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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 sailor can change the head of his ship as he pleases; an aeronaut can give a vertical motion to his balloon.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading We might answer that men so strong-minded were above such anxieties—that they did not trouble themselves about such trifles—and that they had something else to do than to occupy their minds with the future.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading We might answer that men so strong-minded were above such anxieties—that they did not trouble themselves about such trifles—and that they had something else to do than to occupy their minds with the future.
aeronaut
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A sailor can change the head of his ship as he pleases; an aeronaut can give a vertical motion to his balloon.
alter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The truth was that they were not masters of their projectile; they could neither check its course, nor alter its direction.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A sailor can change the head of his ship as he pleases; an aeronaut can give a vertical motion to his balloon.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
answer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We might answer that men so strong-minded were above such anxieties—that they did not trouble themselves about such trifles—and that they had something else to do than to occupy their minds with the future.
anxieties
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We might answer that men so strong-minded were above such anxieties—that they did not trouble themselves about such trifles—and that they had something else to do than to occupy their minds with the future.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Instead of asking where they were going, they passed their time making experiments, as if they had been quietly installed in their own study.
asking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Instead of asking where they were going, they passed their time making experiments, as if they had been quietly installed in their own study.
astonishedadjectiveUS /əˈstɑːnɪʃt/
very surprised
From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
balloon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A sailor can change the head of his ship as he pleases; an aeronaut can give a vertical motion to his balloon.
Barbicane
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From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
bearing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Instead of asking where they were going, they passed their time making experiments, as if they had been quietly installed in their own study.
canmodal verbUS /kæn/
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading A sailor can change the head of his ship as he pleases; an aeronaut can give a vertical motion to his balloon.
change
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A sailor can change the head of his ship as he pleases; an aeronaut can give a vertical motion to his balloon.
check
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The truth was that they were not masters of their projectile; they could neither check its course, nor alter its direction.
companions
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The truth was that they were not masters of their projectile; they could neither check its course, nor alter its direction.
coursenounUS /course/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The truth was that they were not masters of their projectile; they could neither check its course, nor alter its direction.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading We might answer that men so strong-minded were above such anxieties—that they did not trouble themselves about such trifles—and that they had something else to do than to occupy their minds with the future.
direction
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The truth was that they were not masters of their projectile; they could neither check its course, nor alter its direction.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading We might answer that men so strong-minded were above such anxieties—that they did not trouble themselves about such trifles—and that they had something else to do than to occupy their minds with the future.
else
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We might answer that men so strong-minded were above such anxieties—that they did not trouble themselves about such trifles—and that they had something else to do than to occupy their minds with the future.
experiments
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Instead of asking where they were going, they passed their time making experiments, as if they had been quietly installed in their own study.
find
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
future
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
give
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A sailor can change the head of his ship as he pleases; an aeronaut can give a vertical motion to his balloon.
going
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Instead of asking where they were going, they passed their time making experiments, as if they had been quietly installed in their own study.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Instead of asking where they were going, they passed their time making experiments, as if they had been quietly installed in their own study.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A sailor can change the head of his ship as he pleases; an aeronaut can give a vertical motion to his balloon.
head
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A sailor can change the head of his ship as he pleases; an aeronaut can give a vertical motion to his balloon.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Instead of asking where they were going, they passed their time making experiments, as if they had been quietly installed in their own study.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
infinity
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
installed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Instead of asking where they were going, they passed their time making experiments, as if they had been quietly installed in their own study.
