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From Sand Hill to Pine
From Sand Hill to Pine

Chapter II

Cover illustration for From Sand Hill to Pine
Context Illustration Reading 1/40 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Mr. Jack Fleming stopped suddenly before a lifeless and decaying redwood-tree with an expression of disgust and impatience.
It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.
There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.
He was returning to camp from a neighboring mining town, and while indulging in the usual day-dreams of a youthful prospector, had deviated from his path in attempting to make a short cut through the forest.
He had lost the sun, his only guide, in the thickly interlaced boughs above him, which suffused though the long columnar vault only a vague, melancholy twilight.
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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.

From Sand Hill to Pine

Chapter II

Reading 1/40 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Mr. Jack Fleming stopped suddenly before a lifeless and decaying redwood-tree with an expression of disgust and impatience.
Line 2
It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.
Line 3
There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.
Line 4
He was returning to camp from a neighboring mining town, and while indulging in the usual day-dreams of a youthful prospector, had deviated from his path in attempting to make a short cut through the forest.
Line 5
He had lost the sun, his only guide, in the thickly interlaced boughs above him, which suffused though the long columnar vault only a vague, melancholy twilight.

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 “He had lost the sun, his only guide, in the thickly interlaced boughs above him, which suffused though the long columnar vault only a vague, melancholy twilight.”

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.”

Before preposition US /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading “Mr. Jack Fleming stopped suddenly before a lifeless and decaying redwood-tree with an expression of disgust and impatience.”

Broken noun US /broken/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.”

Camp noun US /camp/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He was returning to camp from a neighboring mining town, and while indulging in the usual day-dreams of a youthful prospector, had deviated from his path in attempting to make a short cut through the forest.”

Disgust noun US /dɪsˈɡʌst/

a strong feeling of dislike or sickness caused by something unpleasant

From this reading “Mr. Jack Fleming stopped suddenly before a lifeless and decaying redwood-tree with an expression of disgust and impatience.”

Long noun US /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He had lost the sun, his only guide, in the thickly interlaced boughs above him, which suffused though the long columnar vault only a vague, melancholy twilight.”

Make noun US /make/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He was returning to camp from a neighboring mining town, and while indulging in the usual day-dreams of a youthful prospector, had deviated from his path in attempting to make a short cut through the forest.”

Mind noun US /mind/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.”

Mysterious adjective US /mɪˈstɪriəs/

difficult to explain or understand

From this reading “It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.”

Partly noun US /partly/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.”

Passed noun US /passed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.”

Short adjective US /ʃɔrt/

brief or direct in expression

From this reading “He was returning to camp from a neighboring mining town, and while indulging in the usual day-dreams of a youthful prospector, had deviated from his path in attempting to make a short cut through the forest.”

Stopped noun US /stopped/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Mr. Jack Fleming stopped suddenly before a lifeless and decaying redwood-tree with an expression of disgust and impatience.”

Suddenly noun US /ˈsuddenly/

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

From this reading “Mr. Jack Fleming stopped suddenly before a lifeless and decaying redwood-tree with an expression of disgust and impatience.”

Those determiner US /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading “It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.”

Though conjunction US /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading “He had lost the sun, his only guide, in the thickly interlaced boughs above him, which suffused though the long columnar vault only a vague, melancholy twilight.”

Through noun US /ˈthrough/

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

From this reading “He was returning to camp from a neighboring mining town, and while indulging in the usual day-dreams of a youthful prospector, had deviated from his path in attempting to make a short cut through the forest.”

Twilight noun US /ˈtwaɪlaɪt/

the dim light before night or sunrise

From this reading “He had lost the sun, his only guide, in the thickly interlaced boughs above him, which suffused though the long columnar vault only a vague, melancholy twilight.”

Vault noun US /vɔːlt/

a stone room, often below a church, used for burial

From this reading “He had lost the sun, his only guide, in the thickly interlaced boughs above him, which suffused though the long columnar vault only a vague, melancholy twilight.”

While conjunction US /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading “He was returning to camp from a neighboring mining town, and while indulging in the usual day-dreams of a youthful prospector, had deviated from his path in attempting to make a short cut through the forest.”

