adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was out in an open field, but a narrow strip of woods lay between the field and the house, so the gin-house was completely hidden.
abandonedadjectiveUS /əˈbændənd/
forsaken by owner or inhabitants
From this reading During the last ginning season they had gone down once with Mammy to “ride on the gin,” but had soon abandoned that amusement to play housekeeping on the lumber, and have the little squares for rooms.
afraidadjectiveUS /əˈfreɪd/
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading They had often since thought of that evening, and had repeatedly begged Mammy to let them go down to the lumber pile; but she was afraid they would tear their clothes, or hurt themselves in some way, and would never consent.
amusementnounUS /əˈmjuːzmənt/
a feeling of delight at being entertained
From this reading During the last ginning season they had gone down once with Mammy to “ride on the gin,” but had soon abandoned that amusement to play housekeeping on the lumber, and have the little squares for rooms.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading OLD BILLY The gin-house on the plantation was some distance from the house; and in an opposite direction from the quarters.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading OLD BILLY The gin-house on the plantation was some distance from the house; and in an opposite direction from the quarters.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Just back of the gin-house was a pile of lumber that Major Waldron had had hauled in build a new pick-room, and which was piled so as to form little squares, large enough to hold three of the children at once.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Just back of the gin-house was a pile of lumber that Major Waldron had had hauled in build a new pick-room, and which was piled so as to form little squares, large enough to hold three of the children at once.
backadverbUS /bæk/
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Just back of the gin-house was a pile of lumber that Major Waldron had had hauled in build a new pick-room, and which was piled so as to form little squares, large enough to hold three of the children at once.
beggedverbUS /beɡd/
inflected form of “beg” — call upon in supplication; entreat
From this reading They had often since thought of that evening, and had repeatedly begged Mammy to let them go down to the lumber pile; but she was afraid they would tear their clothes, or hurt themselves in some way, and would never consent.
betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading It was out in an open field, but a narrow strip of woods lay between the field and the house, so the gin-house was completely hidden.
BILLYnounUS /ˈbɪli/
a short stout club used primarily by policemen
From this reading OLD BILLY The gin-house on the plantation was some distance from the house; and in an opposite direction from the quarters.
buildverbUS /bɪld/
make by combining materials and parts
From this reading Just back of the gin-house was a pile of lumber that Major Waldron had had hauled in build a new pick-room, and which was piled so as to form little squares, large enough to hold three of the children at once.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It was out in an open field, but a narrow strip of woods lay between the field and the house, so the gin-house was completely hidden.
childrennounUS /ˈtʃɪldrən/
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading Just back of the gin-house was a pile of lumber that Major Waldron had had hauled in build a new pick-room, and which was piled so as to form little squares, large enough to hold three of the children at once.
clothesnounUS /kloʊðz/
clothing in general
From this reading They had often since thought of that evening, and had repeatedly begged Mammy to let them go down to the lumber pile; but she was afraid they would tear their clothes, or hurt themselves in some way, and would never consent.
completelyadverbUS /kəmˈpliːtli/
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading It was out in an open field, but a narrow strip of woods lay between the field and the house, so the gin-house was completely hidden.
consentnounUS /kənˈsent/
permission to do something
From this reading They had often since thought of that evening, and had repeatedly begged Mammy to let them go down to the lumber pile; but she was afraid they would tear their clothes, or hurt themselves in some way, and would never consent.
directionnounUS /dərˈekʃən/
a line leading to a place or point
From this reading OLD BILLY The gin-house on the plantation was some distance from the house; and in an opposite direction from the quarters.
distancenounUS /ˈdɪstəns/
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading OLD BILLY The gin-house on the plantation was some distance from the house; and in an opposite direction from the quarters.
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading During the last ginning season they had gone down once with Mammy to “ride on the gin,” but had soon abandoned that amusement to play housekeeping on the lumber, and have the little squares for rooms.
DuringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading During the last ginning season they had gone down once with Mammy to “ride on the gin,” but had soon abandoned that amusement to play housekeeping on the lumber, and have the little squares for rooms.
enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading Just back of the gin-house was a pile of lumber that Major Waldron had had hauled in build a new pick-room, and which was piled so as to form little squares, large enough to hold three of the children at once.
eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading They had often since thought of that evening, and had repeatedly begged Mammy to let them go down to the lumber pile; but she was afraid they would tear their clothes, or hurt themselves in some way, and would never consent.
