adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
ancientadjectiveUS /ˈeɪn.ʃənt/
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading The country house, so ancient that it seemed part of the landscape, settled down secretively into the wintry darkness and watched the night with eyes of yellow flame.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The country house, so ancient that it seemed part of the landscape, settled down secretively into the wintry darkness and watched the night with eyes of yellow flame.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
assaultnounUS /əˈsɔːlt/
close fighting during the culmination of a military attack
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
attacknounUS /əˈtæk/
(military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)
From this reading The thick December gloom hid it securely from attack.
beamsnounUS /biːmz/
plural of “beam” — a signal transmitted along a narrow path; guides airplane pilots in darkness or bad weather
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
beleagueredverbUS /bɪˈliːɡərd/
past form of “beleaguer” — annoy persistently
From this reading The beleaguered inhabitants felt safe.
centuriesnounUS /ˈsentʃəriz/
plural of “century” — a period of 100 years
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Nothing could find it out.
countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading The country house, so ancient that it seemed part of the landscape, settled down secretively into the wintry darkness and watched the night with eyes of yellow flame.
crumblingverbUS /ˈkrʌmbəlɪŋ/
-ing form of “crumble” — fall apart
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
darknessnounUS /ˈdɑːrknəs/
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The country house, so ancient that it seemed part of the landscape, settled down secretively into the wintry darkness and watched the night with eyes of yellow flame.
DecembernounUS /dɪˈsembər/
the last (12th) month of the year
From this reading The thick December gloom hid it securely from attack.
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The country house, so ancient that it seemed part of the landscape, settled down secretively into the wintry darkness and watched the night with eyes of yellow flame.
eyesnounUS /aɪz/
opinion or judgment
From this reading The country house, so ancient that it seemed part of the landscape, settled down secretively into the wintry darkness and watched the night with eyes of yellow flame.
feltverbUS /felt/
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading The beleaguered inhabitants felt safe.
findverbUS /faɪnd/
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading Nothing could find it out.
flamenounUS /fleɪm/
A hot glowing body of ignited gas produced by fire.
From this reading The country house, so ancient that it seemed part of the landscape, settled down secretively into the wintry darkness and watched the night with eyes of yellow flame.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
fortressnounUS /ˈfɔːrtrəs/
a fortified defensive structure
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The thick December gloom hid it securely from attack.
gloomnounUS /ɡluːm/
a state of partial or total darkness
From this reading The thick December gloom hid it securely from attack.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
hidverbUS /hɪd/
inflected form of “hide” — prevent from being seen or discovered
From this reading The thick December gloom hid it securely from attack.
hillsnounUS /hɪlz/
plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
housenounUS /haʊs/
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The country house, so ancient that it seemed part of the landscape, settled down secretively into the wintry darkness and watched the night with eyes of yellow flame.
impregnableadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpreɡnəbəl/
immune to attack; incapable of being tampered with
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
inhabitantsnounUS /ɪnˈhæbətənts/
plural of “inhabitant” — a person who inhabits a particular place
From this reading The beleaguered inhabitants felt safe.
insteadadverbUS /ˌɪnˈsted/
in place of, or as an alternative to
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The country house, so ancient that it seemed part of the landscape, settled down secretively into the wintry darkness and watched the night with eyes of yellow flame.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The country house, so ancient that it seemed part of the landscape, settled down secretively into the wintry darkness and watched the night with eyes of yellow flame.
landscapenounUS /ˈlændskeɪp/
an expanse of scenery that can be seen in a single view
From this reading The country house, so ancient that it seemed part of the landscape, settled down secretively into the wintry darkness and watched the night with eyes of yellow flame.
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 Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
massnounUS /mæs/
the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
nightnounUS /naɪt/
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading The country house, so ancient that it seemed part of the landscape, settled down secretively into the wintry darkness and watched the night with eyes of yellow flame.
NothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Nothing could find it out.
oaknounUS /oʊk/
the hard durable wood of any oak; used especially for furniture and flooring
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The country house, so ancient that it seemed part of the landscape, settled down secretively into the wintry darkness and watched the night with eyes of yellow flame.
oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Nothing could find it out.
partnounUS /pɑːrt/
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading The country house, so ancient that it seemed part of the landscape, settled down secretively into the wintry darkness and watched the night with eyes of yellow flame.
placesnounUS /ˈpleɪsəz/
plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
protectiveadjectiveUS /prəˈtektɪv/
intended or adapted to afford protection of some kind
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
renderedverbUS /ˈrendərd/
past form of “render” — cause to become
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
resignedverbUS /rɪˈzaɪnd/
past form of “resign” — leave (a job, post, or position) voluntarily
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
resistedverbUS /rɪˈzɪstɪd/
past form of “resist” — elude, especially in a baffling way
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
safeadjectiveUS /seɪf/
free from danger or the risk of harm
From this reading The beleaguered inhabitants felt safe.
secretivelyadverb
in a secretive manner; with a preference for secrecy
From this reading The country house, so ancient that it seemed part of the landscape, settled down secretively into the wintry darkness and watched the night with eyes of yellow flame.
securelyadverbUS /sɪˈkjʊrli/
in a secure manner; in a manner free from danger
From this reading The thick December gloom hid it securely from attack.
seemedverbUS /siːmd/
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The country house, so ancient that it seemed part of the landscape, settled down secretively into the wintry darkness and watched the night with eyes of yellow flame.
settledadjectiveUS /ˈsetəld/
established or decided beyond dispute or doubt
From this reading The country house, so ancient that it seemed part of the landscape, settled down secretively into the wintry darkness and watched the night with eyes of yellow flame.
siegenounUS /siːdʒ/
the action of an armed force that surrounds a fortified place and isolates it while continuing to attack
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The country house, so ancient that it seemed part of the landscape, settled down secretively into the wintry darkness and watched the night with eyes of yellow flame.
solidadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːləd/
characterized by good substantial quality
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The country house, so ancient that it seemed part of the landscape, settled down secretively into the wintry darkness and watched the night with eyes of yellow flame.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The country house, so ancient that it seemed part of the landscape, settled down secretively into the wintry darkness and watched the night with eyes of yellow flame.
themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
thickadjectiveUS /θɪk/
not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions
From this reading The thick December gloom hid it securely from attack.
ThoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
TimenounUS /taɪm/
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
tiredadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərd/
depleted of strength or energy
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
watchedverbUS /wɑːtʃt/
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading The country house, so ancient that it seemed part of the landscape, settled down secretively into the wintry darkness and watched the night with eyes of yellow flame.
wintryadjectiveUS /ˈwɪntri/
characteristic of or occurring in winter
From this reading The country house, so ancient that it seemed part of the landscape, settled down secretively into the wintry darkness and watched the night with eyes of yellow flame.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading The country house, so ancient that it seemed part of the landscape, settled down secretively into the wintry darkness and watched the night with eyes of yellow flame.
woodsnounUS /wʊdz/
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
yearsnounUS /jɪrz/
a late time of life
From this reading Though crumbling in places, the mass of it was solid as a fortress, for the old oak beams had resisted Time so long that the tired years had resigned themselves to siege instead of assault, and the protective hills and woods rendered it impregnable against the centuries.
yellowadjectiveUS /ˈjeloʊ/
of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk
From this reading The country house, so ancient that it seemed part of the landscape, settled down secretively into the wintry darkness and watched the night with eyes of yellow flame.
