adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading It was doubly dark against the sky, for now the first streaks of gray light were pale along the eastern horizon, and the house seemed to tower up into the center of the heavens.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading It was doubly dark against the sky, for now the first streaks of gray light were pale along the eastern horizon, and the house seemed to tower up into the center of the heavens.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
AndrewnounUS /ˈændruː/
(New Testament) disciple of Jesus; brother of Peter; patron saint of Scotland
From this reading But to the uneducated eye of Andrew Lanning it was a great and dignified building.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He reined the pinto under the trees to look up at that tall, black mass.
backadverbUS /bæk/
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
balconiesnounUS /ˈbælkəniz/
plural of “balcony” — an upper floor projecting from the rear over the main floor in an auditorium
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
blackadjectiveUS /blæk/
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading He reined the pinto under the trees to look up at that tall, black mass.
buildverbUS /bɪld/
make by combining materials and parts
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
buildingnounUS /ˈbɪldɪŋ/
a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading But to the uneducated eye of Andrew Lanning it was a great and dignified building.
builtadjectiveUS /bɪlt/
(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
carvedadjectiveUS /kɑːrvd/
made for or formed by carving (“carven” is archaic or literary)
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
centernounUS /ˈsɛn.tər/
The middle point or core of an area.
From this reading It was doubly dark against the sky, for now the first streaks of gray light were pale along the eastern horizon, and the house seemed to tower up into the center of the heavens.
CharlesnounUS /tʃɑːrlz/
King of France from 1560 to 1574 whose reign was dominated by his mother Catherine de Medicis (1550-1574)
From this reading Here the second John Merchant lived with his son Charles, whose taste had quite outgrown the house.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
darknounUS /dɑːrk/
absence of light or illumination
From this reading It was doubly dark against the sky, for now the first streaks of gray light were pale along the eastern horizon, and the house seemed to tower up into the center of the heavens.
desertverbUS /ˈdezərt/
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
dignifiedadjectiveUS /ˈdɪɡnəfaɪd/
having or expressing dignity; especially formality or stateliness in bearing or appearance
From this reading But to the uneducated eye of Andrew Lanning it was a great and dignified building.
doublyadverbUS /ˈdʌbli/
to double the degree
From this reading It was doubly dark against the sky, for now the first streaks of gray light were pale along the eastern horizon, and the house seemed to tower up into the center of the heavens.
easternadjectiveUS /ˈiːstərn/
lying toward or situated in the east
From this reading It was doubly dark against the sky, for now the first streaks of gray light were pale along the eastern horizon, and the house seemed to tower up into the center of the heavens.
eyenounUS /aɪ/
the organ of sight
From this reading But to the uneducated eye of Andrew Lanning it was a great and dignified building.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was doubly dark against the sky, for now the first streaks of gray light were pale along the eastern horizon, and the house seemed to tower up into the center of the heavens.
graynounUS /ɡreɪ/
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading It was doubly dark against the sky, for now the first streaks of gray light were pale along the eastern horizon, and the house seemed to tower up into the center of the heavens.
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading But to the uneducated eye of Andrew Lanning it was a great and dignified building.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
harked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He reined the pinto under the trees to look up at that tall, black mass.
heavensnounUS /ˈhevənz/
the apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be projected
From this reading It was doubly dark against the sky, for now the first streaks of gray light were pale along the eastern horizon, and the house seemed to tower up into the center of the heavens.
hereadverbUS /hiːr/
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
highadjectiveUS /haɪ/
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
homenounUS /hoʊm/
where you live at a particular time
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
horizonnounUS /hərˈaɪzən/
the line at which the sky and Earth appear to meet
From this reading It was doubly dark against the sky, for now the first streaks of gray light were pale along the eastern horizon, and the house seemed to tower up into the center of the heavens.
housenounUS /haʊs/
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
imaginationnounUS /ˌɪmædʒəˈneɪʃən/
the formation of a mental image of something that is not perceived as real and is not present to the senses
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading It was doubly dark against the sky, for now the first streaks of gray light were pale along the eastern horizon, and the house seemed to tower up into the center of the heavens.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
JohnnounUS /dʒɑːn/
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
Lanning
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But to the uneducated eye of Andrew Lanning it was a great and dignified building.
lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading It was doubly dark against the sky, for now the first streaks of gray light were pale along the eastern horizon, and the house seemed to tower up into the center of the heavens.
livedverbUS /lɪvd/
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading Here the second John Merchant lived with his son Charles, whose taste had quite outgrown the house.
lookverbUS /lʊk/
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He reined the pinto under the trees to look up at that tall, black mass.
madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
mainadjectiveUS /meɪn/
most important element
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
massnounUS /mæs/
the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
From this reading He reined the pinto under the trees to look up at that tall, black mass.
