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 Those men who bore the burden and heat of the day were, the girl knew, helots now, but there was in them the silent vigour and something of the sombreness of the land of rock and forest they came from, and a time would come when others would work for them.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Winning slowly, holding grimly, they were moving on, while secure in its patrician tranquility Silverdale stood still, and Maud Barrington smiled curiously as she glanced down at the long white robe that clung very daintily about her and then towards her companions in the tennis field.
afternoonnounUS /ˈafternoon/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
alreadynounUS /already/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Winning slowly, holding grimly, they were moving on, while secure in its patrician tranquility Silverdale stood still, and Maud Barrington smiled curiously as she glanced down at the long white robe that clung very daintily about her and then towards her companions in the tennis field.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Winning slowly, holding grimly, they were moving on, while secure in its patrician tranquility Silverdale stood still, and Maud Barrington smiled curiously as she glanced down at the long white robe that clung very daintily about her and then towards her companions in the tennis field.
athwartnounUS /ˈathwart/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
aunt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
Barrington
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
beat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading They had toiled in the sun-baked furrow since the first flush of crimson streaked the prairie's rim, and the chill of dusk would fall upon the grasses before their work was done.
birches
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
bluffadjectiveUS /blʌf/
direct and plain-spoken in manner, sometimes seeming rough
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
bore
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Those men who bore the burden and heat of the day were, the girl knew, helots now, but there was in them the silent vigour and something of the sombreness of the land of rock and forest they came from, and a time would come when others would work for them.
burden
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Those men who bore the burden and heat of the day were, the girl knew, helots now, but there was in them the silent vigour and something of the sombreness of the land of rock and forest they came from, and a time would come when others would work for them.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
came
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Those men who bore the burden and heat of the day were, the girl knew, helots now, but there was in them the silent vigour and something of the sombreness of the land of rock and forest they came from, and a time would come when others would work for them.
chill
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They had toiled in the sun-baked furrow since the first flush of crimson streaked the prairie's rim, and the chill of dusk would fall upon the grasses before their work was done.
clungnounUS /clung/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Winning slowly, holding grimly, they were moving on, while secure in its patrician tranquility Silverdale stood still, and Maud Barrington smiled curiously as she glanced down at the long white robe that clung very daintily about her and then towards her companions in the tennis field.
comenounUS /come/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Those men who bore the burden and heat of the day were, the girl knew, helots now, but there was in them the silent vigour and something of the sombreness of the land of rock and forest they came from, and a time would come when others would work for them.
companions
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Winning slowly, holding grimly, they were moving on, while secure in its patrician tranquility Silverdale stood still, and Maud Barrington smiled curiously as she glanced down at the long white robe that clung very daintily about her and then towards her companions in the tennis field.
cool
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
crimson
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They had toiled in the sun-baked furrow since the first flush of crimson streaked the prairie's rim, and the chill of dusk would fall upon the grasses before their work was done.
curiously
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Winning slowly, holding grimly, they were moving on, while secure in its patrician tranquility Silverdale stood still, and Maud Barrington smiled curiously as she glanced down at the long white robe that clung very daintily about her and then towards her companions in the tennis field.
daintily
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Winning slowly, holding grimly, they were moving on, while secure in its patrician tranquility Silverdale stood still, and Maud Barrington smiled curiously as she glanced down at the long white robe that clung very daintily about her and then towards her companions in the tennis field.
day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Those men who bore the burden and heat of the day were, the girl knew, helots now, but there was in them the silent vigour and something of the sombreness of the land of rock and forest they came from, and a time would come when others would work for them.
desolate
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
dividednounUS /ˈdivided/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
donenounUS /done/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading They had toiled in the sun-baked furrow since the first flush of crimson streaked the prairie's rim, and the chill of dusk would fall upon the grasses before their work was done.
down
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
driving
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
dusk
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They had toiled in the sun-baked furrow since the first flush of crimson streaked the prairie's rim, and the chill of dusk would fall upon the grasses before their work was done.
dust
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
fall
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They had toiled in the sun-baked furrow since the first flush of crimson streaked the prairie's rim, and the chill of dusk would fall upon the grasses before their work was done.
field
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Winning slowly, holding grimly, they were moving on, while secure in its patrician tranquility Silverdale stood still, and Maud Barrington smiled curiously as she glanced down at the long white robe that clung very daintily about her and then towards her companions in the tennis field.
firstnounUS /first/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading They had toiled in the sun-baked furrow since the first flush of crimson streaked the prairie's rim, and the chill of dusk would fall upon the grasses before their work was done.
flush
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
foliage
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
forest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Those men who bore the burden and heat of the day were, the girl knew, helots now, but there was in them the silent vigour and something of the sombreness of the land of rock and forest they came from, and a time would come when others would work for them.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
furrow
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They had toiled in the sun-baked furrow since the first flush of crimson streaked the prairie's rim, and the chill of dusk would fall upon the grasses before their work was done.
girl
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
glanced
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Winning slowly, holding grimly, they were moving on, while secure in its patrician tranquility Silverdale stood still, and Maud Barrington smiled curiously as she glanced down at the long white robe that clung very daintily about her and then towards her companions in the tennis field.
