adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
ADVENTnounUS /ˈædvent/
arrival that has been awaited (especially of something momentous)
From this reading THE ADVENT OF MARY VANCE “This is just the sort of day you feel as if things might happen,” said Faith, responsive to the lure of crystal air and blue hills.
airnounUS /er/
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading THE ADVENT OF MARY VANCE “This is just the sort of day you feel as if things might happen,” said Faith, responsive to the lure of crystal air and blue hills.
ancientadjectiveUS /ˈeɪn.ʃənt/
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE ADVENT OF MARY VANCE “This is just the sort of day you feel as if things might happen,” said Faith, responsive to the lure of crystal air and blue hills.
armsnounUS /ɑːrmz/
weapons considered collectively
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading THE ADVENT OF MARY VANCE “This is just the sort of day you feel as if things might happen,” said Faith, responsive to the lure of crystal air and blue hills.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
benchnounUS /bentʃ/
a long seat for more than one person
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
blueadjectiveUS /bluː/
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading THE ADVENT OF MARY VANCE “This is just the sort of day you feel as if things might happen,” said Faith, responsive to the lure of crystal air and blue hills.
bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/
the two together, not just one
From this reading And then they both shook their heads.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading “What else could you expect of a widower’s family?” groaned the other ancient maiden.
crystalnounUS /ˈkrɪstəl/
a solid formed by the solidification of a chemical and having a highly regular atomic structure
From this reading THE ADVENT OF MARY VANCE “This is just the sort of day you feel as if things might happen,” said Faith, responsive to the lure of crystal air and blue hills.
dancedverbUS /dænst/
past form of “dance” — move in a graceful and rhythmical way
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
daughternounUS /ˈdɔːtər/
a female human offspring
From this reading “And that,” groaned one ancient maiden, “is our minister’s daughter.”
daynounUS /deɪ/
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading THE ADVENT OF MARY VANCE “This is just the sort of day you feel as if things might happen,” said Faith, responsive to the lure of crystal air and blue hills.
delightverbUS /dɪˈlaɪt/
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
drivingadjectiveUS /ˈdraɪvɪŋ/
having the power of driving or impelling
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
else
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What else could you expect of a widower’s family?” groaned the other ancient maiden.
expectverbUS /ɪkˈspekt/
regard something as probable or likely
From this reading “What else could you expect of a widower’s family?” groaned the other ancient maiden.
FaithnounUS /feɪθ/
a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny
From this reading THE ADVENT OF MARY VANCE “This is just the sort of day you feel as if things might happen,” said Faith, responsive to the lure of crystal air and blue hills.
familynounUS /ˈfæməli/
a social unit living together
From this reading “What else could you expect of a widower’s family?” groaned the other ancient maiden.
feelverbUS /fiːl/
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading THE ADVENT OF MARY VANCE “This is just the sort of day you feel as if things might happen,” said Faith, responsive to the lure of crystal air and blue hills.
footnounUS /fʊt/
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
groanedverbUS /ɡroʊnd/
past form of “groan” — indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure
From this reading “And that,” groaned one ancient maiden, “is our minister’s daughter.”
happenverbUS /ˈhæpən/
come to pass
From this reading THE ADVENT OF MARY VANCE “This is just the sort of day you feel as if things might happen,” said Faith, responsive to the lure of crystal air and blue hills.
happenedverbUS /ˈhæpənd/
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
headsnounUS /hedz/
plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading And then they both shook their heads.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
Hezekiahnoun
(Old Testament) king of Judah who abolished idolatry (715-687 BC)
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
hillsnounUS /hɪlz/
plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading THE ADVENT OF MARY VANCE “This is just the sort of day you feel as if things might happen,” said Faith, responsive to the lure of crystal air and blue hills.
hoppedverbUS /hɑːpt/
inflected form of “hop” — jump lightly
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
hornpipenounUS /ˈhɔːrnpaɪp/
a British solo dance performed by sailors
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
horrornounUS /ˈhɔːrər/
intense and profound fear
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
huggedverbUS /hʌɡd/
inflected form of “hug” — hold (someone) tightly in your arms, usually with fondness
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading THE ADVENT OF MARY VANCE “This is just the sort of day you feel as if things might happen,” said Faith, responsive to the lure of crystal air and blue hills.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE ADVENT OF MARY VANCE “This is just the sort of day you feel as if things might happen,” said Faith, responsive to the lure of crystal air and blue hills.