fieldnounUS /fiːld/
a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed
From this reading It was out in an open field, but a narrow strip of woods lay between the field and the house, so the gin-house was completely hidden.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading During the last ginning season they had gone down once with Mammy to “ride on the gin,” but had soon abandoned that amusement to play housekeeping on the lumber, and have the little squares for rooms.
formnounUS /fɔːrm/
the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading Just back of the gin-house was a pile of lumber that Major Waldron had had hauled in build a new pick-room, and which was piled so as to form little squares, large enough to hold three of the children at once.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading OLD BILLY The gin-house on the plantation was some distance from the house; and in an opposite direction from the quarters.
ginnounUS /dʒɪn/
strong liquor flavored with juniper berries
From this reading During the last ginning season they had gone down once with Mammy to “ride on the gin,” but had soon abandoned that amusement to play housekeeping on the lumber, and have the little squares for rooms.
gin-house
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading OLD BILLY The gin-house on the plantation was some distance from the house; and in an opposite direction from the quarters.
ginningverbUS /ˈdʒɪnɪŋ/
inflected form of “gin” — separate the seeds from (cotton) with a cotton gin
From this reading During the last ginning season they had gone down once with Mammy to “ride on the gin,” but had soon abandoned that amusement to play housekeeping on the lumber, and have the little squares for rooms.
goverbUS /ɡoʊ/
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading They had often since thought of that evening, and had repeatedly begged Mammy to let them go down to the lumber pile; but she was afraid they would tear their clothes, or hurt themselves in some way, and would never consent.
goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/
destroyed or killed
From this reading During the last ginning season they had gone down once with Mammy to “ride on the gin,” but had soon abandoned that amusement to play housekeeping on the lumber, and have the little squares for rooms.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Just back of the gin-house was a pile of lumber that Major Waldron had had hauled in build a new pick-room, and which was piled so as to form little squares, large enough to hold three of the children at once.
hauledverbUS /hɔːld/
past form of “haul” — draw slowly or heavily
From this reading Just back of the gin-house was a pile of lumber that Major Waldron had had hauled in build a new pick-room, and which was piled so as to form little squares, large enough to hold three of the children at once.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading During the last ginning season they had gone down once with Mammy to “ride on the gin,” but had soon abandoned that amusement to play housekeeping on the lumber, and have the little squares for rooms.
hiddenadjectiveUS /ˈhɪdən/
not accessible to view
From this reading It was out in an open field, but a narrow strip of woods lay between the field and the house, so the gin-house was completely hidden.
holdverbUS /hoʊld/
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading Just back of the gin-house was a pile of lumber that Major Waldron had had hauled in build a new pick-room, and which was piled so as to form little squares, large enough to hold three of the children at once.
housenounUS /haʊs/
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading OLD BILLY The gin-house on the plantation was some distance from the house; and in an opposite direction from the quarters.
housekeepingnounUS /ˈhaʊskiːpɪŋ/
the work of cleaning and running a house
From this reading During the last ginning season they had gone down once with Mammy to “ride on the gin,” but had soon abandoned that amusement to play housekeeping on the lumber, and have the little squares for rooms.
hurtverbUS /hɜːrt/
be the source of pain
From this reading They had often since thought of that evening, and had repeatedly begged Mammy to let them go down to the lumber pile; but she was afraid they would tear their clothes, or hurt themselves in some way, and would never consent.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading OLD BILLY The gin-house on the plantation was some distance from the house; and in an opposite direction from the quarters.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was out in an open field, but a narrow strip of woods lay between the field and the house, so the gin-house was completely hidden.
JustadverbUS /dʒʌst/
and nothing more
From this reading Just back of the gin-house was a pile of lumber that Major Waldron had had hauled in build a new pick-room, and which was piled so as to form little squares, large enough to hold three of the children at once.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Just back of the gin-house was a pile of lumber that Major Waldron had had hauled in build a new pick-room, and which was piled so as to form little squares, large enough to hold three of the children at once.
lastadjectiveUS /læst/
immediately past
From this reading During the last ginning season they had gone down once with Mammy to “ride on the gin,” but had soon abandoned that amusement to play housekeeping on the lumber, and have the little squares for rooms.
layverbUS /leɪ/
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading It was out in an open field, but a narrow strip of woods lay between the field and the house, so the gin-house was completely hidden.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading They had often since thought of that evening, and had repeatedly begged Mammy to let them go down to the lumber pile; but she was afraid they would tear their clothes, or hurt themselves in some way, and would never consent.
