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Two Little Confederates
Two Little Confederates

Chapter VII

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Context Illustration Reading 1/9 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
These hens were not the last things stolen from Oakland.
Nearly all the men in the country had gone with the army.
Indeed, with the exception of a few overseers who remained to work the farms, every man in the neighborhood, between the ages of seventeen and fifty, was in the army.
The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.
Occasionally, too, later on, a small detachment of men, under a leader known as a "conscript-officer," would come through the country hunting for any men who were subject to the conscript law but who had evaded it, and for deserters who had run away from the army and refused to return.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Two Little Confederates

Chapter VII

Reading 1/9 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
These hens were not the last things stolen from Oakland.
Line 2
Nearly all the men in the country had gone with the army.
Line 3
Indeed, with the exception of a few overseers who remained to work the farms, every man in the neighborhood, between the ages of seventeen and fifty, was in the army.
Line 4
The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.
Line 5
Occasionally, too, later on, a small detachment of men, under a leader known as a "conscript-officer," would come through the country hunting for any men who were subject to the conscript law but who had evaded it, and for deserters who had run away from the army and refused to return.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.”

Between preposition US /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading “Indeed, with the exception of a few overseers who remained to work the farms, every man in the neighborhood, between the ages of seventeen and fifty, was in the army.”

Body noun US /body/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.”

Come noun US /come/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Occasionally, too, later on, a small detachment of men, under a leader known as a "conscript-officer," would come through the country hunting for any men who were subject to the conscript law but who had evaded it, and for deserters who had run away from the army and refused to return.”

Entirely noun US /ˈentirely/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.”

Every determiner US /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading “Indeed, with the exception of a few overseers who remained to work the farms, every man in the neighborhood, between the ages of seventeen and fifty, was in the army.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.”

Last noun US /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “These hens were not the last things stolen from Oakland.”

Left noun US /left/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.”

Remained noun US /ˈremained/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “Indeed, with the exception of a few overseers who remained to work the farms, every man in the neighborhood, between the ages of seventeen and fifty, was in the army.”

These determiner US /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading “These hens were not the last things stolen from Oakland.”

Through noun US /ˈthrough/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “Occasionally, too, later on, a small detachment of men, under a leader known as a "conscript-officer," would come through the country hunting for any men who were subject to the conscript law but who had evaded it, and for deserters who had run away from the army and refused to return.”

Under preposition US /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading “Occasionally, too, later on, a small detachment of men, under a leader known as a "conscript-officer," would come through the country hunting for any men who were subject to the conscript law but who had evaded it, and for deserters who had run away from the army and refused to return.”

Unprotected adjective US /ˌʌnprəˈtɛktɪd/

without protection or defence without safety or defence from danger

From this reading “The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading “The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.”

All words in this reading · 94

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 Indeed, with the exception of a few overseers who remained to work the farms, every man in the neighborhood, between the ages of seventeen and fifty, was in the army.

ages

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Indeed, with the exception of a few overseers who remained to work the farms, every man in the neighborhood, between the ages of seventeen and fifty, was in the army.

all

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Nearly all the men in the country had gone with the army.

almost

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Indeed, with the exception of a few overseers who remained to work the farms, every man in the neighborhood, between the ages of seventeen and fifty, was in the army.

any

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Occasionally, too, later on, a small detachment of men, under a leader known as a "conscript-officer," would come through the country hunting for any men who were subject to the conscript law but who had evaded it, and for deserters who had run away from the army and refused to return.

army

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Nearly all the men in the country had gone with the army.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

away

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Occasionally, too, later on, a small detachment of men, under a leader known as a "conscript-officer," would come through the country hunting for any men who were subject to the conscript law but who had evaded it, and for deserters who had run away from the army and refused to return.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading Indeed, with the exception of a few overseers who remained to work the farms, every man in the neighborhood, between the ages of seventeen and fifty, was in the army.

bodynounUS /body/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

boys

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

called

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

comenounUS /come/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Occasionally, too, later on, a small detachment of men, under a leader known as a "conscript-officer," would come through the country hunting for any men who were subject to the conscript law but who had evaded it, and for deserters who had run away from the army and refused to return.

