adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Em sat alone on a white sheepskin before the fire.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading Em sat alone on a white sheepskin before the fire.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading The August night-wind, weird and shrill, howled round the chimneys and through the crannies, and in walls and doors, and uttered a long low cry as it forced its way among the clefts of the stones on the kopje.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The August night-wind, weird and shrill, howled round the chimneys and through the crannies, and in walls and doors, and uttered a long low cry as it forced its way among the clefts of the stones on the kopje.
armsnounUS /ɑːrmz/
weapons considered collectively
From this reading The prickly-pear tree, stiff and upright as it held its arms, felt the wind’s might, and knocked its flat leaves heavily together, till great branches broke off.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The August night-wind, weird and shrill, howled round the chimneys and through the crannies, and in walls and doors, and uttered a long low cry as it forced its way among the clefts of the stones on the kopje.
AugustnounUS /ˈɑːɡəst/
the month following July and preceding September
From this reading The August night-wind, weird and shrill, howled round the chimneys and through the crannies, and in walls and doors, and uttered a long low cry as it forced its way among the clefts of the stones on the kopje.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Gregory Rose had been gone seven months.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Em sat alone on a white sheepskin before the fire.
branchesnounUS /ˈbræntʃəz/
plural of “branch” — a division of some larger or more complex organization
From this reading The prickly-pear tree, stiff and upright as it held its arms, felt the wind’s might, and knocked its flat leaves heavily together, till great branches broke off.
brokeadjectiveUS /broʊk/
lacking funds
From this reading The prickly-pear tree, stiff and upright as it held its arms, felt the wind’s might, and knocked its flat leaves heavily together, till great branches broke off.
chimneysnounUS /ˈtʃɪmniz/
plural of “chimney” — a vertical flue that provides a path through which smoke from a fire is carried away through the wall or roof of a building
From this reading The August night-wind, weird and shrill, howled round the chimneys and through the crannies, and in walls and doors, and uttered a long low cry as it forced its way among the clefts of the stones on the kopje.
clefts
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The August night-wind, weird and shrill, howled round the chimneys and through the crannies, and in walls and doors, and uttered a long low cry as it forced its way among the clefts of the stones on the kopje.
cranniesnounUS /ˈkræniz/
plural of “cranny” — a long narrow depression in a surface
From this reading The August night-wind, weird and shrill, howled round the chimneys and through the crannies, and in walls and doors, and uttered a long low cry as it forced its way among the clefts of the stones on the kopje.
cryverbUS /kraɪ/
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading The August night-wind, weird and shrill, howled round the chimneys and through the crannies, and in walls and doors, and uttered a long low cry as it forced its way among the clefts of the stones on the kopje.
doorsnounUS /dɔːrz/
plural of “door” — a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading The August night-wind, weird and shrill, howled round the chimneys and through the crannies, and in walls and doors, and uttered a long low cry as it forced its way among the clefts of the stones on the kopje.
EmnounUS /em/
a quad with a square body
From this reading Em sat alone on a white sheepskin before the fire.
feltverbUS /felt/
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading The prickly-pear tree, stiff and upright as it held its arms, felt the wind’s might, and knocked its flat leaves heavily together, till great branches broke off.
fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/
start firing a weapon
From this reading Em sat alone on a white sheepskin before the fire.
flatadjectiveUS /flæt/
having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another
From this reading The prickly-pear tree, stiff and upright as it held its arms, felt the wind’s might, and knocked its flat leaves heavily together, till great branches broke off.
forcedadjectiveUS /fɔːrst/
produced by or subjected to forcing
From this reading The August night-wind, weird and shrill, howled round the chimneys and through the crannies, and in walls and doors, and uttered a long low cry as it forced its way among the clefts of the stones on the kopje.
goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/
destroyed or killed
From this reading Gregory Rose had been gone seven months.
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The prickly-pear tree, stiff and upright as it held its arms, felt the wind’s might, and knocked its flat leaves heavily together, till great branches broke off.
GregorynounUS /ˈɡreɡəri/
(Roman Catholic Church) a church father known for his constant fight against perceived heresies; a saint and Doctor of the Church (329-391)
From this reading Gregory Rose had been gone seven months.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Gregory Rose had been gone seven months.
heavilyadverbUS /ˈhevəli/
to a considerable degree
From this reading The prickly-pear tree, stiff and upright as it held its arms, felt the wind’s might, and knocked its flat leaves heavily together, till great branches broke off.
heldadjectiveUS /held/
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading The prickly-pear tree, stiff and upright as it held its arms, felt the wind’s might, and knocked its flat leaves heavily together, till great branches broke off.
howledverbUS /haʊld/
past form of “howl” — emit long loud cries
From this reading The August night-wind, weird and shrill, howled round the chimneys and through the crannies, and in walls and doors, and uttered a long low cry as it forced its way among the clefts of the stones on the kopje.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The August night-wind, weird and shrill, howled round the chimneys and through the crannies, and in walls and doors, and uttered a long low cry as it forced its way among the clefts of the stones on the kopje.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The August night-wind, weird and shrill, howled round the chimneys and through the crannies, and in walls and doors, and uttered a long low cry as it forced its way among the clefts of the stones on the kopje.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The August night-wind, weird and shrill, howled round the chimneys and through the crannies, and in walls and doors, and uttered a long low cry as it forced its way among the clefts of the stones on the kopje.
knockedverbUS /nɑːkt/
past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading The prickly-pear tree, stiff and upright as it held its arms, felt the wind’s might, and knocked its flat leaves heavily together, till great branches broke off.
kopjenoun
a small hill rising up from the African veld
From this reading The August night-wind, weird and shrill, howled round the chimneys and through the crannies, and in walls and doors, and uttered a long low cry as it forced its way among the clefts of the stones on the kopje.
leavesnounUS /liːvz/
plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading The prickly-pear tree, stiff and upright as it held its arms, felt the wind’s might, and knocked its flat leaves heavily together, till great branches broke off.
