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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 The Dancing Monkeys A PRINCE had some Monkeys trained to dance.
actions
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From this reading Being naturally great mimics of men’s actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers.
actors
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From this reading The Monkeys at the sight of the nuts forgot their dancing and became (as indeed they were) Monkeys instead of actors.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Being naturally great mimics of men’s actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers.
any
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From this reading Being naturally great mimics of men’s actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers.
applause
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From this reading The spectacle was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage.
apt
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From this reading Being naturally great mimics of men’s actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The safeguards of virtue are hateful to those with evil intentions.
arrayed
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From this reading Being naturally great mimics of men’s actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Being naturally great mimics of men’s actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The Monkeys at the sight of the nuts forgot their dancing and became (as indeed they were) Monkeys instead of actors.
became
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From this reading The Monkeys at the sight of the nuts forgot their dancing and became (as indeed they were) Monkeys instead of actors.
Beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Being naturally great mimics of men’s actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers.
bent
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From this reading The spectacle was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage.
clothes
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From this reading Being naturally great mimics of men’s actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers.
courtier
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From this reading The spectacle was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage.
courtiers
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From this reading Being naturally great mimics of men’s actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers.
dance
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From this reading The Dancing Monkeys A PRINCE had some Monkeys trained to dance.
danced
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From this reading Being naturally great mimics of men’s actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers.
Dancing
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From this reading The Dancing Monkeys A PRINCE had some Monkeys trained to dance.
evil
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From this reading The safeguards of virtue are hateful to those with evil intentions.
forgot
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From this reading The Monkeys at the sight of the nuts forgot their dancing and became (as indeed they were) Monkeys instead of actors.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The spectacle was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage.
greatnounUS /great/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Being naturally great mimics of men’s actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The Dancing Monkeys A PRINCE had some Monkeys trained to dance.
handful
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From this reading The spectacle was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage.
hateful
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From this reading The safeguards of virtue are hateful to those with evil intentions.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The spectacle was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Being naturally great mimics of men’s actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers.
indeed
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From this reading The Monkeys at the sight of the nuts forgot their dancing and became (as indeed they were) Monkeys instead of actors.
instead
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From this reading The Monkeys at the sight of the nuts forgot their dancing and became (as indeed they were) Monkeys instead of actors.
intentions
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The safeguards of virtue are hateful to those with evil intentions.
masks
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From this reading Being naturally great mimics of men’s actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers.
men's
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From this reading Being naturally great mimics of men’s actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers.
mimics
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From this reading Being naturally great mimics of men’s actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers.
mischief
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The spectacle was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage.
Monkeys
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Dancing Monkeys A PRINCE had some Monkeys trained to dance.
most
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Being naturally great mimics of men’s actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers.
naturally
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From this reading Being naturally great mimics of men’s actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers.
nuts
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The spectacle was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage.
occasion
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From this reading The spectacle was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The safeguards of virtue are hateful to those with evil intentions.
often
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From this reading The spectacle was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The spectacle was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The spectacle was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage.
pocket
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The spectacle was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage.
PRINCE
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Dancing Monkeys A PRINCE had some Monkeys trained to dance.
pupils
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From this reading Being naturally great mimics of men’s actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers.
repeatednounUS /repeated/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The spectacle was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage.
rich
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Being naturally great mimics of men’s actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers.
safeguards
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From this reading The safeguards of virtue are hateful to those with evil intentions.
showed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Being naturally great mimics of men’s actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers.
sight
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Monkeys at the sight of the nuts forgot their dancing and became (as indeed they were) Monkeys instead of actors.
some
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Dancing Monkeys A PRINCE had some Monkeys trained to dance.
spectacle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The spectacle was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage.
stage
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The spectacle was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The safeguards of virtue are hateful to those with evil intentions.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Being naturally great mimics of men’s actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The spectacle was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage.
themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading Being naturally great mimics of men’s actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Being naturally great mimics of men’s actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers.
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading The safeguards of virtue are hateful to those with evil intentions.
threw
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From this reading The spectacle was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage.
tillprepositionUS /tɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading The spectacle was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The safeguards of virtue are hateful to those with evil intentions.
tooknounUS /took/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The spectacle was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage.
trained
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Dancing Monkeys A PRINCE had some Monkeys trained to dance.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The spectacle was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage.
virtuenounUS /ˈvɝː.tʃuː/
Moral excellence and goodness of character; the highest human attainment in Stoic philosophy.
From this reading The safeguards of virtue are hateful to those with evil intentions.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The spectacle was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage.
well
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Being naturally great mimics of men’s actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The Monkeys at the sight of the nuts forgot their dancing and became (as indeed they were) Monkeys instead of actors.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading Being naturally great mimics of men’s actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading The safeguards of virtue are hateful to those with evil intentions.
