AdeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A MYSTERIOUS GUEST When he awoke, a bar of sunshine which at first he mistook for an outcropping of Spanish gold, glowed against the granite wall of his mountain-top retreat.
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading After eating and partaking sparingly of the brackish water of the keg, he nailed together two long sideboards of the dismembered wagon; and having secured these end to end, he fastened in parallel strips to the surface short sticks as steps to his ladder.
againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading A MYSTERIOUS GUEST When he awoke, a bar of sunshine which at first he mistook for an outcropping of Spanish gold, glowed against the granite wall of his mountain-top retreat.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A MYSTERIOUS GUEST When he awoke, a bar of sunshine which at first he mistook for an outcropping of Spanish gold, glowed against the granite wall of his mountain-top retreat.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading After eating and partaking sparingly of the brackish water of the keg, he nailed together two long sideboards of the dismembered wagon; and having secured these end to end, he fastened in parallel strips to the surface short sticks as steps to his ladder.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading After eating and partaking sparingly of the brackish water of the keg, he nailed together two long sideboards of the dismembered wagon; and having secured these end to end, he fastened in parallel strips to the surface short sticks as steps to his ladder.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A MYSTERIOUS GUEST When he awoke, a bar of sunshine which at first he mistook for an outcropping of Spanish gold, glowed against the granite wall of his mountain-top retreat.
awokeverbUS /əˈwoʊk/
inflected form of “awake” — stop sleeping
From this reading A MYSTERIOUS GUEST When he awoke, a bar of sunshine which at first he mistook for an outcropping of Spanish gold, glowed against the granite wall of his mountain-top retreat.
barnounUS /bɑːr/
a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter
From this reading A MYSTERIOUS GUEST When he awoke, a bar of sunshine which at first he mistook for an outcropping of Spanish gold, glowed against the granite wall of his mountain-top retreat.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He rose in leisurely fashion--henceforth there would be plenty of time, years of it, running to waste with useless days.
boardsnounUS /bɔːrdz/
(used in the plural) the stage of a theater
From this reading The ladder of boards was for use in leaving the cave; the rope-ladder, which he meant to hide under some boulder near the crevice, could be used in making the descent.
bouldernounUS /ˈboʊldər/
a large smooth mass of rock detached from its place of origin
From this reading The ladder of boards was for use in leaving the cave; the rope-ladder, which he meant to hide under some boulder near the crevice, could be used in making the descent.
brackishadjectiveUS /ˈbrækɪʃ/
distasteful and unpleasant; spoiled by mixture
From this reading After eating and partaking sparingly of the brackish water of the keg, he nailed together two long sideboards of the dismembered wagon; and having secured these end to end, he fastened in parallel strips to the surface short sticks as steps to his ladder.
cavenounUS /keɪv/
a geological formation consisting of an underground enclosure with access from the surface of the ground or from the sea
From this reading The ladder of boards was for use in leaving the cave; the rope-ladder, which he meant to hide under some boulder near the crevice, could be used in making the descent.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The ladder of boards was for use in leaving the cave; the rope-ladder, which he meant to hide under some boulder near the crevice, could be used in making the descent.
crevicenounUS /ˈkrevəs/
a long narrow depression in a surface
From this reading The ladder of boards was for use in leaving the cave; the rope-ladder, which he meant to hide under some boulder near the crevice, could be used in making the descent.
daysnounUS /deɪz/
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading He rose in leisurely fashion--henceforth there would be plenty of time, years of it, running to waste with useless days.
descentnounUS /dɪˈsent/
An action of moving downward, dropping, or falling into a deeper place.
From this reading The ladder of boards was for use in leaving the cave; the rope-ladder, which he meant to hide under some boulder near the crevice, could be used in making the descent.
dismemberedverbUS /dɪˈsmembərd/
past form of “dismember” — separate the limbs from the body
From this reading After eating and partaking sparingly of the brackish water of the keg, he nailed together two long sideboards of the dismembered wagon; and having secured these end to end, he fastened in parallel strips to the surface short sticks as steps to his ladder.
eatingnounUS /ˈiːtɪŋ/
the act of consuming food
From this reading After eating and partaking sparingly of the brackish water of the keg, he nailed together two long sideboards of the dismembered wagon; and having secured these end to end, he fastened in parallel strips to the surface short sticks as steps to his ladder.
endnounUS /end/
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading After eating and partaking sparingly of the brackish water of the keg, he nailed together two long sideboards of the dismembered wagon; and having secured these end to end, he fastened in parallel strips to the surface short sticks as steps to his ladder.
fashionnounUS /ˈfæʃən/
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading He rose in leisurely fashion--henceforth there would be plenty of time, years of it, running to waste with useless days.
