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againnounUS /again/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading How they got him out again they hardly knew.
amongstprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋst/
surrounded by; in the company of
From this reading They backed him amongst the trees, seeking the higher ground.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They gained the road; the mud was two feet thick at least, and Beauty sank knee-deep in the sulphurous, steaming slime.
areas
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From this reading Fresh mud-holes had opened in unexpected places, and old ones had enlarged to boiling pools, and wide areas of smouldering ashes marked the site of the many fires the lightning had kindled.
ashesnounUS /ˈæʃ.ɪz/
The powdery residue left after the burning of a substance.
From this reading Fresh mud-holes had opened in unexpected places, and old ones had enlarged to boiling pools, and wide areas of smouldering ashes marked the site of the many fires the lightning had kindled.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading They gained the road; the mud was two feet thick at least, and Beauty sank knee-deep in the sulphurous, steaming slime.
back
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From this reading Could the boys have extricated themselves just then, they might have been tempted to turn back in sheer dismay.
backed
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From this reading They backed him amongst the trees, seeking the higher ground.
Beauty
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From this reading They gained the road; the mud was two feet thick at least, and Beauty sank knee-deep in the sulphurous, steaming slime.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Could the boys have extricated themselves just then, they might have been tempted to turn back in sheer dismay.
boiling
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From this reading Fresh mud-holes had opened in unexpected places, and old ones had enlarged to boiling pools, and wide areas of smouldering ashes marked the site of the many fires the lightning had kindled.
boys
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From this reading Could the boys have extricated themselves just then, they might have been tempted to turn back in sheer dismay.
Couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Could the boys have extricated themselves just then, they might have been tempted to turn back in sheer dismay.
dismay
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From this reading Could the boys have extricated themselves just then, they might have been tempted to turn back in sheer dismay.
enlarged
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From this reading Fresh mud-holes had opened in unexpected places, and old ones had enlarged to boiling pools, and wide areas of smouldering ashes marked the site of the many fires the lightning had kindled.
extricated
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From this reading Could the boys have extricated themselves just then, they might have been tempted to turn back in sheer dismay.
feet
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From this reading They gained the road; the mud was two feet thick at least, and Beauty sank knee-deep in the sulphurous, steaming slime.
fires
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From this reading Fresh mud-holes had opened in unexpected places, and old ones had enlarged to boiling pools, and wide areas of smouldering ashes marked the site of the many fires the lightning had kindled.
Fresh
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From this reading Fresh mud-holes had opened in unexpected places, and old ones had enlarged to boiling pools, and wide areas of smouldering ashes marked the site of the many fires the lightning had kindled.
gained
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From this reading They gained the road; the mud was two feet thick at least, and Beauty sank knee-deep in the sulphurous, steaming slime.
got
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From this reading How they got him out again they hardly knew.
ground
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From this reading They backed him amongst the trees, seeking the higher ground.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Fresh mud-holes had opened in unexpected places, and old ones had enlarged to boiling pools, and wide areas of smouldering ashes marked the site of the many fires the lightning had kindled.
hardly
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From this reading How they got him out again they hardly knew.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Could the boys have extricated themselves just then, they might have been tempted to turn back in sheer dismay.
higher
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From this reading They backed him amongst the trees, seeking the higher ground.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading How they got him out again they hardly knew.
How
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From this reading How they got him out again they hardly knew.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They gained the road; the mud was two feet thick at least, and Beauty sank knee-deep in the sulphurous, steaming slime.
just
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Could the boys have extricated themselves just then, they might have been tempted to turn back in sheer dismay.
kindled
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From this reading Fresh mud-holes had opened in unexpected places, and old ones had enlarged to boiling pools, and wide areas of smouldering ashes marked the site of the many fires the lightning had kindled.
knee-deep
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From this reading They gained the road; the mud was two feet thick at least, and Beauty sank knee-deep in the sulphurous, steaming slime.
knew
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From this reading How they got him out again they hardly knew.
leastnounUS /least/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading They gained the road; the mud was two feet thick at least, and Beauty sank knee-deep in the sulphurous, steaming slime.
lightning
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From this reading Fresh mud-holes had opened in unexpected places, and old ones had enlarged to boiling pools, and wide areas of smouldering ashes marked the site of the many fires the lightning had kindled.
many
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fresh mud-holes had opened in unexpected places, and old ones had enlarged to boiling pools, and wide areas of smouldering ashes marked the site of the many fires the lightning had kindled.
