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Sisters
Sisters

Chapter XXVIII

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Context Illustration Reading 1/26 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Down the middle of the big T-shaped wool-shed, in two rows of six pens each, with an aisle between them, the bleating sheep were massed.
They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.
Each gate had a corresponding one at the opposite end of the pen, opening upon a broad lane of floor, and facing a doorway into outside pens and the sunny paddocks of the background.
Between gate and door, on his own section of the boarded lane, a sweating, bare-armed man with shears performed prodigies of strength and skill.
Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Sisters

Chapter XXVIII

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Down the middle of the big T-shaped wool-shed, in two rows of six pens each, with an aisle between them, the bleating sheep were massed.
Line 2
They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.
Line 3
Each gate had a corresponding one at the opposite end of the pen, opening upon a broad lane of floor, and facing a doorway into outside pens and the sunny paddocks of the background.
Line 4
Between gate and door, on his own section of the boarded lane, a sweating, bare-armed man with shears performed prodigies of strength and skill.
Line 5
Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

Learner Dictionary

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

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.”

Beside preposition US /bɪˈsaɪd/

next to; at the side of

From this reading “Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.”

Between preposition US /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading “Down the middle of the big T-shaped wool-shed, in two rows of six pens each, with an aisle between them, the bleating sheep were massed.”

Every determiner US /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading “Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.”

Little noun US /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.”

Might modal verb US /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading “They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “Each gate had a corresponding one at the opposite end of the pen, opening upon a broad lane of floor, and facing a doorway into outside pens and the sunny paddocks of the background.”

Outside noun US /ˈoutside/

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

From this reading “Each gate had a corresponding one at the opposite end of the pen, opening upon a broad lane of floor, and facing a doorway into outside pens and the sunny paddocks of the background.”

Strength noun US /ˈstrength/

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

From this reading “Between gate and door, on his own section of the boarded lane, a sweating, bare-armed man with shears performed prodigies of strength and skill.”

Those determiner US /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading “Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.”

Upon preposition US /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading “They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.”

Violent noun US /ˈviolent/

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

From this reading “Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.”

All words in this reading · 112

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 They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.

aisle

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

From this reading Down the middle of the big T-shaped wool-shed, in two rows of six pens each, with an aisle between them, the bleating sheep were massed.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Down the middle of the big T-shaped wool-shed, in two rows of six pens each, with an aisle between them, the bleating sheep were massed.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.

background

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

From this reading Each gate had a corresponding one at the opposite end of the pen, opening upon a broad lane of floor, and facing a doorway into outside pens and the sunny paddocks of the background.

bare-armed

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

From this reading Between gate and door, on his own section of the boarded lane, a sweating, bare-armed man with shears performed prodigies of strength and skill.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.

besideprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪd/

next to; at the side of

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading Down the middle of the big T-shaped wool-shed, in two rows of six pens each, with an aisle between them, the bleating sheep were massed.

big

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

From this reading Down the middle of the big T-shaped wool-shed, in two rows of six pens each, with an aisle between them, the bleating sheep were massed.

bleating

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

From this reading Down the middle of the big T-shaped wool-shed, in two rows of six pens each, with an aisle between them, the bleating sheep were massed.

boarded

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

From this reading Between gate and door, on his own section of the boarded lane, a sweating, bare-armed man with shears performed prodigies of strength and skill.

broad

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

From this reading Each gate had a corresponding one at the opposite end of the pen, opening upon a broad lane of floor, and facing a doorway into outside pens and the sunny paddocks of the background.

calm

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

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

church

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

From this reading They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.

coat

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

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

cook

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

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

corresponding

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

From this reading Each gate had a corresponding one at the opposite end of the pen, opening upon a broad lane of floor, and facing a doorway into outside pens and the sunny paddocks of the background.

crowd

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

From this reading They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.

distributed

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

From this reading They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.

door

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

From this reading Between gate and door, on his own section of the boarded lane, a sweating, bare-armed man with shears performed prodigies of strength and skill.

doorway

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

From this reading Each gate had a corresponding one at the opposite end of the pen, opening upon a broad lane of floor, and facing a doorway into outside pens and the sunny paddocks of the background.

Down

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

From this reading Down the middle of the big T-shaped wool-shed, in two rows of six pens each, with an aisle between them, the bleating sheep were massed.

driven

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

From this reading They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading Down the middle of the big T-shaped wool-shed, in two rows of six pens each, with an aisle between them, the bleating sheep were massed.

end

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

From this reading Each gate had a corresponding one at the opposite end of the pen, opening upon a broad lane of floor, and facing a doorway into outside pens and the sunny paddocks of the background.

EverydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

facing

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

From this reading Each gate had a corresponding one at the opposite end of the pen, opening upon a broad lane of floor, and facing a doorway into outside pens and the sunny paddocks of the background.

few

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

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

floor

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

From this reading Each gate had a corresponding one at the opposite end of the pen, opening upon a broad lane of floor, and facing a doorway into outside pens and the sunny paddocks of the background.

flung

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

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

fly

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

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

gate

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

From this reading Each gate had a corresponding one at the opposite end of the pen, opening upon a broad lane of floor, and facing a doorway into outside pens and the sunny paddocks of the background.

gates

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

From this reading They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

heavy

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

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Between gate and door, on his own section of the boarded lane, a sweating, bare-armed man with shears performed prodigies of strength and skill.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Down the middle of the big T-shaped wool-shed, in two rows of six pens each, with an aisle between them, the bleating sheep were massed.

indifference

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

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

knees

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

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

lane

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

From this reading Each gate had a corresponding one at the opposite end of the pen, opening upon a broad lane of floor, and facing a doorway into outside pens and the sunny paddocks of the background.

