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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 His day had been spent in a way which varied very materially from his intentions regarding it.
act
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From this reading When Troy’s wife had left the house at the previous midnight his first act was to cover the dead from sight.
allow
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From this reading There is always an inertia to be overcome in striking out a new line of conduct—not more in ourselves, it seems, than in circumscribing events, which appear as if leagued together to allow no novelties in the way of amelioration.
always
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There is always an inertia to be overcome in striking out a new line of conduct—not more in ourselves, it seems, than in circumscribing events, which appear as if leagued together to allow no novelties in the way of amelioration.
amelioration
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There is always an inertia to be overcome in striking out a new line of conduct—not more in ourselves, it seems, than in circumscribing events, which appear as if leagued together to allow no novelties in the way of amelioration.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading There is always an inertia to be overcome in striking out a new line of conduct—not more in ourselves, it seems, than in circumscribing events, which appear as if leagued together to allow no novelties in the way of amelioration.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading This done he ascended the stairs, and throwing himself down upon the bed dressed as he was, he waited miserably for the morning.
appear
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There is always an inertia to be overcome in striking out a new line of conduct—not more in ourselves, it seems, than in circumscribing events, which appear as if leagued together to allow no novelties in the way of amelioration.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading This done he ascended the stairs, and throwing himself down upon the bed dressed as he was, he waited miserably for the morning.
ascended
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This done he ascended the stairs, and throwing himself down upon the bed dressed as he was, he waited miserably for the morning.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading When Troy’s wife had left the house at the previous midnight his first act was to cover the dead from sight.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading There is always an inertia to be overcome in striking out a new line of conduct—not more in ourselves, it seems, than in circumscribing events, which appear as if leagued together to allow no novelties in the way of amelioration.
bed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This done he ascended the stairs, and throwing himself down upon the bed dressed as he was, he waited miserably for the morning.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading His day had been spent in a way which varied very materially from his intentions regarding it.
circumscribing
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From this reading There is always an inertia to be overcome in striking out a new line of conduct—not more in ourselves, it seems, than in circumscribing events, which appear as if leagued together to allow no novelties in the way of amelioration.
conduct
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There is always an inertia to be overcome in striking out a new line of conduct—not more in ourselves, it seems, than in circumscribing events, which appear as if leagued together to allow no novelties in the way of amelioration.
cover
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Troy’s wife had left the house at the previous midnight his first act was to cover the dead from sight.
day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His day had been spent in a way which varied very materially from his intentions regarding it.
deadnounUS /dead/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading When Troy’s wife had left the house at the previous midnight his first act was to cover the dead from sight.
dealt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fate had dealt grimly with him through the last four-and-twenty hours.
donenounUS /done/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading This done he ascended the stairs, and throwing himself down upon the bed dressed as he was, he waited miserably for the morning.
down
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This done he ascended the stairs, and throwing himself down upon the bed dressed as he was, he waited miserably for the morning.
dressed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This done he ascended the stairs, and throwing himself down upon the bed dressed as he was, he waited miserably for the morning.
events
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From this reading There is always an inertia to be overcome in striking out a new line of conduct—not more in ourselves, it seems, than in circumscribing events, which appear as if leagued together to allow no novelties in the way of amelioration.
Fate
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fate had dealt grimly with him through the last four-and-twenty hours.
firstnounUS /first/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading When Troy’s wife had left the house at the previous midnight his first act was to cover the dead from sight.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading This done he ascended the stairs, and throwing himself down upon the bed dressed as he was, he waited miserably for the morning.
four-and-twenty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fate had dealt grimly with him through the last four-and-twenty hours.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading When Troy’s wife had left the house at the previous midnight his first act was to cover the dead from sight.
grimly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fate had dealt grimly with him through the last four-and-twenty hours.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading When Troy’s wife had left the house at the previous midnight his first act was to cover the dead from sight.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading This done he ascended the stairs, and throwing himself down upon the bed dressed as he was, he waited miserably for the morning.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Fate had dealt grimly with him through the last four-and-twenty hours.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading This done he ascended the stairs, and throwing himself down upon the bed dressed as he was, he waited miserably for the morning.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When Troy’s wife had left the house at the previous midnight his first act was to cover the dead from sight.
hours
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fate had dealt grimly with him through the last four-and-twenty hours.
house
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Troy’s wife had left the house at the previous midnight his first act was to cover the dead from sight.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading There is always an inertia to be overcome in striking out a new line of conduct—not more in ourselves, it seems, than in circumscribing events, which appear as if leagued together to allow no novelties in the way of amelioration.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading His day had been spent in a way which varied very materially from his intentions regarding it.
inertia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There is always an inertia to be overcome in striking out a new line of conduct—not more in ourselves, it seems, than in circumscribing events, which appear as if leagued together to allow no novelties in the way of amelioration.
intentions
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His day had been spent in a way which varied very materially from his intentions regarding it.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There is always an inertia to be overcome in striking out a new line of conduct—not more in ourselves, it seems, than in circumscribing events, which appear as if leagued together to allow no novelties in the way of amelioration.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading His day had been spent in a way which varied very materially from his intentions regarding it.
lastnounUS /last/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Fate had dealt grimly with him through the last four-and-twenty hours.
leagued
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There is always an inertia to be overcome in striking out a new line of conduct—not more in ourselves, it seems, than in circumscribing events, which appear as if leagued together to allow no novelties in the way of amelioration.
leftnounUS /left/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading When Troy’s wife had left the house at the previous midnight his first act was to cover the dead from sight.
line
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There is always an inertia to be overcome in striking out a new line of conduct—not more in ourselves, it seems, than in circumscribing events, which appear as if leagued together to allow no novelties in the way of amelioration.
materially
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His day had been spent in a way which varied very materially from his intentions regarding it.
midnight
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Troy’s wife had left the house at the previous midnight his first act was to cover the dead from sight.
miserably
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This done he ascended the stairs, and throwing himself down upon the bed dressed as he was, he waited miserably for the morning.
