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Chapter XVIII · Winter in Dorfli

Winter in Dorfli, section 1: The snow was lying so high around the hut that the windows looked level with the ground, and the door had entirely disappeared from view. If Alm-Uncle had been up there he would ha
Context Illustration Reading 1/30 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The snow was lying so high around the hut that the windows looked level with the ground, and the door had entirely disappeared from view.
If Alm-Uncle had been up there he would have had to do what Peter did daily, for fresh snow fell every night.
Peter had to get out of the window of the sitting-room every morning, and if the frost had not been very hard during the night, he immediately sank up to his shoulders almost in the snow and had to struggle with hands, feet, and head to extricate himself.
Then his mother handed him the large broom, and with this he worked hard to make a way to the door.
He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Heidi

Chapter XVIII · Winter in Dorfli

Reading 1/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The snow was lying so high around the hut that the windows looked level with the ground, and the door had entirely disappeared from view.
Line 2
If Alm-Uncle had been up there he would have had to do what Peter did daily, for fresh snow fell every night.
Line 3
Peter had to get out of the window of the sitting-room every morning, and if the frost had not been very hard during the night, he immediately sank up to his shoulders almost in the snow and had to struggle with hands, feet, and head to extricate himself.
Line 4
Then his mother handed him the large broom, and with this he worked hard to make a way to the door.
Line 5
He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

Learner Dictionary

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

Around preposition US /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading “The snow was lying so high around the hut that the windows looked level with the ground, and the door had entirely disappeared from view.”

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “If Alm-Uncle had been up there he would have had to do what Peter did daily, for fresh snow fell every night.”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

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

From this reading “He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.”

Disappeared noun US /ˈdisappeared/

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

From this reading “The snow was lying so high around the hut that the windows looked level with the ground, and the door had entirely disappeared from view.”

During preposition US /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading “Peter had to get out of the window of the sitting-room every morning, and if the frost had not been very hard during the night, he immediately sank up to his shoulders almost in the snow and had to struggle with hands, feet, and head to extricate himself.”

Entirely noun US /ˈentirely/

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

From this reading “The snow was lying so high around the hut that the windows looked level with the ground, and the door had entirely disappeared from view.”

Every determiner US /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading “If Alm-Uncle had been up there he would have had to do what Peter did daily, for fresh snow fell every night.”

Hands plural noun US /hændz/

members of a ship’s crew

From this reading “Peter had to get out of the window of the sitting-room every morning, and if the frost had not been very hard during the night, he immediately sank up to his shoulders almost in the snow and had to struggle with hands, feet, and head to extricate himself.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “If Alm-Uncle had been up there he would have had to do what Peter did daily, for fresh snow fell every night.”

Himself pronoun US /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading “Peter had to get out of the window of the sitting-room every morning, and if the frost had not been very hard during the night, he immediately sank up to his shoulders almost in the snow and had to struggle with hands, feet, and head to extricate himself.”

Looked noun US /looked/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The snow was lying so high around the hut that the windows looked level with the ground, and the door had entirely disappeared from view.”

Make noun US /make/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Then his mother handed him the large broom, and with this he worked hard to make a way to the door.”

Morning noun US /morning/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Peter had to get out of the window of the sitting-room every morning, and if the frost had not been very hard during the night, he immediately sank up to his shoulders almost in the snow and had to struggle with hands, feet, and head to extricate himself.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.”

Soon noun US /soon/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.”

Through noun US /ˈthrough/

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

From this reading “He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.”

Well noun US /well/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

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

From this reading “If Alm-Uncle had been up there he would have had to do what Peter did daily, for fresh snow fell every night.”

All words in this reading · 106

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 Then his mother handed him the large broom, and with this he worked hard to make a way to the door.

Alm-Uncle

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

From this reading If Alm-Uncle had been up there he would have had to do what Peter did daily, for fresh snow fell every night.

almost

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

From this reading Peter had to get out of the window of the sitting-room every morning, and if the frost had not been very hard during the night, he immediately sank up to his shoulders almost in the snow and had to struggle with hands, feet, and head to extricate himself.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The snow was lying so high around the hut that the windows looked level with the ground, and the door had entirely disappeared from view.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading The snow was lying so high around the hut that the windows looked level with the ground, and the door had entirely disappeared from view.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

away

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

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading If Alm-Uncle had been up there he would have had to do what Peter did daily, for fresh snow fell every night.

big

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

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

broom

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

From this reading Then his mother handed him the large broom, and with this he worked hard to make a way to the door.

careful

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

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

creep

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

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

daily

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

From this reading If Alm-Uncle had been up there he would have had to do what Peter did daily, for fresh snow fell every night.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading If Alm-Uncle had been up there he would have had to do what Peter did daily, for fresh snow fell every night.

