andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading They lived on the edge of defeat, and such an existence to earnest people is sombre.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The summer burned itself out, and the autumn winds pierced the rotten staff walls of the temple.
autumnnounUS /ˈɔːtəm/
the season when the leaves fall from the trees
From this reading The summer burned itself out, and the autumn winds pierced the rotten staff walls of the temple.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading They were no nearer to moving into better quarters than they had been in the spring.
betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading They were no nearer to moving into better quarters than they had been in the spring.
burnedadjectiveUS /bɜːrnd/
treated by heating to a high temperature but below the melting or fusing point
From this reading The summer burned itself out, and the autumn winds pierced the rotten staff walls of the temple.
comeverbUS /kʌm/
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The days had come when there was little food, and the last precarious dollar had been spent.
daysnounUS /deɪz/
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading The days had come when there was little food, and the last precarious dollar had been spent.
defeatnounUS /dɪˈfiːt/
an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest
From this reading They lived on the edge of defeat, and such an existence to earnest people is sombre.
dollarnounUS /ˈdɑːlər/
the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 cents
From this reading The days had come when there was little food, and the last precarious dollar had been spent.
earnestadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrnɪst/
characterized by a firm and humorless belief in the validity of your opinions
From this reading They lived on the edge of defeat, and such an existence to earnest people is sombre.
edgenounUS /edʒ/
the boundary of a surface
From this reading They lived on the edge of defeat, and such an existence to earnest people is sombre.
existencenounUS /eɡˈzɪstəns/
the state or fact of existing
From this reading They lived on the edge of defeat, and such an existence to earnest people is sombre.
FinallyadverbUS /ˈfaɪnəli/
after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay
From this reading Finally the tide turned.
foodnounUS /fuːd/
any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue
From this reading The days had come when there was little food, and the last precarious dollar had been spent.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They were no nearer to moving into better quarters than they had been in the spring.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They were no nearer to moving into better quarters than they had been in the spring.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading They were no nearer to moving into better quarters than they had been in the spring.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading They lived on the edge of defeat, and such an existence to earnest people is sombre.
itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading The summer burned itself out, and the autumn winds pierced the rotten staff walls of the temple.
lastadjectiveUS /læst/
immediately past
From this reading The days had come when there was little food, and the last precarious dollar had been spent.
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The days had come when there was little food, and the last precarious dollar had been spent.
livedverbUS /lɪvd/
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading They lived on the edge of defeat, and such an existence to earnest people is sombre.
movingadjectiveUS /ˈmuːvɪŋ/
in motion
From this reading They were no nearer to moving into better quarters than they had been in the spring.
neareradverbUS /ˈnɪrər/
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading They were no nearer to moving into better quarters than they had been in the spring.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading They were no nearer to moving into better quarters than they had been in the spring.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The summer burned itself out, and the autumn winds pierced the rotten staff walls of the temple.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading They lived on the edge of defeat, and such an existence to earnest people is sombre.
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The summer burned itself out, and the autumn winds pierced the rotten staff walls of the temple.
peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading They lived on the edge of defeat, and such an existence to earnest people is sombre.
piercedadjectiveUS /pɪrst/
having a hole cut through
From this reading The summer burned itself out, and the autumn winds pierced the rotten staff walls of the temple.
precariousadjectiveUS /priˈkeriəs/
affording no ease or reassurance
From this reading The days had come when there was little food, and the last precarious dollar had been spent.
quartersnounUS /ˈkwɔːrtərz/
housing available for people to live in
From this reading They were no nearer to moving into better quarters than they had been in the spring.
rottenadjectiveUS /ˈrɑːtən/
very bad
From this reading The summer burned itself out, and the autumn winds pierced the rotten staff walls of the temple.
sombreadjective
lacking brightness or color; dull
From this reading They lived on the edge of defeat, and such an existence to earnest people is sombre.
spentadjectiveUS /spent/
depleted of energy, force, or strength
From this reading The days had come when there was little food, and the last precarious dollar had been spent.
springnounUS /sprɪŋ/
the season of growth
From this reading They were no nearer to moving into better quarters than they had been in the spring.
staffnounUS /stæf/
personnel who assist their superior in carrying out an assigned task
From this reading The summer burned itself out, and the autumn winds pierced the rotten staff walls of the temple.
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading They lived on the edge of defeat, and such an existence to earnest people is sombre.
summernounUS /ˈsʌmər/
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading The summer burned itself out, and the autumn winds pierced the rotten staff walls of the temple.
templenounUS /ˈtempəl/
place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity
From this reading The summer burned itself out, and the autumn winds pierced the rotten staff walls of the temple.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading They were no nearer to moving into better quarters than they had been in the spring.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The summer burned itself out, and the autumn winds pierced the rotten staff walls of the temple.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading The days had come when there was little food, and the last precarious dollar had been spent.
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were no nearer to moving into better quarters than they had been in the spring.
tidenounUS /taɪd/
the periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon
From this reading Finally the tide turned.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They were no nearer to moving into better quarters than they had been in the spring.
turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/
moved around an axis or center
From this reading Finally the tide turned.
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 summer burned itself out, and the autumn winds pierced the rotten staff walls of the temple.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The days had come when there was little food, and the last precarious dollar had been spent.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were no nearer to moving into better quarters than they had been in the spring.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading The days had come when there was little food, and the last precarious dollar had been spent.
windsnounUS /wɪndz/
plural of “wind” — air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading The summer burned itself out, and the autumn winds pierced the rotten staff walls of the temple.
