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 A house, it would seem, is almost the least important part of a ranch; one can camp, with frying pan and blankets, in the shade of a bush or the shelter of canvas.
all
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To ride over twenty miles of blackness is depressing enough in itself, but to find, at the end of the journey, that one's work has all gone for nothing, and one's money and one's plans and hopes, is worse than depressing.
almost
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A house, it would seem, is almost the least important part of a ranch; one can camp, with frying pan and blankets, in the shade of a bush or the shelter of canvas.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A house, it would seem, is almost the least important part of a ranch; one can camp, with frying pan and blankets, in the shade of a bush or the shelter of canvas.
anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/
any thing at all
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Manley sat upon his horse and gazed rather blankly at the heap of black cinders that had been his haystacks, and at the cold embers where had stood his stables, and at the warped bits of iron that had been his buckboard, his wagon, his rake and mower--all the things he had gathered around him in the three years he had spent upon the place.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Manley sat upon his horse and gazed rather blankly at the heap of black cinders that had been his haystacks, and at the cold embers where had stood his stables, and at the warped bits of iron that had been his buckboard, his wagon, his rake and mower--all the things he had gathered around him in the three years he had spent upon the place.
bits
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Manley sat upon his horse and gazed rather blankly at the heap of black cinders that had been his haystacks, and at the cold embers where had stood his stables, and at the warped bits of iron that had been his buckboard, his wagon, his rake and mower--all the things he had gathered around him in the three years he had spent upon the place.
black
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Manley sat upon his horse and gazed rather blankly at the heap of black cinders that had been his haystacks, and at the cold embers where had stood his stables, and at the warped bits of iron that had been his buckboard, his wagon, his rake and mower--all the things he had gathered around him in the three years he had spent upon the place.
blackness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To ride over twenty miles of blackness is depressing enough in itself, but to find, at the end of the journey, that one's work has all gone for nothing, and one's money and one's plans and hopes, is worse than depressing.
blankets
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A house, it would seem, is almost the least important part of a ranch; one can camp, with frying pan and blankets, in the shade of a bush or the shelter of canvas.
blankly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Manley sat upon his horse and gazed rather blankly at the heap of black cinders that had been his haystacks, and at the cold embers where had stood his stables, and at the warped bits of iron that had been his buckboard, his wagon, his rake and mower--all the things he had gathered around him in the three years he had spent upon the place.
buckboard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Manley sat upon his horse and gazed rather blankly at the heap of black cinders that had been his haystacks, and at the cold embers where had stood his stables, and at the warped bits of iron that had been his buckboard, his wagon, his rake and mower--all the things he had gathered around him in the three years he had spent upon the place.
burnable
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
bush
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A house, it would seem, is almost the least important part of a ranch; one can camp, with frying pan and blankets, in the shade of a bush or the shelter of canvas.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
camp
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A house, it would seem, is almost the least important part of a ranch; one can camp, with frying pan and blankets, in the shade of a bush or the shelter of canvas.
canmodal verbUS /kæn/
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading A house, it would seem, is almost the least important part of a ranch; one can camp, with frying pan and blankets, in the shade of a bush or the shelter of canvas.
canvas
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A house, it would seem, is almost the least important part of a ranch; one can camp, with frying pan and blankets, in the shade of a bush or the shelter of canvas.
cinders
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Manley sat upon his horse and gazed rather blankly at the heap of black cinders that had been his haystacks, and at the cold embers where had stood his stables, and at the warped bits of iron that had been his buckboard, his wagon, his rake and mower--all the things he had gathered around him in the three years he had spent upon the place.
Cold
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
Coulee
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
depressing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To ride over twenty miles of blackness is depressing enough in itself, but to find, at the end of the journey, that one's work has all gone for nothing, and one's money and one's plans and hopes, is worse than depressing.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
embers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Manley sat upon his horse and gazed rather blankly at the heap of black cinders that had been his haystacks, and at the cold embers where had stood his stables, and at the warped bits of iron that had been his buckboard, his wagon, his rake and mower--all the things he had gathered around him in the three years he had spent upon the place.
emphasized
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The house merely emphasized his loss.
end
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To ride over twenty miles of blackness is depressing enough in itself, but to find, at the end of the journey, that one's work has all gone for nothing, and one's money and one's plans and hopes, is worse than depressing.
