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adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He lived with his brother, and for a few weeks, did nothing.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He was of a cheerful and hopeful disposition, and did not grieve about this; still, he could not help thinking what misery would have been spared if he had not trusted himself implicitly to a villain.
account
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ten years in a cave had undermined his health, but as soon as his constitution regained its natural vigor, he went into business on his own account.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He lived with his brother, and for a few weeks, did nothing.
anew
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At forty he found himself penniless, and obliged to begin life anew; ten years were as though they had not been, and he had summarily got rid of a fortune.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Ten years in a cave had undermined his health, but as soon as his constitution regained its natural vigor, he went into business on his own account.
AtprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At forty he found himself penniless, and obliged to begin life anew; ten years were as though they had not been, and he had summarily got rid of a fortune.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading At forty he found himself penniless, and obliged to begin life anew; ten years were as though they had not been, and he had summarily got rid of a fortune.
begin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At forty he found himself penniless, and obliged to begin life anew; ten years were as though they had not been, and he had summarily got rid of a fortune.
brother
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He lived with his brother, and for a few weeks, did nothing.
business
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ten years in a cave had undermined his health, but as soon as his constitution regained its natural vigor, he went into business on his own account.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Ten years in a cave had undermined his health, but as soon as his constitution regained its natural vigor, he went into business on his own account.
cave
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ten years in a cave had undermined his health, but as soon as his constitution regained its natural vigor, he went into business on his own account.
cheerful
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was of a cheerful and hopeful disposition, and did not grieve about this; still, he could not help thinking what misery would have been spared if he had not trusted himself implicitly to a villain.
constitution
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ten years in a cave had undermined his health, but as soon as his constitution regained its natural vigor, he went into business on his own account.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He was of a cheerful and hopeful disposition, and did not grieve about this; still, he could not help thinking what misery would have been spared if he had not trusted himself implicitly to a villain.
Dick
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For the present Uncle Dick must sink into oblivion.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He lived with his brother, and for a few weeks, did nothing.
dispositionnounUS /ˌdɪspəˈzɪʃən/
the way something is arranged or positioned
From this reading He was of a cheerful and hopeful disposition, and did not grieve about this; still, he could not help thinking what misery would have been spared if he had not trusted himself implicitly to a villain.
few
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He lived with his brother, and for a few weeks, did nothing.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He lived with his brother, and for a few weeks, did nothing.
fortunenounUS /ˈfortune/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading At forty he found himself penniless, and obliged to begin life anew; ten years were as though they had not been, and he had summarily got rid of a fortune.
forty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At forty he found himself penniless, and obliged to begin life anew; ten years were as though they had not been, and he had summarily got rid of a fortune.
foundnounUS /found/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading At forty he found himself penniless, and obliged to begin life anew; ten years were as though they had not been, and he had summarily got rid of a fortune.
got
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At forty he found himself penniless, and obliged to begin life anew; ten years were as though they had not been, and he had summarily got rid of a fortune.
grieve
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was of a cheerful and hopeful disposition, and did not grieve about this; still, he could not help thinking what misery would have been spared if he had not trusted himself implicitly to a villain.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Ten years in a cave had undermined his health, but as soon as his constitution regained its natural vigor, he went into business on his own account.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He was of a cheerful and hopeful disposition, and did not grieve about this; still, he could not help thinking what misery would have been spared if he had not trusted himself implicitly to a villain.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He lived with his brother, and for a few weeks, did nothing.
health
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ten years in a cave had undermined his health, but as soon as his constitution regained its natural vigor, he went into business on his own account.
helpnounUS /help/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He was of a cheerful and hopeful disposition, and did not grieve about this; still, he could not help thinking what misery would have been spared if he had not trusted himself implicitly to a villain.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading At forty he found himself penniless, and obliged to begin life anew; ten years were as though they had not been, and he had summarily got rid of a fortune.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He lived with his brother, and for a few weeks, did nothing.
hopeful
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was of a cheerful and hopeful disposition, and did not grieve about this; still, he could not help thinking what misery would have been spared if he had not trusted himself implicitly to a villain.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading He was of a cheerful and hopeful disposition, and did not grieve about this; still, he could not help thinking what misery would have been spared if he had not trusted himself implicitly to a villain.
implicitly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was of a cheerful and hopeful disposition, and did not grieve about this; still, he could not help thinking what misery would have been spared if he had not trusted himself implicitly to a villain.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Ten years in a cave had undermined his health, but as soon as his constitution regained its natural vigor, he went into business on his own account.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Ten years in a cave had undermined his health, but as soon as his constitution regained its natural vigor, he went into business on his own account.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Ten years in a cave had undermined his health, but as soon as his constitution regained its natural vigor, he went into business on his own account.
lifenounUS /life/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading At forty he found himself penniless, and obliged to begin life anew; ten years were as though they had not been, and he had summarily got rid of a fortune.