marked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fresh mud-holes had opened in unexpected places, and old ones had enlarged to boiling pools, and wide areas of smouldering ashes marked the site of the many fires the lightning had kindled.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Could the boys have extricated themselves just then, they might have been tempted to turn back in sheer dismay.
mud
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They gained the road; the mud was two feet thick at least, and Beauty sank knee-deep in the sulphurous, steaming slime.
mud-holes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fresh mud-holes had opened in unexpected places, and old ones had enlarged to boiling pools, and wide areas of smouldering ashes marked the site of the many fires the lightning had kindled.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Fresh mud-holes had opened in unexpected places, and old ones had enlarged to boiling pools, and wide areas of smouldering ashes marked the site of the many fires the lightning had kindled.
old
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fresh mud-holes had opened in unexpected places, and old ones had enlarged to boiling pools, and wide areas of smouldering ashes marked the site of the many fires the lightning had kindled.
ones
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fresh mud-holes had opened in unexpected places, and old ones had enlarged to boiling pools, and wide areas of smouldering ashes marked the site of the many fires the lightning had kindled.
opened
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From this reading Fresh mud-holes had opened in unexpected places, and old ones had enlarged to boiling pools, and wide areas of smouldering ashes marked the site of the many fires the lightning had kindled.
out
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From this reading How they got him out again they hardly knew.
places
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fresh mud-holes had opened in unexpected places, and old ones had enlarged to boiling pools, and wide areas of smouldering ashes marked the site of the many fires the lightning had kindled.
pools
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fresh mud-holes had opened in unexpected places, and old ones had enlarged to boiling pools, and wide areas of smouldering ashes marked the site of the many fires the lightning had kindled.
road
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They gained the road; the mud was two feet thick at least, and Beauty sank knee-deep in the sulphurous, steaming slime.
sank
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From this reading They gained the road; the mud was two feet thick at least, and Beauty sank knee-deep in the sulphurous, steaming slime.
seeking
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From this reading They backed him amongst the trees, seeking the higher ground.
sheer
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From this reading Could the boys have extricated themselves just then, they might have been tempted to turn back in sheer dismay.
site
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fresh mud-holes had opened in unexpected places, and old ones had enlarged to boiling pools, and wide areas of smouldering ashes marked the site of the many fires the lightning had kindled.
slime
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They gained the road; the mud was two feet thick at least, and Beauty sank knee-deep in the sulphurous, steaming slime.
smouldering
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fresh mud-holes had opened in unexpected places, and old ones had enlarged to boiling pools, and wide areas of smouldering ashes marked the site of the many fires the lightning had kindled.
steamingnounUS /ˈsteaming/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading They gained the road; the mud was two feet thick at least, and Beauty sank knee-deep in the sulphurous, steaming slime.
sulphurous
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They gained the road; the mud was two feet thick at least, and Beauty sank knee-deep in the sulphurous, steaming slime.
tempted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Could the boys have extricated themselves just then, they might have been tempted to turn back in sheer dismay.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading They gained the road; the mud was two feet thick at least, and Beauty sank knee-deep in the sulphurous, steaming slime.
themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading Could the boys have extricated themselves just then, they might have been tempted to turn back in sheer dismay.
then
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Could the boys have extricated themselves just then, they might have been tempted to turn back in sheer dismay.
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They gained the road; the mud was two feet thick at least, and Beauty sank knee-deep in the sulphurous, steaming slime.
thick
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They gained the road; the mud was two feet thick at least, and Beauty sank knee-deep in the sulphurous, steaming slime.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Fresh mud-holes had opened in unexpected places, and old ones had enlarged to boiling pools, and wide areas of smouldering ashes marked the site of the many fires the lightning had kindled.
trees
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They backed him amongst the trees, seeking the higher ground.
turn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Could the boys have extricated themselves just then, they might have been tempted to turn back in sheer dismay.
two
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They gained the road; the mud was two feet thick at least, and Beauty sank knee-deep in the sulphurous, steaming slime.
unexpected
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fresh mud-holes had opened in unexpected places, and old ones had enlarged to boiling pools, and wide areas of smouldering ashes marked the site of the many fires the lightning had kindled.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading They gained the road; the mud was two feet thick at least, and Beauty sank knee-deep in the sulphurous, steaming slime.
wide
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fresh mud-holes had opened in unexpected places, and old ones had enlarged to boiling pools, and wide areas of smouldering ashes marked the site of the many fires the lightning had kindled.