enough
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To ride over twenty miles of blackness is depressing enough in itself, but to find, at the end of the journey, that one's work has all gone for nothing, and one's money and one's plans and hopes, is worse than depressing.
experience
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
find
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To ride over twenty miles of blackness is depressing enough in itself, but to find, at the end of the journey, that one's work has all gone for nothing, and one's money and one's plans and hopes, is worse than depressing.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
frying
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A house, it would seem, is almost the least important part of a ranch; one can camp, with frying pan and blankets, in the shade of a bush or the shelter of canvas.
gathered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Manley sat upon his horse and gazed rather blankly at the heap of black cinders that had been his haystacks, and at the cold embers where had stood his stables, and at the warped bits of iron that had been his buckboard, his wagon, his rake and mower--all the things he had gathered around him in the three years he had spent upon the place.
gazed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Manley sat upon his horse and gazed rather blankly at the heap of black cinders that had been his haystacks, and at the cold embers where had stood his stables, and at the warped bits of iron that had been his buckboard, his wagon, his rake and mower--all the things he had gathered around him in the three years he had spent upon the place.
gone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To ride over twenty miles of blackness is depressing enough in itself, but to find, at the end of the journey, that one's work has all gone for nothing, and one's money and one's plans and hopes, is worse than depressing.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Manley sat upon his horse and gazed rather blankly at the heap of black cinders that had been his haystacks, and at the cold embers where had stood his stables, and at the warped bits of iron that had been his buckboard, his wagon, his rake and mower--all the things he had gathered around him in the three years he had spent upon the place.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading To ride over twenty miles of blackness is depressing enough in itself, but to find, at the end of the journey, that one's work has all gone for nothing, and one's money and one's plans and hopes, is worse than depressing.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
haystacks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Manley sat upon his horse and gazed rather blankly at the heap of black cinders that had been his haystacks, and at the cold embers where had stood his stables, and at the warped bits of iron that had been his buckboard, his wagon, his rake and mower--all the things he had gathered around him in the three years he had spent upon the place.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
heap
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Manley sat upon his horse and gazed rather blankly at the heap of black cinders that had been his haystacks, and at the cold embers where had stood his stables, and at the warped bits of iron that had been his buckboard, his wagon, his rake and mower--all the things he had gathered around him in the three years he had spent upon the place.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Manley sat upon his horse and gazed rather blankly at the heap of black cinders that had been his haystacks, and at the cold embers where had stood his stables, and at the warped bits of iron that had been his buckboard, his wagon, his rake and mower--all the things he had gathered around him in the three years he had spent upon the place.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Manley sat upon his horse and gazed rather blankly at the heap of black cinders that had been his haystacks, and at the cold embers where had stood his stables, and at the warped bits of iron that had been his buckboard, his wagon, his rake and mower--all the things he had gathered around him in the three years he had spent upon the place.
hopes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To ride over twenty miles of blackness is depressing enough in itself, but to find, at the end of the journey, that one's work has all gone for nothing, and one's money and one's plans and hopes, is worse than depressing.
horse
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Manley sat upon his horse and gazed rather blankly at the heap of black cinders that had been his haystacks, and at the cold embers where had stood his stables, and at the warped bits of iron that had been his buckboard, his wagon, his rake and mower--all the things he had gathered around him in the three years he had spent upon the place.
hotel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
house
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A house, it would seem, is almost the least important part of a ranch; one can camp, with frying pan and blankets, in the shade of a bush or the shelter of canvas.
important
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A house, it would seem, is almost the least important part of a ranch; one can camp, with frying pan and blankets, in the shade of a bush or the shelter of canvas.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A house, it would seem, is almost the least important part of a ranch; one can camp, with frying pan and blankets, in the shade of a bush or the shelter of canvas.
iron
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Manley sat upon his horse and gazed rather blankly at the heap of black cinders that had been his haystacks, and at the cold embers where had stood his stables, and at the warped bits of iron that had been his buckboard, his wagon, his rake and mower--all the things he had gathered around him in the three years he had spent upon the place.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A house, it would seem, is almost the least important part of a ranch; one can camp, with frying pan and blankets, in the shade of a bush or the shelter of canvas.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading A house, it would seem, is almost the least important part of a ranch; one can camp, with frying pan and blankets, in the shade of a bush or the shelter of canvas.
itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading To ride over twenty miles of blackness is depressing enough in itself, but to find, at the end of the journey, that one's work has all gone for nothing, and one's money and one's plans and hopes, is worse than depressing.
journeynounUS /ˈjourney/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading To ride over twenty miles of blackness is depressing enough in itself, but to find, at the end of the journey, that one's work has all gone for nothing, and one's money and one's plans and hopes, is worse than depressing.
learn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
leastnounUS /least/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading A house, it would seem, is almost the least important part of a ranch; one can camp, with frying pan and blankets, in the shade of a bush or the shelter of canvas.
leftnounUS /left/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
loss
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The house merely emphasized his loss.
Manley
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
many
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
merely
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The house merely emphasized his loss.
miles
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To ride over twenty miles of blackness is depressing enough in itself, but to find, at the end of the journey, that one's work has all gone for nothing, and one's money and one's plans and hopes, is worse than depressing.
money
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To ride over twenty miles of blackness is depressing enough in itself, but to find, at the end of the journey, that one's work has all gone for nothing, and one's money and one's plans and hopes, is worse than depressing.
most
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
mower
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Manley sat upon his horse and gazed rather blankly at the heap of black cinders that had been his haystacks, and at the cold embers where had stood his stables, and at the warped bits of iron that had been his buckboard, his wagon, his rake and mower--all the things he had gathered around him in the three years he had spent upon the place.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
nextnounUS /next/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading To ride over twenty miles of blackness is depressing enough in itself, but to find, at the end of the journey, that one's work has all gone for nothing, and one's money and one's plans and hopes, is worse than depressing.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A house, it would seem, is almost the least important part of a ranch; one can camp, with frying pan and blankets, in the shade of a bush or the shelter of canvas.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading A house, it would seem, is almost the least important part of a ranch; one can camp, with frying pan and blankets, in the shade of a bush or the shelter of canvas.
one's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To ride over twenty miles of blackness is depressing enough in itself, but to find, at the end of the journey, that one's work has all gone for nothing, and one's money and one's plans and hopes, is worse than depressing.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading A house, it would seem, is almost the least important part of a ranch; one can camp, with frying pan and blankets, in the shade of a bush or the shelter of canvas.
out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading To ride over twenty miles of blackness is depressing enough in itself, but to find, at the end of the journey, that one's work has all gone for nothing, and one's money and one's plans and hopes, is worse than depressing.
pan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A house, it would seem, is almost the least important part of a ranch; one can camp, with frying pan and blankets, in the shade of a bush or the shelter of canvas.
partnounUS /part/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading A house, it would seem, is almost the least important part of a ranch; one can camp, with frying pan and blankets, in the shade of a bush or the shelter of canvas.
place
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Manley sat upon his horse and gazed rather blankly at the heap of black cinders that had been his haystacks, and at the cold embers where had stood his stables, and at the warped bits of iron that had been his buckboard, his wagon, his rake and mower--all the things he had gathered around him in the three years he had spent upon the place.
plans
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To ride over twenty miles of blackness is depressing enough in itself, but to find, at the end of the journey, that one's work has all gone for nothing, and one's money and one's plans and hopes, is worse than depressing.
rake
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Manley sat upon his horse and gazed rather blankly at the heap of black cinders that had been his haystacks, and at the cold embers where had stood his stables, and at the warped bits of iron that had been his buckboard, his wagon, his rake and mower--all the things he had gathered around him in the three years he had spent upon the place.
ranch
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A house, it would seem, is almost the least important part of a ranch; one can camp, with frying pan and blankets, in the shade of a bush or the shelter of canvas.
rather
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Manley sat upon his horse and gazed rather blankly at the heap of black cinders that had been his haystacks, and at the cold embers where had stood his stables, and at the warped bits of iron that had been his buckboard, his wagon, his rake and mower--all the things he had gathered around him in the three years he had spent upon the place.
ride
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To ride over twenty miles of blackness is depressing enough in itself, but to find, at the end of the journey, that one's work has all gone for nothing, and one's money and one's plans and hopes, is worse than depressing.
rode
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
sat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Manley sat upon his horse and gazed rather blankly at the heap of black cinders that had been his haystacks, and at the cold embers where had stood his stables, and at the warped bits of iron that had been his buckboard, his wagon, his rake and mower--all the things he had gathered around him in the three years he had spent upon the place.
