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 By and by, an old friend of mine, a miner, came down from one of the decayed mining camps of Tuolumne, California, and I went back with him.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading By and by, an old friend of mine, a miner, came down from one of the decayed mining camps of Tuolumne, California, and I went back with him.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading By and by, an old friend of mine, a miner, came down from one of the decayed mining camps of Tuolumne, California, and I went back with him.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The grassy slopes were as green and smooth and desolate of life as if they had never been disturbed.
back
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From this reading By and by, an old friend of mine, a miner, came down from one of the decayed mining camps of Tuolumne, California, and I went back with him.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city.
ByprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading By and by, an old friend of mine, a miner, came down from one of the decayed mining camps of Tuolumne, California, and I went back with him.
cabin
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From this reading We lived in a small cabin on a verdant hillside, and there were not five other cabins in view over the wide expanse of hill and forest.
cabins
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From this reading We lived in a small cabin on a verdant hillside, and there were not five other cabins in view over the wide expanse of hill and forest.
California
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From this reading By and by, an old friend of mine, a miner, came down from one of the decayed mining camps of Tuolumne, California, and I went back with him.
came
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From this reading By and by, an old friend of mine, a miner, came down from one of the decayed mining camps of Tuolumne, California, and I went back with him.
camps
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From this reading By and by, an old friend of mine, a miner, came down from one of the decayed mining camps of Tuolumne, California, and I went back with him.
centre
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From this reading Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city.
city
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From this reading Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city.
deadnounUS /dead/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city.
decay
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From this reading When the mines gave out the town fell into decay, and in a few years wholly disappeared—streets, dwellings, shops, everything—and left no sign.
decayed
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From this reading By and by, an old friend of mine, a miner, came down from one of the decayed mining camps of Tuolumne, California, and I went back with him.
desolate
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From this reading The grassy slopes were as green and smooth and desolate of life as if they had never been disturbed.
disappearednounUS /ˈdisappeared/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading When the mines gave out the town fell into decay, and in a few years wholly disappeared—streets, dwellings, shops, everything—and left no sign.
disturbed
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From this reading The grassy slopes were as green and smooth and desolate of life as if they had never been disturbed.
down
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From this reading By and by, an old friend of mine, a miner, came down from one of the decayed mining camps of Tuolumne, California, and I went back with him.
duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city.
dwellings
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From this reading When the mines gave out the town fell into decay, and in a few years wholly disappeared—streets, dwellings, shops, everything—and left no sign.
everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/
all things; all of a situation
From this reading When the mines gave out the town fell into decay, and in a few years wholly disappeared—streets, dwellings, shops, everything—and left no sign.
expanse
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From this reading We lived in a small cabin on a verdant hillside, and there were not five other cabins in view over the wide expanse of hill and forest.
fell
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From this reading When the mines gave out the town fell into decay, and in a few years wholly disappeared—streets, dwellings, shops, everything—and left no sign.
few
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When the mines gave out the town fell into decay, and in a few years wholly disappeared—streets, dwellings, shops, everything—and left no sign.
fifteen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city.
five
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We lived in a small cabin on a verdant hillside, and there were not five other cabins in view over the wide expanse of hill and forest.
flourishing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city.
flush
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city.
forest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We lived in a small cabin on a verdant hillside, and there were not five other cabins in view over the wide expanse of hill and forest.
friend
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From this reading By and by, an old friend of mine, a miner, came down from one of the decayed mining camps of Tuolumne, California, and I went back with him.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading By and by, an old friend of mine, a miner, came down from one of the decayed mining camps of Tuolumne, California, and I went back with him.
gave
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When the mines gave out the town fell into decay, and in a few years wholly disappeared—streets, dwellings, shops, everything—and left no sign.
grassy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city.
green
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The grassy slopes were as green and smooth and desolate of life as if they had never been disturbed.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city.
heart
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From this reading Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city.
hill
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We lived in a small cabin on a verdant hillside, and there were not five other cabins in view over the wide expanse of hill and forest.
hillside
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We lived in a small cabin on a verdant hillside, and there were not five other cabins in view over the wide expanse of hill and forest.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading By and by, an old friend of mine, a miner, came down from one of the decayed mining camps of Tuolumne, California, and I went back with him.
hive
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading By and by, an old friend of mine, a miner, came down from one of the decayed mining camps of Tuolumne, California, and I went back with him.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading The grassy slopes were as green and smooth and desolate of life as if they had never been disturbed.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading We lived in a small cabin on a verdant hillside, and there were not five other cabins in view over the wide expanse of hill and forest.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading When the mines gave out the town fell into decay, and in a few years wholly disappeared—streets, dwellings, shops, everything—and left no sign.
leftnounUS /left/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading When the mines gave out the town fell into decay, and in a few years wholly disappeared—streets, dwellings, shops, everything—and left no sign.