Grange
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
grasses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They had toiled in the sun-baked furrow since the first flush of crimson streaked the prairie's rim, and the chill of dusk would fall upon the grasses before their work was done.
green
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
grimly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Winning slowly, holding grimly, they were moving on, while secure in its patrician tranquility Silverdale stood still, and Maud Barrington smiled curiously as she glanced down at the long white robe that clung very daintily about her and then towards her companions in the tennis field.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They had toiled in the sun-baked furrow since the first flush of crimson streaked the prairie's rim, and the chill of dusk would fall upon the grasses before their work was done.
heat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
helots
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Those men who bore the burden and heat of the day were, the girl knew, helots now, but there was in them the silent vigour and something of the sombreness of the land of rock and forest they came from, and a time would come when others would work for them.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
holding
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Winning slowly, holding grimly, they were moving on, while secure in its patrician tranquility Silverdale stood still, and Maud Barrington smiled curiously as she glanced down at the long white robe that clung very daintily about her and then towards her companions in the tennis field.
homestead
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
horses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
knew
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Those men who bore the burden and heat of the day were, the girl knew, helots now, but there was in them the silent vigour and something of the sombreness of the land of rock and forest they came from, and a time would come when others would work for them.
land
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Those men who bore the burden and heat of the day were, the girl knew, helots now, but there was in them the silent vigour and something of the sombreness of the land of rock and forest they came from, and a time would come when others would work for them.
lie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
longnounUS /long/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Winning slowly, holding grimly, they were moving on, while secure in its patrician tranquility Silverdale stood still, and Maud Barrington smiled curiously as she glanced down at the long white robe that clung very daintily about her and then towards her companions in the tennis field.
losing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
Maud
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
men
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
moving
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
now
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
others
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Those men who bore the burden and heat of the day were, the girl knew, helots now, but there was in them the silent vigour and something of the sombreness of the land of rock and forest they came from, and a time would come when others would work for them.
out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
parching
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
patrician
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Winning slowly, holding grimly, they were moving on, while secure in its patrician tranquility Silverdale stood still, and Maud Barrington smiled curiously as she glanced down at the long white robe that clung very daintily about her and then towards her companions in the tennis field.
prairie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
prairie's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They had toiled in the sun-baked furrow since the first flush of crimson streaked the prairie's rim, and the chill of dusk would fall upon the grasses before their work was done.
rim
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They had toiled in the sun-baked furrow since the first flush of crimson streaked the prairie's rim, and the chill of dusk would fall upon the grasses before their work was done.
robe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Winning slowly, holding grimly, they were moving on, while secure in its patrician tranquility Silverdale stood still, and Maud Barrington smiled curiously as she glanced down at the long white robe that clung very daintily about her and then towards her companions in the tennis field.
rock
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Those men who bore the burden and heat of the day were, the girl knew, helots now, but there was in them the silent vigour and something of the sombreness of the land of rock and forest they came from, and a time would come when others would work for them.
secure
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Winning slowly, holding grimly, they were moving on, while secure in its patrician tranquility Silverdale stood still, and Maud Barrington smiled curiously as she glanced down at the long white robe that clung very daintily about her and then towards her companions in the tennis field.
see
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
seemednounUS /seemed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
shadownounUS /ˈʃæd.oʊ/
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
shut
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
silent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Those men who bore the burden and heat of the day were, the girl knew, helots now, but there was in them the silent vigour and something of the sombreness of the land of rock and forest they came from, and a time would come when others would work for them.
Silverdale
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading They had toiled in the sun-baked furrow since the first flush of crimson streaked the prairie's rim, and the chill of dusk would fall upon the grasses before their work was done.
skyline
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
slowly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Winning slowly, holding grimly, they were moving on, while secure in its patrician tranquility Silverdale stood still, and Maud Barrington smiled curiously as she glanced down at the long white robe that clung very daintily about her and then towards her companions in the tennis field.
smiled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Winning slowly, holding grimly, they were moving on, while secure in its patrician tranquility Silverdale stood still, and Maud Barrington smiled curiously as she glanced down at the long white robe that clung very daintily about her and then towards her companions in the tennis field.
sombreness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Those men who bore the burden and heat of the day were, the girl knew, helots now, but there was in them the silent vigour and something of the sombreness of the land of rock and forest they came from, and a time would come when others would work for them.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Those men who bore the burden and heat of the day were, the girl knew, helots now, but there was in them the silent vigour and something of the sombreness of the land of rock and forest they came from, and a time would come when others would work for them.
specks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
stillnounUS /still/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Winning slowly, holding grimly, they were moving on, while secure in its patrician tranquility Silverdale stood still, and Maud Barrington smiled curiously as she glanced down at the long white robe that clung very daintily about her and then towards her companions in the tennis field.
