adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Rob was bending over a curious-looking apparatus, consisting of a bent stick held in a bow-shape by a taut leather thong.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The appliance was twisted about an upright piece of wood sharpened at one end--which was rotated as the lad ran the bow back and forth across it.
accumulationnounUS /əˌkjuːmjəˈleɪʃən/
an increase by natural growth or addition
From this reading Presently smoke began to rise from the flat piece of timber into which the point of the upright stick had been boring and depositing sawdust, and Rob, by industriously blowing at the accumulation, presently caused it to burst into flame.
acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/
from one side of something to the other
From this reading The appliance was twisted about an upright piece of wood sharpened at one end--which was rotated as the lad ran the bow back and forth across it.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading It was the morning after the consultation of Jack Curtiss and his cronies, and Corporal Crawford was looking over the fence into his leader's yard.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The appliance was twisted about an upright piece of wood sharpened at one end--which was rotated as the lad ran the bow back and forth across it.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was the morning after the consultation of Jack Curtiss and his cronies, and Corporal Crawford was looking over the fence into his leader's yard.
apparatusnounUS /ˌæpərˈætəs/
equipment designed to serve a specific function
From this reading Rob was bending over a curious-looking apparatus, consisting of a bent stick held in a bow-shape by a taut leather thong.
appliancenounUS /əˈplaɪəns/
a device or control that is very useful for a particular job
From this reading The appliance was twisted about an upright piece of wood sharpened at one end--which was rotated as the lad ran the bow back and forth across it.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Whatever are you doing, Rob?"
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The appliance was twisted about an upright piece of wood sharpened at one end--which was rotated as the lad ran the bow back and forth across it.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The appliance was twisted about an upright piece of wood sharpened at one end--which was rotated as the lad ran the bow back and forth across it.
backadverbUS /bæk/
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading The appliance was twisted about an upright piece of wood sharpened at one end--which was rotated as the lad ran the bow back and forth across it.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Presently smoke began to rise from the flat piece of timber into which the point of the upright stick had been boring and depositing sawdust, and Rob, by industriously blowing at the accumulation, presently caused it to burst into flame.
beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Presently smoke began to rise from the flat piece of timber into which the point of the upright stick had been boring and depositing sawdust, and Rob, by industriously blowing at the accumulation, presently caused it to burst into flame.
bendingnounUS /ˈbendɪŋ/
movement that causes the formation of a curve
From this reading Rob was bending over a curious-looking apparatus, consisting of a bent stick held in a bow-shape by a taut leather thong.
bentnounUS /bent/
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading Rob was bending over a curious-looking apparatus, consisting of a bent stick held in a bow-shape by a taut leather thong.
blowingnounUS /ˈbloʊɪŋ/
processing that involves blowing a gas
From this reading Presently smoke began to rise from the flat piece of timber into which the point of the upright stick had been boring and depositing sawdust, and Rob, by industriously blowing at the accumulation, presently caused it to burst into flame.
boringadjectiveUS /ˈbɔːrɪŋ/
so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness
From this reading Presently smoke began to rise from the flat piece of timber into which the point of the upright stick had been boring and depositing sawdust, and Rob, by industriously blowing at the accumulation, presently caused it to burst into flame.
bownounUS /baʊ/
a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces
From this reading The appliance was twisted about an upright piece of wood sharpened at one end--which was rotated as the lad ran the bow back and forth across it.
bow-shape
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Rob was bending over a curious-looking apparatus, consisting of a bent stick held in a bow-shape by a taut leather thong.
burstverbUS /bɜːrst/
come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading Presently smoke began to rise from the flat piece of timber into which the point of the upright stick had been boring and depositing sawdust, and Rob, by industriously blowing at the accumulation, presently caused it to burst into flame.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Rob was bending over a curious-looking apparatus, consisting of a bent stick held in a bow-shape by a taut leather thong.
causedverbUS /kɑːzd/
past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally
From this reading Presently smoke began to rise from the flat piece of timber into which the point of the upright stick had been boring and depositing sawdust, and Rob, by industriously blowing at the accumulation, presently caused it to burst into flame.
consistingverbUS /kənˈsɪstɪŋ/
-ing form of “consist” — originate
From this reading Rob was bending over a curious-looking apparatus, consisting of a bent stick held in a bow-shape by a taut leather thong.
consultationnounUS /ˌkɑːnsəlˈteɪʃən/
a conference (usually with someone important)
From this reading It was the morning after the consultation of Jack Curtiss and his cronies, and Corporal Crawford was looking over the fence into his leader's yard.
CorporalnounUS /ˈkɔːrpərəl/
a noncommissioned officer in the Army or Air Force or Marines
From this reading It was the morning after the consultation of Jack Curtiss and his cronies, and Corporal Crawford was looking over the fence into his leader's yard.