company

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

composed

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

conscript

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Occasionally, too, later on, a small detachment of men, under a leader known as a "conscript-officer," would come through the country hunting for any men who were subject to the conscript law but who had evaded it, and for deserters who had run away from the army and refused to return.

conscript-officer

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Occasionally, too, later on, a small detachment of men, under a leader known as a "conscript-officer," would come through the country hunting for any men who were subject to the conscript law but who had evaded it, and for deserters who had run away from the army and refused to return.

country

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Nearly all the men in the country had gone with the army.

deserters

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Occasionally, too, later on, a small detachment of men, under a leader known as a "conscript-officer," would come through the country hunting for any men who were subject to the conscript law but who had evaded it, and for deserters who had run away from the army and refused to return.

detachment

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Occasionally, too, later on, a small detachment of men, under a leader known as a "conscript-officer," would come through the country hunting for any men who were subject to the conscript law but who had evaded it, and for deserters who had run away from the army and refused to return.

entirelynounUS /ˈentirely/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

evaded

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Occasionally, too, later on, a small detachment of men, under a leader known as a "conscript-officer," would come through the country hunting for any men who were subject to the conscript law but who had evaded it, and for deserters who had run away from the army and refused to return.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Indeed, with the exception of a few overseers who remained to work the farms, every man in the neighborhood, between the ages of seventeen and fifty, was in the army.

exception

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Indeed, with the exception of a few overseers who remained to work the farms, every man in the neighborhood, between the ages of seventeen and fifty, was in the army.

farms

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Indeed, with the exception of a few overseers who remained to work the farms, every man in the neighborhood, between the ages of seventeen and fifty, was in the army.

few

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Indeed, with the exception of a few overseers who remained to work the farms, every man in the neighborhood, between the ages of seventeen and fifty, was in the army.

fifty

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Indeed, with the exception of a few overseers who remained to work the farms, every man in the neighborhood, between the ages of seventeen and fifty, was in the army.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading These hens were not the last things stolen from Oakland.

gone

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Nearly all the men in the country had gone with the army.

Guard

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Nearly all the men in the country had gone with the army.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

hens

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading These hens were not the last things stolen from Oakland.

Home

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

homes

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

hunting

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Occasionally, too, later on, a small detachment of men, under a leader known as a "conscript-officer," would come through the country hunting for any men who were subject to the conscript law but who had evaded it, and for deserters who had run away from the army and refused to return.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Nearly all the men in the country had gone with the army.

Indeed

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Indeed, with the exception of a few overseers who remained to work the farms, every man in the neighborhood, between the ages of seventeen and fifty, was in the army.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

known

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Occasionally, too, later on, a small detachment of men, under a leader known as a "conscript-officer," would come through the country hunting for any men who were subject to the conscript law but who had evaded it, and for deserters who had run away from the army and refused to return.

lastnounUS /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading These hens were not the last things stolen from Oakland.

later

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Occasionally, too, later on, a small detachment of men, under a leader known as a "conscript-officer," would come through the country hunting for any men who were subject to the conscript law but who had evaded it, and for deserters who had run away from the army and refused to return.

law

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Occasionally, too, later on, a small detachment of men, under a leader known as a "conscript-officer," would come through the country hunting for any men who were subject to the conscript law but who had evaded it, and for deserters who had run away from the army and refused to return.

leader

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Occasionally, too, later on, a small detachment of men, under a leader known as a "conscript-officer," would come through the country hunting for any men who were subject to the conscript law but who had evaded it, and for deserters who had run away from the army and refused to return.

leftnounUS /left/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

local

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

man

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Indeed, with the exception of a few overseers who remained to work the farms, every man in the neighborhood, between the ages of seventeen and fifty, was in the army.

men

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Nearly all the men in the country had gone with the army.

Nearly

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Nearly all the men in the country had gone with the army.

neighborhood

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Indeed, with the exception of a few overseers who remained to work the farms, every man in the neighborhood, between the ages of seventeen and fifty, was in the army.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading These hens were not the last things stolen from Oakland.

Oakland

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading These hens were not the last things stolen from Oakland.

