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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 At that thought, fear struck at George Hanlon's vitals, almost like a physical blow.
againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
all
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From this reading Cold sweat starting from all his pores, Hanlon sank into a chair, nails digging into palms.
almost
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From this reading At that thought, fear struck at George Hanlon's vitals, almost like a physical blow.
alreadynounUS /already/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
AtprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At that thought, fear struck at George Hanlon's vitals, almost like a physical blow.
away
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From this reading His bravado, his cockiness, his belief in his own superiority--all ebbed away like a swift-falling tide.
belief
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From this reading His bravado, his cockiness, his belief in his own superiority--all ebbed away like a swift-falling tide.
blow
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At that thought, fear struck at George Hanlon's vitals, almost like a physical blow.
bravado
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From this reading His bravado, his cockiness, his belief in his own superiority--all ebbed away like a swift-falling tide.
captured
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From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
certainly
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From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
chair
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Cold sweat starting from all his pores, Hanlon sank into a chair, nails digging into palms.
cockiness
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From this reading His bravado, his cockiness, his belief in his own superiority--all ebbed away like a swift-falling tide.
Cold
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From this reading Cold sweat starting from all his pores, Hanlon sank into a chair, nails digging into palms.
continue
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From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
Corps
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From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
digging
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Cold sweat starting from all his pores, Hanlon sank into a chair, nails digging into palms.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
ebbed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His bravado, his cockiness, his belief in his own superiority--all ebbed away like a swift-falling tide.
fear
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At that thought, fear struck at George Hanlon's vitals, almost like a physical blow.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading What was planned for _him_?
four
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From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
freeadjectiveUS /friː/
acting without enough restraint or discipline
From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Cold sweat starting from all his pores, Hanlon sank into a chair, nails digging into palms.
George
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At that thought, fear struck at George Hanlon's vitals, almost like a physical blow.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
Hanlon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Cold sweat starting from all his pores, Hanlon sank into a chair, nails digging into palms.
Hanlon's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At that thought, fear struck at George Hanlon's vitals, almost like a physical blow.
herenounUS /here/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading What was planned for _him_?
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Cold sweat starting from all his pores, Hanlon sank into a chair, nails digging into palms.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading His bravado, his cockiness, his belief in his own superiority--all ebbed away like a swift-falling tide.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Cold sweat starting from all his pores, Hanlon sank into a chair, nails digging into palms.
leave
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At that thought, fear struck at George Hanlon's vitals, almost like a physical blow.
nails
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Cold sweat starting from all his pores, Hanlon sank into a chair, nails digging into palms.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
ontoprepositionUS /ˈɑːntuː/
moving to a position on a surface
From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
own
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His bravado, his cockiness, his belief in his own superiority--all ebbed away like a swift-falling tide.
palms
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Cold sweat starting from all his pores, Hanlon sank into a chair, nails digging into palms.
physical
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At that thought, fear struck at George Hanlon's vitals, almost like a physical blow.
planned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What was planned for _him_?
pores
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Cold sweat starting from all his pores, Hanlon sank into a chair, nails digging into palms.
sank
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Cold sweat starting from all his pores, Hanlon sank into a chair, nails digging into palms.
secretnounUS /ˈsiː.krət/
Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.
From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
service
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
starting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Cold sweat starting from all his pores, Hanlon sank into a chair, nails digging into palms.
strucknounUS /struck/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading At that thought, fear struck at George Hanlon's vitals, almost like a physical blow.
superiority
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His bravado, his cockiness, his belief in his own superiority--all ebbed away like a swift-falling tide.
sweat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Cold sweat starting from all his pores, Hanlon sank into a chair, nails digging into palms.
swift-falling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His bravado, his cockiness, his belief in his own superiority--all ebbed away like a swift-falling tide.
Terrans
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading At that thought, fear struck at George Hanlon's vitals, almost like a physical blow.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
thoughtnounUS /thought/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading At that thought, fear struck at George Hanlon's vitals, almost like a physical blow.
three
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
tide
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His bravado, his cockiness, his belief in his own superiority--all ebbed away like a swift-falling tide.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
tortured
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
trying
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
unknowns
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
vitals
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At that thought, fear struck at George Hanlon's vitals, almost like a physical blow.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading What was planned for _him_?
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
WhatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What was planned for _him_?
working
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading For certainly if these unknowns were onto what the Terrans--or the Corps and the secret service--were trying to do here, and had already captured and tortured three of the four, they would not leave him free to continue working against them.