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There is always an inertia to be overcome in striking out a new line of conduct—not more in ourselves, it seems, than in circumscribing events, which appear as if leagued together to allow no novelties in the way of amelioration.
morningnounUS /morning/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading This done he ascended the stairs, and throwing himself down upon the bed dressed as he was, he waited miserably for the morning.
new
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There is always an inertia to be overcome in striking out a new line of conduct—not more in ourselves, it seems, than in circumscribing events, which appear as if leagued together to allow no novelties in the way of amelioration.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading There is always an inertia to be overcome in striking out a new line of conduct—not more in ourselves, it seems, than in circumscribing events, which appear as if leagued together to allow no novelties in the way of amelioration.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading There is always an inertia to be overcome in striking out a new line of conduct—not more in ourselves, it seems, than in circumscribing events, which appear as if leagued together to allow no novelties in the way of amelioration.
novelties
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There is always an inertia to be overcome in striking out a new line of conduct—not more in ourselves, it seems, than in circumscribing events, which appear as if leagued together to allow no novelties in the way of amelioration.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There is always an inertia to be overcome in striking out a new line of conduct—not more in ourselves, it seems, than in circumscribing events, which appear as if leagued together to allow no novelties in the way of amelioration.
ourselvespronounUS /aʊərˈselvz/
used when we are both doing the action and receiving it
From this reading There is always an inertia to be overcome in striking out a new line of conduct—not more in ourselves, it seems, than in circumscribing events, which appear as if leagued together to allow no novelties in the way of amelioration.
out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There is always an inertia to be overcome in striking out a new line of conduct—not more in ourselves, it seems, than in circumscribing events, which appear as if leagued together to allow no novelties in the way of amelioration.
overcome
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There is always an inertia to be overcome in striking out a new line of conduct—not more in ourselves, it seems, than in circumscribing events, which appear as if leagued together to allow no novelties in the way of amelioration.
previous
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Troy’s wife had left the house at the previous midnight his first act was to cover the dead from sight.
regarding
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His day had been spent in a way which varied very materially from his intentions regarding it.
seems
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There is always an inertia to be overcome in striking out a new line of conduct—not more in ourselves, it seems, than in circumscribing events, which appear as if leagued together to allow no novelties in the way of amelioration.
sight
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Troy’s wife had left the house at the previous midnight his first act was to cover the dead from sight.
spent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His day had been spent in a way which varied very materially from his intentions regarding it.
stairs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This done he ascended the stairs, and throwing himself down upon the bed dressed as he was, he waited miserably for the morning.
striking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There is always an inertia to be overcome in striking out a new line of conduct—not more in ourselves, it seems, than in circumscribing events, which appear as if leagued together to allow no novelties in the way of amelioration.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading There is always an inertia to be overcome in striking out a new line of conduct—not more in ourselves, it seems, than in circumscribing events, which appear as if leagued together to allow no novelties in the way of amelioration.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When Troy’s wife had left the house at the previous midnight his first act was to cover the dead from sight.
There
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There is always an inertia to be overcome in striking out a new line of conduct—not more in ourselves, it seems, than in circumscribing events, which appear as if leagued together to allow no novelties in the way of amelioration.
ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This done he ascended the stairs, and throwing himself down upon the bed dressed as he was, he waited miserably for the morning.
throughnounUS /ˈthrough/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Fate had dealt grimly with him through the last four-and-twenty hours.
throwing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This done he ascended the stairs, and throwing himself down upon the bed dressed as he was, he waited miserably for the morning.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When Troy’s wife had left the house at the previous midnight his first act was to cover the dead from sight.
together
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There is always an inertia to be overcome in striking out a new line of conduct—not more in ourselves, it seems, than in circumscribing events, which appear as if leagued together to allow no novelties in the way of amelioration.
Troy's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Troy’s wife had left the house at the previous midnight his first act was to cover the dead from sight.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading This done he ascended the stairs, and throwing himself down upon the bed dressed as he was, he waited miserably for the morning.
varied
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His day had been spent in a way which varied very materially from his intentions regarding it.
very
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His day had been spent in a way which varied very materially from his intentions regarding it.
waited
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This done he ascended the stairs, and throwing himself down upon the bed dressed as he was, he waited miserably for the morning.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When Troy’s wife had left the house at the previous midnight his first act was to cover the dead from sight.
way
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His day had been spent in a way which varied very materially from his intentions regarding it.
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading When Troy’s wife had left the house at the previous midnight his first act was to cover the dead from sight.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading His day had been spent in a way which varied very materially from his intentions regarding it.
wife
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Troy’s wife had left the house at the previous midnight his first act was to cover the dead from sight.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Fate had dealt grimly with him through the last four-and-twenty hours.
