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adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The black lava patch, laid across the gray rhyolite flank of Shadow Mountain like the shade of an angry cloud, still frowned down upon the town like a portent of storms to come.
acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/
from one side of something to the other
From this reading The black lava patch, laid across the gray rhyolite flank of Shadow Mountain like the shade of an angry cloud, still frowned down upon the town like a portent of storms to come.
adventures
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From this reading After all his boldness, his unbelievable effrontery in trying to steal her Paymaster stock, he had gone on laughing to seek other adventures and left her with the mine on her hands.
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading After all his boldness, his unbelievable effrontery in trying to steal her Paymaster stock, he had gone on laughing to seek other adventures and left her with the mine on her hands.
all
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From this reading After all his boldness, his unbelievable effrontery in trying to steal her Paymaster stock, he had gone on laughing to seek other adventures and left her with the mine on her hands.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The black lava patch, laid across the gray rhyolite flank of Shadow Mountain like the shade of an angry cloud, still frowned down upon the town like a portent of storms to come.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE SHADOW The old, settled quiet returned to sleepy Keno--the quiet of the desert and of empty, noiseless houses stretching in long, sunburned rows down the canyon.
angry
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From this reading The black lava patch, laid across the gray rhyolite flank of Shadow Mountain like the shade of an angry cloud, still frowned down upon the town like a portent of storms to come.
back
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From this reading But he would come back, she knew it; and with her gun loaded with buckshot she watched from the shelter of the gallery.
black
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From this reading The black lava patch, laid across the gray rhyolite flank of Shadow Mountain like the shade of an angry cloud, still frowned down upon the town like a portent of storms to come.
boldness
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From this reading After all his boldness, his unbelievable effrontery in trying to steal her Paymaster stock, he had gone on laughing to seek other adventures and left her with the mine on her hands.
buckshot
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From this reading But he would come back, she knew it; and with her gun loaded with buckshot she watched from the shelter of the gallery.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the sky was hot and gleaming and no storms came; nor did Wiley Holman return, though the Widow waited for him patiently.
came
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From this reading But the sky was hot and gleaming and no storms came; nor did Wiley Holman return, though the Widow waited for him patiently.
canyon
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From this reading THE SHADOW The old, settled quiet returned to sleepy Keno--the quiet of the desert and of empty, noiseless houses stretching in long, sunburned rows down the canyon.
cloud
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From this reading The black lava patch, laid across the gray rhyolite flank of Shadow Mountain like the shade of an angry cloud, still frowned down upon the town like a portent of storms to come.
comenounUS /come/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The black lava patch, laid across the gray rhyolite flank of Shadow Mountain like the shade of an angry cloud, still frowned down upon the town like a portent of storms to come.
desert
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From this reading THE SHADOW The old, settled quiet returned to sleepy Keno--the quiet of the desert and of empty, noiseless houses stretching in long, sunburned rows down the canyon.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading But the sky was hot and gleaming and no storms came; nor did Wiley Holman return, though the Widow waited for him patiently.
down
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From this reading THE SHADOW The old, settled quiet returned to sleepy Keno--the quiet of the desert and of empty, noiseless houses stretching in long, sunburned rows down the canyon.
effrontery
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From this reading After all his boldness, his unbelievable effrontery in trying to steal her Paymaster stock, he had gone on laughing to seek other adventures and left her with the mine on her hands.
empty
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From this reading THE SHADOW The old, settled quiet returned to sleepy Keno--the quiet of the desert and of empty, noiseless houses stretching in long, sunburned rows down the canyon.
flank
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From this reading The black lava patch, laid across the gray rhyolite flank of Shadow Mountain like the shade of an angry cloud, still frowned down upon the town like a portent of storms to come.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading But the sky was hot and gleaming and no storms came; nor did Wiley Holman return, though the Widow waited for him patiently.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading But he would come back, she knew it; and with her gun loaded with buckshot she watched from the shelter of the gallery.
frowned
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From this reading The black lava patch, laid across the gray rhyolite flank of Shadow Mountain like the shade of an angry cloud, still frowned down upon the town like a portent of storms to come.
gallery
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From this reading But he would come back, she knew it; and with her gun loaded with buckshot she watched from the shelter of the gallery.
gleaming
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From this reading But the sky was hot and gleaming and no storms came; nor did Wiley Holman return, though the Widow waited for him patiently.
gone
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From this reading After all his boldness, his unbelievable effrontery in trying to steal her Paymaster stock, he had gone on laughing to seek other adventures and left her with the mine on her hands.
gray
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From this reading The black lava patch, laid across the gray rhyolite flank of Shadow Mountain like the shade of an angry cloud, still frowned down upon the town like a portent of storms to come.
gun
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From this reading But he would come back, she knew it; and with her gun loaded with buckshot she watched from the shelter of the gallery.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading After all his boldness, his unbelievable effrontery in trying to steal her Paymaster stock, he had gone on laughing to seek other adventures and left her with the mine on her hands.
