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air
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From this reading The ancient river went on with its mocking of them, now low and hoarse, now cynically shrieking, as the voice of flowing water will come, altered by the currents of the air.
all
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From this reading The two thus alone in the wilderness spoke not at all for some time, and then Joslin could only go on in his own self-reproach.
alonenounUS /alone/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The two thus alone in the wilderness spoke not at all for some time, and then Joslin could only go on in his own self-reproach.
altered
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From this reading The ancient river went on with its mocking of them, now low and hoarse, now cynically shrieking, as the voice of flowing water will come, altered by the currents of the air.
ancientadjectiveUS /ˈeɪn.ʃənt/
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading The ancient river went on with its mocking of them, now low and hoarse, now cynically shrieking, as the voice of flowing water will come, altered by the currents of the air.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE COMING OF JAMES HADDON THE sun was gone, and the shadows were black in the defile.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The ancient river went on with its mocking of them, now low and hoarse, now cynically shrieking, as the voice of flowing water will come, altered by the currents of the air.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The two thus alone in the wilderness spoke not at all for some time, and then Joslin could only go on in his own self-reproach.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “It was where we built the fires, Ma’am,” he said vaguely, still endeavoring to explain what could not be explained save in the books of the gods.
black
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From this reading THE COMING OF JAMES HADDON THE sun was gone, and the shadows were black in the defile.
booksnounUS /bʊks/
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading “It was where we built the fires, Ma’am,” he said vaguely, still endeavoring to explain what could not be explained save in the books of the gods.
built
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From this reading “It was where we built the fires, Ma’am,” he said vaguely, still endeavoring to explain what could not be explained save in the books of the gods.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The ancient river went on with its mocking of them, now low and hoarse, now cynically shrieking, as the voice of flowing water will come, altered by the currents of the air.
comenounUS /come/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The ancient river went on with its mocking of them, now low and hoarse, now cynically shrieking, as the voice of flowing water will come, altered by the currents of the air.
COMING
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From this reading THE COMING OF JAMES HADDON THE sun was gone, and the shadows were black in the defile.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The two thus alone in the wilderness spoke not at all for some time, and then Joslin could only go on in his own self-reproach.
currents
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From this reading The ancient river went on with its mocking of them, now low and hoarse, now cynically shrieking, as the voice of flowing water will come, altered by the currents of the air.
cynically
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From this reading The ancient river went on with its mocking of them, now low and hoarse, now cynically shrieking, as the voice of flowing water will come, altered by the currents of the air.
defile
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From this reading THE COMING OF JAMES HADDON THE sun was gone, and the shadows were black in the defile.
endeavoring
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From this reading “It was where we built the fires, Ma’am,” he said vaguely, still endeavoring to explain what could not be explained save in the books of the gods.
explain
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From this reading “It was where we built the fires, Ma’am,” he said vaguely, still endeavoring to explain what could not be explained save in the books of the gods.
explained
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From this reading “It was where we built the fires, Ma’am,” he said vaguely, still endeavoring to explain what could not be explained save in the books of the gods.
fires
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From this reading “It was where we built the fires, Ma’am,” he said vaguely, still endeavoring to explain what could not be explained save in the books of the gods.
flowing
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From this reading The ancient river went on with its mocking of them, now low and hoarse, now cynically shrieking, as the voice of flowing water will come, altered by the currents of the air.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The two thus alone in the wilderness spoke not at all for some time, and then Joslin could only go on in his own self-reproach.
getting
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From this reading “I’ve sat there myself more than one night—I studied there, Ma’am, read my lessons, getting ready to teach.
go
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From this reading The two thus alone in the wilderness spoke not at all for some time, and then Joslin could only go on in his own self-reproach.
gods
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From this reading “It was where we built the fires, Ma’am,” he said vaguely, still endeavoring to explain what could not be explained save in the books of the gods.
gone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE COMING OF JAMES HADDON THE sun was gone, and the shadows were black in the defile.
HADDON
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From this reading THE COMING OF JAMES HADDON THE sun was gone, and the shadows were black in the defile.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “It was where we built the fires, Ma’am,” he said vaguely, still endeavoring to explain what could not be explained save in the books of the gods.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The two thus alone in the wilderness spoke not at all for some time, and then Joslin could only go on in his own self-reproach.
hoarse
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From this reading The ancient river went on with its mocking of them, now low and hoarse, now cynically shrieking, as the voice of flowing water will come, altered by the currents of the air.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I’ve sat there myself more than one night—I studied there, Ma’am, read my lessons, getting ready to teach.
I've
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From this reading “I’ve sat there myself more than one night—I studied there, Ma’am, read my lessons, getting ready to teach.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE COMING OF JAMES HADDON THE sun was gone, and the shadows were black in the defile.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “It was where we built the fires, Ma’am,” he said vaguely, still endeavoring to explain what could not be explained save in the books of the gods.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The ancient river went on with its mocking of them, now low and hoarse, now cynically shrieking, as the voice of flowing water will come, altered by the currents of the air.
JAMES
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From this reading THE COMING OF JAMES HADDON THE sun was gone, and the shadows were black in the defile.
Joslin
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From this reading The two thus alone in the wilderness spoke not at all for some time, and then Joslin could only go on in his own self-reproach.
lessons
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From this reading “I’ve sat there myself more than one night—I studied there, Ma’am, read my lessons, getting ready to teach.
low
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From this reading The ancient river went on with its mocking of them, now low and hoarse, now cynically shrieking, as the voice of flowing water will come, altered by the currents of the air.
Ma'am
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “It was where we built the fires, Ma’am,” he said vaguely, still endeavoring to explain what could not be explained save in the books of the gods.
mocking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ancient river went on with its mocking of them, now low and hoarse, now cynically shrieking, as the voice of flowing water will come, altered by the currents of the air.
