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Tom Sawyer Abroad
Tom Sawyer Abroad

Chapter IX · Tom Discourses on the Desert

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Context Illustration Reading 1/27 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Still, we thought we would drop down there a minute, but on another errand.
Most of the professor’s cargo of food was put up in cans, in the new way that somebody had just invented; the rest was fresh.
When you fetch Missouri beefsteak to the Great Sahara, you want to be particular and stay up in the coolish weather.
So we reckoned we would drop down into the lion market and see how we could make out there.
We hauled in the ladder and dropped down till we was just above the reach of the animals, then we let down a rope with a slip-knot in it and hauled up a dead lion, a small tender one, then yanked up a cub tiger.
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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.

Tom Sawyer Abroad

Chapter IX · Tom Discourses on the Desert

Reading 1/27 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Still, we thought we would drop down there a minute, but on another errand.
Line 2
Most of the professor’s cargo of food was put up in cans, in the new way that somebody had just invented; the rest was fresh.
Line 3
When you fetch Missouri beefsteak to the Great Sahara, you want to be particular and stay up in the coolish weather.
Line 4
So we reckoned we would drop down into the lion market and see how we could make out there.
Line 5
We hauled in the ladder and dropped down till we was just above the reach of the animals, then we let down a rope with a slip-knot in it and hauled up a dead lion, a small tender one, then yanked up a cub tiger.

Learner Dictionary

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

Above preposition US /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading “We hauled in the ladder and dropped down till we was just above the reach of the animals, then we let down a rope with a slip-knot in it and hauled up a dead lion, a small tender one, then yanked up a cub tiger.”

Another noun US /ˈanother/

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

From this reading “Still, we thought we would drop down there a minute, but on another errand.”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

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

From this reading “So we reckoned we would drop down into the lion market and see how we could make out there.”

Dead noun US /dead/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “We hauled in the ladder and dropped down till we was just above the reach of the animals, then we let down a rope with a slip-knot in it and hauled up a dead lion, a small tender one, then yanked up a cub tiger.”

Great noun US /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “When you fetch Missouri beefsteak to the Great Sahara, you want to be particular and stay up in the coolish weather.”

Let auxiliary verb US /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading “We hauled in the ladder and dropped down till we was just above the reach of the animals, then we let down a rope with a slip-knot in it and hauled up a dead lion, a small tender one, then yanked up a cub tiger.”

Make noun US /make/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “So we reckoned we would drop down into the lion market and see how we could make out there.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “We hauled in the ladder and dropped down till we was just above the reach of the animals, then we let down a rope with a slip-knot in it and hauled up a dead lion, a small tender one, then yanked up a cub tiger.”

Rest noun US /rest/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Most of the professor’s cargo of food was put up in cans, in the new way that somebody had just invented; the rest was fresh.”

Somebody pronoun US /ˈsʌmbɑːdi/

a person, without saying who

From this reading “Most of the professor’s cargo of food was put up in cans, in the new way that somebody had just invented; the rest was fresh.”

Still noun US /still/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Still, we thought we would drop down there a minute, but on another errand.”

Thought noun US /thought/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Still, we thought we would drop down there a minute, but on another errand.”

Till preposition US /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading “We hauled in the ladder and dropped down till we was just above the reach of the animals, then we let down a rope with a slip-knot in it and hauled up a dead lion, a small tender one, then yanked up a cub tiger.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

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

From this reading “Still, we thought we would drop down there a minute, but on another errand.”

All words in this reading · 78

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 Still, we thought we would drop down there a minute, but on another errand.

aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading We hauled in the ladder and dropped down till we was just above the reach of the animals, then we let down a rope with a slip-knot in it and hauled up a dead lion, a small tender one, then yanked up a cub tiger.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading When you fetch Missouri beefsteak to the Great Sahara, you want to be particular and stay up in the coolish weather.

animals

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

From this reading We hauled in the ladder and dropped down till we was just above the reach of the animals, then we let down a rope with a slip-knot in it and hauled up a dead lion, a small tender one, then yanked up a cub tiger.

anothernounUS /ˈanother/

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

From this reading Still, we thought we would drop down there a minute, but on another errand.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading When you fetch Missouri beefsteak to the Great Sahara, you want to be particular and stay up in the coolish weather.

beefsteak

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

From this reading When you fetch Missouri beefsteak to the Great Sahara, you want to be particular and stay up in the coolish weather.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Still, we thought we would drop down there a minute, but on another errand.

cans

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

From this reading Most of the professor’s cargo of food was put up in cans, in the new way that somebody had just invented; the rest was fresh.

