adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Up across windy wastes and up Went Alfred over the shaws, Shaken of the joy of giants, The joy without a cause.
acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/
from one side of something to the other
From this reading Up across windy wastes and up Went Alfred over the shaws, Shaken of the joy of giants, The joy without a cause.
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading The King went gathering Wessex men, As grain out of the chaff The few that were alive to die, Laughing, as littered skulls that lie After lost battles turn to the sky An everlasting laugh.
ale-measures
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And he set to rhyme his ale-measures, And he sang aloud his laws, Because of the joy of the giants, The joy without a cause.
AlfrednounUS /ˈælfrəd/
king of Wessex; defeated the Vikings and encouraged writing in English (849-899)
From this reading Up across windy wastes and up Went Alfred over the shaws, Shaken of the joy of giants, The joy without a cause.
aliveadjectiveUS /əˈlaɪv/
possessing life
From this reading The King went gathering Wessex men, As grain out of the chaff The few that were alive to die, Laughing, as littered skulls that lie After lost battles turn to the sky An everlasting laugh.
aloudadverbUS /əˈlaʊd/
using the voice; not silently
From this reading And he set to rhyme his ale-measures, And he sang aloud his laws, Because of the joy of the giants, The joy without a cause.
AndeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The King went gathering Wessex men, As grain out of the chaff The few that were alive to die, Laughing, as littered skulls that lie After lost battles turn to the sky An everlasting laugh.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Up across windy wastes and up Went Alfred over the shaws, Shaken of the joy of giants, The joy without a cause.
AsconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The King went gathering Wessex men, As grain out of the chaff The few that were alive to die, Laughing, as littered skulls that lie After lost battles turn to the sky An everlasting laugh.
awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading In the slopes away to the western bays, Where blows not ever a tree, He washed his soul in the west wind And his body in the sea.
battlesnounUS /ˈbætəlz/
plural of “battle” — a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading The King went gathering Wessex men, As grain out of the chaff The few that were alive to die, Laughing, as littered skulls that lie After lost battles turn to the sky An everlasting laugh.
baysnounUS /beɪz/
plural of “bay” — an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf
From this reading In the slopes away to the western bays, Where blows not ever a tree, He washed his soul in the west wind And his body in the sea.
BecauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/
for the reason that
From this reading And he set to rhyme his ale-measures, And he sang aloud his laws, Because of the joy of the giants, The joy without a cause.
blowsnounUS /bloʊz/
plural of “blow” — a powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon
From this reading In the slopes away to the western bays, Where blows not ever a tree, He washed his soul in the west wind And his body in the sea.
bodynounUS /ˈbɑːdi/
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading In the slopes away to the western bays, Where blows not ever a tree, He washed his soul in the west wind And his body in the sea.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The King went gathering Christian men, As wheat out of the husk; Eldred, the Franklin by the sea, And Mark, the man from Italy, And Colan of the Sacred Tree, From the old tribe on Usk.
causenounUS /kɑːz/
events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something
From this reading Up across windy wastes and up Went Alfred over the shaws, Shaken of the joy of giants, The joy without a cause.
chaffverbUS /tʃæf/
be silly or tease one another
From this reading The King went gathering Wessex men, As grain out of the chaff The few that were alive to die, Laughing, as littered skulls that lie After lost battles turn to the sky An everlasting laugh.
ChristianadjectiveUS /ˈkrɪstʃən/
relating to or characteristic of Christianity
From this reading The King went gathering Christian men, As wheat out of the husk; Eldred, the Franklin by the sea, And Mark, the man from Italy, And Colan of the Sacred Tree, From the old tribe on Usk.
Colan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The King went gathering Christian men, As wheat out of the husk; Eldred, the Franklin by the sea, And Mark, the man from Italy, And Colan of the Sacred Tree, From the old tribe on Usk.
dieverbUS /daɪ/
pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading The King went gathering Wessex men, As grain out of the chaff The few that were alive to die, Laughing, as littered skulls that lie After lost battles turn to the sky An everlasting laugh.
