adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They found themselves at the beginning of a tolerably wide gallery.
ancientadjectiveUS /ˈeɪn.ʃənt/
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading The explorers question whether, by a strange chance, they had not been transported into some ancient mine, of the existence of which even the oldest miners in the county had ever known.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading EXPLORING At Harry’s call, James Starr, Madge, and Simon Ford entered through the narrow orifice which put the Dochart pit in communication with the new mine.
AtprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading EXPLORING At Harry’s call, James Starr, Madge, and Simon Ford entered through the narrow orifice which put the Dochart pit in communication with the new mine.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading One might well believe that it had been pierced by the hand of man, that the pick and mattock had emptied it in the working of a new vein.
beginningnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading They found themselves at the beginning of a tolerably wide gallery.
believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading One might well believe that it had been pierced by the hand of man, that the pick and mattock had emptied it in the working of a new vein.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading One might well believe that it had been pierced by the hand of man, that the pick and mattock had emptied it in the working of a new vein.
callverbUS /kɔːl/
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading EXPLORING At Harry’s call, James Starr, Madge, and Simon Ford entered through the narrow orifice which put the Dochart pit in communication with the new mine.
chancenounUS /tʃæns/
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading The explorers question whether, by a strange chance, they had not been transported into some ancient mine, of the existence of which even the oldest miners in the county had ever known.
communicationnounUS /kəˌmjuːnəˈkeɪʃən/
the activity of communicating; the activity of conveying information
From this reading EXPLORING At Harry’s call, James Starr, Madge, and Simon Ford entered through the narrow orifice which put the Dochart pit in communication with the new mine.
countynounUS /ˈkaʊnti/
(United Kingdom) a region created by territorial division for the purpose of local government
From this reading The explorers question whether, by a strange chance, they had not been transported into some ancient mine, of the existence of which even the oldest miners in the county had ever known.
Dochart
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading EXPLORING At Harry’s call, James Starr, Madge, and Simon Ford entered through the narrow orifice which put the Dochart pit in communication with the new mine.
emptiedverbUS /ˈemptid/
inflected form of “empty” — make void or empty of contents
From this reading One might well believe that it had been pierced by the hand of man, that the pick and mattock had emptied it in the working of a new vein.
enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading EXPLORING At Harry’s call, James Starr, Madge, and Simon Ford entered through the narrow orifice which put the Dochart pit in communication with the new mine.
evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/
divisible by two
From this reading The explorers question whether, by a strange chance, they had not been transported into some ancient mine, of the existence of which even the oldest miners in the county had ever known.
everadverbUS /ˈevər/
at any time
From this reading The explorers question whether, by a strange chance, they had not been transported into some ancient mine, of the existence of which even the oldest miners in the county had ever known.
existencenounUS /eɡˈzɪstəns/
the state or fact of existing
From this reading The explorers question whether, by a strange chance, they had not been transported into some ancient mine, of the existence of which even the oldest miners in the county had ever known.
explorersnounUS /ɪkˈsplɔːrərz/
plural of “explorer” — someone who travels into little known regions (especially for some scientific purpose)
From this reading The explorers question whether, by a strange chance, they had not been transported into some ancient mine, of the existence of which even the oldest miners in the county had ever known.
EXPLORINGverbUS /ɪkˈsplɔːrɪŋ/
-ing form of “explore” — inquire into
From this reading EXPLORING At Harry’s call, James Starr, Madge, and Simon Ford entered through the narrow orifice which put the Dochart pit in communication with the new mine.
FordnounUS /fɔːrd/
United States film maker (1896-1973)
From this reading EXPLORING At Harry’s call, James Starr, Madge, and Simon Ford entered through the narrow orifice which put the Dochart pit in communication with the new mine.
foundverbUS /faʊnd/
set up or found
From this reading They found themselves at the beginning of a tolerably wide gallery.
gallerynounUS /ˈɡæləri/
spectators at a golf or tennis match
From this reading They found themselves at the beginning of a tolerably wide gallery.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading One might well believe that it had been pierced by the hand of man, that the pick and mattock had emptied it in the working of a new vein.
handnounUS /hænd/
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading One might well believe that it had been pierced by the hand of man, that the pick and mattock had emptied it in the working of a new vein.
Harry's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading EXPLORING At Harry’s call, James Starr, Madge, and Simon Ford entered through the narrow orifice which put the Dochart pit in communication with the new mine.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading EXPLORING At Harry’s call, James Starr, Madge, and Simon Ford entered through the narrow orifice which put the Dochart pit in communication with the new mine.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The explorers question whether, by a strange chance, they had not been transported into some ancient mine, of the existence of which even the oldest miners in the county had ever known.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading One might well believe that it had been pierced by the hand of man, that the pick and mattock had emptied it in the working of a new vein.
JamesnounUS /dʒeɪmz/
a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)
From this reading EXPLORING At Harry’s call, James Starr, Madge, and Simon Ford entered through the narrow orifice which put the Dochart pit in communication with the new mine.
knownadjectiveUS /noʊn/
apprehended with certainty
From this reading The explorers question whether, by a strange chance, they had not been transported into some ancient mine, of the existence of which even the oldest miners in the county had ever known.
