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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 A sinister aimlessness pervades the actions of those that move at all.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading They totter about on tip-toe; they yawn and forget to shut their mouths.
actions
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From this reading A sinister aimlessness pervades the actions of those that move at all.
aimlessness
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From this reading A sinister aimlessness pervades the actions of those that move at all.
all
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From this reading A sinister aimlessness pervades the actions of those that move at all.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They totter about on tip-toe; they yawn and forget to shut their mouths.
anothernounUS /ˈanother/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading They stare at columns of polished granite, at a piece of weed, at one another, as though they had never seen such things before.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading They stare at columns of polished granite, at a piece of weed, at one another, as though they had never seen such things before.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A sinister aimlessness pervades the actions of those that move at all.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading They stare at columns of polished granite, at a piece of weed, at one another, as though they had never seen such things before.
columns
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From this reading They stare at columns of polished granite, at a piece of weed, at one another, as though they had never seen such things before.
convulsed
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From this reading Here is one, stretching out a hind leg in a sustained cramp; another is convulsed with nervous twitchings; another scratches the earth in a kind of mechanical trance.
cramp
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From this reading Here is one, stretching out a hind leg in a sustained cramp; another is convulsed with nervous twitchings; another scratches the earth in a kind of mechanical trance.
creatures
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From this reading The shadow of death is upon these creatures in the scorching sunshine.
death
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From this reading The shadow of death is upon these creatures in the scorching sunshine.
earth
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From this reading Here is one, stretching out a hind leg in a sustained cramp; another is convulsed with nervous twitchings; another scratches the earth in a kind of mechanical trance.
forget
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From this reading They totter about on tip-toe; they yawn and forget to shut their mouths.
granite
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From this reading They stare at columns of polished granite, at a piece of weed, at one another, as though they had never seen such things before.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They stare at columns of polished granite, at a piece of weed, at one another, as though they had never seen such things before.
HerenounUS /here/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Here is one, stretching out a hind leg in a sustained cramp; another is convulsed with nervous twitchings; another scratches the earth in a kind of mechanical trance.
hind
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Here is one, stretching out a hind leg in a sustained cramp; another is convulsed with nervous twitchings; another scratches the earth in a kind of mechanical trance.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The shadow of death is upon these creatures in the scorching sunshine.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The shadow of death is upon these creatures in the scorching sunshine.
kind
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From this reading Here is one, stretching out a hind leg in a sustained cramp; another is convulsed with nervous twitchings; another scratches the earth in a kind of mechanical trance.
leg
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Here is one, stretching out a hind leg in a sustained cramp; another is convulsed with nervous twitchings; another scratches the earth in a kind of mechanical trance.
mechanical
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From this reading Here is one, stretching out a hind leg in a sustained cramp; another is convulsed with nervous twitchings; another scratches the earth in a kind of mechanical trance.
mouths
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From this reading They totter about on tip-toe; they yawn and forget to shut their mouths.
move
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A sinister aimlessness pervades the actions of those that move at all.
nervous
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From this reading Here is one, stretching out a hind leg in a sustained cramp; another is convulsed with nervous twitchings; another scratches the earth in a kind of mechanical trance.
nevernounUS /never/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading They stare at columns of polished granite, at a piece of weed, at one another, as though they had never seen such things before.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A sinister aimlessness pervades the actions of those that move at all.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading They totter about on tip-toe; they yawn and forget to shut their mouths.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading They stare at columns of polished granite, at a piece of weed, at one another, as though they had never seen such things before.
out
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From this reading Here is one, stretching out a hind leg in a sustained cramp; another is convulsed with nervous twitchings; another scratches the earth in a kind of mechanical trance.
pervades
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From this reading A sinister aimlessness pervades the actions of those that move at all.
piece
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From this reading They stare at columns of polished granite, at a piece of weed, at one another, as though they had never seen such things before.
polished
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From this reading They stare at columns of polished granite, at a piece of weed, at one another, as though they had never seen such things before.
scorching
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From this reading The shadow of death is upon these creatures in the scorching sunshine.
scratches
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From this reading Here is one, stretching out a hind leg in a sustained cramp; another is convulsed with nervous twitchings; another scratches the earth in a kind of mechanical trance.
seen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They stare at columns of polished granite, at a piece of weed, at one another, as though they had never seen such things before.
shadownounUS /ˈʃæd.oʊ/
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading The shadow of death is upon these creatures in the scorching sunshine.
shut
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From this reading They totter about on tip-toe; they yawn and forget to shut their mouths.
sinister
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From this reading A sinister aimlessness pervades the actions of those that move at all.
stare
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From this reading They stare at columns of polished granite, at a piece of weed, at one another, as though they had never seen such things before.
stretching
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Here is one, stretching out a hind leg in a sustained cramp; another is convulsed with nervous twitchings; another scratches the earth in a kind of mechanical trance.
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading They stare at columns of polished granite, at a piece of weed, at one another, as though they had never seen such things before.
sunshine
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The shadow of death is upon these creatures in the scorching sunshine.
sustained
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Here is one, stretching out a hind leg in a sustained cramp; another is convulsed with nervous twitchings; another scratches the earth in a kind of mechanical trance.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A sinister aimlessness pervades the actions of those that move at all.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A sinister aimlessness pervades the actions of those that move at all.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They totter about on tip-toe; they yawn and forget to shut their mouths.
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading The shadow of death is upon these creatures in the scorching sunshine.
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They stare at columns of polished granite, at a piece of weed, at one another, as though they had never seen such things before.
things
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They stare at columns of polished granite, at a piece of weed, at one another, as though they had never seen such things before.
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading A sinister aimlessness pervades the actions of those that move at all.
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading They stare at columns of polished granite, at a piece of weed, at one another, as though they had never seen such things before.
tip-toe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They totter about on tip-toe; they yawn and forget to shut their mouths.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They totter about on tip-toe; they yawn and forget to shut their mouths.
totter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They totter about on tip-toe; they yawn and forget to shut their mouths.
trance
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Here is one, stretching out a hind leg in a sustained cramp; another is convulsed with nervous twitchings; another scratches the earth in a kind of mechanical trance.
twitchings
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Here is one, stretching out a hind leg in a sustained cramp; another is convulsed with nervous twitchings; another scratches the earth in a kind of mechanical trance.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The shadow of death is upon these creatures in the scorching sunshine.
weed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They stare at columns of polished granite, at a piece of weed, at one another, as though they had never seen such things before.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Here is one, stretching out a hind leg in a sustained cramp; another is convulsed with nervous twitchings; another scratches the earth in a kind of mechanical trance.
yawn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They totter about on tip-toe; they yawn and forget to shut their mouths.
