adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading At Bayonne, a garrison town on the south frontier of France, two sentinels walked lethargically, crossing and recrossing before the governor’s house.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He stopped and looked down with a smile at the steel barrier the soldiers had improvised for him, then drew himself a little up, carried his hand carelessly to his cap, which was nearly in two, and gave the name of an officer in the French army.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading At Bayonne, a garrison town on the south frontier of France, two sentinels walked lethargically, crossing and recrossing before the governor’s house.
armynounUS /ˈɑːrmi/
a permanent organization of the military land forces of a nation or state
From this reading He stopped and looked down with a smile at the steel barrier the soldiers had improvised for him, then drew himself a little up, carried his hand carelessly to his cap, which was nearly in two, and gave the name of an officer in the French army.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Suddenly their official drowsiness burst into energy; for a pale, grisly man, in rusty, defaced, dirty, and torn regimentals, was walking into the courtyard as if it belonged to him.
AtprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At Bayonne, a garrison town on the south frontier of France, two sentinels walked lethargically, crossing and recrossing before the governor’s house.
backadverbUS /bæk/
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading The scarecrow did not start back.
barriernounUS /ˈbæriər/
a structure or object that impedes free movement
From this reading He stopped and looked down with a smile at the steel barrier the soldiers had improvised for him, then drew himself a little up, carried his hand carelessly to his cap, which was nearly in two, and gave the name of an officer in the French army.
BayonnenounUS /ˌbeɪˈjoʊn/
a city in northeastern New Jersey
From this reading At Bayonne, a garrison town on the south frontier of France, two sentinels walked lethargically, crossing and recrossing before the governor’s house.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading At Bayonne, a garrison town on the south frontier of France, two sentinels walked lethargically, crossing and recrossing before the governor’s house.
belongedverbUS /bɪˈlɔːŋd/
past form of “belong” — be owned by; be in the possession of
From this reading Suddenly their official drowsiness burst into energy; for a pale, grisly man, in rusty, defaced, dirty, and torn regimentals, was walking into the courtyard as if it belonged to him.
burstverbUS /bɜːrst/
come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading Suddenly their official drowsiness burst into energy; for a pale, grisly man, in rusty, defaced, dirty, and torn regimentals, was walking into the courtyard as if it belonged to him.
capnounUS /kæp/
a tight-fitting headdress
From this reading He stopped and looked down with a smile at the steel barrier the soldiers had improvised for him, then drew himself a little up, carried his hand carelessly to his cap, which was nearly in two, and gave the name of an officer in the French army.
carelesslyadverbUS /ˈkerləsli/
without care or concern
From this reading He stopped and looked down with a smile at the steel barrier the soldiers had improvised for him, then drew himself a little up, carried his hand carelessly to his cap, which was nearly in two, and gave the name of an officer in the French army.
carriedverbUS /ˈkærid/
inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading He stopped and looked down with a smile at the steel barrier the soldiers had improvised for him, then drew himself a little up, carried his hand carelessly to his cap, which was nearly in two, and gave the name of an officer in the French army.
clashnounUS /klæʃ/
A violent confrontation or disagreement between opposing forces or factions.
From this reading The sentinels lowered their muskets, and crossed them with a clash before the gateway.
courtyardnounUS /ˈkɔːrt.jɑːrd/
An unroofed area that is completely or partially enclosed by the walls of a house.
From this reading Suddenly their official drowsiness burst into energy; for a pale, grisly man, in rusty, defaced, dirty, and torn regimentals, was walking into the courtyard as if it belonged to him.
crossedadjectiveUS /krɔːst/
placed crosswise
From this reading The sentinels lowered their muskets, and crossed them with a clash before the gateway.
crossingnounUS /ˈkrɔːsɪŋ/
traveling across
From this reading At Bayonne, a garrison town on the south frontier of France, two sentinels walked lethargically, crossing and recrossing before the governor’s house.
defacedverbUS /dɪˈfeɪst/
past form of “deface” — mar or spoil the appearance of
From this reading Suddenly their official drowsiness burst into energy; for a pale, grisly man, in rusty, defaced, dirty, and torn regimentals, was walking into the courtyard as if it belonged to him.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading The scarecrow did not start back.
dirtyadjectiveUS /ˈdɜːrti/
soiled or likely to soil with dirt or grime
From this reading Suddenly their official drowsiness burst into energy; for a pale, grisly man, in rusty, defaced, dirty, and torn regimentals, was walking into the courtyard as if it belonged to him.
