adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
acridadjectiveUS /ˈæk.rɪd/
Having an unpleasantly bitter or pungent taste or smell.
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
alongsideadverbUS /əˈlɔːŋˈsaɪd/
side by side
From this reading Ezra dropped the gad and stepped upon the wagon tongue where he might squint into the dust cloud and decide which gray, plodding horseman alongside the herd was Robert Birnie.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading He can't go any farther and carry the yoke, much less pull the wagon.”
awkwardlyadverbUS /ˈɔːkwərdli/
in an awkward manner
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
beatverbUS /biːt/
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
From this reading “Don't beat the poor brute.
Birnie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ezra dropped the gad and stepped upon the wagon tongue where he might squint into the dust cloud and decide which gray, plodding horseman alongside the herd was Robert Birnie.
blotnounUS /blɑːt/
a blemish made by dirt
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
blueadjectiveUS /bluː/
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
brutenounUS /bruːt/
a cruelly rapacious person
From this reading “Don't beat the poor brute.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
CallverbUS /kɔːl/
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading “Call your master, Ezra,” directed a quiet woman voice gone weary and toneless with the heat and two restless children.
can't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He can't go any farther and carry the yoke, much less pull the wagon.”
carryverbUS /ˈkæri/
move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading He can't go any farther and carry the yoke, much less pull the wagon.”
childrennounUS /ˈtʃɪldrən/
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading “Call your master, Ezra,” directed a quiet woman voice gone weary and toneless with the heat and two restless children.
cloudverbUS /klaʊd/
make overcast or cloudy
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
clovenadjective
(used of hooves) split, divided
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
decideverbUS /ˌdɪˈsaɪd/
reach, make, or come to a decision about something
From this reading Ezra dropped the gad and stepped upon the wagon tongue where he might squint into the dust cloud and decide which gray, plodding horseman alongside the herd was Robert Birnie.
directedadjectiveUS /dərˈektəd/
(often used in combination) having a specified direction
From this reading “Call your master, Ezra,” directed a quiet woman voice gone weary and toneless with the heat and two restless children.
Don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Don't beat the poor brute.
drivernounUS /ˈdraɪvər/
the operator of a motor vehicle
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
droppedverbUS /drɑːpt/
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading Ezra dropped the gad and stepped upon the wagon tongue where he might squint into the dust cloud and decide which gray, plodding horseman alongside the herd was Robert Birnie.
dustverbUS /dʌst/
remove the dust from
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
eightadjectiveUS /eɪt/
being one more than seven
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
endnounUS /end/
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
EzranounUS /ˈezrə/
a Jewish priest and scribe sent by the Persian king to restore Jewish law and worship in Jerusalem
From this reading “Call your master, Ezra,” directed a quiet woman voice gone weary and toneless with the heat and two restless children.
fartheradjectiveUS /ˈfɑːrðər/
more distant in especially space or time
From this reading He can't go any farther and carry the yoke, much less pull the wagon.”
fellverbUS /fel/
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
formedadjectiveUS /fɔːrmd/
having or given a form or shape
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
gadnounUS /ɡæd/
an anxiety disorder characterized by chronic free-floating anxiety and such symptoms as tension or sweating or trembling or lightheadedness or irritability etc that has lasted for more than six months
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
goverbUS /ɡoʊ/
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading He can't go any farther and carry the yoke, much less pull the wagon.”
goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/
destroyed or killed
From this reading “Call your master, Ezra,” directed a quiet woman voice gone weary and toneless with the heat and two restless children.
graynounUS /ɡreɪ/
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
hardadjectiveUS /hɑːrd/
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He can't go any farther and carry the yoke, much less pull the wagon.”
heatnounUS /hiːt/
a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature
From this reading “Call your master, Ezra,” directed a quiet woman voice gone weary and toneless with the heat and two restless children.
herdnounUS /hɜːrd/
a group of cattle or sheep or other domestic mammals all of the same kind that are herded by humans
From this reading Ezra dropped the gad and stepped upon the wagon tongue where he might squint into the dust cloud and decide which gray, plodding horseman alongside the herd was Robert Birnie.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
hoofsnounUS /hʊfs/
plural of “hoof” — the foot of an ungulate mammal
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
horsemannounUS /ˈhɔːrsmən/
a man skilled in equitation
From this reading Ezra dropped the gad and stepped upon the wagon tongue where he might squint into the dust cloud and decide which gray, plodding horseman alongside the herd was Robert Birnie.
hotadjectiveUS /hɑːt/
used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
InprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Ezra dropped the gad and stepped upon the wagon tongue where he might squint into the dust cloud and decide which gray, plodding horseman alongside the herd was Robert Birnie.
kickedverbUS /kɪkt/
past form of “kick” — drive or propel with the foot
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
lessadverbUS /les/
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading He can't go any farther and carry the yoke, much less pull the wagon.”
listlessadjectiveUS /ˈlɪstləs/
lacking zest or vivacity
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
masternounUS /ˈmæstər/
an artist of consummate skill
From this reading “Call your master, Ezra,” directed a quiet woman voice gone weary and toneless with the heat and two restless children.
