adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There was once in a faraway country where few people have ever travelled, a wonderful church.
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
altarnounUS /ˈɔːltər/
the table in Christian churches where communion is given
From this reading This room was so long that one standing at the doorway could scarcely see to the other end, where the choir stood by the marble altar.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
antsnounUS /ænts/
plural of “ant” — social insect living in organized colonies; characteristically the males and fertile queen have wings during breeding season; wingless sterile females are the workers
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
archways
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading In the farthest corner was the organ; and this organ was so loud, that sometimes when it played, the people for miles around would close their shutters and prepare for a great thunderstorm.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading This room was so long that one standing at the doorway could scarcely see to the other end, where the choir stood by the marble altar.
buildingnounUS /ˈbɪldɪŋ/
a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading When you came to the building itself, you found stone columns and dark passages, and a grand entrance leading to the main room of the church.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading This room was so long that one standing at the doorway could scarcely see to the other end, where the choir stood by the marble altar.
cameverbUS /keɪm/
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading When you came to the building itself, you found stone columns and dark passages, and a grand entrance leading to the main room of the church.
choirnounUS /ˈkwaɪər/
a chorus that sings as part of a religious ceremony
From this reading This room was so long that one standing at the doorway could scarcely see to the other end, where the choir stood by the marble altar.
ChristmasnounUS /ˈkrɪsməs/
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
churchnounUS /tʃɜːrtʃ/
one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
From this reading There was once in a faraway country where few people have ever travelled, a wonderful church.
citynounUS /ˈsɪti/
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
climbedverbUS /klaɪmd/
past form of “climb” — go upward with gradual or continuous progress
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
closeadjectiveUS /kloʊs/
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading In the farthest corner was the organ; and this organ was so loud, that sometimes when it played, the people for miles around would close their shutters and prepare for a great thunderstorm.
columnsnounUS /ˈkɑːləmz/
plural of “column” — a line of units following one after another
From this reading When you came to the building itself, you found stone columns and dark passages, and a grand entrance leading to the main room of the church.
cornernounUS /ˈkɔːrnər/
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading In the farthest corner was the organ; and this organ was so loud, that sometimes when it played, the people for miles around would close their shutters and prepare for a great thunderstorm.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading This room was so long that one standing at the doorway could scarcely see to the other end, where the choir stood by the marble altar.
countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading There was once in a faraway country where few people have ever travelled, a wonderful church.
darknounUS /dɑːrk/
absence of light or illumination
From this reading When you came to the building itself, you found stone columns and dark passages, and a grand entrance leading to the main room of the church.
daysnounUS /deɪz/
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
directionnounUS /dərˈekʃən/
a line leading to a place or point
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
doorwaynounUS /ˈdɔːrweɪ/
the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close
From this reading This room was so long that one standing at the doorway could scarcely see to the other end, where the choir stood by the marble altar.
endnounUS /end/
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading This room was so long that one standing at the doorway could scarcely see to the other end, where the choir stood by the marble altar.
entrancenounUS /ˈentrəns/
something that provides access (to get in or get out)
From this reading When you came to the building itself, you found stone columns and dark passages, and a grand entrance leading to the main room of the church.
everadverbUS /ˈevər/
at any time
From this reading There was once in a faraway country where few people have ever travelled, a wonderful church.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
farawayadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːrəˈweɪ/
very far away in space or time
From this reading There was once in a faraway country where few people have ever travelled, a wonderful church.
farthestadverbUS /ˈfɑːrðəst/
to the greatest distance in space or time (“farthest” is used more often than “furthest” in this physical sense)
From this reading In the farthest corner was the organ; and this organ was so loud, that sometimes when it played, the people for miles around would close their shutters and prepare for a great thunderstorm.
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 There was once in a faraway country where few people have ever travelled, a wonderful church.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading In the farthest corner was the organ; and this organ was so loud, that sometimes when it played, the people for miles around would close their shutters and prepare for a great thunderstorm.
foundverbUS /faʊnd/
set up or found
From this reading When you came to the building itself, you found stone columns and dark passages, and a grand entrance leading to the main room of the church.
grandadjectiveUS /ɡrænd/
of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope
From this reading When you came to the building itself, you found stone columns and dark passages, and a grand entrance leading to the main room of the church.
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading There was once in a faraway country where few people have ever travelled, a wonderful church.
highadjectiveUS /haɪ/
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
hillnounUS /hɪl/
a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There was once in a faraway country where few people have ever travelled, a wonderful church.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading When you came to the building itself, you found stone columns and dark passages, and a grand entrance leading to the main room of the church.
leadingadjectiveUS /ˈliːdɪŋ/
indicating the most important performer or role
From this reading When you came to the building itself, you found stone columns and dark passages, and a grand entrance leading to the main room of the church.
likeverbUS /laɪk/
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
linesnounUS /laɪnz/
plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading This room was so long that one standing at the doorway could scarcely see to the other end, where the choir stood by the marble altar.
lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
loudadjectiveUS /laʊd/
characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity
From this reading In the farthest corner was the organ; and this organ was so loud, that sometimes when it played, the people for miles around would close their shutters and prepare for a great thunderstorm.
mainadjectiveUS /meɪn/
most important element
From this reading When you came to the building itself, you found stone columns and dark passages, and a grand entrance leading to the main room of the church.