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He stopped and looked down with a smile at the steel barrier the soldiers had improvised for him, then drew himself a little up, carried his hand carelessly to his cap, which was nearly in two, and gave the name of an officer in the French army.
drewnounUS /druː/
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading He stopped and looked down with a smile at the steel barrier the soldiers had improvised for him, then drew himself a little up, carried his hand carelessly to his cap, which was nearly in two, and gave the name of an officer in the French army.
drowsinessnounUS /ˈdraʊzinəs/
a very sleepy state
From this reading Suddenly their official drowsiness burst into energy; for a pale, grisly man, in rusty, defaced, dirty, and torn regimentals, was walking into the courtyard as if it belonged to him.
energynounUS /ˈenərdʒi/
(physics) a thermodynamic quantity equivalent to the capacity of a physical system to do work; the units of energy are joules or ergs
From this reading Suddenly their official drowsiness burst into energy; for a pale, grisly man, in rusty, defaced, dirty, and torn regimentals, was walking into the courtyard as if it belonged to him.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Suddenly their official drowsiness burst into energy; for a pale, grisly man, in rusty, defaced, dirty, and torn regimentals, was walking into the courtyard as if it belonged to him.
FrancenounUS /fræns/
a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe
From this reading At Bayonne, a garrison town on the south frontier of France, two sentinels walked lethargically, crossing and recrossing before the governor’s house.
FrenchnounUS /frentʃ/
the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France
From this reading He stopped and looked down with a smile at the steel barrier the soldiers had improvised for him, then drew himself a little up, carried his hand carelessly to his cap, which was nearly in two, and gave the name of an officer in the French army.
frontiernounUS /frənˈtɪr/
a wilderness at the edge of a settled area of a country
From this reading At Bayonne, a garrison town on the south frontier of France, two sentinels walked lethargically, crossing and recrossing before the governor’s house.
garrisonnounUS /ˈɡærɪsən/
a fortified military post where troops are stationed
From this reading At Bayonne, a garrison town on the south frontier of France, two sentinels walked lethargically, crossing and recrossing before the governor’s house.
gatewaynounUS /ˈɡeɪtweɪ/
an entrance that can be closed by a gate
From this reading The sentinels lowered their muskets, and crossed them with a clash before the gateway.
gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading He stopped and looked down with a smile at the steel barrier the soldiers had improvised for him, then drew himself a little up, carried his hand carelessly to his cap, which was nearly in two, and gave the name of an officer in the French army.
governor'snounUS /ˈɡʌvərnərz/
possessive form of “governor” — the head of a state government
From this reading At Bayonne, a garrison town on the south frontier of France, two sentinels walked lethargically, crossing and recrossing before the governor’s house.
grislyadjectiveUS /ˈɡrɪzli/
shockingly repellent; inspiring horror
From this reading Suddenly their official drowsiness burst into energy; for a pale, grisly man, in rusty, defaced, dirty, and torn regimentals, was walking into the courtyard as if it belonged to him.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He stopped and looked down with a smile at the steel barrier the soldiers had improvised for him, then drew himself a little up, carried his hand carelessly to his cap, which was nearly in two, and gave the name of an officer in the French army.
handnounUS /hænd/
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading He stopped and looked down with a smile at the steel barrier the soldiers had improvised for him, then drew himself a little up, carried his hand carelessly to his cap, which was nearly in two, and gave the name of an officer in the French army.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He stopped and looked down with a smile at the steel barrier the soldiers had improvised for him, then drew himself a little up, carried his hand carelessly to his cap, which was nearly in two, and gave the name of an officer in the French army.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Suddenly their official drowsiness burst into energy; for a pale, grisly man, in rusty, defaced, dirty, and torn regimentals, was walking into the courtyard as if it belonged to him.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He stopped and looked down with a smile at the steel barrier the soldiers had improvised for him, then drew himself a little up, carried his hand carelessly to his cap, which was nearly in two, and gave the name of an officer in the French army.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He stopped and looked down with a smile at the steel barrier the soldiers had improvised for him, then drew himself a little up, carried his hand carelessly to his cap, which was nearly in two, and gave the name of an officer in the French army.