dig

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

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

disappearednounUS /ˈdisappeared/

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

From this reading The snow was lying so high around the hut that the windows looked level with the ground, and the door had entirely disappeared from view.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading If Alm-Uncle had been up there he would have had to do what Peter did daily, for fresh snow fell every night.

door

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

From this reading The snow was lying so high around the hut that the windows looked level with the ground, and the door had entirely disappeared from view.

duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading Peter had to get out of the window of the sitting-room every morning, and if the frost had not been very hard during the night, he immediately sank up to his shoulders almost in the snow and had to struggle with hands, feet, and head to extricate himself.

else

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

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

enough

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

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

entirelynounUS /ˈentirely/

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

From this reading The snow was lying so high around the hut that the windows looked level with the ground, and the door had entirely disappeared from view.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading If Alm-Uncle had been up there he would have had to do what Peter did daily, for fresh snow fell every night.

extricate

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

From this reading Peter had to get out of the window of the sitting-room every morning, and if the frost had not been very hard during the night, he immediately sank up to his shoulders almost in the snow and had to struggle with hands, feet, and head to extricate himself.

fall

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

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

feet

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

From this reading Peter had to get out of the window of the sitting-room every morning, and if the frost had not been very hard during the night, he immediately sank up to his shoulders almost in the snow and had to struggle with hands, feet, and head to extricate himself.

fell

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

From this reading If Alm-Uncle had been up there he would have had to do what Peter did daily, for fresh snow fell every night.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading If Alm-Uncle had been up there he would have had to do what Peter did daily, for fresh snow fell every night.

fresh

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

From this reading If Alm-Uncle had been up there he would have had to do what Peter did daily, for fresh snow fell every night.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The snow was lying so high around the hut that the windows looked level with the ground, and the door had entirely disappeared from view.

front

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

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

frost

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

From this reading Peter had to get out of the window of the sitting-room every morning, and if the frost had not been very hard during the night, he immediately sank up to his shoulders almost in the snow and had to struggle with hands, feet, and head to extricate himself.

get

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

From this reading Peter had to get out of the window of the sitting-room every morning, and if the frost had not been very hard during the night, he immediately sank up to his shoulders almost in the snow and had to struggle with hands, feet, and head to extricate himself.

gone

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

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

ground

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

From this reading The snow was lying so high around the hut that the windows looked level with the ground, and the door had entirely disappeared from view.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The snow was lying so high around the hut that the windows looked level with the ground, and the door had entirely disappeared from view.

handed

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

From this reading Then his mother handed him the large broom, and with this he worked hard to make a way to the door.

handsplural nounUS /hændz/

members of a ship’s crew

From this reading Peter had to get out of the window of the sitting-room every morning, and if the frost had not been very hard during the night, he immediately sank up to his shoulders almost in the snow and had to struggle with hands, feet, and head to extricate himself.

hard

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

From this reading Peter had to get out of the window of the sitting-room every morning, and if the frost had not been very hard during the night, he immediately sank up to his shoulders almost in the snow and had to struggle with hands, feet, and head to extricate himself.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading If Alm-Uncle had been up there he would have had to do what Peter did daily, for fresh snow fell every night.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading If Alm-Uncle had been up there he would have had to do what Peter did daily, for fresh snow fell every night.

head

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

From this reading Peter had to get out of the window of the sitting-room every morning, and if the frost had not been very hard during the night, he immediately sank up to his shoulders almost in the snow and had to struggle with hands, feet, and head to extricate himself.

high

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

From this reading The snow was lying so high around the hut that the windows looked level with the ground, and the door had entirely disappeared from view.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Then his mother handed him the large broom, and with this he worked hard to make a way to the door.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading Peter had to get out of the window of the sitting-room every morning, and if the frost had not been very hard during the night, he immediately sank up to his shoulders almost in the snow and had to struggle with hands, feet, and head to extricate himself.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Peter had to get out of the window of the sitting-room every morning, and if the frost had not been very hard during the night, he immediately sank up to his shoulders almost in the snow and had to struggle with hands, feet, and head to extricate himself.

house

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

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

hut

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

From this reading The snow was lying so high around the hut that the windows looked level with the ground, and the door had entirely disappeared from view.

ice

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

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If Alm-Uncle had been up there he would have had to do what Peter did daily, for fresh snow fell every night.

immediately

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

From this reading Peter had to get out of the window of the sitting-room every morning, and if the frost had not been very hard during the night, he immediately sank up to his shoulders almost in the snow and had to struggle with hands, feet, and head to extricate himself.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Peter had to get out of the window of the sitting-room every morning, and if the frost had not been very hard during the night, he immediately sank up to his shoulders almost in the snow and had to struggle with hands, feet, and head to extricate himself.

inside

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

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

large

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

From this reading Then his mother handed him the large broom, and with this he worked hard to make a way to the door.

level

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

From this reading The snow was lying so high around the hut that the windows looked level with the ground, and the door had entirely disappeared from view.