like

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

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

littlenounUS /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.

makes

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

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

man

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

From this reading Between gate and door, on his own section of the boarded lane, a sweating, bare-armed man with shears performed prodigies of strength and skill.

massed

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

From this reading Down the middle of the big T-shaped wool-shed, in two rows of six pens each, with an aisle between them, the bleating sheep were massed.

middle

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

From this reading Down the middle of the big T-shaped wool-shed, in two rows of six pens each, with an aisle between them, the bleating sheep were massed.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.

minutes

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

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

objections

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

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Down the middle of the big T-shaped wool-shed, in two rows of six pens each, with an aisle between them, the bleating sheep were massed.

off

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

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Between gate and door, on his own section of the boarded lane, a sweating, bare-armed man with shears performed prodigies of strength and skill.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Each gate had a corresponding one at the opposite end of the pen, opening upon a broad lane of floor, and facing a doorway into outside pens and the sunny paddocks of the background.

opening

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

From this reading Each gate had a corresponding one at the opposite end of the pen, opening upon a broad lane of floor, and facing a doorway into outside pens and the sunny paddocks of the background.

opposite

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

From this reading Each gate had a corresponding one at the opposite end of the pen, opening upon a broad lane of floor, and facing a doorway into outside pens and the sunny paddocks of the background.

outsidenounUS /ˈoutside/

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

From this reading Each gate had a corresponding one at the opposite end of the pen, opening upon a broad lane of floor, and facing a doorway into outside pens and the sunny paddocks of the background.

own

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

From this reading Between gate and door, on his own section of the boarded lane, a sweating, bare-armed man with shears performed prodigies of strength and skill.

packed

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

From this reading They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.

paddocks

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

From this reading Each gate had a corresponding one at the opposite end of the pen, opening upon a broad lane of floor, and facing a doorway into outside pens and the sunny paddocks of the background.

parcel

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

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

peeling

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

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

pen

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

From this reading Each gate had a corresponding one at the opposite end of the pen, opening upon a broad lane of floor, and facing a doorway into outside pens and the sunny paddocks of the background.

pens

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

From this reading Down the middle of the big T-shaped wool-shed, in two rows of six pens each, with an aisle between them, the bleating sheep were massed.

performed

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

From this reading Between gate and door, on his own section of the boarded lane, a sweating, bare-armed man with shears performed prodigies of strength and skill.

pews

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

From this reading They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.

posture

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

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

potato

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

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

prodigies

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

From this reading Between gate and door, on his own section of the boarded lane, a sweating, bare-armed man with shears performed prodigies of strength and skill.

round

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

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

rows

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

From this reading Down the middle of the big T-shaped wool-shed, in two rows of six pens each, with an aisle between them, the bleating sheep were massed.

section

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

From this reading Between gate and door, on his own section of the boarded lane, a sweating, bare-armed man with shears performed prodigies of strength and skill.

shears

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

From this reading Between gate and door, on his own section of the boarded lane, a sweating, bare-armed man with shears performed prodigies of strength and skill.

sheep

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

From this reading Down the middle of the big T-shaped wool-shed, in two rows of six pens each, with an aisle between them, the bleating sheep were massed.

shut

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

From this reading They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.

sitting

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

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

six

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

From this reading Down the middle of the big T-shaped wool-shed, in two rows of six pens each, with an aisle between them, the bleating sheep were massed.

skill

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

From this reading Between gate and door, on his own section of the boarded lane, a sweating, bare-armed man with shears performed prodigies of strength and skill.

sliced

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

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

snatched

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

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

soldiers

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

From this reading They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.

spider

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

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

strengthnounUS /ˈstrength/

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

From this reading Between gate and door, on his own section of the boarded lane, a sweating, bare-armed man with shears performed prodigies of strength and skill.

sunny

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

From this reading Each gate had a corresponding one at the opposite end of the pen, opening upon a broad lane of floor, and facing a doorway into outside pens and the sunny paddocks of the background.

sweating

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

From this reading Between gate and door, on his own section of the boarded lane, a sweating, bare-armed man with shears performed prodigies of strength and skill.

T-shaped

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

From this reading Down the middle of the big T-shaped wool-shed, in two rows of six pens each, with an aisle between them, the bleating sheep were massed.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Down the middle of the big T-shaped wool-shed, in two rows of six pens each, with an aisle between them, the bleating sheep were massed.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Down the middle of the big T-shaped wool-shed, in two rows of six pens each, with an aisle between them, the bleating sheep were massed.

then

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

From this reading They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

thus

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

From this reading They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

turn

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

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

twelve

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

From this reading They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.

two

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

From this reading Down the middle of the big T-shaped wool-shed, in two rows of six pens each, with an aisle between them, the bleating sheep were massed.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading They had been driven into that aisle and thus distributed, as a crowd of soldiers might be packed into their pews at church, and twelve little gates had then been shut upon them.

violentnounUS /ˈviolent/

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

From this reading Every few minutes he snatched a heavy sheep from the pen beside him, flung it with a round turn into a sitting posture between his knees, and with the calm indifference to its violent objections of the spider to those of the fly that he makes into a parcel, sliced off its coat like a cook peeling a potato.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Down the middle of the big T-shaped wool-shed, in two rows of six pens each, with an aisle between them, the bleating sheep were massed.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Down the middle of the big T-shaped wool-shed, in two rows of six pens each, with an aisle between them, the bleating sheep were massed.

wool-shed

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

From this reading Down the middle of the big T-shaped wool-shed, in two rows of six pens each, with an aisle between them, the bleating sheep were massed.