housenounUS /haʊs/
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading At Bayonne, a garrison town on the south frontier of France, two sentinels walked lethargically, crossing and recrossing before the governor’s house.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Suddenly their official drowsiness burst into energy; for a pale, grisly man, in rusty, defaced, dirty, and torn regimentals, was walking into the courtyard as if it belonged to him.
improvisedadjectiveUS /ˈɪmprəvaɪzd/
done or made using whatever is available
From this reading He stopped and looked down with a smile at the steel barrier the soldiers had improvised for him, then drew himself a little up, carried his hand carelessly to his cap, which was nearly in two, and gave the name of an officer in the French army.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Suddenly their official drowsiness burst into energy; for a pale, grisly man, in rusty, defaced, dirty, and torn regimentals, was walking into the courtyard as if it belonged to him.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Suddenly their official drowsiness burst into energy; for a pale, grisly man, in rusty, defaced, dirty, and torn regimentals, was walking into the courtyard as if it belonged to him.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Suddenly their official drowsiness burst into energy; for a pale, grisly man, in rusty, defaced, dirty, and torn regimentals, was walking into the courtyard as if it belonged to him.
lethargicallyadverb
without energy; in a lethargic manner
From this reading At Bayonne, a garrison town on the south frontier of France, two sentinels walked lethargically, crossing and recrossing before the governor’s house.
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He stopped and looked down with a smile at the steel barrier the soldiers had improvised for him, then drew himself a little up, carried his hand carelessly to his cap, which was nearly in two, and gave the name of an officer in the French army.
lookedverbUS /lʊkt/
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He stopped and looked down with a smile at the steel barrier the soldiers had improvised for him, then drew himself a little up, carried his hand carelessly to his cap, which was nearly in two, and gave the name of an officer in the French army.
loweredadjectiveUS /ˈloʊərd/
below the surround or below the normal position
From this reading The sentinels lowered their muskets, and crossed them with a clash before the gateway.
mannounUS /mæn/
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Suddenly their official drowsiness burst into energy; for a pale, grisly man, in rusty, defaced, dirty, and torn regimentals, was walking into the courtyard as if it belonged to him.
muskets
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sentinels lowered their muskets, and crossed them with a clash before the gateway.
nameverbUS /neɪm/
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading He stopped and looked down with a smile at the steel barrier the soldiers had improvised for him, then drew himself a little up, carried his hand carelessly to his cap, which was nearly in two, and gave the name of an officer in the French army.
nearlyadverbUS /ˈnɪrli/
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading He stopped and looked down with a smile at the steel barrier the soldiers had improvised for him, then drew himself a little up, carried his hand carelessly to his cap, which was nearly in two, and gave the name of an officer in the French army.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The scarecrow did not start back.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At Bayonne, a garrison town on the south frontier of France, two sentinels walked lethargically, crossing and recrossing before the governor’s house.
officernounUS /ˈɔːfəsər/
any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command
From this reading He stopped and looked down with a smile at the steel barrier the soldiers had improvised for him, then drew himself a little up, carried his hand carelessly to his cap, which was nearly in two, and gave the name of an officer in the French army.
officialadjectiveUS /əˈfɪʃəl/
having official authority or sanction
From this reading Suddenly their official drowsiness burst into energy; for a pale, grisly man, in rusty, defaced, dirty, and torn regimentals, was walking into the courtyard as if it belonged to him.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading At Bayonne, a garrison town on the south frontier of France, two sentinels walked lethargically, crossing and recrossing before the governor’s house.
paleadjectiveUS /peɪl/
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading Suddenly their official drowsiness burst into energy; for a pale, grisly man, in rusty, defaced, dirty, and torn regimentals, was walking into the courtyard as if it belonged to him.
recrossing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At Bayonne, a garrison town on the south frontier of France, two sentinels walked lethargically, crossing and recrossing before the governor’s house.
regimentalsnoun
the military uniform and insignia of a regiment
From this reading Suddenly their official drowsiness burst into energy; for a pale, grisly man, in rusty, defaced, dirty, and torn regimentals, was walking into the courtyard as if it belonged to him.
rustyadjectiveUS /ˈrʌsti/
covered with or consisting of rust
From this reading Suddenly their official drowsiness burst into energy; for a pale, grisly man, in rusty, defaced, dirty, and torn regimentals, was walking into the courtyard as if it belonged to him.
