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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 two came from beneath the dripping trees out upon the cleared bank of the Mississippi, and into a glare of pine torches.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The two came from beneath the dripping trees out upon the cleared bank of the Mississippi, and into a glare of pine torches.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The light was strong and red enough, a pulsing heart of light shading at its edges into smoky bronze and copper, then, a little further, lost in the wild night.
bank
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From this reading The two came from beneath the dripping trees out upon the cleared bank of the Mississippi, and into a glare of pine torches.
barrel
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From this reading There was, too, a tar barrel burning.
beat
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From this reading The rain had lessened, the fitful wind beat the flames sideways, but failed to conquer them.
beneathprepositionUS /bɪˈniːθ/
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading The two came from beneath the dripping trees out upon the cleared bank of the Mississippi, and into a glare of pine torches.
bronze
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From this reading The light was strong and red enough, a pulsing heart of light shading at its edges into smoky bronze and copper, then, a little further, lost in the wild night.
burning
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From this reading There was, too, a tar barrel burning.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The rain had lessened, the fitful wind beat the flames sideways, but failed to conquer them.
came
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From this reading The two came from beneath the dripping trees out upon the cleared bank of the Mississippi, and into a glare of pine torches.
Cape
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From this reading The river curved like a scimitar, and the glare showed the turbulent edge of it and the swirling cross-current that was setting a tooth into the Cape Jessamine levee.
cleared
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From this reading The two came from beneath the dripping trees out upon the cleared bank of the Mississippi, and into a glare of pine torches.
conquer
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From this reading The rain had lessened, the fitful wind beat the flames sideways, but failed to conquer them.
copper
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From this reading The light was strong and red enough, a pulsing heart of light shading at its edges into smoky bronze and copper, then, a little further, lost in the wild night.
cross-current
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From this reading The river curved like a scimitar, and the glare showed the turbulent edge of it and the swirling cross-current that was setting a tooth into the Cape Jessamine levee.
curved
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From this reading The river curved like a scimitar, and the glare showed the turbulent edge of it and the swirling cross-current that was setting a tooth into the Cape Jessamine levee.
dripping
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From this reading The two came from beneath the dripping trees out upon the cleared bank of the Mississippi, and into a glare of pine torches.
edge
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From this reading The river curved like a scimitar, and the glare showed the turbulent edge of it and the swirling cross-current that was setting a tooth into the Cape Jessamine levee.
edges
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From this reading The light was strong and red enough, a pulsing heart of light shading at its edges into smoky bronze and copper, then, a little further, lost in the wild night.
enough
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From this reading The light was strong and red enough, a pulsing heart of light shading at its edges into smoky bronze and copper, then, a little further, lost in the wild night.
failed
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From this reading The rain had lessened, the fitful wind beat the flames sideways, but failed to conquer them.
fitful
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From this reading The rain had lessened, the fitful wind beat the flames sideways, but failed to conquer them.
flames
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From this reading The rain had lessened, the fitful wind beat the flames sideways, but failed to conquer them.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The two came from beneath the dripping trees out upon the cleared bank of the Mississippi, and into a glare of pine torches.
further
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light was strong and red enough, a pulsing heart of light shading at its edges into smoky bronze and copper, then, a little further, lost in the wild night.
glarenounUS /glare/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The two came from beneath the dripping trees out upon the cleared bank of the Mississippi, and into a glare of pine torches.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The rain had lessened, the fitful wind beat the flames sideways, but failed to conquer them.
heart
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light was strong and red enough, a pulsing heart of light shading at its edges into smoky bronze and copper, then, a little further, lost in the wild night.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The light was strong and red enough, a pulsing heart of light shading at its edges into smoky bronze and copper, then, a little further, lost in the wild night.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The two came from beneath the dripping trees out upon the cleared bank of the Mississippi, and into a glare of pine torches.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The river curved like a scimitar, and the glare showed the turbulent edge of it and the swirling cross-current that was setting a tooth into the Cape Jessamine levee.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The light was strong and red enough, a pulsing heart of light shading at its edges into smoky bronze and copper, then, a little further, lost in the wild night.