stoodnounUS /stood/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
streaked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They had toiled in the sun-baked furrow since the first flush of crimson streaked the prairie's rim, and the chill of dusk would fall upon the grasses before their work was done.
sun
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
sun-baked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They had toiled in the sun-baked furrow since the first flush of crimson streaked the prairie's rim, and the chill of dusk would fall upon the grasses before their work was done.
sun-glare
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
tasselled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
tennis
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Winning slowly, holding grimly, they were moving on, while secure in its patrician tranquility Silverdale stood still, and Maud Barrington smiled curiously as she glanced down at the long white robe that clung very daintily about her and then towards her companions in the tennis field.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They had toiled in the sun-baked furrow since the first flush of crimson streaked the prairie's rim, and the chill of dusk would fall upon the grasses before their work was done.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Those men who bore the burden and heat of the day were, the girl knew, helots now, but there was in them the silent vigour and something of the sombreness of the land of rock and forest they came from, and a time would come when others would work for them.
then
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Winning slowly, holding grimly, they were moving on, while secure in its patrician tranquility Silverdale stood still, and Maud Barrington smiled curiously as she glanced down at the long white robe that clung very daintily about her and then towards her companions in the tennis field.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Those men who bore the burden and heat of the day were, the girl knew, helots now, but there was in them the silent vigour and something of the sombreness of the land of rock and forest they came from, and a time would come when others would work for them.
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had toiled in the sun-baked furrow since the first flush of crimson streaked the prairie's rim, and the chill of dusk would fall upon the grasses before their work was done.
thinner
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
ThosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Those men who bore the burden and heat of the day were, the girl knew, helots now, but there was in them the silent vigour and something of the sombreness of the land of rock and forest they came from, and a time would come when others would work for them.
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Those men who bore the burden and heat of the day were, the girl knew, helots now, but there was in them the silent vigour and something of the sombreness of the land of rock and forest they came from, and a time would come when others would work for them.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
toiled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They had toiled in the sun-baked furrow since the first flush of crimson streaked the prairie's rim, and the chill of dusk would fall upon the grasses before their work was done.
towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/
in the direction of
From this reading Winning slowly, holding grimly, they were moving on, while secure in its patrician tranquility Silverdale stood still, and Maud Barrington smiled curiously as she glanced down at the long white robe that clung very daintily about her and then towards her companions in the tennis field.
tranquilitynounUS /træŋˈkwɪl.ə.t̬i/
The quality or state of being tranquil; calm and peaceful.
From this reading Winning slowly, holding grimly, they were moving on, while secure in its patrician tranquility Silverdale stood still, and Maud Barrington smiled curiously as she glanced down at the long white robe that clung very daintily about her and then towards her companions in the tennis field.
trees
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
UNEXPECTED
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading They had toiled in the sun-baked furrow since the first flush of crimson streaked the prairie's rim, and the chill of dusk would fall upon the grasses before their work was done.
very
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Winning slowly, holding grimly, they were moving on, while secure in its patrician tranquility Silverdale stood still, and Maud Barrington smiled curiously as she glanced down at the long white robe that clung very daintily about her and then towards her companions in the tennis field.
vigour
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Those men who bore the burden and heat of the day were, the girl knew, helots now, but there was in them the silent vigour and something of the sombreness of the land of rock and forest they came from, and a time would come when others would work for them.
wall
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
wastenounUS /weɪst/
an empty, uncultivated area of land
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading Those men who bore the burden and heat of the day were, the girl knew, helots now, but there was in them the silent vigour and something of the sombreness of the land of rock and forest they came from, and a time would come when others would work for them.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading THE UNEXPECTED The sun beat down on the prairie, which was already losing its flush of green, but it was cool where Maud Barrington and her aunt stood in the shadow of the bluff by Silverdale Grange.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading Winning slowly, holding grimly, they were moving on, while secure in its patrician tranquility Silverdale stood still, and Maud Barrington smiled curiously as she glanced down at the long white robe that clung very daintily about her and then towards her companions in the tennis field.
whispering
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
white
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading Those men who bore the burden and heat of the day were, the girl knew, helots now, but there was in them the silent vigour and something of the sombreness of the land of rock and forest they came from, and a time would come when others would work for them.
Winning
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Winning slowly, holding grimly, they were moving on, while secure in its patrician tranquility Silverdale stood still, and Maud Barrington smiled curiously as she glanced down at the long white robe that clung very daintily about her and then towards her companions in the tennis field.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
work
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They had toiled in the sun-baked furrow since the first flush of crimson streaked the prairie's rim, and the chill of dusk would fall upon the grasses before their work was done.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The birches, tasselled now with whispering foliage, divided the homestead from the waste which would lie white and desolate under the parching heat, and that afternoon it seemed to the girl that the wall of green shut out more than the driving dust and sun-glare from the Grange, for where the trees were thinner she could see moving specks of men and horses athwart the skyline.