midadjectiveUS /mɪd/
used in combination to denote the middle
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Ezra dropped the gad and stepped upon the wagon tongue where he might squint into the dust cloud and decide which gray, plodding horseman alongside the herd was Robert Birnie.
muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/
to a great degree or extent
From this reading He can't go any farther and carry the yoke, much less pull the wagon.”
negronounUS /ˈniːɡroʊ/
a person with African ancestry, "Negro" and "Negroid" are archaic and pejorative today
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/
and nothing more
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
oxnounUS /ɑːks/
an adult castrated bull of the genus Bos; especially Bos taurus
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
PlainsnounUS /pleɪnz/
plural of “plain” — extensive tract of level open land
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
ploddingnounUS /ˈplɑːdɪŋ/
hard monotonous routine work
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
pooradjectiveUS /puːr/
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading “Don't beat the poor brute.
proddedverbUS /ˈprɑːdɪd/
inflected form of “prod” — to push against gently
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
pullverbUS /pʊl/
cause to move by pulling
From this reading He can't go any farther and carry the yoke, much less pull the wagon.”
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading “Call your master, Ezra,” directed a quiet woman voice gone weary and toneless with the heat and two restless children.
refusedverbUS /rəˈfjuːzd/
past form of “refuse” — show unwillingness towards
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
restlessadjectiveUS /ˈrestləs/
worried and uneasy
From this reading “Call your master, Ezra,” directed a quiet woman voice gone weary and toneless with the heat and two restless children.
RobertnounUS /ˈrɑːbərt/
United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)
From this reading Ezra dropped the gad and stepped upon the wagon tongue where he might squint into the dust cloud and decide which gray, plodding horseman alongside the herd was Robert Birnie.
scrambleverbUS /ˈskræmbəl/
to move hurriedly
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
shoutedadjectiveUS /ˈʃaʊtɪd/
in a vehement outcry
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
squintverbUS /skwɪnt/
cross one's eyes as if in strabismus
From this reading Ezra dropped the gad and stepped upon the wagon tongue where he might squint into the dust cloud and decide which gray, plodding horseman alongside the herd was Robert Birnie.
StakedverbUS /steɪkt/
past form of “stake” — put at risk
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
steppedverbUS /stept/
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading Ezra dropped the gad and stepped upon the wagon tongue where he might squint into the dust cloud and decide which gray, plodding horseman alongside the herd was Robert Birnie.
stumbledverbUS /ˈstʌmbəld/
past form of “stumble” — walk unsteadily
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
thousandnounUS /ˈθaʊzənd/
the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
tonelessadjective
lacking in tone or expression
From this reading “Call your master, Ezra,” directed a quiet woman voice gone weary and toneless with the heat and two restless children.
tonguenounUS /tʌŋ/
a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity
From this reading Ezra dropped the gad and stepped upon the wagon tongue where he might squint into the dust cloud and decide which gray, plodding horseman alongside the herd was Robert Birnie.
twonounUS /tuː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading “Call your master, Ezra,” directed a quiet woman voice gone weary and toneless with the heat and two restless children.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Ezra dropped the gad and stepped upon the wagon tongue where he might squint into the dust cloud and decide which gray, plodding horseman alongside the herd was Robert Birnie.
voicenounUS /vɔɪs/
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading “Call your master, Ezra,” directed a quiet woman voice gone weary and toneless with the heat and two restless children.
wagonnounUS /ˈwæɡən/
any of various kinds of wheeled vehicles drawn by an animal or a tractor
From this reading He can't go any farther and carry the yoke, much less pull the wagon.”
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Ezra dropped the gad and stepped upon the wagon tongue where he might squint into the dust cloud and decide which gray, plodding horseman alongside the herd was Robert Birnie.
wearyverbUS /ˈwɪri/
exhaust or get tired through overuse or great strain or stress
From this reading “Call your master, Ezra,” directed a quiet woman voice gone weary and toneless with the heat and two restless children.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading Ezra dropped the gad and stepped upon the wagon tongue where he might squint into the dust cloud and decide which gray, plodding horseman alongside the herd was Robert Birnie.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Ezra dropped the gad and stepped upon the wagon tongue where he might squint into the dust cloud and decide which gray, plodding horseman alongside the herd was Robert Birnie.
willownounUS /ˈwɪloʊ/
any of numerous deciduous trees and shrubs of the genus Salix
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading “Call your master, Ezra,” directed a quiet woman voice gone weary and toneless with the heat and two restless children.
yokenounUS /joʊk/
fabric comprising a fitted part at the top of a garment
From this reading In hot mid afternoon when the acrid, gray dust cloud kicked up by the listless plodding of eight thousand cloven hoofs formed the only blot on the hard blue above the Staked Plains, an ox stumbled and fell awkwardly under his yoke, and refused to scramble up when his negro driver shouted and prodded him with the end of a willow gad.
yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Call your master, Ezra,” directed a quiet woman voice gone weary and toneless with the heat and two restless children.
