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Over the Border: A Romance
Over the Border: A Romance

Chapter XXVIII · Sanctuary

Cover illustration for Over the Border: A Romance
Context Illustration Reading 1/39 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.
For one brief moment the attention of the troop was diverted toward the unexplained antics of the maddened horse and the imminent overthrow of its rider.
It is one of the defects of human nature that man is prone to laugh when he sees a fellow creature in some predicament from which his own superior skill leaves him free.
Every man in the company was a faultless rider, and nothing their horses could do would have been any embarrassment to them.
To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Over the Border: A Romance

Chapter XXVIII · Sanctuary

Reading 1/39 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.
Line 2
For one brief moment the attention of the troop was diverted toward the unexplained antics of the maddened horse and the imminent overthrow of its rider.
Line 3
It is one of the defects of human nature that man is prone to laugh when he sees a fellow creature in some predicament from which his own superior skill leaves him free.
Line 4
Every man in the company was a faultless rider, and nothing their horses could do would have been any embarrassment to them.
Line 5
To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

Learner Dictionary

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

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “Every man in the company was a faultless rider, and nothing their horses could do would have been any embarrassment to them.”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading “Every man in the company was a faultless rider, and nothing their horses could do would have been any embarrassment to them.”

Creature noun US /ˈcreature/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “It is one of the defects of human nature that man is prone to laugh when he sees a fellow creature in some predicament from which his own superior skill leaves him free.”

Even noun US /even/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.”

Every determiner US /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading “Every man in the company was a faultless rider, and nothing their horses could do would have been any embarrassment to them.”

Foot noun US /foot/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.”

Forward noun US /forward/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.”

Free adjective US /friː/

acting without enough restraint or discipline

From this reading “It is one of the defects of human nature that man is prone to laugh when he sees a fellow creature in some predicament from which his own superior skill leaves him free.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “Every man in the company was a faultless rider, and nothing their horses could do would have been any embarrassment to them.”

Help noun US /help/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.”

However adverb US /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading “However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.”

Might modal verb US /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading “However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.”

Nothing pronoun US /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading “Every man in the company was a faultless rider, and nothing their horses could do would have been any embarrassment to them.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.”

Toward preposition US /təˈwɔːrd/

in the direction of

From this reading “For one brief moment the attention of the troop was diverted toward the unexplained antics of the maddened horse and the imminent overthrow of its rider.”

Went noun US /went/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading “Every man in the company was a faultless rider, and nothing their horses could do would have been any embarrassment to them.”

All words in this reading · 117

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 It is one of the defects of human nature that man is prone to laugh when he sees a fellow creature in some predicament from which his own superior skill leaves him free.

amateur

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

From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

antics

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

From this reading For one brief moment the attention of the troop was diverted toward the unexplained antics of the maddened horse and the imminent overthrow of its rider.

any

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

From this reading Every man in the company was a faultless rider, and nothing their horses could do would have been any embarrassment to them.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

attention

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

From this reading For one brief moment the attention of the troop was diverted toward the unexplained antics of the maddened horse and the imminent overthrow of its rider.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

bearing

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

From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Every man in the company was a faultless rider, and nothing their horses could do would have been any embarrassment to them.

brief

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

From this reading For one brief moment the attention of the troop was diverted toward the unexplained antics of the maddened horse and the imminent overthrow of its rider.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

case

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

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

company

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

From this reading Every man in the company was a faultless rider, and nothing their horses could do would have been any embarrassment to them.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Every man in the company was a faultless rider, and nothing their horses could do would have been any embarrassment to them.

creaturenounUS /ˈcreature/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading It is one of the defects of human nature that man is prone to laugh when he sees a fellow creature in some predicament from which his own superior skill leaves him free.

crouching

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

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

dandified

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

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

defects

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

From this reading It is one of the defects of human nature that man is prone to laugh when he sees a fellow creature in some predicament from which his own superior skill leaves him free.

denied

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

From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

despised

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

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

diverted

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

From this reading For one brief moment the attention of the troop was diverted toward the unexplained antics of the maddened horse and the imminent overthrow of its rider.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Every man in the company was a faultless rider, and nothing their horses could do would have been any embarrassment to them.

dog

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

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

dressed

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

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

elegance

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

From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

embarrassment

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

From this reading Every man in the company was a faultless rider, and nothing their horses could do would have been any embarrassment to them.

evennounUS /even/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

EverydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Every man in the company was a faultless rider, and nothing their horses could do would have been any embarrassment to them.

faultless

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

From this reading Every man in the company was a faultless rider, and nothing their horses could do would have been any embarrassment to them.

fellow

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

From this reading It is one of the defects of human nature that man is prone to laugh when he sees a fellow creature in some predicament from which his own superior skill leaves him free.

footnounUS /foot/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For one brief moment the attention of the troop was diverted toward the unexplained antics of the maddened horse and the imminent overthrow of its rider.

foreigner

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

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

forwardnounUS /forward/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

freeadjectiveUS /friː/

acting without enough restraint or discipline

From this reading It is one of the defects of human nature that man is prone to laugh when he sees a fellow creature in some predicament from which his own superior skill leaves him free.