CrawfordnounUS /ˈkrɔːfərd/
United States neoclassical sculptor (1814-1857)
From this reading It was the morning after the consultation of Jack Curtiss and his cronies, and Corporal Crawford was looking over the fence into his leader's yard.
croniesnounUS /ˈkroʊniz/
plural of “crony” — a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
From this reading It was the morning after the consultation of Jack Curtiss and his cronies, and Corporal Crawford was looking over the fence into his leader's yard.
curious-looking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Rob was bending over a curious-looking apparatus, consisting of a bent stick held in a bow-shape by a taut leather thong.
CurtissnounUS /ˈkɜːrtɪs/
United States industrialist and aviation pioneer (1878-1930)
From this reading It was the morning after the consultation of Jack Curtiss and his cronies, and Corporal Crawford was looking over the fence into his leader's yard.
depositingverbUS /dəˈpɑːzɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “deposit” — put, fix, force, or implant
From this reading Presently smoke began to rise from the flat piece of timber into which the point of the upright stick had been boring and depositing sawdust, and Rob, by industriously blowing at the accumulation, presently caused it to burst into flame.
doingverbUS /ˈduːɪŋ/
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading "Whatever are you doing, Rob?"
endnounUS /end/
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading The appliance was twisted about an upright piece of wood sharpened at one end--which was rotated as the lad ran the bow back and forth across it.
fenceverbUS /fens/
enclose with a fence
From this reading It was the morning after the consultation of Jack Curtiss and his cronies, and Corporal Crawford was looking over the fence into his leader's yard.
flamenounUS /fleɪm/
A hot glowing body of ignited gas produced by fire.
From this reading Presently smoke began to rise from the flat piece of timber into which the point of the upright stick had been boring and depositing sawdust, and Rob, by industriously blowing at the accumulation, presently caused it to burst into flame.
flatadjectiveUS /flæt/
having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another
From this reading Presently smoke began to rise from the flat piece of timber into which the point of the upright stick had been boring and depositing sawdust, and Rob, by industriously blowing at the accumulation, presently caused it to burst into flame.
forthadverbUS /fɔːrθ/
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The appliance was twisted about an upright piece of wood sharpened at one end--which was rotated as the lad ran the bow back and forth across it.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Presently smoke began to rise from the flat piece of timber into which the point of the upright stick had been boring and depositing sawdust, and Rob, by industriously blowing at the accumulation, presently caused it to burst into flame.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Presently smoke began to rise from the flat piece of timber into which the point of the upright stick had been boring and depositing sawdust, and Rob, by industriously blowing at the accumulation, presently caused it to burst into flame.
heldadjectiveUS /held/
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading Rob was bending over a curious-looking apparatus, consisting of a bent stick held in a bow-shape by a taut leather thong.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It was the morning after the consultation of Jack Curtiss and his cronies, and Corporal Crawford was looking over the fence into his leader's yard.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Rob was bending over a curious-looking apparatus, consisting of a bent stick held in a bow-shape by a taut leather thong.
industriouslyadverb
in an industrious manner
From this reading Presently smoke began to rise from the flat piece of timber into which the point of the upright stick had been boring and depositing sawdust, and Rob, by industriously blowing at the accumulation, presently caused it to burst into flame.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading It was the morning after the consultation of Jack Curtiss and his cronies, and Corporal Crawford was looking over the fence into his leader's yard.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was the morning after the consultation of Jack Curtiss and his cronies, and Corporal Crawford was looking over the fence into his leader's yard.
JacknounUS /dʒæk/
a small worthless amount
From this reading It was the morning after the consultation of Jack Curtiss and his cronies, and Corporal Crawford was looking over the fence into his leader's yard.
ladnounUS /læd/
a boy or man
From this reading The appliance was twisted about an upright piece of wood sharpened at one end--which was rotated as the lad ran the bow back and forth across it.
leader'snounUS /ˈliːdərz/
possessive form of “leader” — a person who rules or guides or inspires others
From this reading It was the morning after the consultation of Jack Curtiss and his cronies, and Corporal Crawford was looking over the fence into his leader's yard.
leathernounUS /ˈleðər/
an animal skin made smooth and flexible by removing the hair and then tanning
From this reading Rob was bending over a curious-looking apparatus, consisting of a bent stick held in a bow-shape by a taut leather thong.
lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading It was the morning after the consultation of Jack Curtiss and his cronies, and Corporal Crawford was looking over the fence into his leader's yard.
morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading It was the morning after the consultation of Jack Curtiss and his cronies, and Corporal Crawford was looking over the fence into his leader's yard.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was the morning after the consultation of Jack Curtiss and his cronies, and Corporal Crawford was looking over the fence into his leader's yard.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The appliance was twisted about an upright piece of wood sharpened at one end--which was rotated as the lad ran the bow back and forth across it.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading It was the morning after the consultation of Jack Curtiss and his cronies, and Corporal Crawford was looking over the fence into his leader's yard.
piecenounUS /piːs/
a separate part of a whole
From this reading The appliance was twisted about an upright piece of wood sharpened at one end--which was rotated as the lad ran the bow back and forth across it.
pointnounUS /pɔɪnt/
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading Presently smoke began to rise from the flat piece of timber into which the point of the upright stick had been boring and depositing sawdust, and Rob, by industriously blowing at the accumulation, presently caused it to burst into flame.