Eldred
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The King went gathering Christian men, As wheat out of the husk; Eldred, the Franklin by the sea, And Mark, the man from Italy, And Colan of the Sacred Tree, From the old tribe on Usk.
everadverbUS /ˈevər/
at any time
From this reading In the slopes away to the western bays, Where blows not ever a tree, He washed his soul in the west wind And his body in the sea.
everlastingadjectiveUS /ˌevərˈlæstɪŋ/
continuing forever or indefinitely
From this reading The King went gathering Wessex men, As grain out of the chaff The few that were alive to die, Laughing, as littered skulls that lie After lost battles turn to the sky An everlasting laugh.
fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The King went gathering Wessex men, As grain out of the chaff The few that were alive to die, Laughing, as littered skulls that lie After lost battles turn to the sky An everlasting laugh.
FranklinnounUS /ˈfræŋklɪn/
United States historian noted for studies of Black American history (born in 1915)
From this reading The King went gathering Christian men, As wheat out of the husk; Eldred, the Franklin by the sea, And Mark, the man from Italy, And Colan of the Sacred Tree, From the old tribe on Usk.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The King went gathering Christian men, As wheat out of the husk; Eldred, the Franklin by the sea, And Mark, the man from Italy, And Colan of the Sacred Tree, From the old tribe on Usk.
gatheringnounUS /ˈɡæðərɪŋ/
a group of persons together in one place
From this reading The King went gathering Wessex men, As grain out of the chaff The few that were alive to die, Laughing, as littered skulls that lie After lost battles turn to the sky An everlasting laugh.
giantsnounUS /ˈdʒaɪənts/
plural of “giant” — any creature of exceptional size
From this reading Up across windy wastes and up Went Alfred over the shaws, Shaken of the joy of giants, The joy without a cause.
grainnounUS /ɡreɪn/
a relatively small granular particle of a substance
From this reading The King went gathering Wessex men, As grain out of the chaff The few that were alive to die, Laughing, as littered skulls that lie After lost battles turn to the sky An everlasting laugh.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading In the slopes away to the western bays, Where blows not ever a tree, He washed his soul in the west wind And his body in the sea.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading In the slopes away to the western bays, Where blows not ever a tree, He washed his soul in the west wind And his body in the sea.
husknounUS /hʌsk/
material consisting of seed coverings and small pieces of stem or leaves that have been separated from the seeds
From this reading The King went gathering Christian men, As wheat out of the husk; Eldred, the Franklin by the sea, And Mark, the man from Italy, And Colan of the Sacred Tree, From the old tribe on Usk.
InprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the slopes away to the western bays, Where blows not ever a tree, He washed his soul in the west wind And his body in the sea.
ItalynounUS /ˈɪtəli/
a republic in southern Europe on the Italian Peninsula; was the core of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire between the 4th century BC and the 5th century AD
From this reading The King went gathering Christian men, As wheat out of the husk; Eldred, the Franklin by the sea, And Mark, the man from Italy, And Colan of the Sacred Tree, From the old tribe on Usk.
joynounUS /dʒɔɪ/
the emotion of great happiness
From this reading Up across windy wastes and up Went Alfred over the shaws, Shaken of the joy of giants, The joy without a cause.
KingnounUS /kɪŋ/
a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
From this reading The King went gathering Wessex men, As grain out of the chaff The few that were alive to die, Laughing, as littered skulls that lie After lost battles turn to the sky An everlasting laugh.
laughnounUS /læf/
the sound of laughing
From this reading The King went gathering Wessex men, As grain out of the chaff The few that were alive to die, Laughing, as littered skulls that lie After lost battles turn to the sky An everlasting laugh.