Jessamine
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The river curved like a scimitar, and the glare showed the turbulent edge of it and the swirling cross-current that was setting a tooth into the Cape Jessamine levee.
lessened
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From this reading The rain had lessened, the fitful wind beat the flames sideways, but failed to conquer them.
levee
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From this reading The river curved like a scimitar, and the glare showed the turbulent edge of it and the swirling cross-current that was setting a tooth into the Cape Jessamine levee.
light
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From this reading The light was strong and red enough, a pulsing heart of light shading at its edges into smoky bronze and copper, then, a little further, lost in the wild night.
like
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From this reading The river curved like a scimitar, and the glare showed the turbulent edge of it and the swirling cross-current that was setting a tooth into the Cape Jessamine levee.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The light was strong and red enough, a pulsing heart of light shading at its edges into smoky bronze and copper, then, a little further, lost in the wild night.
lost
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From this reading The light was strong and red enough, a pulsing heart of light shading at its edges into smoky bronze and copper, then, a little further, lost in the wild night.
Mississippi
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The two came from beneath the dripping trees out upon the cleared bank of the Mississippi, and into a glare of pine torches.
night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light was strong and red enough, a pulsing heart of light shading at its edges into smoky bronze and copper, then, a little further, lost in the wild night.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The two came from beneath the dripping trees out upon the cleared bank of the Mississippi, and into a glare of pine torches.
out
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From this reading The two came from beneath the dripping trees out upon the cleared bank of the Mississippi, and into a glare of pine torches.
pine
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From this reading The two came from beneath the dripping trees out upon the cleared bank of the Mississippi, and into a glare of pine torches.
pulsing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light was strong and red enough, a pulsing heart of light shading at its edges into smoky bronze and copper, then, a little further, lost in the wild night.
rain
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The rain had lessened, the fitful wind beat the flames sideways, but failed to conquer them.
red
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light was strong and red enough, a pulsing heart of light shading at its edges into smoky bronze and copper, then, a little further, lost in the wild night.
river
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The river curved like a scimitar, and the glare showed the turbulent edge of it and the swirling cross-current that was setting a tooth into the Cape Jessamine levee.
scimitar
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The river curved like a scimitar, and the glare showed the turbulent edge of it and the swirling cross-current that was setting a tooth into the Cape Jessamine levee.
setting
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From this reading The river curved like a scimitar, and the glare showed the turbulent edge of it and the swirling cross-current that was setting a tooth into the Cape Jessamine levee.
shading
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light was strong and red enough, a pulsing heart of light shading at its edges into smoky bronze and copper, then, a little further, lost in the wild night.
showed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The river curved like a scimitar, and the glare showed the turbulent edge of it and the swirling cross-current that was setting a tooth into the Cape Jessamine levee.
sideways
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The rain had lessened, the fitful wind beat the flames sideways, but failed to conquer them.
smoky
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light was strong and red enough, a pulsing heart of light shading at its edges into smoky bronze and copper, then, a little further, lost in the wild night.
strong
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light was strong and red enough, a pulsing heart of light shading at its edges into smoky bronze and copper, then, a little further, lost in the wild night.
swirling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The river curved like a scimitar, and the glare showed the turbulent edge of it and the swirling cross-current that was setting a tooth into the Cape Jessamine levee.
tar
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was, too, a tar barrel burning.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The river curved like a scimitar, and the glare showed the turbulent edge of it and the swirling cross-current that was setting a tooth into the Cape Jessamine levee.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The two came from beneath the dripping trees out upon the cleared bank of the Mississippi, and into a glare of pine torches.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The rain had lessened, the fitful wind beat the flames sideways, but failed to conquer them.
then
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light was strong and red enough, a pulsing heart of light shading at its edges into smoky bronze and copper, then, a little further, lost in the wild night.
There
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was, too, a tar barrel burning.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The rain had lessened, the fitful wind beat the flames sideways, but failed to conquer them.
too
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was, too, a tar barrel burning.
tooth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The river curved like a scimitar, and the glare showed the turbulent edge of it and the swirling cross-current that was setting a tooth into the Cape Jessamine levee.
torches
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The two came from beneath the dripping trees out upon the cleared bank of the Mississippi, and into a glare of pine torches.
trees
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From this reading The two came from beneath the dripping trees out upon the cleared bank of the Mississippi, and into a glare of pine torches.
turbulent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The river curved like a scimitar, and the glare showed the turbulent edge of it and the swirling cross-current that was setting a tooth into the Cape Jessamine levee.
two
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From this reading The two came from beneath the dripping trees out upon the cleared bank of the Mississippi, and into a glare of pine torches.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The two came from beneath the dripping trees out upon the cleared bank of the Mississippi, and into a glare of pine torches.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was, too, a tar barrel burning.
wild
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light was strong and red enough, a pulsing heart of light shading at its edges into smoky bronze and copper, then, a little further, lost in the wild night.
windnounUS /wind/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The rain had lessened, the fitful wind beat the flames sideways, but failed to conquer them.