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 On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
achieve
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nature was taking him by the hand, and it might be that in that moment ambition was born to achieve for himself, to conquer.
advance
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From this reading On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
aerial
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
air
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was something exhilarating in this elemental battle of the forces that urge and the forces that resist, and the harder the wind blew, and the wider circles he took in the free air, the more stirred the boy was in the spring of his life.
amber
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
ambition
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nature was taking him by the hand, and it might be that in that moment ambition was born to achieve for himself, to conquer.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
bank
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
battle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was something exhilarating in this elemental battle of the forces that urge and the forces that resist, and the harder the wind blew, and the wider circles he took in the free air, the more stirred the boy was in the spring of his life.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Nature was taking him by the hand, and it might be that in that moment ambition was born to achieve for himself, to conquer.
blew
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was something exhilarating in this elemental battle of the forces that urge and the forces that resist, and the harder the wind blew, and the wider circles he took in the free air, the more stirred the boy was in the spring of his life.
bornnounUS /born/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Nature was taking him by the hand, and it might be that in that moment ambition was born to achieve for himself, to conquer.
boy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was something exhilarating in this elemental battle of the forces that urge and the forces that resist, and the harder the wind blew, and the wider circles he took in the free air, the more stirred the boy was in the spring of his life.
branch
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had climbed to the topmost branch of the lithe and tough tree in order to take the full swing of this free creature in its sport with the western wind.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Nature was taking him by the hand, and it might be that in that moment ambition was born to achieve for himself, to conquer.
came
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
chestnuts
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
circles
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was something exhilarating in this elemental battle of the forces that urge and the forces that resist, and the harder the wind blew, and the wider circles he took in the free air, the more stirred the boy was in the spring of his life.
climbed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had climbed to the topmost branch of the lithe and tough tree in order to take the full swing of this free creature in its sport with the western wind.
comenounUS /come/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
conquer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nature was taking him by the hand, and it might be that in that moment ambition was born to achieve for himself, to conquer.
cornfields
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
creaturenounUS /ˈcreature/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading He had climbed to the topmost branch of the lithe and tough tree in order to take the full swing of this free creature in its sport with the western wind.
day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
days
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
declivity
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
down
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
edge
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
elemental
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was something exhilarating in this elemental battle of the forces that urge and the forces that resist, and the harder the wind blew, and the wider circles he took in the free air, the more stirred the boy was in the spring of his life.
exhilarating
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was something exhilarating in this elemental battle of the forces that urge and the forces that resist, and the harder the wind blew, and the wider circles he took in the free air, the more stirred the boy was in the spring of his life.
fell
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Nature was taking him by the hand, and it might be that in that moment ambition was born to achieve for himself, to conquer.
forces
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was something exhilarating in this elemental battle of the forces that urge and the forces that resist, and the harder the wind blew, and the wider circles he took in the free air, the more stirred the boy was in the spring of his life.
forest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
freeadjectiveUS /friː/
acting without enough restraint or discipline
From this reading He had climbed to the topmost branch of the lithe and tough tree in order to take the full swing of this free creature in its sport with the western wind.
full
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had climbed to the topmost branch of the lithe and tough tree in order to take the full swing of this free creature in its sport with the western wind.
go
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
gone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had climbed to the topmost branch of the lithe and tough tree in order to take the full swing of this free creature in its sport with the western wind.
hand
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nature was taking him by the hand, and it might be that in that moment ambition was born to achieve for himself, to conquer.
harder
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was something exhilarating in this elemental battle of the forces that urge and the forces that resist, and the harder the wind blew, and the wider circles he took in the free air, the more stirred the boy was in the spring of his life.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
hickory
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Nature was taking him by the hand, and it might be that in that moment ambition was born to achieve for himself, to conquer.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Nature was taking him by the hand, and it might be that in that moment ambition was born to achieve for himself, to conquer.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
idly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Nature was taking him by the hand, and it might be that in that moment ambition was born to achieve for himself, to conquer.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading He had climbed to the topmost branch of the lithe and tough tree in order to take the full swing of this free creature in its sport with the western wind.
lad
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
lifenounUS /life/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading There was something exhilarating in this elemental battle of the forces that urge and the forces that resist, and the harder the wind blew, and the wider circles he took in the free air, the more stirred the boy was in the spring of his life.
like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
lithe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had climbed to the topmost branch of the lithe and tough tree in order to take the full swing of this free creature in its sport with the western wind.
longnounUS /long/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
loud
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
maples
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Nature was taking him by the hand, and it might be that in that moment ambition was born to achieve for himself, to conquer.
moment
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nature was taking him by the hand, and it might be that in that moment ambition was born to achieve for himself, to conquer.
