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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 They hung about the neighborhood of the tavern until after nine, one watching the alley at a distance and the other the tavern door.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading They hung about the neighborhood of the tavern until after nine, one watching the alley at a distance and the other the tavern door.
adventure
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From this reading That night Tom and Huck were ready for their adventure.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading They hung about the neighborhood of the tavern until after nine, one watching the alley at a distance and the other the tavern door.
alley
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From this reading They hung about the neighborhood of the tavern until after nine, one watching the alley at a distance and the other the tavern door.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading But the night remained clear, and Huck closed his watch and retired to bed in an empty sugar hogshead about twelve.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading That night Tom and Huck were ready for their adventure.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading They hung about the neighborhood of the tavern until after nine, one watching the alley at a distance and the other the tavern door.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The night promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understanding that if a considerable degree of darkness came on, Huck was to come and “maow,” whereupon he would slip out and try the keys.
bed
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From this reading But the night remained clear, and Huck closed his watch and retired to bed in an empty sugar hogshead about twelve.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the night remained clear, and Huck closed his watch and retired to bed in an empty sugar hogshead about twelve.
came
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From this reading The night promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understanding that if a considerable degree of darkness came on, Huck was to come and “maow,” whereupon he would slip out and try the keys.
clear
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From this reading But the night remained clear, and Huck closed his watch and retired to bed in an empty sugar hogshead about twelve.
closed
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From this reading But the night remained clear, and Huck closed his watch and retired to bed in an empty sugar hogshead about twelve.
comenounUS /come/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The night promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understanding that if a considerable degree of darkness came on, Huck was to come and “maow,” whereupon he would slip out and try the keys.
considerable
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From this reading The night promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understanding that if a considerable degree of darkness came on, Huck was to come and “maow,” whereupon he would slip out and try the keys.
darkness
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From this reading The night promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understanding that if a considerable degree of darkness came on, Huck was to come and “maow,” whereupon he would slip out and try the keys.
degree
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From this reading The night promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understanding that if a considerable degree of darkness came on, Huck was to come and “maow,” whereupon he would slip out and try the keys.
distance
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From this reading They hung about the neighborhood of the tavern until after nine, one watching the alley at a distance and the other the tavern door.
door
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From this reading They hung about the neighborhood of the tavern until after nine, one watching the alley at a distance and the other the tavern door.
empty
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From this reading But the night remained clear, and Huck closed his watch and retired to bed in an empty sugar hogshead about twelve.
entered
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From this reading Nobody entered the alley or left it; nobody resembling the Spaniard entered or left the tavern door.
fairnounUS /fair/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The night promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understanding that if a considerable degree of darkness came on, Huck was to come and “maow,” whereupon he would slip out and try the keys.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading That night Tom and Huck were ready for their adventure.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The night promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understanding that if a considerable degree of darkness came on, Huck was to come and “maow,” whereupon he would slip out and try the keys.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading But the night remained clear, and Huck closed his watch and retired to bed in an empty sugar hogshead about twelve.
hogshead
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From this reading But the night remained clear, and Huck closed his watch and retired to bed in an empty sugar hogshead about twelve.
home
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From this reading The night promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understanding that if a considerable degree of darkness came on, Huck was to come and “maow,” whereupon he would slip out and try the keys.
Huck
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From this reading That night Tom and Huck were ready for their adventure.
hung
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From this reading They hung about the neighborhood of the tavern until after nine, one watching the alley at a distance and the other the tavern door.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading The night promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understanding that if a considerable degree of darkness came on, Huck was to come and “maow,” whereupon he would slip out and try the keys.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But the night remained clear, and Huck closed his watch and retired to bed in an empty sugar hogshead about twelve.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Nobody entered the alley or left it; nobody resembling the Spaniard entered or left the tavern door.
keys
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From this reading The night promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understanding that if a considerable degree of darkness came on, Huck was to come and “maow,” whereupon he would slip out and try the keys.
leftnounUS /left/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Nobody entered the alley or left it; nobody resembling the Spaniard entered or left the tavern door.
maow
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From this reading The night promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understanding that if a considerable degree of darkness came on, Huck was to come and “maow,” whereupon he would slip out and try the keys.
neighborhood
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They hung about the neighborhood of the tavern until after nine, one watching the alley at a distance and the other the tavern door.
night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That night Tom and Huck were ready for their adventure.
nine
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They hung about the neighborhood of the tavern until after nine, one watching the alley at a distance and the other the tavern door.