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Just back of the gin-house was a pile of lumber that Major Waldron had had hauled in build a new pick-room, and which was piled so as to form little squares, large enough to hold three of the children at once.
lumbernounUS /ˈlʌmbər/
the wood of trees cut and prepared for use as building material
From this reading Just back of the gin-house was a pile of lumber that Major Waldron had had hauled in build a new pick-room, and which was piled so as to form little squares, large enough to hold three of the children at once.
MajoradjectiveUS /ˈmeɪdʒər/
of greater importance or stature or rank
From this reading Just back of the gin-house was a pile of lumber that Major Waldron had had hauled in build a new pick-room, and which was piled so as to form little squares, large enough to hold three of the children at once.
Mammynoun
an offensive term for a Black nursemaid in the southern U.S.
From this reading During the last ginning season they had gone down once with Mammy to “ride on the gin,” but had soon abandoned that amusement to play housekeeping on the lumber, and have the little squares for rooms.
narrowverbUS /ˈneroʊ/
make or become more narrow or restricted
From this reading It was out in an open field, but a narrow strip of woods lay between the field and the house, so the gin-house was completely hidden.
neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading They had often since thought of that evening, and had repeatedly begged Mammy to let them go down to the lumber pile; but she was afraid they would tear their clothes, or hurt themselves in some way, and would never consent.
newadjectiveUS /nuː/
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading Just back of the gin-house was a pile of lumber that Major Waldron had had hauled in build a new pick-room, and which was piled so as to form little squares, large enough to hold three of the children at once.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was out in an open field, but a narrow strip of woods lay between the field and the house, so the gin-house was completely hidden.
oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/
many times at short intervals
From this reading They had often since thought of that evening, and had repeatedly begged Mammy to let them go down to the lumber pile; but she was afraid they would tear their clothes, or hurt themselves in some way, and would never consent.
OLDadjectiveUS /oʊld/
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading OLD BILLY The gin-house on the plantation was some distance from the house; and in an opposite direction from the quarters.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading OLD BILLY The gin-house on the plantation was some distance from the house; and in an opposite direction from the quarters.
onceadverbUS /wʌns/
on one occasion
From this reading Just back of the gin-house was a pile of lumber that Major Waldron had had hauled in build a new pick-room, and which was piled so as to form little squares, large enough to hold three of the children at once.
openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/
To move from a closed position.
From this reading It was out in an open field, but a narrow strip of woods lay between the field and the house, so the gin-house was completely hidden.
oppositeadjectiveUS /ˈɑːpəzət/
being directly across from each other; facing
From this reading OLD BILLY The gin-house on the plantation was some distance from the house; and in an opposite direction from the quarters.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading They had often since thought of that evening, and had repeatedly begged Mammy to let them go down to the lumber pile; but she was afraid they would tear their clothes, or hurt themselves in some way, and would never consent.
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading It was out in an open field, but a narrow strip of woods lay between the field and the house, so the gin-house was completely hidden.
pick-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Just back of the gin-house was a pile of lumber that Major Waldron had had hauled in build a new pick-room, and which was piled so as to form little squares, large enough to hold three of the children at once.
pilenounUS /paɪl/
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading Just back of the gin-house was a pile of lumber that Major Waldron had had hauled in build a new pick-room, and which was piled so as to form little squares, large enough to hold three of the children at once.
piledverbUS /paɪld/
past form of “pile” — arrange in stacks
From this reading Just back of the gin-house was a pile of lumber that Major Waldron had had hauled in build a new pick-room, and which was piled so as to form little squares, large enough to hold three of the children at once.
plantationnounUS /ˌplænˈteɪʃən/
an estate where cash crops are grown on a large scale (especially in tropical areas)
From this reading OLD BILLY The gin-house on the plantation was some distance from the house; and in an opposite direction from the quarters.
playverbUS /pleɪ/
participate in games or sport
From this reading During the last ginning season they had gone down once with Mammy to “ride on the gin,” but had soon abandoned that amusement to play housekeeping on the lumber, and have the little squares for rooms.
quartersnounUS /ˈkwɔːrtərz/
housing available for people to live in
From this reading OLD BILLY The gin-house on the plantation was some distance from the house; and in an opposite direction from the quarters.
repeatedlyadverbUS /rɪˈpiːtɪdli/
several time
From this reading They had often since thought of that evening, and had repeatedly begged Mammy to let them go down to the lumber pile; but she was afraid they would tear their clothes, or hurt themselves in some way, and would never consent.
rideverbUS /raɪd/
sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions
From this reading During the last ginning season they had gone down once with Mammy to “ride on the gin,” but had soon abandoned that amusement to play housekeeping on the lumber, and have the little squares for rooms.