All words in this reading · 103

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 Mr. Jack Fleming stopped suddenly before a lifeless and decaying redwood-tree with an expression of disgust and impatience.

aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading He had lost the sun, his only guide, in the thickly interlaced boughs above him, which suffused though the long columnar vault only a vague, melancholy twilight.

abstraction

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

From this reading There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading Mr. Jack Fleming stopped suddenly before a lifeless and decaying redwood-tree with an expression of disgust and impatience.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Mr. Jack Fleming stopped suddenly before a lifeless and decaying redwood-tree with an expression of disgust and impatience.

angle

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

From this reading There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.

arm

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

From this reading There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.

attempting

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

From this reading He was returning to camp from a neighboring mining town, and while indulging in the usual day-dreams of a youthful prospector, had deviated from his path in attempting to make a short cut through the forest.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Mr. Jack Fleming stopped suddenly before a lifeless and decaying redwood-tree with an expression of disgust and impatience.

boughs

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

From this reading He had lost the sun, his only guide, in the thickly interlaced boughs above him, which suffused though the long columnar vault only a vague, melancholy twilight.

branch

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

From this reading There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.

brokennounUS /broken/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.

camp

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

From this reading He was returning to camp from a neighboring mining town, and while indulging in the usual day-dreams of a youthful prospector, had deviated from his path in attempting to make a short cut through the forest.

circle

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

From this reading It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.

columnar

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

From this reading He had lost the sun, his only guide, in the thickly interlaced boughs above him, which suffused though the long columnar vault only a vague, melancholy twilight.

cut

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

From this reading He was returning to camp from a neighboring mining town, and while indulging in the usual day-dreams of a youthful prospector, had deviated from his path in attempting to make a short cut through the forest.

day-dreams

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

From this reading He was returning to camp from a neighboring mining town, and while indulging in the usual day-dreams of a youthful prospector, had deviated from his path in attempting to make a short cut through the forest.

decaying

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

From this reading Mr. Jack Fleming stopped suddenly before a lifeless and decaying redwood-tree with an expression of disgust and impatience.

depended

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

From this reading There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.

describing

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

From this reading It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.

deviated

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

From this reading He was returning to camp from a neighboring mining town, and while indulging in the usual day-dreams of a youthful prospector, had deviated from his path in attempting to make a short cut through the forest.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.

disgustnounUS /dɪsˈɡʌst/

a strong feeling of dislike or sickness caused by something unpleasant

From this reading Mr. Jack Fleming stopped suddenly before a lifeless and decaying redwood-tree with an expression of disgust and impatience.

due

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

From this reading There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.

enough

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

From this reading It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.

expression

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

From this reading Mr. Jack Fleming stopped suddenly before a lifeless and decaying redwood-tree with an expression of disgust and impatience.

familiar

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

From this reading It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.

Fleming

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

From this reading Mr. Jack Fleming stopped suddenly before a lifeless and decaying redwood-tree with an expression of disgust and impatience.

foolish

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

From this reading There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.

forest

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

From this reading He was returning to camp from a neighboring mining town, and while indulging in the usual day-dreams of a youthful prospector, had deviated from his path in attempting to make a short cut through the forest.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading He was returning to camp from a neighboring mining town, and while indulging in the usual day-dreams of a youthful prospector, had deviated from his path in attempting to make a short cut through the forest.

guide

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

From this reading He had lost the sun, his only guide, in the thickly interlaced boughs above him, which suffused though the long columnar vault only a vague, melancholy twilight.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading He had lost the sun, his only guide, in the thickly interlaced boughs above him, which suffused though the long columnar vault only a vague, melancholy twilight.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.

hopeless

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

From this reading It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.

hour

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

From this reading It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.

impatience

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

From this reading Mr. Jack Fleming stopped suddenly before a lifeless and decaying redwood-tree with an expression of disgust and impatience.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.

indulging

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

From this reading He was returning to camp from a neighboring mining town, and while indulging in the usual day-dreams of a youthful prospector, had deviated from his path in attempting to make a short cut through the forest.

interlaced

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

From this reading He had lost the sun, his only guide, in the thickly interlaced boughs above him, which suffused though the long columnar vault only a vague, melancholy twilight.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.

Jack

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

From this reading Mr. Jack Fleming stopped suddenly before a lifeless and decaying redwood-tree with an expression of disgust and impatience.

knew

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

From this reading It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.

lifeless

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

From this reading Mr. Jack Fleming stopped suddenly before a lifeless and decaying redwood-tree with an expression of disgust and impatience.

like

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

From this reading There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.

longnounUS /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He had lost the sun, his only guide, in the thickly interlaced boughs above him, which suffused though the long columnar vault only a vague, melancholy twilight.

lost

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

From this reading It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.

makenounUS /make/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He was returning to camp from a neighboring mining town, and while indulging in the usual day-dreams of a youthful prospector, had deviated from his path in attempting to make a short cut through the forest.

melancholy

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

From this reading He had lost the sun, his only guide, in the thickly interlaced boughs above him, which suffused though the long columnar vault only a vague, melancholy twilight.

mindnounUS /mind/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.

mining

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

From this reading He was returning to camp from a neighboring mining town, and while indulging in the usual day-dreams of a youthful prospector, had deviated from his path in attempting to make a short cut through the forest.

mishap

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

From this reading There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.

mistaking

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

From this reading There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.