scarecrownounUS /ˈskærkroʊ/
an effigy in the shape of a man to frighten birds away from seeds
From this reading The scarecrow did not start back.
sentinelsnounUS /ˈsentənəlz/
plural of “sentinel” — a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
From this reading At Bayonne, a garrison town on the south frontier of France, two sentinels walked lethargically, crossing and recrossing before the governor’s house.
smileverbUS /smaɪl/
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading He stopped and looked down with a smile at the steel barrier the soldiers had improvised for him, then drew himself a little up, carried his hand carelessly to his cap, which was nearly in two, and gave the name of an officer in the French army.
soldiersnounUS /ˈsoʊldʒərz/
plural of “soldier” — an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army
From this reading He stopped and looked down with a smile at the steel barrier the soldiers had improvised for him, then drew himself a little up, carried his hand carelessly to his cap, which was nearly in two, and gave the name of an officer in the French army.
southnounUS /saʊθ/
the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading At Bayonne, a garrison town on the south frontier of France, two sentinels walked lethargically, crossing and recrossing before the governor’s house.
startverbUS /stɑːrt/
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading The scarecrow did not start back.
steelnounUS /stiːl/
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading He stopped and looked down with a smile at the steel barrier the soldiers had improvised for him, then drew himself a little up, carried his hand carelessly to his cap, which was nearly in two, and gave the name of an officer in the French army.
stoppedadjectiveUS /stɑːpt/
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading He stopped and looked down with a smile at the steel barrier the soldiers had improvised for him, then drew himself a little up, carried his hand carelessly to his cap, which was nearly in two, and gave the name of an officer in the French army.
SuddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/
happening unexpectedly
From this reading Suddenly their official drowsiness burst into energy; for a pale, grisly man, in rusty, defaced, dirty, and torn regimentals, was walking into the courtyard as if it belonged to him.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading At Bayonne, a garrison town on the south frontier of France, two sentinels walked lethargically, crossing and recrossing before the governor’s house.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Suddenly their official drowsiness burst into energy; for a pale, grisly man, in rusty, defaced, dirty, and torn regimentals, was walking into the courtyard as if it belonged to him.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The sentinels lowered their muskets, and crossed them with a clash before the gateway.
thenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading He stopped and looked down with a smile at the steel barrier the soldiers had improvised for him, then drew himself a little up, carried his hand carelessly to his cap, which was nearly in two, and gave the name of an officer in the French army.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Suddenly their official drowsiness burst into energy; for a pale, grisly man, in rusty, defaced, dirty, and torn regimentals, was walking into the courtyard as if it belonged to him.
tornadjectiveUS /tɔːrn/
having edges that are jagged from injury
From this reading Suddenly their official drowsiness burst into energy; for a pale, grisly man, in rusty, defaced, dirty, and torn regimentals, was walking into the courtyard as if it belonged to him.
townnounUS /taʊn/
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading At Bayonne, a garrison town on the south frontier of France, two sentinels walked lethargically, crossing and recrossing before the governor’s house.
twonounUS /tuː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading At Bayonne, a garrison town on the south frontier of France, two sentinels walked lethargically, crossing and recrossing before the governor’s house.
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He stopped and looked down with a smile at the steel barrier the soldiers had improvised for him, then drew himself a little up, carried his hand carelessly to his cap, which was nearly in two, and gave the name of an officer in the French army.
walkedverbUS /wɔːkt/
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading At Bayonne, a garrison town on the south frontier of France, two sentinels walked lethargically, crossing and recrossing before the governor’s house.
walkingadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːkɪŋ/
close enough to be walked to
From this reading Suddenly their official drowsiness burst into energy; for a pale, grisly man, in rusty, defaced, dirty, and torn regimentals, was walking into the courtyard as if it belonged to him.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Suddenly their official drowsiness burst into energy; for a pale, grisly man, in rusty, defaced, dirty, and torn regimentals, was walking into the courtyard as if it belonged to him.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He stopped and looked down with a smile at the steel barrier the soldiers had improvised for him, then drew himself a little up, carried his hand carelessly to his cap, which was nearly in two, and gave the name of an officer in the French army.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading The sentinels lowered their muskets, and crossed them with a clash before the gateway.
