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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 Having gulped down a stiff glass of brandy to steady my nerves, I proceeded in breathless eagerness to examine the fragments of private papers which effort had been made to destroy.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading On arrival at my own chambers I cleansed my hands of Sternroyd's blood, and entering my sitting-room turned up the gas.
apparently
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From this reading The first I inspected were apparently portions of a legal document.
arrival
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From this reading On arrival at my own chambers I cleansed my hands of Sternroyd's blood, and entering my sitting-room turned up the gas.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It was pale and haggard as that of the victim of the secret tragedy.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading On arrival at my own chambers I cleansed my hands of Sternroyd's blood, and entering my sitting-room turned up the gas.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Having gulped down a stiff glass of brandy to steady my nerves, I proceeded in breathless eagerness to examine the fragments of private papers which effort had been made to destroy.
bloodnounUS /blood/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading On arrival at my own chambers I cleansed my hands of Sternroyd's blood, and entering my sitting-room turned up the gas.
brandynounUS /ˈbrændi/
a strong alcoholic drink distilled from wine
From this reading Having gulped down a stiff glass of brandy to steady my nerves, I proceeded in breathless eagerness to examine the fragments of private papers which effort had been made to destroy.
breathless
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From this reading Having gulped down a stiff glass of brandy to steady my nerves, I proceeded in breathless eagerness to examine the fragments of private papers which effort had been made to destroy.
caught
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From this reading My eyes caught sight of my own face in the mirror.
chambers
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From this reading On arrival at my own chambers I cleansed my hands of Sternroyd's blood, and entering my sitting-room turned up the gas.
cleansed
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From this reading On arrival at my own chambers I cleansed my hands of Sternroyd's blood, and entering my sitting-room turned up the gas.
destroy
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From this reading Having gulped down a stiff glass of brandy to steady my nerves, I proceeded in breathless eagerness to examine the fragments of private papers which effort had been made to destroy.
document
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From this reading The first I inspected were apparently portions of a legal document.
down
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From this reading Having gulped down a stiff glass of brandy to steady my nerves, I proceeded in breathless eagerness to examine the fragments of private papers which effort had been made to destroy.
eagerness
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From this reading Having gulped down a stiff glass of brandy to steady my nerves, I proceeded in breathless eagerness to examine the fragments of private papers which effort had been made to destroy.
effort
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From this reading Having gulped down a stiff glass of brandy to steady my nerves, I proceeded in breathless eagerness to examine the fragments of private papers which effort had been made to destroy.
entering
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From this reading On arrival at my own chambers I cleansed my hands of Sternroyd's blood, and entering my sitting-room turned up the gas.
examine
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From this reading Having gulped down a stiff glass of brandy to steady my nerves, I proceeded in breathless eagerness to examine the fragments of private papers which effort had been made to destroy.
eyes
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From this reading My eyes caught sight of my own face in the mirror.
face
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From this reading My eyes caught sight of my own face in the mirror.
firstnounUS /first/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The first I inspected were apparently portions of a legal document.
fragments
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From this reading Having gulped down a stiff glass of brandy to steady my nerves, I proceeded in breathless eagerness to examine the fragments of private papers which effort had been made to destroy.
gas
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From this reading On arrival at my own chambers I cleansed my hands of Sternroyd's blood, and entering my sitting-room turned up the gas.
glass
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From this reading Having gulped down a stiff glass of brandy to steady my nerves, I proceeded in breathless eagerness to examine the fragments of private papers which effort had been made to destroy.
gulped
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From this reading Having gulped down a stiff glass of brandy to steady my nerves, I proceeded in breathless eagerness to examine the fragments of private papers which effort had been made to destroy.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Having gulped down a stiff glass of brandy to steady my nerves, I proceeded in breathless eagerness to examine the fragments of private papers which effort had been made to destroy.
haggard
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From this reading It was pale and haggard as that of the victim of the secret tragedy.
handsplural nounUS /hændz/
members of a ship’s crew
From this reading On arrival at my own chambers I cleansed my hands of Sternroyd's blood, and entering my sitting-room turned up the gas.
Havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading Having gulped down a stiff glass of brandy to steady my nerves, I proceeded in breathless eagerness to examine the fragments of private papers which effort had been made to destroy.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading On arrival at my own chambers I cleansed my hands of Sternroyd's blood, and entering my sitting-room turned up the gas.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading My eyes caught sight of my own face in the mirror.
inspected
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From this reading The first I inspected were apparently portions of a legal document.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was pale and haggard as that of the victim of the secret tragedy.
legal
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From this reading The first I inspected were apparently portions of a legal document.
made
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From this reading Having gulped down a stiff glass of brandy to steady my nerves, I proceeded in breathless eagerness to examine the fragments of private papers which effort had been made to destroy.
mirror
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My eyes caught sight of my own face in the mirror.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading On arrival at my own chambers I cleansed my hands of Sternroyd's blood, and entering my sitting-room turned up the gas.
nerves
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From this reading Having gulped down a stiff glass of brandy to steady my nerves, I proceeded in breathless eagerness to examine the fragments of private papers which effort had been made to destroy.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading On arrival at my own chambers I cleansed my hands of Sternroyd's blood, and entering my sitting-room turned up the gas.
OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On arrival at my own chambers I cleansed my hands of Sternroyd's blood, and entering my sitting-room turned up the gas.
own
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From this reading On arrival at my own chambers I cleansed my hands of Sternroyd's blood, and entering my sitting-room turned up the gas.
pale
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From this reading It was pale and haggard as that of the victim of the secret tragedy.
papers
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From this reading Having gulped down a stiff glass of brandy to steady my nerves, I proceeded in breathless eagerness to examine the fragments of private papers which effort had been made to destroy.
portions
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From this reading The first I inspected were apparently portions of a legal document.
private
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Having gulped down a stiff glass of brandy to steady my nerves, I proceeded in breathless eagerness to examine the fragments of private papers which effort had been made to destroy.
proceeded
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From this reading Having gulped down a stiff glass of brandy to steady my nerves, I proceeded in breathless eagerness to examine the fragments of private papers which effort had been made to destroy.
secretnounUS /ˈsiː.krət/
Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.
From this reading It was pale and haggard as that of the victim of the secret tragedy.
sight
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My eyes caught sight of my own face in the mirror.
sitting-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On arrival at my own chambers I cleansed my hands of Sternroyd's blood, and entering my sitting-room turned up the gas.
steady
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From this reading Having gulped down a stiff glass of brandy to steady my nerves, I proceeded in breathless eagerness to examine the fragments of private papers which effort had been made to destroy.
Sternroyd's
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From this reading On arrival at my own chambers I cleansed my hands of Sternroyd's blood, and entering my sitting-room turned up the gas.
stiff
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Having gulped down a stiff glass of brandy to steady my nerves, I proceeded in breathless eagerness to examine the fragments of private papers which effort had been made to destroy.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was pale and haggard as that of the victim of the secret tragedy.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading On arrival at my own chambers I cleansed my hands of Sternroyd's blood, and entering my sitting-room turned up the gas.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Having gulped down a stiff glass of brandy to steady my nerves, I proceeded in breathless eagerness to examine the fragments of private papers which effort had been made to destroy.
tragedy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was pale and haggard as that of the victim of the secret tragedy.
turned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On arrival at my own chambers I cleansed my hands of Sternroyd's blood, and entering my sitting-room turned up the gas.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On arrival at my own chambers I cleansed my hands of Sternroyd's blood, and entering my sitting-room turned up the gas.
victim
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was pale and haggard as that of the victim of the secret tragedy.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was pale and haggard as that of the victim of the secret tragedy.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The first I inspected were apparently portions of a legal document.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Having gulped down a stiff glass of brandy to steady my nerves, I proceeded in breathless eagerness to examine the fragments of private papers which effort had been made to destroy.
