adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading UNDER the rolling clouds of the prairie a moving mass of steel.
AndeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading An irritable clank and rattle beneath a prolonged roar.
ancientadjectiveUS /ˈeɪn.ʃənt/
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading The sharp scent of oranges cutting the soggy smell of unbathed people and ancient baggage.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading An irritable clank and rattle beneath a prolonged roar.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Towns as planless as a scattering of pasteboard boxes on an attic floor.
atticnounUS /ˈætɪk/
floor consisting of open space at the top of a house just below roof; often used for storage
From this reading Towns as planless as a scattering of pasteboard boxes on an attic floor.
baggagenounUS /ˈbæɡədʒ/
cases used to carry belongings when traveling
From this reading The sharp scent of oranges cutting the soggy smell of unbathed people and ancient baggage.
barnsnounUS /bɑːrnz/
plural of “barn” — an outlying farm building for storing grain or animal feed and housing farm animals
From this reading The stretch of faded gold stubble broken only by clumps of willows encircling white houses and red barns.
beneathprepositionUS /bɪˈniːθ/
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading An irritable clank and rattle beneath a prolonged roar.
boxesnounUS /ˈbɑːksəz/
plural of “box” — a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
From this reading Towns as planless as a scattering of pasteboard boxes on an attic floor.
brokenadjectiveUS /ˈbroʊkən/
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading The stretch of faded gold stubble broken only by clumps of willows encircling white houses and red barns.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The stretch of faded gold stubble broken only by clumps of willows encircling white houses and red barns.
clankverbUS /klæŋk/
make a clank
From this reading An irritable clank and rattle beneath a prolonged roar.
cloudsnounUS /klaʊdz/
plural of “cloud” — any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible
From this reading UNDER the rolling clouds of the prairie a moving mass of steel.
clumpsnounUS /klʌmps/
plural of “clump” — a grouping of a number of similar things
From this reading The stretch of faded gold stubble broken only by clumps of willows encircling white houses and red barns.
cuttingnounUS /ˈkʌtɪŋ/
the activity of selecting the scenes to be shown and putting them together to create a film
From this reading The sharp scent of oranges cutting the soggy smell of unbathed people and ancient baggage.
encirclingadjectiveUS /enˈsɜːrkəlɪŋ/
being all around the edges; enclosing
From this reading The stretch of faded gold stubble broken only by clumps of willows encircling white houses and red barns.
fadedadjectiveUS /ˈfeɪdəd/
having lost freshness or brilliance of color
From this reading The stretch of faded gold stubble broken only by clumps of willows encircling white houses and red barns.
floornounUS /flɔːr/
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading Towns as planless as a scattering of pasteboard boxes on an attic floor.
goldnounUS /ɡoʊld/
coins made of gold
From this reading The stretch of faded gold stubble broken only by clumps of willows encircling white houses and red barns.
housesnounUS /ˈhaʊsəz/
plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The stretch of faded gold stubble broken only by clumps of willows encircling white houses and red barns.
irritableadjectiveUS /ˈɪrətəbəl/
easily irritated or annoyed
From this reading An irritable clank and rattle beneath a prolonged roar.
massnounUS /mæs/
the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
From this reading UNDER the rolling clouds of the prairie a moving mass of steel.
movingadjectiveUS /ˈmuːvɪŋ/
in motion
From this reading UNDER the rolling clouds of the prairie a moving mass of steel.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading UNDER the rolling clouds of the prairie a moving mass of steel.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Towns as planless as a scattering of pasteboard boxes on an attic floor.
onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/
and nothing more
From this reading The stretch of faded gold stubble broken only by clumps of willows encircling white houses and red barns.
orangesnounUS /ˈɔːrəndʒəz/
plural of “orange” — round yellow to orange fruit of any of several citrus trees
From this reading The sharp scent of oranges cutting the soggy smell of unbathed people and ancient baggage.
pasteboardnoun
stiff cardboard made by pasting together layers of paper
From this reading Towns as planless as a scattering of pasteboard boxes on an attic floor.
peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading The sharp scent of oranges cutting the soggy smell of unbathed people and ancient baggage.
planlessadjective
aimlessly drifting
From this reading Towns as planless as a scattering of pasteboard boxes on an attic floor.
prairienounUS /ˈpreri/
a treeless grassy plain
From this reading UNDER the rolling clouds of the prairie a moving mass of steel.
prolongedadjectiveUS /prəˈlɔːŋd/
relatively long in duration; tediously protracted
From this reading An irritable clank and rattle beneath a prolonged roar.
rattleverbUS /ˈrætəl/
make short successive sounds
From this reading An irritable clank and rattle beneath a prolonged roar.
rednounUS /red/
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading The stretch of faded gold stubble broken only by clumps of willows encircling white houses and red barns.
roarverbUS /rɔːr/
make a loud noise, as of wind, water, or vehicles
From this reading An irritable clank and rattle beneath a prolonged roar.
rollingadjectiveUS /ˈroʊlɪŋ/
uttered with a trill
From this reading UNDER the rolling clouds of the prairie a moving mass of steel.
scatteringnounUS /ˈskætərɪŋ/
a small number (of something) dispersed haphazardly
From this reading Towns as planless as a scattering of pasteboard boxes on an attic floor.
scentnounUS /sɛnt/
A distinctive smell or aroma.
From this reading The sharp scent of oranges cutting the soggy smell of unbathed people and ancient baggage.
sharpadjectiveUS /ʃɑːrp/
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading The sharp scent of oranges cutting the soggy smell of unbathed people and ancient baggage.
smellnounUS /smel/
the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form
From this reading The sharp scent of oranges cutting the soggy smell of unbathed people and ancient baggage.
soggyadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːɡi/
(of soil) soft and watery
From this reading The sharp scent of oranges cutting the soggy smell of unbathed people and ancient baggage.
steelnounUS /stiːl/
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading UNDER the rolling clouds of the prairie a moving mass of steel.
stretchverbUS /stretʃ/
occupy a large, elongated area
From this reading The stretch of faded gold stubble broken only by clumps of willows encircling white houses and red barns.
stubblenounUS /ˈstʌbəl/
material consisting of seed coverings and small pieces of stem or leaves that have been separated from the seeds
From this reading The stretch of faded gold stubble broken only by clumps of willows encircling white houses and red barns.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading UNDER the rolling clouds of the prairie a moving mass of steel.
TownsnounUS /taʊnz/
plural of “town” — an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading Towns as planless as a scattering of pasteboard boxes on an attic floor.
unbathed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sharp scent of oranges cutting the soggy smell of unbathed people and ancient baggage.
UNDERprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading UNDER the rolling clouds of the prairie a moving mass of steel.
whitenounUS /waɪt/
a Caucasian
From this reading The stretch of faded gold stubble broken only by clumps of willows encircling white houses and red barns.
willowsnounUS /ˈwɪloʊz/
plural of “willow” — any of numerous deciduous trees and shrubs of the genus Salix
From this reading The stretch of faded gold stubble broken only by clumps of willows encircling white houses and red barns.
