adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The shaggy coat of the prairie, which they lifted to make him a bed, has vanished forever.
acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/
from one side of something to the other
From this reading His wife now lies beside him, and the white shaft that marks their graves gleams across the wheat-fields.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading His wife now lies beside him, and the white shaft that marks their graves gleams across the wheat-fields.
asleepadjectiveUS /əˈsliːp/
in a state of sleep
From this reading Could he rise from beneath it, he would not know the country under which he has been asleep.
bednounUS /bed/
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading The shaggy coat of the prairie, which they lifted to make him a bed, has vanished forever.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Could he rise from beneath it, he would not know the country under which he has been asleep.
beneathprepositionUS /bɪˈniːθ/
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading Could he rise from beneath it, he would not know the country under which he has been asleep.
Bergsonnoun
French philosopher who proposed elan vital as the cause of evolution and development (1859-1941)
From this reading Neighboring Fields I IT is sixteen years since John Bergson died.
besideprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪd/
next to; at the side of
From this reading His wife now lies beside him, and the white shaft that marks their graves gleams across the wheat-fields.
checker-board
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From the Norwegian graveyard one looks out over a vast checker-board, marked off in squares of wheat and corn; light and dark, dark and light.
coatnounUS /koʊt/
an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors
From this reading The shaggy coat of the prairie, which they lifted to make him a bed, has vanished forever.
cornnounUS /kɔːrn/
tall annual cereal grass bearing kernels on large ears: widely cultivated in America in many varieties; the principal cereal in Mexico and Central and South America since pre-Columbian times
From this reading From the Norwegian graveyard one looks out over a vast checker-board, marked off in squares of wheat and corn; light and dark, dark and light.
Couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Could he rise from beneath it, he would not know the country under which he has been asleep.
countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading Could he rise from beneath it, he would not know the country under which he has been asleep.
darknounUS /dɑːrk/
absence of light or illumination
From this reading From the Norwegian graveyard one looks out over a vast checker-board, marked off in squares of wheat and corn; light and dark, dark and light.
diedverbUS /daɪd/
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading Neighboring Fields I IT is sixteen years since John Bergson died.
FieldsnounUS /fiːldz/
United States comedian and film actor (1880-1946)
From this reading Neighboring Fields I IT is sixteen years since John Bergson died.
foreveradverbUS /fərˈevər/
for a limitless time
From this reading The shaggy coat of the prairie, which they lifted to make him a bed, has vanished forever.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Could he rise from beneath it, he would not know the country under which he has been asleep.
gleamsnounUS /ɡliːmz/
plural of “gleam” — an appearance of reflected light
From this reading His wife now lies beside him, and the white shaft that marks their graves gleams across the wheat-fields.
gravesnounUS /ɡreɪvz/
English writer known for his interest in mythology and in the classics (1895-1985)
From this reading His wife now lies beside him, and the white shaft that marks their graves gleams across the wheat-fields.
graveyardnounUS /ˈɡreɪvjɑːrd/
a tract of land used for burials
From this reading From the Norwegian graveyard one looks out over a vast checker-board, marked off in squares of wheat and corn; light and dark, dark and light.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Could he rise from beneath it, he would not know the country under which he has been asleep.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Could he rise from beneath it, he would not know the country under which he has been asleep.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading His wife now lies beside him, and the white shaft that marks their graves gleams across the wheat-fields.
HisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His wife now lies beside him, and the white shaft that marks their graves gleams across the wheat-fields.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Neighboring Fields I IT is sixteen years since John Bergson died.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading From the Norwegian graveyard one looks out over a vast checker-board, marked off in squares of wheat and corn; light and dark, dark and light.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Neighboring Fields I IT is sixteen years since John Bergson died.
ITpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Neighboring Fields I IT is sixteen years since John Bergson died.
JohnnounUS /dʒɑːn/
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading Neighboring Fields I IT is sixteen years since John Bergson died.
knowverbUS /noʊ/
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Could he rise from beneath it, he would not know the country under which he has been asleep.
liesnounUS /laɪz/
plural of “lie” — a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth
From this reading His wife now lies beside him, and the white shaft that marks their graves gleams across the wheat-fields.
liftedadjectiveUS /ˈlɪftəd/
held up in the air
From this reading The shaggy coat of the prairie, which they lifted to make him a bed, has vanished forever.
lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading From the Norwegian graveyard one looks out over a vast checker-board, marked off in squares of wheat and corn; light and dark, dark and light.
looksnounUS /lʊks/
plural of “look” — the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading From the Norwegian graveyard one looks out over a vast checker-board, marked off in squares of wheat and corn; light and dark, dark and light.
makeverbUS /meɪk/
engage in
From this reading The shaggy coat of the prairie, which they lifted to make him a bed, has vanished forever.
markedadjectiveUS /mɑːrkt/
strongly marked; easily noticeable
From this reading From the Norwegian graveyard one looks out over a vast checker-board, marked off in squares of wheat and corn; light and dark, dark and light.
marksnounUS /mɑːrks/
English businessman who created a retail chain (1888-1964)
From this reading His wife now lies beside him, and the white shaft that marks their graves gleams across the wheat-fields.
