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AboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Above them, on the top of the bank, was ranged the line of donkeys, and the air was full of the clamour of the boys.
acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/
from one side of something to the other
From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
air
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From this reading Above them, on the top of the bank, was ranged the line of donkeys, and the air was full of the clamour of the boys.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
alongside
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From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.
Backa
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From this reading Backa!” cried the native pilot to the European engineer.
bank
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From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.
bluffadjectiveUS /blʌf/
direct and plain-spoken in manner, sometimes seeming rough
From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.
boat
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From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.
bows
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From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.
boys
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From this reading Above them, on the top of the bank, was ranged the line of donkeys, and the air was full of the clamour of the boys.
bravely
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From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
brown
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From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.
caps
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From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
clamour
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From this reading Above them, on the top of the bank, was ranged the line of donkeys, and the air was full of the clamour of the boys.
clear
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From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
criednounUS /cried/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Backa!” cried the native pilot to the European engineer.
currentnounUS /ˈcurrent/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.
donkeys
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From this reading Above them, on the top of the bank, was ranged the line of donkeys, and the air was full of the clamour of the boys.
engineer
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From this reading Backa!” cried the native pilot to the European engineer.
escort
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From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
European
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From this reading Backa!” cried the native pilot to the European engineer.
filed
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From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
forage
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From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
full
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From this reading Above them, on the top of the bank, was ranged the line of donkeys, and the air was full of the clamour of the boys.
gangway
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From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
gold-trimmed
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From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
jaunty
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From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
light
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From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
light-blue
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From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
line
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Above them, on the top of the bank, was ranged the line of donkeys, and the air was full of the clamour of the boys.
longnounUS /long/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
morningnounUS /morning/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
mud
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.
native
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From this reading Backa!” cried the native pilot to the European engineer.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Above them, on the top of the bank, was ranged the line of donkeys, and the air was full of the clamour of the boys.
pilot
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From this reading Backa!” cried the native pilot to the European engineer.
ranged
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From this reading Above them, on the top of the bank, was ranged the line of donkeys, and the air was full of the clamour of the boys.
red
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
showing
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From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
six
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From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
soft
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.
soldiers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
Soudanese
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From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
squelched
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.
stern-wheeler
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.
Stoppa
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From this reading “Stoppa!
swept
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.
tall
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From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Backa!” cried the native pilot to the European engineer.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Above them, on the top of the bank, was ranged the line of donkeys, and the air was full of the clamour of the boys.
thrown
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From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Backa!” cried the native pilot to the European engineer.
top
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Above them, on the top of the bank, was ranged the line of donkeys, and the air was full of the clamour of the boys.
uniforms
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
yellow
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From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
zouave
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.