justadverbUS /dʒʌst/
and nothing more
From this reading THE ADVENT OF MARY VANCE “This is just the sort of day you feel as if things might happen,” said Faith, responsive to the lure of crystal air and blue hills.
lurenounUS /lʊr/
qualities that attract by seeming to promise some kind of reward
From this reading THE ADVENT OF MARY VANCE “This is just the sort of day you feel as if things might happen,” said Faith, responsive to the lure of crystal air and blue hills.
maidennounUS /ˈmeɪdən/
an unmarried girl (especially a virgin)
From this reading “And that,” groaned one ancient maiden, “is our minister’s daughter.”
maidensnounUS /ˈmeɪdənz/
plural of “maiden” — an unmarried girl (especially a virgin)
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
MARYnounUS /ˈmeri/
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading THE ADVENT OF MARY VANCE “This is just the sort of day you feel as if things might happen,” said Faith, responsive to the lure of crystal air and blue hills.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading THE ADVENT OF MARY VANCE “This is just the sort of day you feel as if things might happen,” said Faith, responsive to the lure of crystal air and blue hills.
minister'snounUS /ˈmɪnɪstərz/
possessive form of “minister” — a person authorized to conduct religious worship
From this reading “And that,” groaned one ancient maiden, “is our minister’s daughter.”
muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/
to a great degree or extent
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE ADVENT OF MARY VANCE “This is just the sort of day you feel as if things might happen,” said Faith, responsive to the lure of crystal air and blue hills.
oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading “And that,” groaned one ancient maiden, “is our minister’s daughter.”
pastnounUS /pæst/
the time that has elapsed
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
Pollock's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
responsiveadjectiveUS /rɪˈspɑːnsɪv/
containing or using responses; alternating
From this reading THE ADVENT OF MARY VANCE “This is just the sort of day you feel as if things might happen,” said Faith, responsive to the lure of crystal air and blue hills.
saidadjectiveUS /sed/
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading THE ADVENT OF MARY VANCE “This is just the sort of day you feel as if things might happen,” said Faith, responsive to the lure of crystal air and blue hills.
ShepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
shooknounUS /ʃʊk/
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading And then they both shook their heads.
sortnounUS /sɔːrt/
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading THE ADVENT OF MARY VANCE “This is just the sort of day you feel as if things might happen,” said Faith, responsive to the lure of crystal air and blue hills.
stonenounUS /stoʊn/
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “And that,” groaned one ancient maiden, “is our minister’s daughter.”
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE ADVENT OF MARY VANCE “This is just the sort of day you feel as if things might happen,” said Faith, responsive to the lure of crystal air and blue hills.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading And then they both shook their heads.
thenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading And then they both shook their heads.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And then they both shook their heads.
thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading THE ADVENT OF MARY VANCE “This is just the sort of day you feel as if things might happen,” said Faith, responsive to the lure of crystal air and blue hills.
ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading THE ADVENT OF MARY VANCE “This is just the sort of day you feel as if things might happen,” said Faith, responsive to the lure of crystal air and blue hills.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE ADVENT OF MARY VANCE “This is just the sort of day you feel as if things might happen,” said Faith, responsive to the lure of crystal air and blue hills.
tombstonenounUS /ˈtuːmstoʊn/
a stone that is used to mark a grave
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
twonounUS /tuː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
VANCE
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE ADVENT OF MARY VANCE “This is just the sort of day you feel as if things might happen,” said Faith, responsive to the lure of crystal air and blue hills.
wavingnounUS /ˈweɪvɪŋ/
the act of signaling by a movement of the hand
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
WhatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What else could you expect of a widower’s family?” groaned the other ancient maiden.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
widower's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What else could you expect of a widower’s family?” groaned the other ancient maiden.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading She hugged herself with delight and danced a hornpipe on old Hezekiah Pollock’s bench tombstone, much to the horror of two ancient maidens who happened to be driving past just as Faith hopped on one foot around the stone, waving the other and her arms in the air.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading THE ADVENT OF MARY VANCE “This is just the sort of day you feel as if things might happen,” said Faith, responsive to the lure of crystal air and blue hills.