fastenedadjectiveUS /ˈfæsənd/
firmly closed or secured
From this reading After eating and partaking sparingly of the brackish water of the keg, he nailed together two long sideboards of the dismembered wagon; and having secured these end to end, he fastened in parallel strips to the surface short sticks as steps to his ladder.
finishedadjectiveUS /ˈfɪnɪʃt/
(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state
From this reading This finished, he made a rope-ladder.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading A MYSTERIOUS GUEST When he awoke, a bar of sunshine which at first he mistook for an outcropping of Spanish gold, glowed against the granite wall of his mountain-top retreat.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading A MYSTERIOUS GUEST When he awoke, a bar of sunshine which at first he mistook for an outcropping of Spanish gold, glowed against the granite wall of his mountain-top retreat.
glowedverbUS /ɡloʊd/
past form of “glow” — emit a steady even light without flames
From this reading A MYSTERIOUS GUEST When he awoke, a bar of sunshine which at first he mistook for an outcropping of Spanish gold, glowed against the granite wall of his mountain-top retreat.
goldnounUS /ɡoʊld/
coins made of gold
From this reading A MYSTERIOUS GUEST When he awoke, a bar of sunshine which at first he mistook for an outcropping of Spanish gold, glowed against the granite wall of his mountain-top retreat.
granitenounUS /ˈɡrænət/
plutonic igneous rock having visibly crystalline texture; generally composed of feldspar and mica and quartz
From this reading A MYSTERIOUS GUEST When he awoke, a bar of sunshine which at first he mistook for an outcropping of Spanish gold, glowed against the granite wall of his mountain-top retreat.
GUESTnounUS /ɡest/
a visitor to whom hospitality is extended
From this reading A MYSTERIOUS GUEST When he awoke, a bar of sunshine which at first he mistook for an outcropping of Spanish gold, glowed against the granite wall of his mountain-top retreat.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading After eating and partaking sparingly of the brackish water of the keg, he nailed together two long sideboards of the dismembered wagon; and having secured these end to end, he fastened in parallel strips to the surface short sticks as steps to his ladder.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A MYSTERIOUS GUEST When he awoke, a bar of sunshine which at first he mistook for an outcropping of Spanish gold, glowed against the granite wall of his mountain-top retreat.
henceforthadverbUS /ˈhenˈsfɔːrθ/
from this time forth; from now on
From this reading He rose in leisurely fashion--henceforth there would be plenty of time, years of it, running to waste with useless days.
hideverbUS /haɪd/
prevent from being seen or discovered
From this reading The ladder of boards was for use in leaving the cave; the rope-ladder, which he meant to hide under some boulder near the crevice, could be used in making the descent.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A MYSTERIOUS GUEST When he awoke, a bar of sunshine which at first he mistook for an outcropping of Spanish gold, glowed against the granite wall of his mountain-top retreat.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He rose in leisurely fashion--henceforth there would be plenty of time, years of it, running to waste with useless days.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He rose in leisurely fashion--henceforth there would be plenty of time, years of it, running to waste with useless days.
kegnounUS /keɡ/
the quantity contained in a keg
From this reading After eating and partaking sparingly of the brackish water of the keg, he nailed together two long sideboards of the dismembered wagon; and having secured these end to end, he fastened in parallel strips to the surface short sticks as steps to his ladder.
laddernounUS /ˈlædər/
steps consisting of two parallel members connected by rungs; for climbing up or down
From this reading After eating and partaking sparingly of the brackish water of the keg, he nailed together two long sideboards of the dismembered wagon; and having secured these end to end, he fastened in parallel strips to the surface short sticks as steps to his ladder.
leavingnounUS /ˈliːvɪŋ/
the act of departing
From this reading The ladder of boards was for use in leaving the cave; the rope-ladder, which he meant to hide under some boulder near the crevice, could be used in making the descent.
leisurelyadverbUS /ˈliːzərli/
in an unhurried way or at one's convenience
From this reading He rose in leisurely fashion--henceforth there would be plenty of time, years of it, running to waste with useless days.
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading After eating and partaking sparingly of the brackish water of the keg, he nailed together two long sideboards of the dismembered wagon; and having secured these end to end, he fastened in parallel strips to the surface short sticks as steps to his ladder.
madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading This finished, he made a rope-ladder.
makingnounUS /ˈmeɪkɪŋ/
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading The ladder of boards was for use in leaving the cave; the rope-ladder, which he meant to hide under some boulder near the crevice, could be used in making the descent.
meantverbUS /ment/
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading The ladder of boards was for use in leaving the cave; the rope-ladder, which he meant to hide under some boulder near the crevice, could be used in making the descent.
mistookverbUS /mɪˈstʊk/
inflected form of “mistake” — identify incorrectly
From this reading A MYSTERIOUS GUEST When he awoke, a bar of sunshine which at first he mistook for an outcropping of Spanish gold, glowed against the granite wall of his mountain-top retreat.
mountain-top
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A MYSTERIOUS GUEST When he awoke, a bar of sunshine which at first he mistook for an outcropping of Spanish gold, glowed against the granite wall of his mountain-top retreat.
