Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They were mostly old men, feeble or besotted, and all they knew was work--where jobs might be good, where jobs had been good; but the places they mentioned were always a long way off.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Numbers of tramps, carrying rolls of blankets, were met, traveling both north and south on the county road; and from talks with them Saxon quickly learned that they knew little or nothing about farming.
accomplished
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is forty miles from Oakland to San Jose, and Saxon and Billy accomplished it in three easy days.
all
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were mostly old men, feeble or besotted, and all they knew was work--where jobs might be good, where jobs had been good; but the places they mentioned were always a long way off.
always
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From this reading They were mostly old men, feeble or besotted, and all they knew was work--where jobs might be good, where jobs had been good; but the places they mentioned were always a long way off.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It is forty miles from Oakland to San Jose, and Saxon and Billy accomplished it in three easy days.
angrily
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From this reading No more obliging and angrily garrulous linemen were encountered, and few were the opportunities for conversation with chance wayfarers.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading They were mostly old men, feeble or besotted, and all they knew was work--where jobs might be good, where jobs had been good; but the places they mentioned were always a long way off.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading They were mostly old men, feeble or besotted, and all they knew was work--where jobs might be good, where jobs had been good; but the places they mentioned were always a long way off.
besotted
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From this reading They were mostly old men, feeble or besotted, and all they knew was work--where jobs might be good, where jobs had been good; but the places they mentioned were always a long way off.
Billy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is forty miles from Oakland to San Jose, and Saxon and Billy accomplished it in three easy days.
blankets
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From this reading Numbers of tramps, carrying rolls of blankets, were met, traveling both north and south on the county road; and from talks with them Saxon quickly learned that they knew little or nothing about farming.
bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/
the two together, not just one
From this reading Numbers of tramps, carrying rolls of blankets, were met, traveling both north and south on the county road; and from talks with them Saxon quickly learned that they knew little or nothing about farming.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading They were mostly old men, feeble or besotted, and all they knew was work--where jobs might be good, where jobs had been good; but the places they mentioned were always a long way off.
carrying
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Numbers of tramps, carrying rolls of blankets, were met, traveling both north and south on the county road; and from talks with them Saxon quickly learned that they knew little or nothing about farming.
chance
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From this reading No more obliging and angrily garrulous linemen were encountered, and few were the opportunities for conversation with chance wayfarers.
conversation
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From this reading No more obliging and angrily garrulous linemen were encountered, and few were the opportunities for conversation with chance wayfarers.
country
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One thing she did glean from them, and that was that the district she and Billy were passing through was “small-farmer” country in which labor was rarely hired, and that when it was it generally was Portuguese.
county
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From this reading Numbers of tramps, carrying rolls of blankets, were met, traveling both north and south on the county road; and from talks with them Saxon quickly learned that they knew little or nothing about farming.
days
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is forty miles from Oakland to San Jose, and Saxon and Billy accomplished it in three easy days.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading One thing she did glean from them, and that was that the district she and Billy were passing through was “small-farmer” country in which labor was rarely hired, and that when it was it generally was Portuguese.
district
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One thing she did glean from them, and that was that the district she and Billy were passing through was “small-farmer” country in which labor was rarely hired, and that when it was it generally was Portuguese.
easy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is forty miles from Oakland to San Jose, and Saxon and Billy accomplished it in three easy days.
encountered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No more obliging and angrily garrulous linemen were encountered, and few were the opportunities for conversation with chance wayfarers.
farming
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Numbers of tramps, carrying rolls of blankets, were met, traveling both north and south on the county road; and from talks with them Saxon quickly learned that they knew little or nothing about farming.
feeble
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were mostly old men, feeble or besotted, and all they knew was work--where jobs might be good, where jobs had been good; but the places they mentioned were always a long way off.
few
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No more obliging and angrily garrulous linemen were encountered, and few were the opportunities for conversation with chance wayfarers.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading No more obliging and angrily garrulous linemen were encountered, and few were the opportunities for conversation with chance wayfarers.
forty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is forty miles from Oakland to San Jose, and Saxon and Billy accomplished it in three easy days.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading It is forty miles from Oakland to San Jose, and Saxon and Billy accomplished it in three easy days.
garrulous
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No more obliging and angrily garrulous linemen were encountered, and few were the opportunities for conversation with chance wayfarers.
generally
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One thing she did glean from them, and that was that the district she and Billy were passing through was “small-farmer” country in which labor was rarely hired, and that when it was it generally was Portuguese.
glean
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One thing she did glean from them, and that was that the district she and Billy were passing through was “small-farmer” country in which labor was rarely hired, and that when it was it generally was Portuguese.