roomsnounUS /ruːmz/
apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)
From this reading During the last ginning season they had gone down once with Mammy to “ride on the gin,” but had soon abandoned that amusement to play housekeeping on the lumber, and have the little squares for rooms.
seasonnounUS /ˈsiːzən/
a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field
From this reading During the last ginning season they had gone down once with Mammy to “ride on the gin,” but had soon abandoned that amusement to play housekeeping on the lumber, and have the little squares for rooms.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had often since thought of that evening, and had repeatedly begged Mammy to let them go down to the lumber pile; but she was afraid they would tear their clothes, or hurt themselves in some way, and would never consent.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading They had often since thought of that evening, and had repeatedly begged Mammy to let them go down to the lumber pile; but she was afraid they would tear their clothes, or hurt themselves in some way, and would never consent.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It was out in an open field, but a narrow strip of woods lay between the field and the house, so the gin-house was completely hidden.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading OLD BILLY The gin-house on the plantation was some distance from the house; and in an opposite direction from the quarters.
soonadverbUS /suːn/
in the near future
From this reading During the last ginning season they had gone down once with Mammy to “ride on the gin,” but had soon abandoned that amusement to play housekeeping on the lumber, and have the little squares for rooms.
squaresnounUS /skwerz/
plural of “square” — (geometry) a plane rectangle with four equal sides and four right angles; a four-sided regular polygon
From this reading Just back of the gin-house was a pile of lumber that Major Waldron had had hauled in build a new pick-room, and which was piled so as to form little squares, large enough to hold three of the children at once.
stripverbUS /strɪp/
take away possessions from someone
From this reading It was out in an open field, but a narrow strip of woods lay between the field and the house, so the gin-house was completely hidden.
tearverbUS /ter/
separate or cause to separate abruptly
From this reading They had often since thought of that evening, and had repeatedly begged Mammy to let them go down to the lumber pile; but she was afraid they would tear their clothes, or hurt themselves in some way, and would never consent.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Just back of the gin-house was a pile of lumber that Major Waldron had had hauled in build a new pick-room, and which was piled so as to form little squares, large enough to hold three of the children at once.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading OLD BILLY The gin-house on the plantation was some distance from the house; and in an opposite direction from the quarters.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They had often since thought of that evening, and had repeatedly begged Mammy to let them go down to the lumber pile; but she was afraid they would tear their clothes, or hurt themselves in some way, and would never consent.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading They had often since thought of that evening, and had repeatedly begged Mammy to let them go down to the lumber pile; but she was afraid they would tear their clothes, or hurt themselves in some way, and would never consent.
themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading They had often since thought of that evening, and had repeatedly begged Mammy to let them go down to the lumber pile; but she was afraid they would tear their clothes, or hurt themselves in some way, and would never consent.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading During the last ginning season they had gone down once with Mammy to “ride on the gin,” but had soon abandoned that amusement to play housekeeping on the lumber, and have the little squares for rooms.
thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading They had often since thought of that evening, and had repeatedly begged Mammy to let them go down to the lumber pile; but she was afraid they would tear their clothes, or hurt themselves in some way, and would never consent.
threenounUS /θriː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Just back of the gin-house was a pile of lumber that Major Waldron had had hauled in build a new pick-room, and which was piled so as to form little squares, large enough to hold three of the children at once.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Just back of the gin-house was a pile of lumber that Major Waldron had had hauled in build a new pick-room, and which was piled so as to form little squares, large enough to hold three of the children at once.
Waldron
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Just back of the gin-house was a pile of lumber that Major Waldron had had hauled in build a new pick-room, and which was piled so as to form little squares, large enough to hold three of the children at once.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading OLD BILLY The gin-house on the plantation was some distance from the house; and in an opposite direction from the quarters.
waynounUS /weɪ/
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading They had often since thought of that evening, and had repeatedly begged Mammy to let them go down to the lumber pile; but she was afraid they would tear their clothes, or hurt themselves in some way, and would never consent.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Just back of the gin-house was a pile of lumber that Major Waldron had had hauled in build a new pick-room, and which was piled so as to form little squares, large enough to hold three of the children at once.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading During the last ginning season they had gone down once with Mammy to “ride on the gin,” but had soon abandoned that amusement to play housekeeping on the lumber, and have the little squares for rooms.
woodsnounUS /wʊdz/
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading It was out in an open field, but a narrow strip of woods lay between the field and the house, so the gin-house was completely hidden.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading They had often since thought of that evening, and had repeatedly begged Mammy to let them go down to the lumber pile; but she was afraid they would tear their clothes, or hurt themselves in some way, and would never consent.