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 The August night-wind, weird and shrill, howled round the chimneys and through the crannies, and in walls and doors, and uttered a long low cry as it forced its way among the clefts of the stones on the kopje.
lowadjectiveUS /loʊ/
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading The August night-wind, weird and shrill, howled round the chimneys and through the crannies, and in walls and doors, and uttered a long low cry as it forced its way among the clefts of the stones on the kopje.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading The prickly-pear tree, stiff and upright as it held its arms, felt the wind’s might, and knocked its flat leaves heavily together, till great branches broke off.
monthsnounUS /mʌnθs/
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading Gregory Rose had been gone seven months.
nightnounUS /naɪt/
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading It was a wild night.
night-wind
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The August night-wind, weird and shrill, howled round the chimneys and through the crannies, and in walls and doors, and uttered a long low cry as it forced its way among the clefts of the stones on the kopje.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The August night-wind, weird and shrill, howled round the chimneys and through the crannies, and in walls and doors, and uttered a long low cry as it forced its way among the clefts of the stones on the kopje.
offadverbUS /ɔːf/
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The prickly-pear tree, stiff and upright as it held its arms, felt the wind’s might, and knocked its flat leaves heavily together, till great branches broke off.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Em sat alone on a white sheepskin before the fire.
prickly-pear
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The prickly-pear tree, stiff and upright as it held its arms, felt the wind’s might, and knocked its flat leaves heavily together, till great branches broke off.
RosenounUS /roʊz/
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading Gregory Rose had been gone seven months.
roundnounUS /raʊnd/
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading The August night-wind, weird and shrill, howled round the chimneys and through the crannies, and in walls and doors, and uttered a long low cry as it forced its way among the clefts of the stones on the kopje.
satnounUS /sæt/
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Em sat alone on a white sheepskin before the fire.
sevennounUS /ˈsevən/
the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one
From this reading Gregory Rose had been gone seven months.
sheepskinnounUS /ˈʃiːpskɪn/
tanned skin of a sheep with the fleece left on; used for clothing
From this reading Em sat alone on a white sheepskin before the fire.
shrilladjectiveUS /ʃrɪl/
having or emitting a high-pitched and sharp tone or tones
From this reading The August night-wind, weird and shrill, howled round the chimneys and through the crannies, and in walls and doors, and uttered a long low cry as it forced its way among the clefts of the stones on the kopje.
stiffadjectiveUS /stɪf/
not moving or operating freely
From this reading The prickly-pear tree, stiff and upright as it held its arms, felt the wind’s might, and knocked its flat leaves heavily together, till great branches broke off.
stonesnounUS /stoʊnz/
plural of “stone” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading The August night-wind, weird and shrill, howled round the chimneys and through the crannies, and in walls and doors, and uttered a long low cry as it forced its way among the clefts of the stones on the kopje.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Em sat alone on a white sheepskin before the fire.
throughprepositionUS /θruː/
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The August night-wind, weird and shrill, howled round the chimneys and through the crannies, and in walls and doors, and uttered a long low cry as it forced its way among the clefts of the stones on the kopje.
tillprepositionUS /tɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading The prickly-pear tree, stiff and upright as it held its arms, felt the wind’s might, and knocked its flat leaves heavily together, till great branches broke off.
togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading The prickly-pear tree, stiff and upright as it held its arms, felt the wind’s might, and knocked its flat leaves heavily together, till great branches broke off.
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 The prickly-pear tree, stiff and upright as it held its arms, felt the wind’s might, and knocked its flat leaves heavily together, till great branches broke off.
uprightadjectiveUS /əˈpraɪt/
in a vertical position; not sloping
From this reading The prickly-pear tree, stiff and upright as it held its arms, felt the wind’s might, and knocked its flat leaves heavily together, till great branches broke off.
utteredadjectiveUS /ˈʌtərd/
communicated in words
From this reading The August night-wind, weird and shrill, howled round the chimneys and through the crannies, and in walls and doors, and uttered a long low cry as it forced its way among the clefts of the stones on the kopje.
wallsnounUS /wɔːlz/
plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading The August night-wind, weird and shrill, howled round the chimneys and through the crannies, and in walls and doors, and uttered a long low cry as it forced its way among the clefts of the stones on the kopje.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a wild night.
waynounUS /weɪ/
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading The August night-wind, weird and shrill, howled round the chimneys and through the crannies, and in walls and doors, and uttered a long low cry as it forced its way among the clefts of the stones on the kopje.
weirdadjectiveUS /wɪrd/
suggesting the operation of supernatural influences
From this reading The August night-wind, weird and shrill, howled round the chimneys and through the crannies, and in walls and doors, and uttered a long low cry as it forced its way among the clefts of the stones on the kopje.
whitenounUS /waɪt/
a Caucasian
From this reading Em sat alone on a white sheepskin before the fire.
wildadjectiveUS /waɪld/
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading It was a wild night.
wind'snounUS /wɪndz/
possessive form of “wind” — air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading The prickly-pear tree, stiff and upright as it held its arms, felt the wind’s might, and knocked its flat leaves heavily together, till great branches broke off.
