /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading “To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.”

Step noun US /step/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.”

Toward preposition US /təˈwɔːrd/

in the direction of

From this reading “Laydon, emerging from the alley, came straight toward her, over a space of gravel and wind-brought leaves.”

All words in this reading · 62

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 To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

Alley

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading HAGAR AND LAYDON This is what they did.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading The next day was soft as balm.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

balm

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The next day was soft as balm.

boughs

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

bushes

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

called

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

came

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

dark-ringed

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The red surged over Hagar, her eyes, dark-ringed, half-closed.

day

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The next day was soft as balm.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading HAGAR AND LAYDON This is what they did.

Eglantine

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

emerging

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Laydon, emerging from the alley, came straight toward her, over a space of gravel and wind-brought leaves.

eyes

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The red surged over Hagar, her eyes, dark-ringed, half-closed.

fallen

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Laydon, emerging from the alley, came straight toward her, over a space of gravel and wind-brought leaves.

gravel

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Laydon, emerging from the alley, came straight toward her, over a space of gravel and wind-brought leaves.

grown

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

HAGAR

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading HAGAR AND LAYDON This is what they did.

half-closed

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The red surged over Hagar, her eyes, dark-ringed, half-closed.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading The red surged over Hagar, her eyes, dark-ringed, half-closed.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading HAGAR AND LAYDON This is what they did.

LAYDON

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading HAGAR AND LAYDON This is what they did.

leaves

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

making

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

nextnounUS /next/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The next day was soft as balm.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

path

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

planted

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

porch

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

red

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The red surged over Hagar, her eyes, dark-ringed, half-closed.

sitting

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

soft

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The next day was soft as balm.

sound

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

space

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Laydon, emerging from the alley, came straight toward her, over a space of gravel and wind-brought leaves.

stepnounUS /step/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

steps

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

straight

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Laydon, emerging from the alley, came straight toward her, over a space of gravel and wind-brought leaves.

sun

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

surged

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The red surged over Hagar, her eyes, dark-ringed, half-closed.

sycamore

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

Syringa

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

tall

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading The next day was soft as balm.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading HAGAR AND LAYDON This is what they did.

thickly

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading HAGAR AND LAYDON This is what they did.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/

in the direction of

From this reading Laydon, emerging from the alley, came straight toward her, over a space of gravel and wind-brought leaves.

walls

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The next day was soft as balm.

west

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading HAGAR AND LAYDON This is what they did.

wind-brought

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Laydon, emerging from the alley, came straight toward her, over a space of gravel and wind-brought leaves.

winding

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Hagar, sitting in the sun on the step of the west porch, came the sound of steps over the fallen leaves of what was called at Eglantine the Syringa Alley--sycamore boughs above and syringa bushes thickly planted and grown tall, making winding walls for a winding path.