lived
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He lived with his brother, and for a few weeks, did nothing.
misery
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was of a cheerful and hopeful disposition, and did not grieve about this; still, he could not help thinking what misery would have been spared if he had not trusted himself implicitly to a villain.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading For the present Uncle Dick must sink into oblivion.
natural
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ten years in a cave had undermined his health, but as soon as his constitution regained its natural vigor, he went into business on his own account.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading At forty he found himself penniless, and obliged to begin life anew; ten years were as though they had not been, and he had summarily got rid of a fortune.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading He lived with his brother, and for a few weeks, did nothing.
obliged
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At forty he found himself penniless, and obliged to begin life anew; ten years were as though they had not been, and he had summarily got rid of a fortune.
oblivion
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For the present Uncle Dick must sink into oblivion.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At forty he found himself penniless, and obliged to begin life anew; ten years were as though they had not been, and he had summarily got rid of a fortune.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Ten years in a cave had undermined his health, but as soon as his constitution regained its natural vigor, he went into business on his own account.
own
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ten years in a cave had undermined his health, but as soon as his constitution regained its natural vigor, he went into business on his own account.
penniless
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At forty he found himself penniless, and obliged to begin life anew; ten years were as though they had not been, and he had summarily got rid of a fortune.
present
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For the present Uncle Dick must sink into oblivion.
regained
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ten years in a cave had undermined his health, but as soon as his constitution regained its natural vigor, he went into business on his own account.
rid
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At forty he found himself penniless, and obliged to begin life anew; ten years were as though they had not been, and he had summarily got rid of a fortune.
sink
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For the present Uncle Dick must sink into oblivion.
soon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ten years in a cave had undermined his health, but as soon as his constitution regained its natural vigor, he went into business on his own account.
spared
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was of a cheerful and hopeful disposition, and did not grieve about this; still, he could not help thinking what misery would have been spared if he had not trusted himself implicitly to a villain.
stillnounUS /still/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He was of a cheerful and hopeful disposition, and did not grieve about this; still, he could not help thinking what misery would have been spared if he had not trusted himself implicitly to a villain.
summarily
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At forty he found himself penniless, and obliged to begin life anew; ten years were as though they had not been, and he had summarily got rid of a fortune.
Ten
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ten years in a cave had undermined his health, but as soon as his constitution regained its natural vigor, he went into business on his own account.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading For the present Uncle Dick must sink into oblivion.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading At forty he found himself penniless, and obliged to begin life anew; ten years were as though they had not been, and he had summarily got rid of a fortune.
thinkingnounUS /thinking/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He was of a cheerful and hopeful disposition, and did not grieve about this; still, he could not help thinking what misery would have been spared if he had not trusted himself implicitly to a villain.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading He was of a cheerful and hopeful disposition, and did not grieve about this; still, he could not help thinking what misery would have been spared if he had not trusted himself implicitly to a villain.
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading At forty he found himself penniless, and obliged to begin life anew; ten years were as though they had not been, and he had summarily got rid of a fortune.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading At forty he found himself penniless, and obliged to begin life anew; ten years were as though they had not been, and he had summarily got rid of a fortune.
trusted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was of a cheerful and hopeful disposition, and did not grieve about this; still, he could not help thinking what misery would have been spared if he had not trusted himself implicitly to a villain.
Uncle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For the present Uncle Dick must sink into oblivion.
undermined
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ten years in a cave had undermined his health, but as soon as his constitution regained its natural vigor, he went into business on his own account.
vigor
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ten years in a cave had undermined his health, but as soon as his constitution regained its natural vigor, he went into business on his own account.
villain
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was of a cheerful and hopeful disposition, and did not grieve about this; still, he could not help thinking what misery would have been spared if he had not trusted himself implicitly to a villain.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was of a cheerful and hopeful disposition, and did not grieve about this; still, he could not help thinking what misery would have been spared if he had not trusted himself implicitly to a villain.
weeks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He lived with his brother, and for a few weeks, did nothing.
wentnounUS /went/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Ten years in a cave had undermined his health, but as soon as his constitution regained its natural vigor, he went into business on his own account.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading At forty he found himself penniless, and obliged to begin life anew; ten years were as though they had not been, and he had summarily got rid of a fortune.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading He was of a cheerful and hopeful disposition, and did not grieve about this; still, he could not help thinking what misery would have been spared if he had not trusted himself implicitly to a villain.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading He lived with his brother, and for a few weeks, did nothing.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He was of a cheerful and hopeful disposition, and did not grieve about this; still, he could not help thinking what misery would have been spared if he had not trusted himself implicitly to a villain.
years
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ten years in a cave had undermined his health, but as soon as his constitution regained its natural vigor, he went into business on his own account.