Instead
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Instead of asking where they were going, they passed their time making experiments, as if they had been quietly installed in their own study.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The truth was that they were not masters of their projectile; they could neither check its course, nor alter its direction.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
making
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Instead of asking where they were going, they passed their time making experiments, as if they had been quietly installed in their own study.
masters
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The truth was that they were not masters of their projectile; they could neither check its course, nor alter its direction.
maymodal verbUS /meɪ/
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
men
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We might answer that men so strong-minded were above such anxieties—that they did not trouble themselves about such trifles—and that they had something else to do than to occupy their minds with the future.
metal
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading We might answer that men so strong-minded were above such anxieties—that they did not trouble themselves about such trifles—and that they had something else to do than to occupy their minds with the future.
minds
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We might answer that men so strong-minded were above such anxieties—that they did not trouble themselves about such trifles—and that they had something else to do than to occupy their minds with the future.
motion
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A sailor can change the head of his ship as he pleases; an aeronaut can give a vertical motion to his balloon.
neitherdeterminerUS /ˈniːðər/
not one and not the other of two
From this reading The truth was that they were not masters of their projectile; they could neither check its course, nor alter its direction.
norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading The truth was that they were not masters of their projectile; they could neither check its course, nor alter its direction.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading We might answer that men so strong-minded were above such anxieties—that they did not trouble themselves about such trifles—and that they had something else to do than to occupy their minds with the future.
occupied
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
occupy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We might answer that men so strong-minded were above such anxieties—that they did not trouble themselves about such trifles—and that they had something else to do than to occupy their minds with the future.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
own
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Instead of asking where they were going, they passed their time making experiments, as if they had been quietly installed in their own study.
passednounUS /passed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Instead of asking where they were going, they passed their time making experiments, as if they had been quietly installed in their own study.
perhaps
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
pleases
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A sailor can change the head of his ship as he pleases; an aeronaut can give a vertical motion to his balloon.
prison
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
projectile
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The truth was that they were not masters of their projectile; they could neither check its course, nor alter its direction.
quietly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Instead of asking where they were going, they passed their time making experiments, as if they had been quietly installed in their own study.
reserved
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
sailor
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A sailor can change the head of his ship as he pleases; an aeronaut can give a vertical motion to his balloon.
shipnounUS /ship/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading A sailor can change the head of his ship as he pleases; an aeronaut can give a vertical motion to his balloon.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading We might answer that men so strong-minded were above such anxieties—that they did not trouble themselves about such trifles—and that they had something else to do than to occupy their minds with the future.
space
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
strong-minded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We might answer that men so strong-minded were above such anxieties—that they did not trouble themselves about such trifles—and that they had something else to do than to occupy their minds with the future.
study
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Instead of asking where they were going, they passed their time making experiments, as if they had been quietly installed in their own study.
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading We might answer that men so strong-minded were above such anxieties—that they did not trouble themselves about such trifles—and that they had something else to do than to occupy their minds with the future.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading We might answer that men so strong-minded were above such anxieties—that they did not trouble themselves about such trifles—and that they had something else to do than to occupy their minds with the future.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading We might answer that men so strong-minded were above such anxieties—that they did not trouble themselves about such trifles—and that they had something else to do than to occupy their minds with the future.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading We might answer that men so strong-minded were above such anxieties—that they did not trouble themselves about such trifles—and that they had something else to do than to occupy their minds with the future.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Instead of asking where they were going, they passed their time making experiments, as if they had been quietly installed in their own study.
throughnounUS /ˈthrough/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Instead of asking where they were going, they passed their time making experiments, as if they had been quietly installed in their own study.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
trifles
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We might answer that men so strong-minded were above such anxieties—that they did not trouble themselves about such trifles—and that they had something else to do than to occupy their minds with the future.
trouble
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We might answer that men so strong-minded were above such anxieties—that they did not trouble themselves about such trifles—and that they had something else to do than to occupy their minds with the future.
truth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The truth was that they were not masters of their projectile; they could neither check its course, nor alter its direction.
vertical
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A sailor can change the head of his ship as he pleases; an aeronaut can give a vertical motion to his balloon.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
WepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Instead of asking where they were going, they passed their time making experiments, as if they had been quietly installed in their own study.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading Instead of asking where they were going, they passed their time making experiments, as if they had been quietly installed in their own study.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading We may, perhaps, be astonished to find Barbicane and his companions so little occupied with the future reserved for them in their metal prison which was bearing them through the infinity of space.
