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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 NIGHT OF THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FOUR HOURS AND A HALF.
absolute
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From this reading Some seconds had sufficed to plunge it into the absolute darkness of space.
ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE NIGHT OF THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FOUR HOURS AND A HALF.
AtprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At the moment when this phenomenon took place so rapidly, the projectile was skirting the moon's north pole at less than twenty-five miles distance.
attenuation
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From this reading The transition was so sudden, without shade, without gradation of light, without attenuation of the luminous waves, that the orb seemed to have been extinguished by a powerful blow.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The transition was so sudden, without shade, without gradation of light, without attenuation of the luminous waves, that the orb seemed to have been extinguished by a powerful blow.
blow
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From this reading The transition was so sudden, without shade, without gradation of light, without attenuation of the luminous waves, that the orb seemed to have been extinguished by a powerful blow.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The transition was so sudden, without shade, without gradation of light, without attenuation of the luminous waves, that the orb seemed to have been extinguished by a powerful blow.
darkness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some seconds had sufficed to plunge it into the absolute darkness of space.
disappearednounUS /ˈdisappeared/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading "Melted, disappeared!"
distance
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From this reading At the moment when this phenomenon took place so rapidly, the projectile was skirting the moon's north pole at less than twenty-five miles distance.
extinguished
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From this reading The transition was so sudden, without shade, without gradation of light, without attenuation of the luminous waves, that the orb seemed to have been extinguished by a powerful blow.
FIFTY-FOUR
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From this reading THE NIGHT OF THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FOUR HOURS AND A HALF.
gradation
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From this reading The transition was so sudden, without shade, without gradation of light, without attenuation of the luminous waves, that the orb seemed to have been extinguished by a powerful blow.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Some seconds had sufficed to plunge it into the absolute darkness of space.
HALFnounUS /half/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading THE NIGHT OF THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FOUR HOURS AND A HALF.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The transition was so sudden, without shade, without gradation of light, without attenuation of the luminous waves, that the orb seemed to have been extinguished by a powerful blow.
HOURS
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From this reading THE NIGHT OF THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FOUR HOURS AND A HALF.
HUNDRED
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From this reading THE NIGHT OF THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FOUR HOURS AND A HALF.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Some seconds had sufficed to plunge it into the absolute darkness of space.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Some seconds had sufficed to plunge it into the absolute darkness of space.
less
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From this reading At the moment when this phenomenon took place so rapidly, the projectile was skirting the moon's north pole at less than twenty-five miles distance.
light
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From this reading The transition was so sudden, without shade, without gradation of light, without attenuation of the luminous waves, that the orb seemed to have been extinguished by a powerful blow.
luminous
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From this reading The transition was so sudden, without shade, without gradation of light, without attenuation of the luminous waves, that the orb seemed to have been extinguished by a powerful blow.
Melted
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From this reading "Melted, disappeared!"
miles
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From this reading At the moment when this phenomenon took place so rapidly, the projectile was skirting the moon's north pole at less than twenty-five miles distance.
moment
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From this reading At the moment when this phenomenon took place so rapidly, the projectile was skirting the moon's north pole at less than twenty-five miles distance.
moon's
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From this reading At the moment when this phenomenon took place so rapidly, the projectile was skirting the moon's north pole at less than twenty-five miles distance.
NIGHT
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE NIGHT OF THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FOUR HOURS AND A HALF.
north
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From this reading At the moment when this phenomenon took place so rapidly, the projectile was skirting the moon's north pole at less than twenty-five miles distance.
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE NIGHT OF THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FOUR HOURS AND A HALF.
orb
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From this reading The transition was so sudden, without shade, without gradation of light, without attenuation of the luminous waves, that the orb seemed to have been extinguished by a powerful blow.
phenomenon
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From this reading At the moment when this phenomenon took place so rapidly, the projectile was skirting the moon's north pole at less than twenty-five miles distance.
place
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From this reading At the moment when this phenomenon took place so rapidly, the projectile was skirting the moon's north pole at less than twenty-five miles distance.
plunge
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From this reading Some seconds had sufficed to plunge it into the absolute darkness of space.
pole
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From this reading At the moment when this phenomenon took place so rapidly, the projectile was skirting the moon's north pole at less than twenty-five miles distance.
powerful
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The transition was so sudden, without shade, without gradation of light, without attenuation of the luminous waves, that the orb seemed to have been extinguished by a powerful blow.
projectile
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At the moment when this phenomenon took place so rapidly, the projectile was skirting the moon's north pole at less than twenty-five miles distance.
rapidly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At the moment when this phenomenon took place so rapidly, the projectile was skirting the moon's north pole at less than twenty-five miles distance.
seconds
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some seconds had sufficed to plunge it into the absolute darkness of space.
seemednounUS /seemed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The transition was so sudden, without shade, without gradation of light, without attenuation of the luminous waves, that the orb seemed to have been extinguished by a powerful blow.
shade
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From this reading The transition was so sudden, without shade, without gradation of light, without attenuation of the luminous waves, that the orb seemed to have been extinguished by a powerful blow.
skirting
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From this reading At the moment when this phenomenon took place so rapidly, the projectile was skirting the moon's north pole at less than twenty-five miles distance.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading At the moment when this phenomenon took place so rapidly, the projectile was skirting the moon's north pole at less than twenty-five miles distance.
Some
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From this reading Some seconds had sufficed to plunge it into the absolute darkness of space.
space
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From this reading Some seconds had sufficed to plunge it into the absolute darkness of space.
suddennounUS /sudden/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The transition was so sudden, without shade, without gradation of light, without attenuation of the luminous waves, that the orb seemed to have been extinguished by a powerful blow.
sufficed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some seconds had sufficed to plunge it into the absolute darkness of space.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading At the moment when this phenomenon took place so rapidly, the projectile was skirting the moon's north pole at less than twenty-five miles distance.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The transition was so sudden, without shade, without gradation of light, without attenuation of the luminous waves, that the orb seemed to have been extinguished by a powerful blow.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE NIGHT OF THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FOUR HOURS AND A HALF.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading At the moment when this phenomenon took place so rapidly, the projectile was skirting the moon's north pole at less than twenty-five miles distance.
THREE
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE NIGHT OF THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FOUR HOURS AND A HALF.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Some seconds had sufficed to plunge it into the absolute darkness of space.
tooknounUS /took/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading At the moment when this phenomenon took place so rapidly, the projectile was skirting the moon's north pole at less than twenty-five miles distance.
transition
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The transition was so sudden, without shade, without gradation of light, without attenuation of the luminous waves, that the orb seemed to have been extinguished by a powerful blow.
twenty-five
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At the moment when this phenomenon took place so rapidly, the projectile was skirting the moon's north pole at less than twenty-five miles distance.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading At the moment when this phenomenon took place so rapidly, the projectile was skirting the moon's north pole at less than twenty-five miles distance.
waves
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The transition was so sudden, without shade, without gradation of light, without attenuation of the luminous waves, that the orb seemed to have been extinguished by a powerful blow.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading At the moment when this phenomenon took place so rapidly, the projectile was skirting the moon's north pole at less than twenty-five miles distance.
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading The transition was so sudden, without shade, without gradation of light, without attenuation of the luminous waves, that the orb seemed to have been extinguished by a powerful blow.