PresentlyadverbUS /ˈprezəntli/
in the near future
From this reading Presently smoke began to rise from the flat piece of timber into which the point of the upright stick had been boring and depositing sawdust, and Rob, by industriously blowing at the accumulation, presently caused it to burst into flame.
ranverbUS /ræn/
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading The appliance was twisted about an upright piece of wood sharpened at one end--which was rotated as the lad ran the bow back and forth across it.
riseverbUS /raɪz/
move upward
From this reading Presently smoke began to rise from the flat piece of timber into which the point of the upright stick had been boring and depositing sawdust, and Rob, by industriously blowing at the accumulation, presently caused it to burst into flame.
RobverbUS /rɑːb/
take something away by force or without the consent of the owner
From this reading "Whatever are you doing, Rob?"
rotatedadjectiveUS /ˈroʊteɪtɪd/
turned in a circle around an axis
From this reading The appliance was twisted about an upright piece of wood sharpened at one end--which was rotated as the lad ran the bow back and forth across it.
sawdustnounUS /ˈsɔːdʌst/
fine particles of wood made by sawing wood
From this reading Presently smoke began to rise from the flat piece of timber into which the point of the upright stick had been boring and depositing sawdust, and Rob, by industriously blowing at the accumulation, presently caused it to burst into flame.
sharpenedadjectiveUS /ˈʃɑːrpənd/
having the point made sharp
From this reading The appliance was twisted about an upright piece of wood sharpened at one end--which was rotated as the lad ran the bow back and forth across it.
smokenounUS /smoʊk/
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading Presently smoke began to rise from the flat piece of timber into which the point of the upright stick had been boring and depositing sawdust, and Rob, by industriously blowing at the accumulation, presently caused it to burst into flame.
stickverbUS /stɪk/
put, fix, force, or implant
From this reading Rob was bending over a curious-looking apparatus, consisting of a bent stick held in a bow-shape by a taut leather thong.
tautadjectiveUS /tɔːt/
pulled or drawn tight
From this reading Rob was bending over a curious-looking apparatus, consisting of a bent stick held in a bow-shape by a taut leather thong.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was the morning after the consultation of Jack Curtiss and his cronies, and Corporal Crawford was looking over the fence into his leader's yard.
thongnounUS /θɔːŋ/
leather strip that forms the flexible part of a whip
From this reading Rob was bending over a curious-looking apparatus, consisting of a bent stick held in a bow-shape by a taut leather thong.
timbernounUS /ˈtɪmbər/
the wood of trees cut and prepared for use as building material
From this reading Presently smoke began to rise from the flat piece of timber into which the point of the upright stick had been boring and depositing sawdust, and Rob, by industriously blowing at the accumulation, presently caused it to burst into flame.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Presently smoke began to rise from the flat piece of timber into which the point of the upright stick had been boring and depositing sawdust, and Rob, by industriously blowing at the accumulation, presently caused it to burst into flame.
twistedadjectiveUS /ˈtwɪstɪd/
having an intended meaning altered or misrepresented
From this reading The appliance was twisted about an upright piece of wood sharpened at one end--which was rotated as the lad ran the bow back and forth across it.
uprightadjectiveUS /əˈpraɪt/
in a vertical position; not sloping
From this reading The appliance was twisted about an upright piece of wood sharpened at one end--which was rotated as the lad ran the bow back and forth across it.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was the morning after the consultation of Jack Curtiss and his cronies, and Corporal Crawford was looking over the fence into his leader's yard.
WhateverdeterminerUS /ˌwʌˈtevər/
any or all of a kind, it does not matter which
From this reading "Whatever are you doing, Rob?"
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The appliance was twisted about an upright piece of wood sharpened at one end--which was rotated as the lad ran the bow back and forth across it.
woodnounUS /wʊd/
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading The appliance was twisted about an upright piece of wood sharpened at one end--which was rotated as the lad ran the bow back and forth across it.
yardnounUS /jɑːrd/
a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading It was the morning after the consultation of Jack Curtiss and his cronies, and Corporal Crawford was looking over the fence into his leader's yard.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Whatever are you doing, Rob?"