MYSTERIOUSadjectiveUS /mɪˈstɪriəs/
of an obscure nature
From this reading A MYSTERIOUS GUEST When he awoke, a bar of sunshine which at first he mistook for an outcropping of Spanish gold, glowed against the granite wall of his mountain-top retreat.
nailedverbUS /neɪld/
past form of “nail” — attach something somewhere by means of nails
From this reading After eating and partaking sparingly of the brackish water of the keg, he nailed together two long sideboards of the dismembered wagon; and having secured these end to end, he fastened in parallel strips to the surface short sticks as steps to his ladder.
nearadverbUS /nɪr/
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading The ladder of boards was for use in leaving the cave; the rope-ladder, which he meant to hide under some boulder near the crevice, could be used in making the descent.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A MYSTERIOUS GUEST When he awoke, a bar of sunshine which at first he mistook for an outcropping of Spanish gold, glowed against the granite wall of his mountain-top retreat.
outcroppingnoun
the part of a rock formation that appears above the surface of the surrounding land
From this reading A MYSTERIOUS GUEST When he awoke, a bar of sunshine which at first he mistook for an outcropping of Spanish gold, glowed against the granite wall of his mountain-top retreat.
parallelnounUS /ˈperəlel/
something having the property of being analogous to something else
From this reading After eating and partaking sparingly of the brackish water of the keg, he nailed together two long sideboards of the dismembered wagon; and having secured these end to end, he fastened in parallel strips to the surface short sticks as steps to his ladder.
partaking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After eating and partaking sparingly of the brackish water of the keg, he nailed together two long sideboards of the dismembered wagon; and having secured these end to end, he fastened in parallel strips to the surface short sticks as steps to his ladder.
plentynounUS /ˈplenti/
a full supply
From this reading He rose in leisurely fashion--henceforth there would be plenty of time, years of it, running to waste with useless days.
retreatnounUS /riˈtriːt/
(military) withdrawal of troops to a more favorable position to escape the enemy's superior forces or after a defeat
From this reading A MYSTERIOUS GUEST When he awoke, a bar of sunshine which at first he mistook for an outcropping of Spanish gold, glowed against the granite wall of his mountain-top retreat.
rope-ladder
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This finished, he made a rope-ladder.
rosenounUS /roʊz/
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading He rose in leisurely fashion--henceforth there would be plenty of time, years of it, running to waste with useless days.
runningadjectiveUS /ˈrʌnɪŋ/
(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream
From this reading He rose in leisurely fashion--henceforth there would be plenty of time, years of it, running to waste with useless days.
securedverbUS /sɪˈkjʊrd/
past form of “secure” — get by special effort
From this reading After eating and partaking sparingly of the brackish water of the keg, he nailed together two long sideboards of the dismembered wagon; and having secured these end to end, he fastened in parallel strips to the surface short sticks as steps to his ladder.
shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrt/
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading After eating and partaking sparingly of the brackish water of the keg, he nailed together two long sideboards of the dismembered wagon; and having secured these end to end, he fastened in parallel strips to the surface short sticks as steps to his ladder.
sideboards
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After eating and partaking sparingly of the brackish water of the keg, he nailed together two long sideboards of the dismembered wagon; and having secured these end to end, he fastened in parallel strips to the surface short sticks as steps to his ladder.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The ladder of boards was for use in leaving the cave; the rope-ladder, which he meant to hide under some boulder near the crevice, could be used in making the descent.
SpanishnounUS /ˈspænɪʃ/
the Romance language spoken in most of Spain and the countries colonized by Spain
From this reading A MYSTERIOUS GUEST When he awoke, a bar of sunshine which at first he mistook for an outcropping of Spanish gold, glowed against the granite wall of his mountain-top retreat.
sparinglyadverbUS /ˈsperɪŋli/
to a meager degree or in a meager manner
From this reading After eating and partaking sparingly of the brackish water of the keg, he nailed together two long sideboards of the dismembered wagon; and having secured these end to end, he fastened in parallel strips to the surface short sticks as steps to his ladder.
stepsnounUS /steps/
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading After eating and partaking sparingly of the brackish water of the keg, he nailed together two long sideboards of the dismembered wagon; and having secured these end to end, he fastened in parallel strips to the surface short sticks as steps to his ladder.
sticksnounUS /stɪks/
plural of “stick” — an implement consisting of a length of wood
From this reading After eating and partaking sparingly of the brackish water of the keg, he nailed together two long sideboards of the dismembered wagon; and having secured these end to end, he fastened in parallel strips to the surface short sticks as steps to his ladder.
