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On Horseback
On Horseback

Chapter II

Cover illustration for On Horseback
Context Illustration Reading 1/30 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.
No sign of it there.
No fire in the stove, nothing cooked in the house, of course.
Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.
It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

On Horseback

Chapter II

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

Line 1
As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.
Line 2
No sign of it there.
Line 3
No fire in the stove, nothing cooked in the house, of course.
Line 4
Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.
Line 5
It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

Learner Dictionary

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

After preposition US /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading “It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.”

Course noun US /course/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “No fire in the stove, nothing cooked in the house, of course.”

Must modal verb US /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading “Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.”

Nothing pronoun US /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading “No fire in the stove, nothing cooked in the house, of course.”

Once noun US /once/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.”

Passed noun US /passed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.”

Question noun US /ˈquestion/

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

From this reading “As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.”

Scanty adjective US /ˈskænti/

small or barely sufficient in amount

From this reading “It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.”

Seemed noun US /seemed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.”

Still noun US /still/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.”

Time noun US /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.”

Went noun US /went/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.”

Whose determiner US /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading “It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.”

All words in this reading · 87

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 As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

amusements

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.

attend

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

From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.

barefooted

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

From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

became

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

From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.

burning

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

From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.

chances

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

chores

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

From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.

comely

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

From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.

confined

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

cooked

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

From this reading No fire in the stove, nothing cooked in the house, of course.

coursenounUS /course/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading No fire in the stove, nothing cooked in the house, of course.

crop

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

daughter

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

From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.

day's

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

easier

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

Egger

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

From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.

existence

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

explore

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

From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.

fact

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

fire

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

From this reading No fire in the stove, nothing cooked in the house, of course.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.

fortnight

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

front

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

gossip

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.

house

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

From this reading No fire in the stove, nothing cooked in the house, of course.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading No fire in the stove, nothing cooked in the house, of course.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading No sign of it there.

kitchen

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

From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.

knocked

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

limited

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

meditate

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

meeting

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

men-folks

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

milking

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

From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.

Mr

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

Mrs

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

From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.

mules

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.

neighborhood

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading No fire in the stove, nothing cooked in the house, of course.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.

off

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

once

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.

other

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

From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.

passednounUS /passed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.

porch

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

price

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

prospect

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

questionnounUS /ˈquestion/

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

From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.

religious

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

scantyadjectiveUS /ˈskænti/

small or barely sufficient in amount

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

seemednounUS /seemed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

sign

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

From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.

sit

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

state

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

stillnounUS /still/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.

stove

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

From this reading No fire in the stove, nothing cooked in the house, of course.

sun

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

supper

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

From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.

there

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

From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

timenounUS /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.

wait

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

From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.

wentnounUS /went/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading As the time passed and there was no sign of supper, the question became a burning one, and we went to explore the kitchen.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

work

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

From this reading It seemed easier to be Mr. Egger, in this state of existence, and sit on the front porch and meditate on the price of mules and the prospect of a crop, than to be Mrs. Egger, whose work was not limited from sun to sun; who had, in fact, a day's work to do after the men-folks had knocked off; whose chances of neighborhood gossip were scanty, whose amusements were confined to a religious meeting once a fortnight.

young

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

From this reading Mrs. Egger and her comely young barefooted daughter had still the milking to attend to, and supper must wait for the other chores.