Occasionally

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Occasionally, too, later on, a small detachment of men, under a leader known as a "conscript-officer," would come through the country hunting for any men who were subject to the conscript law but who had evaded it, and for deserters who had run away from the army and refused to return.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Indeed, with the exception of a few overseers who remained to work the farms, every man in the neighborhood, between the ages of seventeen and fifty, was in the army.

old

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Occasionally, too, later on, a small detachment of men, under a leader known as a "conscript-officer," would come through the country hunting for any men who were subject to the conscript law but who had evaded it, and for deserters who had run away from the army and refused to return.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

overseers

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Indeed, with the exception of a few overseers who remained to work the farms, every man in the neighborhood, between the ages of seventeen and fifty, was in the army.

police

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

refused

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Occasionally, too, later on, a small detachment of men, under a leader known as a "conscript-officer," would come through the country hunting for any men who were subject to the conscript law but who had evaded it, and for deserters who had run away from the army and refused to return.

remainednounUS /ˈremained/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading Indeed, with the exception of a few overseers who remained to work the farms, every man in the neighborhood, between the ages of seventeen and fifty, was in the army.

return

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Occasionally, too, later on, a small detachment of men, under a leader known as a "conscript-officer," would come through the country hunting for any men who were subject to the conscript law but who had evaded it, and for deserters who had run away from the army and refused to return.

run

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Occasionally, too, later on, a small detachment of men, under a leader known as a "conscript-officer," would come through the country hunting for any men who were subject to the conscript law but who had evaded it, and for deserters who had run away from the army and refused to return.

service

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

seventeen

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Indeed, with the exception of a few overseers who remained to work the farms, every man in the neighborhood, between the ages of seventeen and fifty, was in the army.

small

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Occasionally, too, later on, a small detachment of men, under a leader known as a "conscript-officer," would come through the country hunting for any men who were subject to the conscript law but who had evaded it, and for deserters who had run away from the army and refused to return.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

stolen

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading These hens were not the last things stolen from Oakland.

subject

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Occasionally, too, later on, a small detachment of men, under a leader known as a "conscript-officer," would come through the country hunting for any men who were subject to the conscript law but who had evaded it, and for deserters who had run away from the army and refused to return.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading These hens were not the last things stolen from Oakland.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

ThesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading These hens were not the last things stolen from Oakland.

things

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading These hens were not the last things stolen from Oakland.

throughnounUS /ˈthrough/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading Occasionally, too, later on, a small detachment of men, under a leader known as a "conscript-officer," would come through the country hunting for any men who were subject to the conscript law but who had evaded it, and for deserters who had run away from the army and refused to return.

thus

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Indeed, with the exception of a few overseers who remained to work the farms, every man in the neighborhood, between the ages of seventeen and fifty, was in the army.

too

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Occasionally, too, later on, a small detachment of men, under a leader known as a "conscript-officer," would come through the country hunting for any men who were subject to the conscript law but who had evaded it, and for deserters who had run away from the army and refused to return.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading Occasionally, too, later on, a small detachment of men, under a leader known as a "conscript-officer," would come through the country hunting for any men who were subject to the conscript law but who had evaded it, and for deserters who had run away from the army and refused to return.

unprotectedadjectiveUS /ˌʌnprəˈtɛktɪd/

without protection or defence without safety or defence from danger

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

volunteered

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Indeed, with the exception of a few overseers who remained to work the farms, every man in the neighborhood, between the ages of seventeen and fifty, was in the army.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading These hens were not the last things stolen from Oakland.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Indeed, with the exception of a few overseers who remained to work the farms, every man in the neighborhood, between the ages of seventeen and fifty, was in the army.

wholly

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Nearly all the men in the country had gone with the army.

work

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Indeed, with the exception of a few overseers who remained to work the farms, every man in the neighborhood, between the ages of seventeen and fifty, was in the army.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.

young

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The country was thus left almost wholly unprotected, and it would have been entirely so but for the "Home Guard," as it was called, which was a company composed of young boys and the few old men who remained at home, and who had volunteered for service as a local guard, or police body, for the neighborhood of their homes.