Mr

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

From this reading Mr. Jack Fleming stopped suddenly before a lifeless and decaying redwood-tree with an expression of disgust and impatience.

mysteriousadjectiveUS /mɪˈstɪriəs/

difficult to explain or understand

From this reading It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.

neighboring

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

From this reading He was returning to camp from a neighboring mining town, and while indulging in the usual day-dreams of a youthful prospector, had deviated from his path in attempting to make a short cut through the forest.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.

now

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

From this reading It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Mr. Jack Fleming stopped suddenly before a lifeless and decaying redwood-tree with an expression of disgust and impatience.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.

only

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

From this reading It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.

own

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

From this reading There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.

partly

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

From this reading There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.

passednounUS /passed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.

path

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

From this reading He was returning to camp from a neighboring mining town, and while indulging in the usual day-dreams of a youthful prospector, had deviated from his path in attempting to make a short cut through the forest.

prospector

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

From this reading He was returning to camp from a neighboring mining town, and while indulging in the usual day-dreams of a youthful prospector, had deviated from his path in attempting to make a short cut through the forest.

redwood-tree

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

From this reading Mr. Jack Fleming stopped suddenly before a lifeless and decaying redwood-tree with an expression of disgust and impatience.

reflect

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

From this reading There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.

relieve

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

From this reading There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.

returning

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

From this reading He was returning to camp from a neighboring mining town, and while indulging in the usual day-dreams of a youthful prospector, had deviated from his path in attempting to make a short cut through the forest.

semaphore

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

From this reading There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.

shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔrt/

brief or direct in expression

From this reading He was returning to camp from a neighboring mining town, and while indulging in the usual day-dreams of a youthful prospector, had deviated from his path in attempting to make a short cut through the forest.

stoppednounUS /stopped/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Mr. Jack Fleming stopped suddenly before a lifeless and decaying redwood-tree with an expression of disgust and impatience.

suddenlynounUS /ˈsuddenly/

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

From this reading Mr. Jack Fleming stopped suddenly before a lifeless and decaying redwood-tree with an expression of disgust and impatience.

suffused

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

From this reading He had lost the sun, his only guide, in the thickly interlaced boughs above him, which suffused though the long columnar vault only a vague, melancholy twilight.

sun

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

From this reading He had lost the sun, his only guide, in the thickly interlaced boughs above him, which suffused though the long columnar vault only a vague, melancholy twilight.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.

There

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

From this reading There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.

thickly

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

From this reading He had lost the sun, his only guide, in the thickly interlaced boughs above him, which suffused though the long columnar vault only a vague, melancholy twilight.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading He had lost the sun, his only guide, in the thickly interlaced boughs above him, which suffused though the long columnar vault only a vague, melancholy twilight.

throughnounUS /ˈthrough/

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

From this reading He was returning to camp from a neighboring mining town, and while indulging in the usual day-dreams of a youthful prospector, had deviated from his path in attempting to make a short cut through the forest.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.

town

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

From this reading He was returning to camp from a neighboring mining town, and while indulging in the usual day-dreams of a youthful prospector, had deviated from his path in attempting to make a short cut through the forest.

tree

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

From this reading It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.

twilightnounUS /ˈtwaɪlaɪt/

the dim light before night or sunrise

From this reading He had lost the sun, his only guide, in the thickly interlaced boughs above him, which suffused though the long columnar vault only a vague, melancholy twilight.

usual

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

From this reading He was returning to camp from a neighboring mining town, and while indulging in the usual day-dreams of a youthful prospector, had deviated from his path in attempting to make a short cut through the forest.

vague

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

From this reading He had lost the sun, his only guide, in the thickly interlaced boughs above him, which suffused though the long columnar vault only a vague, melancholy twilight.

vaultnounUS /vɔːlt/

a stone room, often below a church, used for burial

From this reading He had lost the sun, his only guide, in the thickly interlaced boughs above him, which suffused though the long columnar vault only a vague, melancholy twilight.

very

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

From this reading It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading There was no mistaking the tree, with its one broken branch which depended at an angle like the arm of a semaphore; nor did it relieve his mind to reflect that his mishap was partly due to his own foolish abstraction.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading He was returning to camp from a neighboring mining town, and while indulging in the usual day-dreams of a youthful prospector, had deviated from his path in attempting to make a short cut through the forest.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Mr. Jack Fleming stopped suddenly before a lifeless and decaying redwood-tree with an expression of disgust and impatience.

woods

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

From this reading It was the very tree he had passed only an hour before, and he now knew he had been describing that mysterious and hopeless circle familiar enough to those lost in the woods.

youthful

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

From this reading He was returning to camp from a neighboring mining town, and while indulging in the usual day-dreams of a youthful prospector, had deviated from his path in attempting to make a short cut through the forest.