handsplural nounUS /hændz/
members of a ship’s crew
From this reading After all his boldness, his unbelievable effrontery in trying to steal her Paymaster stock, he had gone on laughing to seek other adventures and left her with the mine on her hands.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading After all his boldness, his unbelievable effrontery in trying to steal her Paymaster stock, he had gone on laughing to seek other adventures and left her with the mine on her hands.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading After all his boldness, his unbelievable effrontery in trying to steal her Paymaster stock, he had gone on laughing to seek other adventures and left her with the mine on her hands.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But the sky was hot and gleaming and no storms came; nor did Wiley Holman return, though the Widow waited for him patiently.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading After all his boldness, his unbelievable effrontery in trying to steal her Paymaster stock, he had gone on laughing to seek other adventures and left her with the mine on her hands.
Holman
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From this reading But the sky was hot and gleaming and no storms came; nor did Wiley Holman return, though the Widow waited for him patiently.
hot
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From this reading But the sky was hot and gleaming and no storms came; nor did Wiley Holman return, though the Widow waited for him patiently.
houses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SHADOW The old, settled quiet returned to sleepy Keno--the quiet of the desert and of empty, noiseless houses stretching in long, sunburned rows down the canyon.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE SHADOW The old, settled quiet returned to sleepy Keno--the quiet of the desert and of empty, noiseless houses stretching in long, sunburned rows down the canyon.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But he would come back, she knew it; and with her gun loaded with buckshot she watched from the shelter of the gallery.
Keno
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From this reading THE SHADOW The old, settled quiet returned to sleepy Keno--the quiet of the desert and of empty, noiseless houses stretching in long, sunburned rows down the canyon.
knew
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From this reading But he would come back, she knew it; and with her gun loaded with buckshot she watched from the shelter of the gallery.
laid
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From this reading The black lava patch, laid across the gray rhyolite flank of Shadow Mountain like the shade of an angry cloud, still frowned down upon the town like a portent of storms to come.
laughing
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From this reading After all his boldness, his unbelievable effrontery in trying to steal her Paymaster stock, he had gone on laughing to seek other adventures and left her with the mine on her hands.
lava
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From this reading The black lava patch, laid across the gray rhyolite flank of Shadow Mountain like the shade of an angry cloud, still frowned down upon the town like a portent of storms to come.
leftnounUS /left/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading After all his boldness, his unbelievable effrontery in trying to steal her Paymaster stock, he had gone on laughing to seek other adventures and left her with the mine on her hands.
like
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From this reading The black lava patch, laid across the gray rhyolite flank of Shadow Mountain like the shade of an angry cloud, still frowned down upon the town like a portent of storms to come.
loaded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But he would come back, she knew it; and with her gun loaded with buckshot she watched from the shelter of the gallery.
longnounUS /long/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading THE SHADOW The old, settled quiet returned to sleepy Keno--the quiet of the desert and of empty, noiseless houses stretching in long, sunburned rows down the canyon.
minepronounUS /maɪn/
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading After all his boldness, his unbelievable effrontery in trying to steal her Paymaster stock, he had gone on laughing to seek other adventures and left her with the mine on her hands.
Mountain
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From this reading The black lava patch, laid across the gray rhyolite flank of Shadow Mountain like the shade of an angry cloud, still frowned down upon the town like a portent of storms to come.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading But the sky was hot and gleaming and no storms came; nor did Wiley Holman return, though the Widow waited for him patiently.
noiseless
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From this reading THE SHADOW The old, settled quiet returned to sleepy Keno--the quiet of the desert and of empty, noiseless houses stretching in long, sunburned rows down the canyon.
norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading But the sky was hot and gleaming and no storms came; nor did Wiley Holman return, though the Widow waited for him patiently.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE SHADOW The old, settled quiet returned to sleepy Keno--the quiet of the desert and of empty, noiseless houses stretching in long, sunburned rows down the canyon.
old
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SHADOW The old, settled quiet returned to sleepy Keno--the quiet of the desert and of empty, noiseless houses stretching in long, sunburned rows down the canyon.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading After all his boldness, his unbelievable effrontery in trying to steal her Paymaster stock, he had gone on laughing to seek other adventures and left her with the mine on her hands.
other
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From this reading After all his boldness, his unbelievable effrontery in trying to steal her Paymaster stock, he had gone on laughing to seek other adventures and left her with the mine on her hands.
patch
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The black lava patch, laid across the gray rhyolite flank of Shadow Mountain like the shade of an angry cloud, still frowned down upon the town like a portent of storms to come.
patiently
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the sky was hot and gleaming and no storms came; nor did Wiley Holman return, though the Widow waited for him patiently.