Madge
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading EXPLORING At Harry’s call, James Starr, Madge, and Simon Ford entered through the narrow orifice which put the Dochart pit in communication with the new mine.
mannounUS /mæn/
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading One might well believe that it had been pierced by the hand of man, that the pick and mattock had emptied it in the working of a new vein.
mattocknoun
a kind of pick that is used for digging; has a flat blade set at right angles to the handle
From this reading One might well believe that it had been pierced by the hand of man, that the pick and mattock had emptied it in the working of a new vein.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading One might well believe that it had been pierced by the hand of man, that the pick and mattock had emptied it in the working of a new vein.
minepronounUS /maɪn/
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading EXPLORING At Harry’s call, James Starr, Madge, and Simon Ford entered through the narrow orifice which put the Dochart pit in communication with the new mine.
minersnounUS /ˈmaɪnərz/
plural of “miner” — laborer who works in a mine
From this reading The explorers question whether, by a strange chance, they had not been transported into some ancient mine, of the existence of which even the oldest miners in the county had ever known.
narrowverbUS /ˈneroʊ/
make or become more narrow or restricted
From this reading EXPLORING At Harry’s call, James Starr, Madge, and Simon Ford entered through the narrow orifice which put the Dochart pit in communication with the new mine.
newadjectiveUS /nuː/
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading EXPLORING At Harry’s call, James Starr, Madge, and Simon Ford entered through the narrow orifice which put the Dochart pit in communication with the new mine.
NodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading No!
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The explorers question whether, by a strange chance, they had not been transported into some ancient mine, of the existence of which even the oldest miners in the county had ever known.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They found themselves at the beginning of a tolerably wide gallery.
oldestadjectiveUS /ˈoʊldəst/
superlative of “old” — (used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The explorers question whether, by a strange chance, they had not been transported into some ancient mine, of the existence of which even the oldest miners in the county had ever known.
OnepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One might well believe that it had been pierced by the hand of man, that the pick and mattock had emptied it in the working of a new vein.
orificenounUS /ˈɔːrəfəs/
an aperture or hole that opens into a bodily cavity
From this reading EXPLORING At Harry’s call, James Starr, Madge, and Simon Ford entered through the narrow orifice which put the Dochart pit in communication with the new mine.
pickverbUS /pɪk/
select carefully from a group
From this reading One might well believe that it had been pierced by the hand of man, that the pick and mattock had emptied it in the working of a new vein.
piercedadjectiveUS /pɪrst/
having a hole cut through
From this reading One might well believe that it had been pierced by the hand of man, that the pick and mattock had emptied it in the working of a new vein.
pitnounUS /pɪt/
A large hole in the ground, or an abyss of darkness and peril.
From this reading EXPLORING At Harry’s call, James Starr, Madge, and Simon Ford entered through the narrow orifice which put the Dochart pit in communication with the new mine.
putverbUS /pʊt/
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading EXPLORING At Harry’s call, James Starr, Madge, and Simon Ford entered through the narrow orifice which put the Dochart pit in communication with the new mine.
questionverbUS /ˈkwestʃən/
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading The explorers question whether, by a strange chance, they had not been transported into some ancient mine, of the existence of which even the oldest miners in the county had ever known.
SimonnounUS /ˈsaɪmən/
one of the twelve Apostles (first century)
From this reading EXPLORING At Harry’s call, James Starr, Madge, and Simon Ford entered through the narrow orifice which put the Dochart pit in communication with the new mine.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The explorers question whether, by a strange chance, they had not been transported into some ancient mine, of the existence of which even the oldest miners in the county had ever known.
StarrnounUS /stɑːr/
rock star and drummer for the Beatles (born in 1940)
From this reading EXPLORING At Harry’s call, James Starr, Madge, and Simon Ford entered through the narrow orifice which put the Dochart pit in communication with the new mine.
strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading The explorers question whether, by a strange chance, they had not been transported into some ancient mine, of the existence of which even the oldest miners in the county had ever known.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading One might well believe that it had been pierced by the hand of man, that the pick and mattock had emptied it in the working of a new vein.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading EXPLORING At Harry’s call, James Starr, Madge, and Simon Ford entered through the narrow orifice which put the Dochart pit in communication with the new mine.
themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading They found themselves at the beginning of a tolerably wide gallery.
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They found themselves at the beginning of a tolerably wide gallery.
throughprepositionUS /θruː/
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading EXPLORING At Harry’s call, James Starr, Madge, and Simon Ford entered through the narrow orifice which put the Dochart pit in communication with the new mine.
tolerablyadverb
in an acceptable (but not outstanding) manner
From this reading They found themselves at the beginning of a tolerably wide gallery.
transportedverbUS /trænˈspɔːrtɪd/
past form of “transport” — move something or somebody around; usually over long distances
From this reading The explorers question whether, by a strange chance, they had not been transported into some ancient mine, of the existence of which even the oldest miners in the county had ever known.
veinnounUS /veɪn/
a blood vessel that carries blood from the capillaries toward the heart
From this reading One might well believe that it had been pierced by the hand of man, that the pick and mattock had emptied it in the working of a new vein.
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 One might well believe that it had been pierced by the hand of man, that the pick and mattock had emptied it in the working of a new vein.
whetherconjunctionUS /ˈweðər/
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading The explorers question whether, by a strange chance, they had not been transported into some ancient mine, of the existence of which even the oldest miners in the county had ever known.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading EXPLORING At Harry’s call, James Starr, Madge, and Simon Ford entered through the narrow orifice which put the Dochart pit in communication with the new mine.
wideadjectiveUS /waɪd/
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading They found themselves at the beginning of a tolerably wide gallery.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading EXPLORING At Harry’s call, James Starr, Madge, and Simon Ford entered through the narrow orifice which put the Dochart pit in communication with the new mine.
workingadjectiveUS /ˈwɜːrkɪŋ/
actively engaged in paid work
From this reading One might well believe that it had been pierced by the hand of man, that the pick and mattock had emptied it in the working of a new vein.