NeighboringadjectiveUS /ˈneɪbərɪŋ/
having a common boundary or edge; abutting; touching
From this reading Neighboring Fields I IT is sixteen years since John Bergson died.
NorwegiannounUS /ˌnɔːrˈwiːdʒən/
a native or inhabitant of Norway
From this reading From the Norwegian graveyard one looks out over a vast checker-board, marked off in squares of wheat and corn; light and dark, dark and light.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Could he rise from beneath it, he would not know the country under which he has been asleep.
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading His wife now lies beside him, and the white shaft that marks their graves gleams across the wheat-fields.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The shaggy coat of the prairie, which they lifted to make him a bed, has vanished forever.
offadverbUS /ɔːf/
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading From the Norwegian graveyard one looks out over a vast checker-board, marked off in squares of wheat and corn; light and dark, dark and light.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading From the Norwegian graveyard one looks out over a vast checker-board, marked off in squares of wheat and corn; light and dark, dark and light.
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading From the Norwegian graveyard one looks out over a vast checker-board, marked off in squares of wheat and corn; light and dark, dark and light.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading From the Norwegian graveyard one looks out over a vast checker-board, marked off in squares of wheat and corn; light and dark, dark and light.
prairienounUS /ˈpreri/
a treeless grassy plain
From this reading The shaggy coat of the prairie, which they lifted to make him a bed, has vanished forever.
riseverbUS /raɪz/
move upward
From this reading Could he rise from beneath it, he would not know the country under which he has been asleep.
shaftnounUS /ʃæft/
a line that forms the length of an arrow pointer
From this reading His wife now lies beside him, and the white shaft that marks their graves gleams across the wheat-fields.
shaggyadjectiveUS /ˈʃæɡi/
used of hair; thick and poorly groomed
From this reading The shaggy coat of the prairie, which they lifted to make him a bed, has vanished forever.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading Neighboring Fields I IT is sixteen years since John Bergson died.
sixteenadjectiveUS /sɪkˈstiːn/
being one more than fifteen
From this reading Neighboring Fields I IT is sixteen years since John Bergson died.
squaresnounUS /skwerz/
plural of “square” — (geometry) a plane rectangle with four equal sides and four right angles; a four-sided regular polygon
From this reading From the Norwegian graveyard one looks out over a vast checker-board, marked off in squares of wheat and corn; light and dark, dark and light.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading His wife now lies beside him, and the white shaft that marks their graves gleams across the wheat-fields.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading His wife now lies beside him, and the white shaft that marks their graves gleams across the wheat-fields.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading His wife now lies beside him, and the white shaft that marks their graves gleams across the wheat-fields.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The shaggy coat of the prairie, which they lifted to make him a bed, has vanished forever.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The shaggy coat of the prairie, which they lifted to make him a bed, has vanished forever.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Could he rise from beneath it, he would not know the country under which he has been asleep.
vanishedadjectiveUS /ˈvænɪʃt/
having passed out of existence
From this reading The shaggy coat of the prairie, which they lifted to make him a bed, has vanished forever.
vastadjectiveUS /væst/
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading From the Norwegian graveyard one looks out over a vast checker-board, marked off in squares of wheat and corn; light and dark, dark and light.
wheatnounUS /wiːt/
annual or biennial grass having erect flower spikes and light brown grains
From this reading From the Norwegian graveyard one looks out over a vast checker-board, marked off in squares of wheat and corn; light and dark, dark and light.
wheat-fields
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His wife now lies beside him, and the white shaft that marks their graves gleams across the wheat-fields.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Could he rise from beneath it, he would not know the country under which he has been asleep.
whitenounUS /waɪt/
a Caucasian
From this reading His wife now lies beside him, and the white shaft that marks their graves gleams across the wheat-fields.
wifenounUS /waɪf/
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading His wife now lies beside him, and the white shaft that marks their graves gleams across the wheat-fields.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Could he rise from beneath it, he would not know the country under which he has been asleep.
yearsnounUS /jɪrz/
a late time of life
From this reading Neighboring Fields I IT is sixteen years since John Bergson died.