Paymaster
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From this reading After all his boldness, his unbelievable effrontery in trying to steal her Paymaster stock, he had gone on laughing to seek other adventures and left her with the mine on her hands.
portent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The black lava patch, laid across the gray rhyolite flank of Shadow Mountain like the shade of an angry cloud, still frowned down upon the town like a portent of storms to come.
quiet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SHADOW The old, settled quiet returned to sleepy Keno--the quiet of the desert and of empty, noiseless houses stretching in long, sunburned rows down the canyon.
return
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From this reading But the sky was hot and gleaming and no storms came; nor did Wiley Holman return, though the Widow waited for him patiently.
returnednounUS /ˈreturned/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading THE SHADOW The old, settled quiet returned to sleepy Keno--the quiet of the desert and of empty, noiseless houses stretching in long, sunburned rows down the canyon.
rhyolite
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From this reading The black lava patch, laid across the gray rhyolite flank of Shadow Mountain like the shade of an angry cloud, still frowned down upon the town like a portent of storms to come.
rows
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SHADOW The old, settled quiet returned to sleepy Keno--the quiet of the desert and of empty, noiseless houses stretching in long, sunburned rows down the canyon.
seek
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After all his boldness, his unbelievable effrontery in trying to steal her Paymaster stock, he had gone on laughing to seek other adventures and left her with the mine on her hands.
settled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SHADOW The old, settled quiet returned to sleepy Keno--the quiet of the desert and of empty, noiseless houses stretching in long, sunburned rows down the canyon.
shade
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From this reading The black lava patch, laid across the gray rhyolite flank of Shadow Mountain like the shade of an angry cloud, still frowned down upon the town like a portent of storms to come.
SHADOWnounUS /ˈʃæd.oʊ/
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading THE SHADOW The old, settled quiet returned to sleepy Keno--the quiet of the desert and of empty, noiseless houses stretching in long, sunburned rows down the canyon.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But he would come back, she knew it; and with her gun loaded with buckshot she watched from the shelter of the gallery.
shelter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But he would come back, she knew it; and with her gun loaded with buckshot she watched from the shelter of the gallery.
sky
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the sky was hot and gleaming and no storms came; nor did Wiley Holman return, though the Widow waited for him patiently.
sleepy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SHADOW The old, settled quiet returned to sleepy Keno--the quiet of the desert and of empty, noiseless houses stretching in long, sunburned rows down the canyon.
steal
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After all his boldness, his unbelievable effrontery in trying to steal her Paymaster stock, he had gone on laughing to seek other adventures and left her with the mine on her hands.
stillnounUS /still/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The black lava patch, laid across the gray rhyolite flank of Shadow Mountain like the shade of an angry cloud, still frowned down upon the town like a portent of storms to come.
stock
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After all his boldness, his unbelievable effrontery in trying to steal her Paymaster stock, he had gone on laughing to seek other adventures and left her with the mine on her hands.
storms
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The black lava patch, laid across the gray rhyolite flank of Shadow Mountain like the shade of an angry cloud, still frowned down upon the town like a portent of storms to come.
stretching
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SHADOW The old, settled quiet returned to sleepy Keno--the quiet of the desert and of empty, noiseless houses stretching in long, sunburned rows down the canyon.
sunburned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SHADOW The old, settled quiet returned to sleepy Keno--the quiet of the desert and of empty, noiseless houses stretching in long, sunburned rows down the canyon.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE SHADOW The old, settled quiet returned to sleepy Keno--the quiet of the desert and of empty, noiseless houses stretching in long, sunburned rows down the canyon.
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading But the sky was hot and gleaming and no storms came; nor did Wiley Holman return, though the Widow waited for him patiently.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE SHADOW The old, settled quiet returned to sleepy Keno--the quiet of the desert and of empty, noiseless houses stretching in long, sunburned rows down the canyon.
town
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The black lava patch, laid across the gray rhyolite flank of Shadow Mountain like the shade of an angry cloud, still frowned down upon the town like a portent of storms to come.
trying
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After all his boldness, his unbelievable effrontery in trying to steal her Paymaster stock, he had gone on laughing to seek other adventures and left her with the mine on her hands.
unbelievable
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After all his boldness, his unbelievable effrontery in trying to steal her Paymaster stock, he had gone on laughing to seek other adventures and left her with the mine on her hands.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The black lava patch, laid across the gray rhyolite flank of Shadow Mountain like the shade of an angry cloud, still frowned down upon the town like a portent of storms to come.
waited
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the sky was hot and gleaming and no storms came; nor did Wiley Holman return, though the Widow waited for him patiently.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But the sky was hot and gleaming and no storms came; nor did Wiley Holman return, though the Widow waited for him patiently.
watched
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But he would come back, she knew it; and with her gun loaded with buckshot she watched from the shelter of the gallery.
Widow
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the sky was hot and gleaming and no storms came; nor did Wiley Holman return, though the Widow waited for him patiently.
Wiley
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the sky was hot and gleaming and no storms came; nor did Wiley Holman return, though the Widow waited for him patiently.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading After all his boldness, his unbelievable effrontery in trying to steal her Paymaster stock, he had gone on laughing to seek other adventures and left her with the mine on her hands.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading But he would come back, she knew it; and with her gun loaded with buckshot she watched from the shelter of the gallery.