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’ve sat there myself more than one night—I studied there, Ma’am, read my lessons, getting ready to teach.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “I’ve sat there myself more than one night—I studied there, Ma’am, read my lessons, getting ready to teach.
myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading “I’ve sat there myself more than one night—I studied there, Ma’am, read my lessons, getting ready to teach.
night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’ve sat there myself more than one night—I studied there, Ma’am, read my lessons, getting ready to teach.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The two thus alone in the wilderness spoke not at all for some time, and then Joslin could only go on in his own self-reproach.
now
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ancient river went on with its mocking of them, now low and hoarse, now cynically shrieking, as the voice of flowing water will come, altered by the currents of the air.
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE COMING OF JAMES HADDON THE sun was gone, and the shadows were black in the defile.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The ancient river went on with its mocking of them, now low and hoarse, now cynically shrieking, as the voice of flowing water will come, altered by the currents of the air.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “I’ve sat there myself more than one night—I studied there, Ma’am, read my lessons, getting ready to teach.
only
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The two thus alone in the wilderness spoke not at all for some time, and then Joslin could only go on in his own self-reproach.
own
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The two thus alone in the wilderness spoke not at all for some time, and then Joslin could only go on in his own self-reproach.
read
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From this reading “I’ve sat there myself more than one night—I studied there, Ma’am, read my lessons, getting ready to teach.
ready
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’ve sat there myself more than one night—I studied there, Ma’am, read my lessons, getting ready to teach.
river
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ancient river went on with its mocking of them, now low and hoarse, now cynically shrieking, as the voice of flowing water will come, altered by the currents of the air.
said
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “It was where we built the fires, Ma’am,” he said vaguely, still endeavoring to explain what could not be explained save in the books of the gods.
sat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’ve sat there myself more than one night—I studied there, Ma’am, read my lessons, getting ready to teach.
saveprepositionUS /seɪv/
except for; apart from
From this reading “It was where we built the fires, Ma’am,” he said vaguely, still endeavoring to explain what could not be explained save in the books of the gods.
self-reproach
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The two thus alone in the wilderness spoke not at all for some time, and then Joslin could only go on in his own self-reproach.
shadows
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE COMING OF JAMES HADDON THE sun was gone, and the shadows were black in the defile.
shrieking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ancient river went on with its mocking of them, now low and hoarse, now cynically shrieking, as the voice of flowing water will come, altered by the currents of the air.
some
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The two thus alone in the wilderness spoke not at all for some time, and then Joslin could only go on in his own self-reproach.
spoke
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The two thus alone in the wilderness spoke not at all for some time, and then Joslin could only go on in his own self-reproach.
stillnounUS /still/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “It was where we built the fires, Ma’am,” he said vaguely, still endeavoring to explain what could not be explained save in the books of the gods.
studied
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’ve sat there myself more than one night—I studied there, Ma’am, read my lessons, getting ready to teach.
sun
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE COMING OF JAMES HADDON THE sun was gone, and the shadows were black in the defile.
teach
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’ve sat there myself more than one night—I studied there, Ma’am, read my lessons, getting ready to teach.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading “I’ve sat there myself more than one night—I studied there, Ma’am, read my lessons, getting ready to teach.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE COMING OF JAMES HADDON THE sun was gone, and the shadows were black in the defile.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The ancient river went on with its mocking of them, now low and hoarse, now cynically shrieking, as the voice of flowing water will come, altered by the currents of the air.
then
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The two thus alone in the wilderness spoke not at all for some time, and then Joslin could only go on in his own self-reproach.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’ve sat there myself more than one night—I studied there, Ma’am, read my lessons, getting ready to teach.
thus
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The two thus alone in the wilderness spoke not at all for some time, and then Joslin could only go on in his own self-reproach.
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The two thus alone in the wilderness spoke not at all for some time, and then Joslin could only go on in his own self-reproach.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “It was where we built the fires, Ma’am,” he said vaguely, still endeavoring to explain what could not be explained save in the books of the gods.
two
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The two thus alone in the wilderness spoke not at all for some time, and then Joslin could only go on in his own self-reproach.
vaguely
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “It was where we built the fires, Ma’am,” he said vaguely, still endeavoring to explain what could not be explained save in the books of the gods.
voice
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ancient river went on with its mocking of them, now low and hoarse, now cynically shrieking, as the voice of flowing water will come, altered by the currents of the air.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE COMING OF JAMES HADDON THE sun was gone, and the shadows were black in the defile.
water
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ancient river went on with its mocking of them, now low and hoarse, now cynically shrieking, as the voice of flowing water will come, altered by the currents of the air.
wepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “It was where we built the fires, Ma’am,” he said vaguely, still endeavoring to explain what could not be explained save in the books of the gods.
wentnounUS /went/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The ancient river went on with its mocking of them, now low and hoarse, now cynically shrieking, as the voice of flowing water will come, altered by the currents of the air.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading THE COMING OF JAMES HADDON THE sun was gone, and the shadows were black in the defile.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “It was where we built the fires, Ma’am,” he said vaguely, still endeavoring to explain what could not be explained save in the books of the gods.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading “It was where we built the fires, Ma’am,” he said vaguely, still endeavoring to explain what could not be explained save in the books of the gods.
wildernessnounUS /ˈwɪldərnəs/
a wild area where few people live
From this reading The two thus alone in the wilderness spoke not at all for some time, and then Joslin could only go on in his own self-reproach.
willmodal verbUS /wɪl/
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading The ancient river went on with its mocking of them, now low and hoarse, now cynically shrieking, as the voice of flowing water will come, altered by the currents of the air.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading The ancient river went on with its mocking of them, now low and hoarse, now cynically shrieking, as the voice of flowing water will come, altered by the currents of the air.