lookednounUS /looked/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The snow was lying so high around the hut that the windows looked level with the ground, and the door had entirely disappeared from view.

lying

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

From this reading The snow was lying so high around the hut that the windows looked level with the ground, and the door had entirely disappeared from view.

made

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

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

makenounUS /make/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Then his mother handed him the large broom, and with this he worked hard to make a way to the door.

mass

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

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

morningnounUS /morning/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Peter had to get out of the window of the sitting-room every morning, and if the frost had not been very hard during the night, he immediately sank up to his shoulders almost in the snow and had to struggle with hands, feet, and head to extricate himself.

mother

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

From this reading Then his mother handed him the large broom, and with this he worked hard to make a way to the door.

night

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

From this reading If Alm-Uncle had been up there he would have had to do what Peter did daily, for fresh snow fell every night.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Peter had to get out of the window of the sitting-room every morning, and if the frost had not been very hard during the night, he immediately sank up to his shoulders almost in the snow and had to struggle with hands, feet, and head to extricate himself.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Peter had to get out of the window of the sitting-room every morning, and if the frost had not been very hard during the night, he immediately sank up to his shoulders almost in the snow and had to struggle with hands, feet, and head to extricate himself.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

only

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

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

opened

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

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

out

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

From this reading Peter had to get out of the window of the sitting-room every morning, and if the frost had not been very hard during the night, he immediately sank up to his shoulders almost in the snow and had to struggle with hands, feet, and head to extricate himself.

Peter

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

From this reading If Alm-Uncle had been up there he would have had to do what Peter did daily, for fresh snow fell every night.

sank

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

From this reading Peter had to get out of the window of the sitting-room every morning, and if the frost had not been very hard during the night, he immediately sank up to his shoulders almost in the snow and had to struggle with hands, feet, and head to extricate himself.

severe

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

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

shoulders

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

From this reading Peter had to get out of the window of the sitting-room every morning, and if the frost had not been very hard during the night, he immediately sank up to his shoulders almost in the snow and had to struggle with hands, feet, and head to extricate himself.

sitting-room

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

From this reading Peter had to get out of the window of the sitting-room every morning, and if the frost had not been very hard during the night, he immediately sank up to his shoulders almost in the snow and had to struggle with hands, feet, and head to extricate himself.

snow

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From this reading The snow was lying so high around the hut that the windows looked level with the ground, and the door had entirely disappeared from view.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The snow was lying so high around the hut that the windows looked level with the ground, and the door had entirely disappeared from view.

soft

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From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

soon

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

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

struggle

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

From this reading Peter had to get out of the window of the sitting-room every morning, and if the frost had not been very hard during the night, he immediately sank up to his shoulders almost in the snow and had to struggle with hands, feet, and head to extricate himself.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The snow was lying so high around the hut that the windows looked level with the ground, and the door had entirely disappeared from view.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The snow was lying so high around the hut that the windows looked level with the ground, and the door had entirely disappeared from view.

Then

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

From this reading Then his mother handed him the large broom, and with this he worked hard to make a way to the door.

there

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From this reading If Alm-Uncle had been up there he would have had to do what Peter did daily, for fresh snow fell every night.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading Then his mother handed him the large broom, and with this he worked hard to make a way to the door.

throughnounUS /ˈthrough/

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

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading If Alm-Uncle had been up there he would have had to do what Peter did daily, for fresh snow fell every night.

up

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

From this reading If Alm-Uncle had been up there he would have had to do what Peter did daily, for fresh snow fell every night.

very

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

From this reading Peter had to get out of the window of the sitting-room every morning, and if the frost had not been very hard during the night, he immediately sank up to his shoulders almost in the snow and had to struggle with hands, feet, and head to extricate himself.

view

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

From this reading The snow was lying so high around the hut that the windows looked level with the ground, and the door had entirely disappeared from view.

wall

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

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The snow was lying so high around the hut that the windows looked level with the ground, and the door had entirely disappeared from view.

way

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

From this reading Then his mother handed him the large broom, and with this he worked hard to make a way to the door.

well

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

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading If Alm-Uncle had been up there he would have had to do what Peter did daily, for fresh snow fell every night.

whole

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

From this reading He had to be careful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window was only big enough for Peter to creep through.

window

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

From this reading Peter had to get out of the window of the sitting-room every morning, and if the frost had not been very hard during the night, he immediately sank up to his shoulders almost in the snow and had to struggle with hands, feet, and head to extricate himself.

windows

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

From this reading The snow was lying so high around the hut that the windows looked level with the ground, and the door had entirely disappeared from view.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The snow was lying so high around the hut that the windows looked level with the ground, and the door had entirely disappeared from view.

worked

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

From this reading Then his mother handed him the large broom, and with this he worked hard to make a way to the door.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading If Alm-Uncle had been up there he would have had to do what Peter did daily, for fresh snow fell every night.