goodnounUS /good/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading They were mostly old men, feeble or besotted, and all they knew was work--where jobs might be good, where jobs had been good; but the places they mentioned were always a long way off.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They were mostly old men, feeble or besotted, and all they knew was work--where jobs might be good, where jobs had been good; but the places they mentioned were always a long way off.
hired
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One thing she did glean from them, and that was that the district she and Billy were passing through was “small-farmer” country in which labor was rarely hired, and that when it was it generally was Portuguese.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It is forty miles from Oakland to San Jose, and Saxon and Billy accomplished it in three easy days.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is forty miles from Oakland to San Jose, and Saxon and Billy accomplished it in three easy days.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It is forty miles from Oakland to San Jose, and Saxon and Billy accomplished it in three easy days.
jobs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were mostly old men, feeble or besotted, and all they knew was work--where jobs might be good, where jobs had been good; but the places they mentioned were always a long way off.
Jose
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is forty miles from Oakland to San Jose, and Saxon and Billy accomplished it in three easy days.
knew
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Numbers of tramps, carrying rolls of blankets, were met, traveling both north and south on the county road; and from talks with them Saxon quickly learned that they knew little or nothing about farming.
labor
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One thing she did glean from them, and that was that the district she and Billy were passing through was “small-farmer” country in which labor was rarely hired, and that when it was it generally was Portuguese.
learned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Numbers of tramps, carrying rolls of blankets, were met, traveling both north and south on the county road; and from talks with them Saxon quickly learned that they knew little or nothing about farming.
linemen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No more obliging and angrily garrulous linemen were encountered, and few were the opportunities for conversation with chance wayfarers.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Numbers of tramps, carrying rolls of blankets, were met, traveling both north and south on the county road; and from talks with them Saxon quickly learned that they knew little or nothing about farming.
longnounUS /long/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading They were mostly old men, feeble or besotted, and all they knew was work--where jobs might be good, where jobs had been good; but the places they mentioned were always a long way off.
men
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were mostly old men, feeble or besotted, and all they knew was work--where jobs might be good, where jobs had been good; but the places they mentioned were always a long way off.
mentioned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were mostly old men, feeble or besotted, and all they knew was work--where jobs might be good, where jobs had been good; but the places they mentioned were always a long way off.
met
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Numbers of tramps, carrying rolls of blankets, were met, traveling both north and south on the county road; and from talks with them Saxon quickly learned that they knew little or nothing about farming.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading They were mostly old men, feeble or besotted, and all they knew was work--where jobs might be good, where jobs had been good; but the places they mentioned were always a long way off.
miles
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is forty miles from Oakland to San Jose, and Saxon and Billy accomplished it in three easy days.
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No more obliging and angrily garrulous linemen were encountered, and few were the opportunities for conversation with chance wayfarers.
mostly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were mostly old men, feeble or besotted, and all they knew was work--where jobs might be good, where jobs had been good; but the places they mentioned were always a long way off.
NodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading No more obliging and angrily garrulous linemen were encountered, and few were the opportunities for conversation with chance wayfarers.
north
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Numbers of tramps, carrying rolls of blankets, were met, traveling both north and south on the county road; and from talks with them Saxon quickly learned that they knew little or nothing about farming.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Numbers of tramps, carrying rolls of blankets, were met, traveling both north and south on the county road; and from talks with them Saxon quickly learned that they knew little or nothing about farming.
Numbers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Numbers of tramps, carrying rolls of blankets, were met, traveling both north and south on the county road; and from talks with them Saxon quickly learned that they knew little or nothing about farming.
Oakland
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is forty miles from Oakland to San Jose, and Saxon and Billy accomplished it in three easy days.
obliging
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No more obliging and angrily garrulous linemen were encountered, and few were the opportunities for conversation with chance wayfarers.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Numbers of tramps, carrying rolls of blankets, were met, traveling both north and south on the county road; and from talks with them Saxon quickly learned that they knew little or nothing about farming.
off
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were mostly old men, feeble or besotted, and all they knew was work--where jobs might be good, where jobs had been good; but the places they mentioned were always a long way off.
old
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were mostly old men, feeble or besotted, and all they knew was work--where jobs might be good, where jobs had been good; but the places they mentioned were always a long way off.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Numbers of tramps, carrying rolls of blankets, were met, traveling both north and south on the county road; and from talks with them Saxon quickly learned that they knew little or nothing about farming.
OnepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One thing she did glean from them, and that was that the district she and Billy were passing through was “small-farmer” country in which labor was rarely hired, and that when it was it generally was Portuguese.
opportunities
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No more obliging and angrily garrulous linemen were encountered, and few were the opportunities for conversation with chance wayfarers.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Numbers of tramps, carrying rolls of blankets, were met, traveling both north and south on the county road; and from talks with them Saxon quickly learned that they knew little or nothing about farming.
passing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One thing she did glean from them, and that was that the district she and Billy were passing through was “small-farmer” country in which labor was rarely hired, and that when it was it generally was Portuguese.
places
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were mostly old men, feeble or besotted, and all they knew was work--where jobs might be good, where jobs had been good; but the places they mentioned were always a long way off.