cargo

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

From this reading Most of the professor’s cargo of food was put up in cans, in the new way that somebody had just invented; the rest was fresh.

coolish

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

From this reading When you fetch Missouri beefsteak to the Great Sahara, you want to be particular and stay up in the coolish weather.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading So we reckoned we would drop down into the lion market and see how we could make out there.

cub

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

From this reading We hauled in the ladder and dropped down till we was just above the reach of the animals, then we let down a rope with a slip-knot in it and hauled up a dead lion, a small tender one, then yanked up a cub tiger.

deadnounUS /dead/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading We hauled in the ladder and dropped down till we was just above the reach of the animals, then we let down a rope with a slip-knot in it and hauled up a dead lion, a small tender one, then yanked up a cub tiger.

down

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

From this reading Still, we thought we would drop down there a minute, but on another errand.

drop

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

From this reading Still, we thought we would drop down there a minute, but on another errand.

dropped

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

From this reading We hauled in the ladder and dropped down till we was just above the reach of the animals, then we let down a rope with a slip-knot in it and hauled up a dead lion, a small tender one, then yanked up a cub tiger.

errand

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

From this reading Still, we thought we would drop down there a minute, but on another errand.

fetch

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

From this reading When you fetch Missouri beefsteak to the Great Sahara, you want to be particular and stay up in the coolish weather.

food

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

From this reading Most of the professor’s cargo of food was put up in cans, in the new way that somebody had just invented; the rest was fresh.

fresh

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

From this reading Most of the professor’s cargo of food was put up in cans, in the new way that somebody had just invented; the rest was fresh.

GreatnounUS /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading When you fetch Missouri beefsteak to the Great Sahara, you want to be particular and stay up in the coolish weather.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Most of the professor’s cargo of food was put up in cans, in the new way that somebody had just invented; the rest was fresh.

hauled

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

From this reading We hauled in the ladder and dropped down till we was just above the reach of the animals, then we let down a rope with a slip-knot in it and hauled up a dead lion, a small tender one, then yanked up a cub tiger.

how

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

From this reading So we reckoned we would drop down into the lion market and see how we could make out there.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Most of the professor’s cargo of food was put up in cans, in the new way that somebody had just invented; the rest was fresh.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading So we reckoned we would drop down into the lion market and see how we could make out there.

invented

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

From this reading Most of the professor’s cargo of food was put up in cans, in the new way that somebody had just invented; the rest was fresh.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading We hauled in the ladder and dropped down till we was just above the reach of the animals, then we let down a rope with a slip-knot in it and hauled up a dead lion, a small tender one, then yanked up a cub tiger.

just

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

From this reading Most of the professor’s cargo of food was put up in cans, in the new way that somebody had just invented; the rest was fresh.

ladder

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

From this reading We hauled in the ladder and dropped down till we was just above the reach of the animals, then we let down a rope with a slip-knot in it and hauled up a dead lion, a small tender one, then yanked up a cub tiger.

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading We hauled in the ladder and dropped down till we was just above the reach of the animals, then we let down a rope with a slip-knot in it and hauled up a dead lion, a small tender one, then yanked up a cub tiger.

lion

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

From this reading So we reckoned we would drop down into the lion market and see how we could make out there.

makenounUS /make/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading So we reckoned we would drop down into the lion market and see how we could make out there.

market

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

From this reading So we reckoned we would drop down into the lion market and see how we could make out there.

minute

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

From this reading Still, we thought we would drop down there a minute, but on another errand.

Missouri

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

From this reading When you fetch Missouri beefsteak to the Great Sahara, you want to be particular and stay up in the coolish weather.

Most

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

From this reading Most of the professor’s cargo of food was put up in cans, in the new way that somebody had just invented; the rest was fresh.

new

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

From this reading Most of the professor’s cargo of food was put up in cans, in the new way that somebody had just invented; the rest was fresh.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Most of the professor’s cargo of food was put up in cans, in the new way that somebody had just invented; the rest was fresh.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Still, we thought we would drop down there a minute, but on another errand.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading We hauled in the ladder and dropped down till we was just above the reach of the animals, then we let down a rope with a slip-knot in it and hauled up a dead lion, a small tender one, then yanked up a cub tiger.

out

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

From this reading So we reckoned we would drop down into the lion market and see how we could make out there.

particular

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

From this reading When you fetch Missouri beefsteak to the Great Sahara, you want to be particular and stay up in the coolish weather.

professor's

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

From this reading Most of the professor’s cargo of food was put up in cans, in the new way that somebody had just invented; the rest was fresh.