seem
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A house, it would seem, is almost the least important part of a ranch; one can camp, with frying pan and blankets, in the shade of a bush or the shelter of canvas.
shade
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A house, it would seem, is almost the least important part of a ranch; one can camp, with frying pan and blankets, in the shade of a bush or the shelter of canvas.
shelter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A house, it would seem, is almost the least important part of a ranch; one can camp, with frying pan and blankets, in the shade of a bush or the shelter of canvas.
spent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Manley sat upon his horse and gazed rather blankly at the heap of black cinders that had been his haystacks, and at the cold embers where had stood his stables, and at the warped bits of iron that had been his buckboard, his wagon, his rake and mower--all the things he had gathered around him in the three years he had spent upon the place.
Spring
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
stables
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Manley sat upon his horse and gazed rather blankly at the heap of black cinders that had been his haystacks, and at the cold embers where had stood his stables, and at the warped bits of iron that had been his buckboard, his wagon, his rake and mower--all the things he had gathered around him in the three years he had spent upon the place.
stoodnounUS /stood/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Manley sat upon his horse and gazed rather blankly at the heap of black cinders that had been his haystacks, and at the cold embers where had stood his stables, and at the warped bits of iron that had been his buckboard, his wagon, his rake and mower--all the things he had gathered around him in the three years he had spent upon the place.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading To ride over twenty miles of blackness is depressing enough in itself, but to find, at the end of the journey, that one's work has all gone for nothing, and one's money and one's plans and hopes, is worse than depressing.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading To ride over twenty miles of blackness is depressing enough in itself, but to find, at the end of the journey, that one's work has all gone for nothing, and one's money and one's plans and hopes, is worse than depressing.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A house, it would seem, is almost the least important part of a ranch; one can camp, with frying pan and blankets, in the shade of a bush or the shelter of canvas.
things
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
three
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Manley sat upon his horse and gazed rather blankly at the heap of black cinders that had been his haystacks, and at the cold embers where had stood his stables, and at the warped bits of iron that had been his buckboard, his wagon, his rake and mower--all the things he had gathered around him in the three years he had spent upon the place.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
twenty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To ride over twenty miles of blackness is depressing enough in itself, but to find, at the end of the journey, that one's work has all gone for nothing, and one's money and one's plans and hopes, is worse than depressing.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
Val
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
wagon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Manley sat upon his horse and gazed rather blankly at the heap of black cinders that had been his haystacks, and at the cold embers where had stood his stables, and at the warped bits of iron that had been his buckboard, his wagon, his rake and mower--all the things he had gathered around him in the three years he had spent upon the place.
warped
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Manley sat upon his horse and gazed rather blankly at the heap of black cinders that had been his haystacks, and at the cold embers where had stood his stables, and at the warped bits of iron that had been his buckboard, his wagon, his rake and mower--all the things he had gathered around him in the three years he had spent upon the place.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading But to do anything upon a ranch, one must have many things--burnable things, for the most part, as Manley was to learn by experience when he left Val at the hotel and rode out, the next day, to Cold Spring Coulee.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading Manley sat upon his horse and gazed rather blankly at the heap of black cinders that had been his haystacks, and at the cold embers where had stood his stables, and at the warped bits of iron that had been his buckboard, his wagon, his rake and mower--all the things he had gathered around him in the three years he had spent upon the place.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading A house, it would seem, is almost the least important part of a ranch; one can camp, with frying pan and blankets, in the shade of a bush or the shelter of canvas.
work
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To ride over twenty miles of blackness is depressing enough in itself, but to find, at the end of the journey, that one's work has all gone for nothing, and one's money and one's plans and hopes, is worse than depressing.
worse
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To ride over twenty miles of blackness is depressing enough in itself, but to find, at the end of the journey, that one's work has all gone for nothing, and one's money and one's plans and hopes, is worse than depressing.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading A house, it would seem, is almost the least important part of a ranch; one can camp, with frying pan and blankets, in the shade of a bush or the shelter of canvas.
years
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Manley sat upon his horse and gazed rather blankly at the heap of black cinders that had been his haystacks, and at the cold embers where had stood his stables, and at the warped bits of iron that had been his buckboard, his wagon, his rake and mower--all the things he had gathered around him in the three years he had spent upon the place.