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was something exhilarating in this elemental battle of the forces that urge and the forces that resist, and the harder the wind blew, and the wider circles he took in the free air, the more stirred the boy was in the spring of his life.
mountain
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
murmur
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
narrow
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
nature
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
orchard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
ordernounUS /order/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He had climbed to the topmost branch of the lithe and tough tree in order to take the full swing of this free creature in its sport with the western wind.
pasture-land
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
perch
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
picket
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
rapidly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
recklessly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
resist
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was something exhilarating in this elemental battle of the forces that urge and the forces that resist, and the harder the wind blew, and the wider circles he took in the free air, the more stirred the boy was in the spring of his life.
river
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
rocky
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
some
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading There was something exhilarating in this elemental battle of the forces that urge and the forces that resist, and the harder the wind blew, and the wider circles he took in the free air, the more stirred the boy was in the spring of his life.
sport
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had climbed to the topmost branch of the lithe and tough tree in order to take the full swing of this free creature in its sport with the western wind.
spring
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was something exhilarating in this elemental battle of the forces that urge and the forces that resist, and the harder the wind blew, and the wider circles he took in the free air, the more stirred the boy was in the spring of his life.
stately
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
steep
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
stirred
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was something exhilarating in this elemental battle of the forces that urge and the forces that resist, and the harder the wind blew, and the wider circles he took in the free air, the more stirred the boy was in the spring of his life.
summer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
swing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had climbed to the topmost branch of the lithe and tough tree in order to take the full swing of this free creature in its sport with the western wind.
swinging
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
takenounUS /take/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He had climbed to the topmost branch of the lithe and tough tree in order to take the full swing of this free creature in its sport with the western wind.
taking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nature was taking him by the hand, and it might be that in that moment ambition was born to achieve for himself, to conquer.
tall
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
There
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was something exhilarating in this elemental battle of the forces that urge and the forces that resist, and the harder the wind blew, and the wider circles he took in the free air, the more stirred the boy was in the spring of his life.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading He had climbed to the topmost branch of the lithe and tough tree in order to take the full swing of this free creature in its sport with the western wind.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
tooknounUS /took/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading There was something exhilarating in this elemental battle of the forces that urge and the forces that resist, and the harder the wind blew, and the wider circles he took in the free air, the more stirred the boy was in the spring of his life.
top
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
topmost
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had climbed to the topmost branch of the lithe and tough tree in order to take the full swing of this free creature in its sport with the western wind.
tough
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had climbed to the topmost branch of the lithe and tough tree in order to take the full swing of this free creature in its sport with the western wind.
tradition
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
tree
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
twelve
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
unceasing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
understandnounUS /understand/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
urge
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was something exhilarating in this elemental battle of the forces that urge and the forces that resist, and the harder the wind blew, and the wider circles he took in the free air, the more stirred the boy was in the spring of his life.
valley
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
voice
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
western
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had climbed to the topmost branch of the lithe and tough tree in order to take the full swing of this free creature in its sport with the western wind.
whosedeterminerUS /huːz/
belonging to which person
From this reading The tree was on the edge of a steep declivity of rocky pasture-land that fell rapidly down to the stately chestnuts, to the orchard, to the cornfields in the narrow valley, and the maples on the bank of the amber river, whose loud, unceasing murmur came to the lad on his aerial perch like the voice of some tradition of nature that he could not understand.
wider
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was something exhilarating in this elemental battle of the forces that urge and the forces that resist, and the harder the wind blew, and the wider circles he took in the free air, the more stirred the boy was in the spring of his life.
windnounUS /wind/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He had climbed to the topmost branch of the lithe and tough tree in order to take the full swing of this free creature in its sport with the western wind.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading He had climbed to the topmost branch of the lithe and tough tree in order to take the full swing of this free creature in its sport with the western wind.
years
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On a summer day, long gone among the summer days that come but to go, a lad of twelve years was idly and recklessly swinging in the top of a tall hickory, the advance picket of a mountain forest.