LaughingadjectiveUS /ˈlæfɪŋ/
showing or feeling mirth or pleasure or happiness
From this reading The King went gathering Wessex men, As grain out of the chaff The few that were alive to die, Laughing, as littered skulls that lie After lost battles turn to the sky An everlasting laugh.
lawsnounUS /lɔːz/
the first of three divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures comprising the first five books of the Hebrew Bible considered as a unit
From this reading And he set to rhyme his ale-measures, And he sang aloud his laws, Because of the joy of the giants, The joy without a cause.
lieverbUS /laɪ/
be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
From this reading The King went gathering Wessex men, As grain out of the chaff The few that were alive to die, Laughing, as littered skulls that lie After lost battles turn to the sky An everlasting laugh.
litteredadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtərd/
filled or scattered with a disorderly accumulation of objects or rubbish
From this reading The King went gathering Wessex men, As grain out of the chaff The few that were alive to die, Laughing, as littered skulls that lie After lost battles turn to the sky An everlasting laugh.
lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading The King went gathering Wessex men, As grain out of the chaff The few that were alive to die, Laughing, as littered skulls that lie After lost battles turn to the sky An everlasting laugh.
mannounUS /mæn/
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The King went gathering Christian men, As wheat out of the husk; Eldred, the Franklin by the sea, And Mark, the man from Italy, And Colan of the Sacred Tree, From the old tribe on Usk.
MarkverbUS /mɑːrk/
attach a tag or label to
From this reading The King went gathering Christian men, As wheat out of the husk; Eldred, the Franklin by the sea, And Mark, the man from Italy, And Colan of the Sacred Tree, From the old tribe on Usk.
mennounUS /men/
the force of workers available
From this reading The King went gathering Wessex men, As grain out of the chaff The few that were alive to die, Laughing, as littered skulls that lie After lost battles turn to the sky An everlasting laugh.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading In the slopes away to the western bays, Where blows not ever a tree, He washed his soul in the west wind And his body in the sea.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Up across windy wastes and up Went Alfred over the shaws, Shaken of the joy of giants, The joy without a cause.
oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The King went gathering Christian men, As wheat out of the husk; Eldred, the Franklin by the sea, And Mark, the man from Italy, And Colan of the Sacred Tree, From the old tribe on Usk.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The King went gathering Christian men, As wheat out of the husk; Eldred, the Franklin by the sea, And Mark, the man from Italy, And Colan of the Sacred Tree, From the old tribe on Usk.
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The King went gathering Wessex men, As grain out of the chaff The few that were alive to die, Laughing, as littered skulls that lie After lost battles turn to the sky An everlasting laugh.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Up across windy wastes and up Went Alfred over the shaws, Shaken of the joy of giants, The joy without a cause.
rhymenounUS /raɪm/
correspondence in the sounds of two or more lines (especially final sounds)
From this reading And he set to rhyme his ale-measures, And he sang aloud his laws, Because of the joy of the giants, The joy without a cause.
SacredadjectiveUS /ˈseɪkrəd/
concerned with religion or religious purposes
From this reading The King went gathering Christian men, As wheat out of the husk; Eldred, the Franklin by the sea, And Mark, the man from Italy, And Colan of the Sacred Tree, From the old tribe on Usk.
sangnounUS /sæŋ/
North American woodland herb similar to and used as substitute for the Chinese ginseng
From this reading And he set to rhyme his ale-measures, And he sang aloud his laws, Because of the joy of the giants, The joy without a cause.
seanounUS /siː/
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading In the slopes away to the western bays, Where blows not ever a tree, He washed his soul in the west wind And his body in the sea.
setverbUS /set/
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading And he set to rhyme his ale-measures, And he sang aloud his laws, Because of the joy of the giants, The joy without a cause.
ShakenadjectiveUS /ˈʃeɪkən/
disturbed psychologically as if by a physical jolt or shock
From this reading Up across windy wastes and up Went Alfred over the shaws, Shaken of the joy of giants, The joy without a cause.
shaws
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Up across windy wastes and up Went Alfred over the shaws, Shaken of the joy of giants, The joy without a cause.
skullsnounUS /skʌlz/
plural of “skull” — the bony skeleton of the head of vertebrates
From this reading The King went gathering Wessex men, As grain out of the chaff The few that were alive to die, Laughing, as littered skulls that lie After lost battles turn to the sky An everlasting laugh.
skynounUS /skaɪ/
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading The King went gathering Wessex men, As grain out of the chaff The few that were alive to die, Laughing, as littered skulls that lie After lost battles turn to the sky An everlasting laugh.