stripsnounUS /strɪps/
plural of “strip” — a relatively long narrow piece of something
From this reading After eating and partaking sparingly of the brackish water of the keg, he nailed together two long sideboards of the dismembered wagon; and having secured these end to end, he fastened in parallel strips to the surface short sticks as steps to his ladder.
sunshinenounUS /ˈsʌnʃaɪn/
the rays of the sun
From this reading A MYSTERIOUS GUEST When he awoke, a bar of sunshine which at first he mistook for an outcropping of Spanish gold, glowed against the granite wall of his mountain-top retreat.
surfacenounUS /ˈsɜːrfəs/
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary
From this reading After eating and partaking sparingly of the brackish water of the keg, he nailed together two long sideboards of the dismembered wagon; and having secured these end to end, he fastened in parallel strips to the surface short sticks as steps to his ladder.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A MYSTERIOUS GUEST When he awoke, a bar of sunshine which at first he mistook for an outcropping of Spanish gold, glowed against the granite wall of his mountain-top retreat.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading He rose in leisurely fashion--henceforth there would be plenty of time, years of it, running to waste with useless days.
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading After eating and partaking sparingly of the brackish water of the keg, he nailed together two long sideboards of the dismembered wagon; and having secured these end to end, he fastened in parallel strips to the surface short sticks as steps to his ladder.
ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This finished, he made a rope-ladder.
timenounUS /taɪm/
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading He rose in leisurely fashion--henceforth there would be plenty of time, years of it, running to waste with useless days.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He rose in leisurely fashion--henceforth there would be plenty of time, years of it, running to waste with useless days.
togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading After eating and partaking sparingly of the brackish water of the keg, he nailed together two long sideboards of the dismembered wagon; and having secured these end to end, he fastened in parallel strips to the surface short sticks as steps to his ladder.
twonounUS /tuː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading After eating and partaking sparingly of the brackish water of the keg, he nailed together two long sideboards of the dismembered wagon; and having secured these end to end, he fastened in parallel strips to the surface short sticks as steps to his ladder.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading The ladder of boards was for use in leaving the cave; the rope-ladder, which he meant to hide under some boulder near the crevice, could be used in making the descent.
usenounUS /juːs/
the act of using
From this reading The ladder of boards was for use in leaving the cave; the rope-ladder, which he meant to hide under some boulder near the crevice, could be used in making the descent.
usedadjectiveUS /juːzd/
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading The ladder of boards was for use in leaving the cave; the rope-ladder, which he meant to hide under some boulder near the crevice, could be used in making the descent.
uselessadjectiveUS /ˈjuːsləs/
having no beneficial use or incapable of functioning usefully
From this reading He rose in leisurely fashion--henceforth there would be plenty of time, years of it, running to waste with useless days.
wagonnounUS /ˈwæɡən/
any of various kinds of wheeled vehicles drawn by an animal or a tractor
From this reading After eating and partaking sparingly of the brackish water of the keg, he nailed together two long sideboards of the dismembered wagon; and having secured these end to end, he fastened in parallel strips to the surface short sticks as steps to his ladder.
wallnounUS /wɔːl/
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading A MYSTERIOUS GUEST When he awoke, a bar of sunshine which at first he mistook for an outcropping of Spanish gold, glowed against the granite wall of his mountain-top retreat.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The ladder of boards was for use in leaving the cave; the rope-ladder, which he meant to hide under some boulder near the crevice, could be used in making the descent.
wastenounUS /weɪst/
any materials unused and rejected as worthless or unwanted
From this reading He rose in leisurely fashion--henceforth there would be plenty of time, years of it, running to waste with useless days.
waternounUS /ˈwɔːtər/
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading After eating and partaking sparingly of the brackish water of the keg, he nailed together two long sideboards of the dismembered wagon; and having secured these end to end, he fastened in parallel strips to the surface short sticks as steps to his ladder.
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading A MYSTERIOUS GUEST When he awoke, a bar of sunshine which at first he mistook for an outcropping of Spanish gold, glowed against the granite wall of his mountain-top retreat.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading A MYSTERIOUS GUEST When he awoke, a bar of sunshine which at first he mistook for an outcropping of Spanish gold, glowed against the granite wall of his mountain-top retreat.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading He rose in leisurely fashion--henceforth there would be plenty of time, years of it, running to waste with useless days.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He rose in leisurely fashion--henceforth there would be plenty of time, years of it, running to waste with useless days.
yearsnounUS /jɪrz/
a late time of life
From this reading He rose in leisurely fashion--henceforth there would be plenty of time, years of it, running to waste with useless days.