NobodypronounUS /ˈnoʊbɑːdiː/
no person; not anyone
From this reading Nobody entered the alley or left it; nobody resembling the Spaniard entered or left the tavern door.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They hung about the neighborhood of the tavern until after nine, one watching the alley at a distance and the other the tavern door.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The night promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understanding that if a considerable degree of darkness came on, Huck was to come and “maow,” whereupon he would slip out and try the keys.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading They hung about the neighborhood of the tavern until after nine, one watching the alley at a distance and the other the tavern door.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Nobody entered the alley or left it; nobody resembling the Spaniard entered or left the tavern door.
other
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From this reading They hung about the neighborhood of the tavern until after nine, one watching the alley at a distance and the other the tavern door.
out
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From this reading The night promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understanding that if a considerable degree of darkness came on, Huck was to come and “maow,” whereupon he would slip out and try the keys.
promised
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The night promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understanding that if a considerable degree of darkness came on, Huck was to come and “maow,” whereupon he would slip out and try the keys.
readyadjectiveUS /ˈredi/
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading That night Tom and Huck were ready for their adventure.
remainednounUS /ˈremained/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading But the night remained clear, and Huck closed his watch and retired to bed in an empty sugar hogshead about twelve.
resembling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nobody entered the alley or left it; nobody resembling the Spaniard entered or left the tavern door.
retiredverbUS /rɪˈtaɪərd/
went away to a private place
From this reading But the night remained clear, and Huck closed his watch and retired to bed in an empty sugar hogshead about twelve.
slip
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The night promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understanding that if a considerable degree of darkness came on, Huck was to come and “maow,” whereupon he would slip out and try the keys.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The night promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understanding that if a considerable degree of darkness came on, Huck was to come and “maow,” whereupon he would slip out and try the keys.
Spaniard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nobody entered the alley or left it; nobody resembling the Spaniard entered or left the tavern door.
sugar
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the night remained clear, and Huck closed his watch and retired to bed in an empty sugar hogshead about twelve.
tavern
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They hung about the neighborhood of the tavern until after nine, one watching the alley at a distance and the other the tavern door.
ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That night Tom and Huck were ready for their adventure.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading They hung about the neighborhood of the tavern until after nine, one watching the alley at a distance and the other the tavern door.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading That night Tom and Huck were ready for their adventure.
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They hung about the neighborhood of the tavern until after nine, one watching the alley at a distance and the other the tavern door.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The night promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understanding that if a considerable degree of darkness came on, Huck was to come and “maow,” whereupon he would slip out and try the keys.
Tom
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That night Tom and Huck were ready for their adventure.
try
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The night promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understanding that if a considerable degree of darkness came on, Huck was to come and “maow,” whereupon he would slip out and try the keys.
twelve
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the night remained clear, and Huck closed his watch and retired to bed in an empty sugar hogshead about twelve.
understanding
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From this reading The night promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understanding that if a considerable degree of darkness came on, Huck was to come and “maow,” whereupon he would slip out and try the keys.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading They hung about the neighborhood of the tavern until after nine, one watching the alley at a distance and the other the tavern door.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The night promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understanding that if a considerable degree of darkness came on, Huck was to come and “maow,” whereupon he would slip out and try the keys.
watch
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the night remained clear, and Huck closed his watch and retired to bed in an empty sugar hogshead about twelve.
watching
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They hung about the neighborhood of the tavern until after nine, one watching the alley at a distance and the other the tavern door.
wentnounUS /went/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The night promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understanding that if a considerable degree of darkness came on, Huck was to come and “maow,” whereupon he would slip out and try the keys.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading That night Tom and Huck were ready for their adventure.
whereupon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The night promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understanding that if a considerable degree of darkness came on, Huck was to come and “maow,” whereupon he would slip out and try the keys.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading The night promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understanding that if a considerable degree of darkness came on, Huck was to come and “maow,” whereupon he would slip out and try the keys.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The night promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understanding that if a considerable degree of darkness came on, Huck was to come and “maow,” whereupon he would slip out and try the keys.