Portuguese
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One thing she did glean from them, and that was that the district she and Billy were passing through was “small-farmer” country in which labor was rarely hired, and that when it was it generally was Portuguese.
quickly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Numbers of tramps, carrying rolls of blankets, were met, traveling both north and south on the county road; and from talks with them Saxon quickly learned that they knew little or nothing about farming.
rarely
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One thing she did glean from them, and that was that the district she and Billy were passing through was “small-farmer” country in which labor was rarely hired, and that when it was it generally was Portuguese.
road
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Numbers of tramps, carrying rolls of blankets, were met, traveling both north and south on the county road; and from talks with them Saxon quickly learned that they knew little or nothing about farming.
rolls
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Numbers of tramps, carrying rolls of blankets, were met, traveling both north and south on the county road; and from talks with them Saxon quickly learned that they knew little or nothing about farming.
San
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is forty miles from Oakland to San Jose, and Saxon and Billy accomplished it in three easy days.
Saxon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is forty miles from Oakland to San Jose, and Saxon and Billy accomplished it in three easy days.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading One thing she did glean from them, and that was that the district she and Billy were passing through was “small-farmer” country in which labor was rarely hired, and that when it was it generally was Portuguese.
small-farmer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One thing she did glean from them, and that was that the district she and Billy were passing through was “small-farmer” country in which labor was rarely hired, and that when it was it generally was Portuguese.
south
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Numbers of tramps, carrying rolls of blankets, were met, traveling both north and south on the county road; and from talks with them Saxon quickly learned that they knew little or nothing about farming.
talks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Numbers of tramps, carrying rolls of blankets, were met, traveling both north and south on the county road; and from talks with them Saxon quickly learned that they knew little or nothing about farming.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Numbers of tramps, carrying rolls of blankets, were met, traveling both north and south on the county road; and from talks with them Saxon quickly learned that they knew little or nothing about farming.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading No more obliging and angrily garrulous linemen were encountered, and few were the opportunities for conversation with chance wayfarers.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Numbers of tramps, carrying rolls of blankets, were met, traveling both north and south on the county road; and from talks with them Saxon quickly learned that they knew little or nothing about farming.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Numbers of tramps, carrying rolls of blankets, were met, traveling both north and south on the county road; and from talks with them Saxon quickly learned that they knew little or nothing about farming.
thingnounUS /thing/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading One thing she did glean from them, and that was that the district she and Billy were passing through was “small-farmer” country in which labor was rarely hired, and that when it was it generally was Portuguese.
three
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is forty miles from Oakland to San Jose, and Saxon and Billy accomplished it in three easy days.
throughnounUS /ˈthrough/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading One thing she did glean from them, and that was that the district she and Billy were passing through was “small-farmer” country in which labor was rarely hired, and that when it was it generally was Portuguese.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It is forty miles from Oakland to San Jose, and Saxon and Billy accomplished it in three easy days.
tramps
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Numbers of tramps, carrying rolls of blankets, were met, traveling both north and south on the county road; and from talks with them Saxon quickly learned that they knew little or nothing about farming.
traveling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Numbers of tramps, carrying rolls of blankets, were met, traveling both north and south on the county road; and from talks with them Saxon quickly learned that they knew little or nothing about farming.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading They were mostly old men, feeble or besotted, and all they knew was work--where jobs might be good, where jobs had been good; but the places they mentioned were always a long way off.
way
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were mostly old men, feeble or besotted, and all they knew was work--where jobs might be good, where jobs had been good; but the places they mentioned were always a long way off.
wayfarers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No more obliging and angrily garrulous linemen were encountered, and few were the opportunities for conversation with chance wayfarers.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading No more obliging and angrily garrulous linemen were encountered, and few were the opportunities for conversation with chance wayfarers.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading One thing she did glean from them, and that was that the district she and Billy were passing through was “small-farmer” country in which labor was rarely hired, and that when it was it generally was Portuguese.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading They were mostly old men, feeble or besotted, and all they knew was work--where jobs might be good, where jobs had been good; but the places they mentioned were always a long way off.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading One thing she did glean from them, and that was that the district she and Billy were passing through was “small-farmer” country in which labor was rarely hired, and that when it was it generally was Portuguese.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading No more obliging and angrily garrulous linemen were encountered, and few were the opportunities for conversation with chance wayfarers.
work
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were mostly old men, feeble or besotted, and all they knew was work--where jobs might be good, where jobs had been good; but the places they mentioned were always a long way off.