put

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

From this reading Most of the professor’s cargo of food was put up in cans, in the new way that somebody had just invented; the rest was fresh.

reach

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

From this reading We hauled in the ladder and dropped down till we was just above the reach of the animals, then we let down a rope with a slip-knot in it and hauled up a dead lion, a small tender one, then yanked up a cub tiger.

reckoned

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

From this reading So we reckoned we would drop down into the lion market and see how we could make out there.

restnounUS /rest/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Most of the professor’s cargo of food was put up in cans, in the new way that somebody had just invented; the rest was fresh.

rope

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

From this reading We hauled in the ladder and dropped down till we was just above the reach of the animals, then we let down a rope with a slip-knot in it and hauled up a dead lion, a small tender one, then yanked up a cub tiger.

Sahara

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

From this reading When you fetch Missouri beefsteak to the Great Sahara, you want to be particular and stay up in the coolish weather.

see

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

From this reading So we reckoned we would drop down into the lion market and see how we could make out there.

slip-knot

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

From this reading We hauled in the ladder and dropped down till we was just above the reach of the animals, then we let down a rope with a slip-knot in it and hauled up a dead lion, a small tender one, then yanked up a cub tiger.

small

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

From this reading We hauled in the ladder and dropped down till we was just above the reach of the animals, then we let down a rope with a slip-knot in it and hauled up a dead lion, a small tender one, then yanked up a cub tiger.

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading So we reckoned we would drop down into the lion market and see how we could make out there.

somebodypronounUS /ˈsʌmbɑːdi/

a person, without saying who

From this reading Most of the professor’s cargo of food was put up in cans, in the new way that somebody had just invented; the rest was fresh.

stay

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

From this reading When you fetch Missouri beefsteak to the Great Sahara, you want to be particular and stay up in the coolish weather.

StillnounUS /still/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Still, we thought we would drop down there a minute, but on another errand.

tender

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

From this reading We hauled in the ladder and dropped down till we was just above the reach of the animals, then we let down a rope with a slip-knot in it and hauled up a dead lion, a small tender one, then yanked up a cub tiger.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Most of the professor’s cargo of food was put up in cans, in the new way that somebody had just invented; the rest was fresh.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Most of the professor’s cargo of food was put up in cans, in the new way that somebody had just invented; the rest was fresh.

then

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

From this reading We hauled in the ladder and dropped down till we was just above the reach of the animals, then we let down a rope with a slip-knot in it and hauled up a dead lion, a small tender one, then yanked up a cub tiger.

there

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

From this reading Still, we thought we would drop down there a minute, but on another errand.

thoughtnounUS /thought/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Still, we thought we would drop down there a minute, but on another errand.

tiger

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

From this reading We hauled in the ladder and dropped down till we was just above the reach of the animals, then we let down a rope with a slip-knot in it and hauled up a dead lion, a small tender one, then yanked up a cub tiger.

tillprepositionUS /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading We hauled in the ladder and dropped down till we was just above the reach of the animals, then we let down a rope with a slip-knot in it and hauled up a dead lion, a small tender one, then yanked up a cub tiger.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading When you fetch Missouri beefsteak to the Great Sahara, you want to be particular and stay up in the coolish weather.

up

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

From this reading Most of the professor’s cargo of food was put up in cans, in the new way that somebody had just invented; the rest was fresh.

want

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

From this reading When you fetch Missouri beefsteak to the Great Sahara, you want to be particular and stay up in the coolish weather.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Most of the professor’s cargo of food was put up in cans, in the new way that somebody had just invented; the rest was fresh.

way

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

From this reading Most of the professor’s cargo of food was put up in cans, in the new way that somebody had just invented; the rest was fresh.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading Still, we thought we would drop down there a minute, but on another errand.

weather

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

From this reading When you fetch Missouri beefsteak to the Great Sahara, you want to be particular and stay up in the coolish weather.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When you fetch Missouri beefsteak to the Great Sahara, you want to be particular and stay up in the coolish weather.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading We hauled in the ladder and dropped down till we was just above the reach of the animals, then we let down a rope with a slip-knot in it and hauled up a dead lion, a small tender one, then yanked up a cub tiger.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading Still, we thought we would drop down there a minute, but on another errand.

yanked

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

From this reading We hauled in the ladder and dropped down till we was just above the reach of the animals, then we let down a rope with a slip-knot in it and hauled up a dead lion, a small tender one, then yanked up a cub tiger.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading When you fetch Missouri beefsteak to the Great Sahara, you want to be particular and stay up in the coolish weather.