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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 We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.
againnounUS /again/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “As we do not wish to get up our rope again--and can’t comfortably stay here--I approve,” said Jeff solemnly.
alive
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From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”
all
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From this reading We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.
Amphelopsis
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From this reading This was a thick-leaved, wide-spreading thing, a little like Amphelopsis.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.
approve
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From this reading “As we do not wish to get up our rope again--and can’t comfortably stay here--I approve,” said Jeff solemnly.
AsconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “As we do not wish to get up our rope again--and can’t comfortably stay here--I approve,” said Jeff solemnly.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”
brokennounUS /broken/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.
can't
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From this reading “As we do not wish to get up our rope again--and can’t comfortably stay here--I approve,” said Jeff solemnly.
comfortably
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From this reading “As we do not wish to get up our rope again--and can’t comfortably stay here--I approve,” said Jeff solemnly.
direct
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From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “As we do not wish to get up our rope again--and can’t comfortably stay here--I approve,” said Jeff solemnly.
doubtless
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From this reading We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.
down
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”
enthusiasm
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From this reading “It’s not _quite_ vertical here, you see,” said Terry, full of pride and enthusiasm.
feet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.
full
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From this reading “It’s not _quite_ vertical here, you see,” said Terry, full of pride and enthusiasm.
get
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From this reading “As we do not wish to get up our rope again--and can’t comfortably stay here--I approve,” said Jeff solemnly.
handsplural nounUS /hændz/
members of a ship’s crew
From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.
herenounUS /here/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “It’s not _quite_ vertical here, you see,” said Terry, full of pride and enthusiasm.
hold
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From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”
ignominiously
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From this reading We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”
irregular
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From this reading We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”
It's
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From this reading “It’s not _quite_ vertical here, you see,” said Terry, full of pride and enthusiasm.
Jeff
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From this reading “As we do not wish to get up our rope again--and can’t comfortably stay here--I approve,” said Jeff solemnly.
ledge
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.
like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This was a thick-leaved, wide-spreading thing, a little like Amphelopsis.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.
narrow
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From this reading We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.
necks
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From this reading We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.
nevernounUS /never/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”
nextnounUS /next/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “It’s not _quite_ vertical here, you see,” said Terry, full of pride and enthusiasm.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “It’s not _quite_ vertical here, you see,” said Terry, full of pride and enthusiasm.
off
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”
ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.
pride
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “It’s not _quite_ vertical here, you see,” said Terry, full of pride and enthusiasm.
quitenounUS /quite/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “It’s not _quite_ vertical here, you see,” said Terry, full of pride and enthusiasm.
rash
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.
reach
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”
rope
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “As we do not wish to get up our rope again--and can’t comfortably stay here--I approve,” said Jeff solemnly.
said
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From this reading “It’s not _quite_ vertical here, you see,” said Terry, full of pride and enthusiasm.
see
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From this reading “It’s not _quite_ vertical here, you see,” said Terry, full of pride and enthusiasm.
shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.
slanting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.
slide
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”
slipped
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.
solemnlyadverbUS /ˈsɑləmli/
seriously and formally
From this reading “As we do not wish to get up our rope again--and can’t comfortably stay here--I approve,” said Jeff solemnly.
sort
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”
standingnounUS /ˈstanding/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.
stay
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “As we do not wish to get up our rope again--and can’t comfortably stay here--I approve,” said Jeff solemnly.
sticking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”
Terry
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “It’s not _quite_ vertical here, you see,” said Terry, full of pride and enthusiasm.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.
thick-leaved
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This was a thick-leaved, wide-spreading thing, a little like Amphelopsis.
thingnounUS /thing/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading This was a thick-leaved, wide-spreading thing, a little like Amphelopsis.
thinknounUS /think/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”
ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This was a thick-leaved, wide-spreading thing, a little like Amphelopsis.
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “As we do not wish to get up our rope again--and can’t comfortably stay here--I approve,” said Jeff solemnly.
too
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “As we do not wish to get up our rope again--and can’t comfortably stay here--I approve,” said Jeff solemnly.
vertical
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “It’s not _quite_ vertical here, you see,” said Terry, full of pride and enthusiasm.
vine
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This was a thick-leaved, wide-spreading thing, a little like Amphelopsis.
WepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.
we'll
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”
weight
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading We were standing on a narrow, irregular, all too slanting little ledge, and should doubtless have ignominiously slipped off and broken our rash necks but for the vine.
wide-spreading
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This was a thick-leaved, wide-spreading thing, a little like Amphelopsis.
wish
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “As we do not wish to get up our rope again--and can’t comfortably stay here--I approve,” said Jeff solemnly.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “This thing never would hold our direct weight, but I think if we sort of slide down on it, one at a time, sticking in with hands and feet, we’ll reach that next ledge alive.”
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “It’s not _quite_ vertical here, you see,” said Terry, full of pride and enthusiasm.