Frenchman

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

From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

frightened

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

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

frolicsome

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

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading It is one of the defects of human nature that man is prone to laugh when he sees a fellow creature in some predicament from which his own superior skill leaves him free.

gaudily

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

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

graceful

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

From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

grasped

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

From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Every man in the company was a faultless rider, and nothing their horses could do would have been any embarrassment to them.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

heart

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

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

helpnounUS /help/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading It is one of the defects of human nature that man is prone to laugh when he sees a fellow creature in some predicament from which his own superior skill leaves him free.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

horse

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

From this reading For one brief moment the attention of the troop was diverted toward the unexplained antics of the maddened horse and the imminent overthrow of its rider.

horseback

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

From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

horses

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

From this reading Every man in the company was a faultless rider, and nothing their horses could do would have been any embarrassment to them.

HoweveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

human

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

From this reading It is one of the defects of human nature that man is prone to laugh when he sees a fellow creature in some predicament from which his own superior skill leaves him free.

imminent

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

From this reading For one brief moment the attention of the troop was diverted toward the unexplained antics of the maddened horse and the imminent overthrow of its rider.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It is one of the defects of human nature that man is prone to laugh when he sees a fellow creature in some predicament from which his own superior skill leaves him free.

injured

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

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It is one of the defects of human nature that man is prone to laugh when he sees a fellow creature in some predicament from which his own superior skill leaves him free.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is one of the defects of human nature that man is prone to laugh when he sees a fellow creature in some predicament from which his own superior skill leaves him free.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading For one brief moment the attention of the troop was diverted toward the unexplained antics of the maddened horse and the imminent overthrow of its rider.

laugh

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

From this reading It is one of the defects of human nature that man is prone to laugh when he sees a fellow creature in some predicament from which his own superior skill leaves him free.

laughter

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

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

leaves

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

From this reading It is one of the defects of human nature that man is prone to laugh when he sees a fellow creature in some predicament from which his own superior skill leaves him free.

like

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

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

maddened

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

From this reading For one brief moment the attention of the troop was diverted toward the unexplained antics of the maddened horse and the imminent overthrow of its rider.

man

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

From this reading It is one of the defects of human nature that man is prone to laugh when he sees a fellow creature in some predicament from which his own superior skill leaves him free.

mane

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

From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

moment

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

From this reading For one brief moment the attention of the troop was diverted toward the unexplained antics of the maddened horse and the imminent overthrow of its rider.

monkey

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

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

much

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

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

nature

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

From this reading It is one of the defects of human nature that man is prone to laugh when he sees a fellow creature in some predicament from which his own superior skill leaves him free.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading Every man in the company was a faultless rider, and nothing their horses could do would have been any embarrassment to them.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

overthrow

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

From this reading For one brief moment the attention of the troop was diverted toward the unexplained antics of the maddened horse and the imminent overthrow of its rider.

own

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

From this reading It is one of the defects of human nature that man is prone to laugh when he sees a fellow creature in some predicament from which his own superior skill leaves him free.

plunged

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

From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

predicament

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

From this reading It is one of the defects of human nature that man is prone to laugh when he sees a fellow creature in some predicament from which his own superior skill leaves him free.

prone

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

From this reading It is one of the defects of human nature that man is prone to laugh when he sees a fellow creature in some predicament from which his own superior skill leaves him free.

quadruped

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

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

quieting

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

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

reins

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From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

relinquished

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From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

rider

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

From this reading For one brief moment the attention of the troop was diverted toward the unexplained antics of the maddened horse and the imminent overthrow of its rider.

roar

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

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

saddest

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

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

screaming

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

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

see

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

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

sees

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

From this reading It is one of the defects of human nature that man is prone to laugh when he sees a fellow creature in some predicament from which his own superior skill leaves him free.

skill

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

From this reading It is one of the defects of human nature that man is prone to laugh when he sees a fellow creature in some predicament from which his own superior skill leaves him free.

some

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

From this reading It is one of the defects of human nature that man is prone to laugh when he sees a fellow creature in some predicament from which his own superior skill leaves him free.

steed

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

From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

superior

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

From this reading It is one of the defects of human nature that man is prone to laugh when he sees a fellow creature in some predicament from which his own superior skill leaves him free.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It is one of the defects of human nature that man is prone to laugh when he sees a fellow creature in some predicament from which his own superior skill leaves him free.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Every man in the company was a faultless rider, and nothing their horses could do would have been any embarrassment to them.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Every man in the company was a faultless rider, and nothing their horses could do would have been any embarrassment to them.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It is one of the defects of human nature that man is prone to laugh when he sees a fellow creature in some predicament from which his own superior skill leaves him free.

too

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

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/

in the direction of

From this reading For one brief moment the attention of the troop was diverted toward the unexplained antics of the maddened horse and the imminent overthrow of its rider.

troop

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

From this reading For one brief moment the attention of the troop was diverted toward the unexplained antics of the maddened horse and the imminent overthrow of its rider.

unexpectedly

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

From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

unexplained

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

From this reading For one brief moment the attention of the troop was diverted toward the unexplained antics of the maddened horse and the imminent overthrow of its rider.

up

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

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

wentnounUS /went/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading However graceful the Frenchman might be on foot, and no one denied his elegance of bearing, he was but an amateur on horseback, and when his steed unexpectedly plunged forward he relinquished the reins and grasped the mane.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading It is one of the defects of human nature that man is prone to laugh when he sees a fellow creature in some predicament from which his own superior skill leaves him free.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading To see this dandified foreigner, whom at heart they despised in any case, crouching like a gaudily dressed monkey on a frolicsome dog, and screaming for help, was too much for even the saddest of them, and a roar of laughter went up which did nothing toward quieting the injured and frightened quadruped.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Every man in the company was a faultless rider, and nothing their horses could do would have been any embarrassment to them.