lifenounUS /life/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The grassy slopes were as green and smooth and desolate of life as if they had never been disturbed.
lived
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We lived in a small cabin on a verdant hillside, and there were not five other cabins in view over the wide expanse of hill and forest.
minepronounUS /maɪn/
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading By and by, an old friend of mine, a miner, came down from one of the decayed mining camps of Tuolumne, California, and I went back with him.
miner
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By and by, an old friend of mine, a miner, came down from one of the decayed mining camps of Tuolumne, California, and I went back with him.
mines
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When the mines gave out the town fell into decay, and in a few years wholly disappeared—streets, dwellings, shops, everything—and left no sign.
mining
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By and by, an old friend of mine, a miner, came down from one of the decayed mining camps of Tuolumne, California, and I went back with him.
nevernounUS /never/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The grassy slopes were as green and smooth and desolate of life as if they had never been disturbed.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading When the mines gave out the town fell into decay, and in a few years wholly disappeared—streets, dwellings, shops, everything—and left no sign.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading We lived in a small cabin on a verdant hillside, and there were not five other cabins in view over the wide expanse of hill and forest.
occupied
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading By and by, an old friend of mine, a miner, came down from one of the decayed mining camps of Tuolumne, California, and I went back with him.
old
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By and by, an old friend of mine, a miner, came down from one of the decayed mining camps of Tuolumne, California, and I went back with him.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading We lived in a small cabin on a verdant hillside, and there were not five other cabins in view over the wide expanse of hill and forest.
once
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading By and by, an old friend of mine, a miner, came down from one of the decayed mining camps of Tuolumne, California, and I went back with him.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city.
other
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We lived in a small cabin on a verdant hillside, and there were not five other cabins in view over the wide expanse of hill and forest.
ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city.
out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When the mines gave out the town fell into decay, and in a few years wholly disappeared—streets, dwellings, shops, everything—and left no sign.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading We lived in a small cabin on a verdant hillside, and there were not five other cabins in view over the wide expanse of hill and forest.
population
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city.
shops
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When the mines gave out the town fell into decay, and in a few years wholly disappeared—streets, dwellings, shops, everything—and left no sign.
sign
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When the mines gave out the town fell into decay, and in a few years wholly disappeared—streets, dwellings, shops, everything—and left no sign.
slopes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The grassy slopes were as green and smooth and desolate of life as if they had never been disturbed.
small
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We lived in a small cabin on a verdant hillside, and there were not five other cabins in view over the wide expanse of hill and forest.
smooth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The grassy slopes were as green and smooth and desolate of life as if they had never been disturbed.
solitude
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city.
stoodnounUS /stood/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city.
streets
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When the mines gave out the town fell into decay, and in a few years wholly disappeared—streets, dwellings, shops, everything—and left no sign.
teeming
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading By and by, an old friend of mine, a miner, came down from one of the decayed mining camps of Tuolumne, California, and I went back with him.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We lived in a small cabin on a verdant hillside, and there were not five other cabins in view over the wide expanse of hill and forest.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The grassy slopes were as green and smooth and desolate of life as if they had never been disturbed.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city.
thousand
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city.
three
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city.
times
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city.
town
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When the mines gave out the town fell into decay, and in a few years wholly disappeared—streets, dwellings, shops, everything—and left no sign.
Tuolumne
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By and by, an old friend of mine, a miner, came down from one of the decayed mining camps of Tuolumne, California, and I went back with him.
twelve
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city.
two
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city.
verdant
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We lived in a small cabin on a verdant hillside, and there were not five other cabins in view over the wide expanse of hill and forest.
view
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We lived in a small cabin on a verdant hillside, and there were not five other cabins in view over the wide expanse of hill and forest.
WepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We lived in a small cabin on a verdant hillside, and there were not five other cabins in view over the wide expanse of hill and forest.
wentnounUS /went/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading By and by, an old friend of mine, a miner, came down from one of the decayed mining camps of Tuolumne, California, and I went back with him.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading We lived in a small cabin on a verdant hillside, and there were not five other cabins in view over the wide expanse of hill and forest.
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading When the mines gave out the town fell into decay, and in a few years wholly disappeared—streets, dwellings, shops, everything—and left no sign.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city.
wholly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When the mines gave out the town fell into decay, and in a few years wholly disappeared—streets, dwellings, shops, everything—and left no sign.
wide
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We lived in a small cabin on a verdant hillside, and there were not five other cabins in view over the wide expanse of hill and forest.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading By and by, an old friend of mine, a miner, came down from one of the decayed mining camps of Tuolumne, California, and I went back with him.
years
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city.
YetconjunctionUS /jet/
but in spite of that
From this reading Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city.