marblenounUS /ˈmɑːrbəl/
a hard crystalline metamorphic rock that takes a high polish; used for sculpture and as building material
From this reading This room was so long that one standing at the doorway could scarcely see to the other end, where the choir stood by the marble altar.
midstnounUS /mɪdst/
the location of something surrounded by other things
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
milesnounUS /maɪlz/
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading In the farthest corner was the organ; and this organ was so loud, that sometimes when it played, the people for miles around would close their shutters and prepare for a great thunderstorm.
movingadjectiveUS /ˈmuːvɪŋ/
in motion
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
onceadverbUS /wʌns/
on one occasion
From this reading There was once in a faraway country where few people have ever travelled, a wonderful church.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading This room was so long that one standing at the doorway could scarcely see to the other end, where the choir stood by the marble altar.
organnounUS /ˈɔːrɡən/
a fully differentiated structural and functional unit in an animal that is specialized for some particular function
From this reading In the farthest corner was the organ; and this organ was so loud, that sometimes when it played, the people for miles around would close their shutters and prepare for a great thunderstorm.
otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading This room was so long that one standing at the doorway could scarcely see to the other end, where the choir stood by the marble altar.
passagesnounUS /ˈpæsədʒəz/
plural of “passage” — the act of passing from one state or place to the next
From this reading When you came to the building itself, you found stone columns and dark passages, and a grand entrance leading to the main room of the church.
peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading There was once in a faraway country where few people have ever travelled, a wonderful church.
playedadjectiveUS /pleɪd/
(of games) engaged in
From this reading In the farthest corner was the organ; and this organ was so loud, that sometimes when it played, the people for miles around would close their shutters and prepare for a great thunderstorm.
prepareverbUS /priˈper/
make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc
From this reading In the farthest corner was the organ; and this organ was so loud, that sometimes when it played, the people for miles around would close their shutters and prepare for a great thunderstorm.
roomnounUS /ruːm/
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading When you came to the building itself, you found stone columns and dark passages, and a grand entrance leading to the main room of the church.
sacredadjectiveUS /ˈseɪkrəd/
concerned with religion or religious purposes
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/
Identical; not different.
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
scarcelyadverbUS /ˈskersli/
only a very short time before
From this reading This room was so long that one standing at the doorway could scarcely see to the other end, where the choir stood by the marble altar.
seeverbUS /siː/
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading This room was so long that one standing at the doorway could scarcely see to the other end, where the choir stood by the marble altar.
shuttersnounUS /ˈʃʌtərz/
plural of “shutter” — a mechanical device on a camera that opens and closes to control the time of a photographic exposure
From this reading In the farthest corner was the organ; and this organ was so loud, that sometimes when it played, the people for miles around would close their shutters and prepare for a great thunderstorm.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading This room was so long that one standing at the doorway could scarcely see to the other end, where the choir stood by the marble altar.
sometimesadverbUS /səmˈtaɪmz/
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading In the farthest corner was the organ; and this organ was so loud, that sometimes when it played, the people for miles around would close their shutters and prepare for a great thunderstorm.
standingadjectiveUS /ˈstændɪŋ/
having a supporting base
From this reading This room was so long that one standing at the doorway could scarcely see to the other end, where the choir stood by the marble altar.
stonenounUS /stoʊn/
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading When you came to the building itself, you found stone columns and dark passages, and a grand entrance leading to the main room of the church.
stoodverbUS /stʊd/
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
SundaynounUS /ˈsʌndeɪ/
first day of the week; observed as a day of rest and worship by most Christians
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading This room was so long that one standing at the doorway could scarcely see to the other end, where the choir stood by the marble altar.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading In the farthest corner was the organ; and this organ was so loud, that sometimes when it played, the people for miles around would close their shutters and prepare for a great thunderstorm.
ThereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was once in a faraway country where few people have ever travelled, a wonderful church.
ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This room was so long that one standing at the doorway could scarcely see to the other end, where the choir stood by the marble altar.
thousandsnounUS /ˈθaʊzəndz/
plural of “thousand” — the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
thunderstormnounUS /ˈθʌndərstɔːrm/
a storm resulting from strong rising air currents; heavy rain or hail along with thunder and lightning
From this reading In the farthest corner was the organ; and this organ was so loud, that sometimes when it played, the people for miles around would close their shutters and prepare for a great thunderstorm.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
travelledadjectiveUS /ˈtrævəld/
familiar with many parts of the world
From this reading There was once in a faraway country where few people have ever travelled, a wonderful church.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was once in a faraway country where few people have ever travelled, a wonderful church.
welladverbUS /wel/
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading It stood on a high hill in the midst of a great city; and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading When you came to the building itself, you found stone columns and dark passages, and a grand entrance leading to the main room of the church.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading There was once in a faraway country where few people have ever travelled, a wonderful church.
wonderfuladjectiveUS /ˈwʌndərfəl/
extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers
From this reading There was once in a faraway country where few people have ever travelled, a wonderful church.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading In the farthest corner was the organ; and this organ was so loud, that sometimes when it played, the people for miles around would close their shutters and prepare for a great thunderstorm.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading When you came to the building itself, you found stone columns and dark passages, and a grand entrance leading to the main room of the church.