MerchantnounUS /ˈmɜːr.tʃənt/
A person or company involved in wholesale trade, especially with foreign countries.
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
mid-Victorian
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
modelnounUS /ˈmɑːdəl/
a hypothetical description of a complex entity or process
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
mountainnounUS /ˈmaʊntən/
a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading It was doubly dark against the sky, for now the first streaks of gray light were pale along the eastern horizon, and the house seemed to tower up into the center of the heavens.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
outgrownverbUS /ˌaʊtˈɡroʊn/
inflected form of “outgrow” — grow too large or too mature for
From this reading Here the second John Merchant lived with his son Charles, whose taste had quite outgrown the house.
paleadjectiveUS /peɪl/
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading It was doubly dark against the sky, for now the first streaks of gray light were pale along the eastern horizon, and the house seemed to tower up into the center of the heavens.
pintonounUS /ˈpɪntoʊ/
a spotted or calico horse or pony
From this reading He reined the pinto under the trees to look up at that tall, black mass.
placenounUS /pleɪs/
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
pleasedadjectiveUS /pliːzd/
experiencing or manifesting pleasure
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
pointedadjectiveUS /ˈpɔɪntɪd/
having a point
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading Here the second John Merchant lived with his son Charles, whose taste had quite outgrown the house.
reinedverbUS /reɪnd/
past form of “rein” — control and direct with or as if by reins
From this reading He reined the pinto under the trees to look up at that tall, black mass.
roofsnounUS /ruːfs/
plural of “roof” — a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
secondnounUS /ˈsekənd/
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading Here the second John Merchant lived with his son Charles, whose taste had quite outgrown the house.
seemedverbUS /siːmd/
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading It was doubly dark against the sky, for now the first streaks of gray light were pale along the eastern horizon, and the house seemed to tower up into the center of the heavens.
severaladjectiveUS /ˈsevrəl/
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
skynounUS /skaɪ/
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading It was doubly dark against the sky, for now the first streaks of gray light were pale along the eastern horizon, and the house seemed to tower up into the center of the heavens.
sonnounUS /sʌn/
a male human offspring
From this reading Here the second John Merchant lived with his son Charles, whose taste had quite outgrown the house.
stakenounUS /steɪk/
(law) a right or legal share of something; a financial involvement with something
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
streaksnounUS /striːks/
plural of “streak” — an unbroken series of events
From this reading It was doubly dark against the sky, for now the first streaks of gray light were pale along the eastern horizon, and the house seemed to tower up into the center of the heavens.
streetnounUS /striːt/
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
talladjectiveUS /tɔːl/
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading He reined the pinto under the trees to look up at that tall, black mass.
tasteverbUS /teɪst/
To perceive flavor through the mouth.
From this reading Here the second John Merchant lived with his son Charles, whose taste had quite outgrown the house.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He reined the pinto under the trees to look up at that tall, black mass.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
towernounUS /ˈtaʊər/
a structure taller than its diameter; can stand alone or be attached to a larger building
From this reading It was doubly dark against the sky, for now the first streaks of gray light were pale along the eastern horizon, and the house seemed to tower up into the center of the heavens.
towersnounUS /ˈtaʊərz/
plural of “tower” — a structure taller than its diameter; can stand alone or be attached to a larger building
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
townnounUS /taʊn/
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
treesnounUS /triːz/
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading He reined the pinto under the trees to look up at that tall, black mass.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading He reined the pinto under the trees to look up at that tall, black mass.
uneducatedadjectiveUS /əˈnedʒʊkeɪtɪd/
not having a good education
From this reading But to the uneducated eye of Andrew Lanning it was a great and dignified building.
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He reined the pinto under the trees to look up at that tall, black mass.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But to the uneducated eye of Andrew Lanning it was a great and dignified building.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading It was doubly dark against the sky, for now the first streaks of gray light were pale along the eastern horizon, and the house seemed to tower up into the center of the heavens.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
whosedeterminerUS /huːz/
belonging to which person
From this reading Here the second John Merchant lived with his son Charles, whose taste had quite outgrown the house.
windowsnounUS /ˈwɪndoʊz/
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
woodnounUS /wʊd/
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The house would have been more in place on the main street of a town than here in the mountain desert; but when the first John Merchant had made his stake and could build his home as it pleased him to build, his imagination harked back to a mid-Victorian model, built of wood, with high, pointed roofs, many carved balconies and windows, and several towers.