slopesnounUS /sloʊps/
plural of “slope” — an elevated geological formation
From this reading In the slopes away to the western bays, Where blows not ever a tree, He washed his soul in the west wind And his body in the sea.
soulnounUS /soʊl/
the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life
From this reading In the slopes away to the western bays, Where blows not ever a tree, He washed his soul in the west wind And his body in the sea.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The King went gathering Wessex men, As grain out of the chaff The few that were alive to die, Laughing, as littered skulls that lie After lost battles turn to the sky An everlasting laugh.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Up across windy wastes and up Went Alfred over the shaws, Shaken of the joy of giants, The joy without a cause.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In the slopes away to the western bays, Where blows not ever a tree, He washed his soul in the west wind And his body in the sea.
treenounUS /triː/
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading In the slopes away to the western bays, Where blows not ever a tree, He washed his soul in the west wind And his body in the sea.
tribenounUS /traɪb/
a social division of (usually preliterate) people
From this reading The King went gathering Christian men, As wheat out of the husk; Eldred, the Franklin by the sea, And Mark, the man from Italy, And Colan of the Sacred Tree, From the old tribe on Usk.
turnverbUS /tɜːrn/
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading The King went gathering Wessex men, As grain out of the chaff The few that were alive to die, Laughing, as littered skulls that lie After lost battles turn to the sky An everlasting laugh.
UpadjectiveUS /ʌp/
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Up across windy wastes and up Went Alfred over the shaws, Shaken of the joy of giants, The joy without a cause.
Usk
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The King went gathering Christian men, As wheat out of the husk; Eldred, the Franklin by the sea, And Mark, the man from Italy, And Colan of the Sacred Tree, From the old tribe on Usk.
washedadjectiveUS /wɑːʃt/
clean by virtue of having been washed in water
From this reading In the slopes away to the western bays, Where blows not ever a tree, He washed his soul in the west wind And his body in the sea.
wastesnounUS /weɪsts/
plural of “waste” — any materials unused and rejected as worthless or unwanted
From this reading Up across windy wastes and up Went Alfred over the shaws, Shaken of the joy of giants, The joy without a cause.
WentverbUS /went/
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Up across windy wastes and up Went Alfred over the shaws, Shaken of the joy of giants, The joy without a cause.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The King went gathering Wessex men, As grain out of the chaff The few that were alive to die, Laughing, as littered skulls that lie After lost battles turn to the sky An everlasting laugh.
WessexnounUS /ˈwesəks/
a Saxon kingdom in southwestern England that became the most powerful English kingdom by the 10th century
From this reading The King went gathering Wessex men, As grain out of the chaff The few that were alive to die, Laughing, as littered skulls that lie After lost battles turn to the sky An everlasting laugh.
westnounUS /west/
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading In the slopes away to the western bays, Where blows not ever a tree, He washed his soul in the west wind And his body in the sea.
westernadjectiveUS /ˈwestərn/
relating to or characteristic of the western parts of the world or the West as opposed to the eastern or oriental parts
From this reading In the slopes away to the western bays, Where blows not ever a tree, He washed his soul in the west wind And his body in the sea.
wheatnounUS /wiːt/
annual or biennial grass having erect flower spikes and light brown grains
From this reading The King went gathering Christian men, As wheat out of the husk; Eldred, the Franklin by the sea, And Mark, the man from Italy, And Colan of the Sacred Tree, From the old tribe on Usk.
WhereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading In the slopes away to the western bays, Where blows not ever a tree, He washed his soul in the west wind And his body in the sea.
windnounUS /waɪnd/
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading In the slopes away to the western bays, Where blows not ever a tree, He washed his soul in the west wind And his body in the sea.
windyadjectiveUS /ˈwɪndi/
abounding in or exposed to the wind or breezes
From this reading Up across windy wastes and up Went Alfred over the shaws, Shaken of the joy of giants, The joy without a cause.
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Up across windy wastes and up Went Alfred over the shaws, Shaken of the joy of giants, The joy without a cause.
