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The Protector
The Protector

Chapter VII

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Context Illustration Reading 1/31 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
STORM-STAYED.
The weather was not the only thing that troubled Vane as he stumbled on through the mist.
Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.
There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.
After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Protector

Chapter VII

Reading 1/31 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
STORM-STAYED.
Line 2
The weather was not the only thing that troubled Vane as he stumbled on through the mist.
Line 3
Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.
Line 4
There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.
Line 5
After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.

Learner Dictionary

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

About preposition US /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading “After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.”

Across preposition US /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading “There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.”

After preposition US /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading “After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.”

Beneath preposition US /bɪˈniːθ/

Directly under; in or to a lower position than.

From this reading “There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

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

From this reading “Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.”

Dangerously adverb US /ˈdeɪn.dʒər.əs.li/

In a way that involves danger or risk.

From this reading “There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.”

Different noun US /ˈdifferent/

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

From this reading “Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.”

Great noun US /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.”

Half noun US /half/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.”

Last noun US /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.”

Must modal verb US /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading “After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.”

Still noun US /still/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.”

Stood noun US /stood/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.”

Thing noun US /thing/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The weather was not the only thing that troubled Vane as he stumbled on through the mist.”

Through noun US /ˈthrough/

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

From this reading “The weather was not the only thing that troubled Vane as he stumbled on through the mist.”

Upon preposition US /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading “After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.”

Wilderness noun US /ˈwɪldərnəs/

a wild area where few people live

From this reading “There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.”

Without preposition US /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading “Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.”

All words in this reading · 95

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 There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

Any

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

From this reading Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.

arduous

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

From this reading After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The weather was not the only thing that troubled Vane as he stumbled on through the mist.

ascended

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

From this reading Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.

banks

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

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.

beneathprepositionUS /bɪˈniːθ/

Directly under; in or to a lower position than.

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.

chasms

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

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

cities

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

From this reading Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.

close

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

From this reading After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.

coming

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

From this reading Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.

crags

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

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

dangerouslyadverbUS /ˈdeɪn.dʒər.əs.li/

In a way that involves danger or risk.

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

decided

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

From this reading After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.

differentnounUS /ˈdifferent/

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

From this reading Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.

difficulty

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

From this reading Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.

down

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

From this reading Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.

gone

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

From this reading Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.

greatnounUS /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

growing

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

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.

halfnounUS /half/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading The weather was not the only thing that troubled Vane as he stumbled on through the mist.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.

hour's

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

From this reading After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.

interspersed

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

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.

laid

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

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

lastnounUS /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.

lay

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

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

lightly

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

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

looking

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

From this reading After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.

minute

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

From this reading After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.

mist

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

From this reading The weather was not the only thing that troubled Vane as he stumbled on through the mist.

mountain

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

From this reading Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.

much

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

From this reading Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The weather was not the only thing that troubled Vane as he stumbled on through the mist.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The weather was not the only thing that troubled Vane as he stumbled on through the mist.

only

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

From this reading The weather was not the only thing that troubled Vane as he stumbled on through the mist.

opposite

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

From this reading Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.

out-cropping

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

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

pierced

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

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

radiating

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

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

rested

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

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

rift

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

From this reading After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.

rocks

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

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

route

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

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

scramble

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

From this reading After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.

sharp-pointed

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

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

side

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

From this reading Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.

slippery

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

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

slope

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

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

steep

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

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

stillnounUS /still/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.

stones

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

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

stoodnounUS /stood/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.

STORM-STAYED

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

From this reading STORM-STAYED.

stumbled

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

From this reading The weather was not the only thing that troubled Vane as he stumbled on through the mist.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The weather was not the only thing that troubled Vane as he stumbled on through the mist.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The weather was not the only thing that troubled Vane as he stumbled on through the mist.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

There

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

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.

thingnounUS /thing/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The weather was not the only thing that troubled Vane as he stumbled on through the mist.

three

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

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

throughnounUS /ˈthrough/

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

From this reading The weather was not the only thing that troubled Vane as he stumbled on through the mist.

top

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

From this reading After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.

tourist

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

From this reading Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.

troubled

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

From this reading The weather was not the only thing that troubled Vane as he stumbled on through the mist.

unathletic

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

From this reading Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.

up

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

From this reading Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading After half an hour's arduous scramble, he decided that they must be close upon the top of the last rift, and stood still for a minute looking about him.

Vane

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

From this reading The weather was not the only thing that troubled Vane as he stumbled on through the mist.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The weather was not the only thing that troubled Vane as he stumbled on through the mist.

way

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

From this reading Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.

weather

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

From this reading The weather was not the only thing that troubled Vane as he stumbled on through the mist.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

wildernessnounUS /ˈwɪldərnəs/

a wild area where few people live

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading There, their route laid across banks of sharp-pointed stones that rested lightly on the steep slope, interspersed with out-cropping rocks which were growing dangerously slippery; and a wilderness of crags pierced by three great radiating chasms lay beneath.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Any unathletic tourist from the cities could have gone up without much difficulty by the way they had ascended, but it was different coming down on the opposite side of the mountain.