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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 It spreads to the horizon in front of a hill, and at a distance retains something of its ancient splendour,--the look of a Royal Palace.
afar
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From this reading Seen from afar, the appearance of that edifice is rather majestic.
againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading There is a mixture of poverty and disgrace soiling its royal façades; without glass or shutters to the windows, but massive crossed-bars of iron instead, against which is pressed, here and there, the ghastly face of a felon or a madman.
ancientadjectiveUS /ˈeɪn.ʃənt/
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading It spreads to the horizon in front of a hill, and at a distance retains something of its ancient splendour,--the look of a Royal Palace.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It spreads to the horizon in front of a hill, and at a distance retains something of its ancient splendour,--the look of a Royal Palace.
appearancenounUS /ˈappearance/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Seen from afar, the appearance of that edifice is rather majestic.
approach
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From this reading But as you approach it, the Palace changes to a ruin, and the dilapidated gables shock the sight.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But as you approach it, the Palace changes to a ruin, and the dilapidated gables shock the sight.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It spreads to the horizon in front of a hill, and at a distance retains something of its ancient splendour,--the look of a Royal Palace.
Bicêtre
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From this reading The black cart brought me here to this hideous Bicêtre Prison.
black
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From this reading The black cart brought me here to this hideous Bicêtre Prison.
broughtnounUS /ˈbrought/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading The black cart brought me here to this hideous Bicêtre Prison.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But as you approach it, the Palace changes to a ruin, and the dilapidated gables shock the sight.
cart
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From this reading The black cart brought me here to this hideous Bicêtre Prison.
changes
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From this reading But as you approach it, the Palace changes to a ruin, and the dilapidated gables shock the sight.
crossed-bars
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From this reading There is a mixture of poverty and disgrace soiling its royal façades; without glass or shutters to the windows, but massive crossed-bars of iron instead, against which is pressed, here and there, the ghastly face of a felon or a madman.
dilapidated
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From this reading But as you approach it, the Palace changes to a ruin, and the dilapidated gables shock the sight.
disgracenounUS /dɪsˈɡreɪs/
shame caused by unacceptable behaviour
From this reading There is a mixture of poverty and disgrace soiling its royal façades; without glass or shutters to the windows, but massive crossed-bars of iron instead, against which is pressed, here and there, the ghastly face of a felon or a madman.
distance
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From this reading It spreads to the horizon in front of a hill, and at a distance retains something of its ancient splendour,--the look of a Royal Palace.
edifice
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From this reading Seen from afar, the appearance of that edifice is rather majestic.
face
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From this reading There is a mixture of poverty and disgrace soiling its royal façades; without glass or shutters to the windows, but massive crossed-bars of iron instead, against which is pressed, here and there, the ghastly face of a felon or a madman.
façades
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From this reading There is a mixture of poverty and disgrace soiling its royal façades; without glass or shutters to the windows, but massive crossed-bars of iron instead, against which is pressed, here and there, the ghastly face of a felon or a madman.
felon
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From this reading There is a mixture of poverty and disgrace soiling its royal façades; without glass or shutters to the windows, but massive crossed-bars of iron instead, against which is pressed, here and there, the ghastly face of a felon or a madman.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Seen from afar, the appearance of that edifice is rather majestic.
front
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From this reading It spreads to the horizon in front of a hill, and at a distance retains something of its ancient splendour,--the look of a Royal Palace.
gables
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From this reading But as you approach it, the Palace changes to a ruin, and the dilapidated gables shock the sight.
ghastly
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From this reading There is a mixture of poverty and disgrace soiling its royal façades; without glass or shutters to the windows, but massive crossed-bars of iron instead, against which is pressed, here and there, the ghastly face of a felon or a madman.
glass
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From this reading There is a mixture of poverty and disgrace soiling its royal façades; without glass or shutters to the windows, but massive crossed-bars of iron instead, against which is pressed, here and there, the ghastly face of a felon or a madman.
herenounUS /here/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The black cart brought me here to this hideous Bicêtre Prison.
hideous
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From this reading The black cart brought me here to this hideous Bicêtre Prison.
hill
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From this reading It spreads to the horizon in front of a hill, and at a distance retains something of its ancient splendour,--the look of a Royal Palace.
horizon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It spreads to the horizon in front of a hill, and at a distance retains something of its ancient splendour,--the look of a Royal Palace.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It spreads to the horizon in front of a hill, and at a distance retains something of its ancient splendour,--the look of a Royal Palace.
instead
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From this reading There is a mixture of poverty and disgrace soiling its royal façades; without glass or shutters to the windows, but massive crossed-bars of iron instead, against which is pressed, here and there, the ghastly face of a felon or a madman.
iron
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There is a mixture of poverty and disgrace soiling its royal façades; without glass or shutters to the windows, but massive crossed-bars of iron instead, against which is pressed, here and there, the ghastly face of a felon or a madman.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Seen from afar, the appearance of that edifice is rather majestic.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It spreads to the horizon in front of a hill, and at a distance retains something of its ancient splendour,--the look of a Royal Palace.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading It spreads to the horizon in front of a hill, and at a distance retains something of its ancient splendour,--the look of a Royal Palace.
looknounUS /look/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It spreads to the horizon in front of a hill, and at a distance retains something of its ancient splendour,--the look of a Royal Palace.
madman
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From this reading There is a mixture of poverty and disgrace soiling its royal façades; without glass or shutters to the windows, but massive crossed-bars of iron instead, against which is pressed, here and there, the ghastly face of a felon or a madman.
majestic
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Seen from afar, the appearance of that edifice is rather majestic.
massive
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From this reading There is a mixture of poverty and disgrace soiling its royal façades; without glass or shutters to the windows, but massive crossed-bars of iron instead, against which is pressed, here and there, the ghastly face of a felon or a madman.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The black cart brought me here to this hideous Bicêtre Prison.
mixture
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There is a mixture of poverty and disgrace soiling its royal façades; without glass or shutters to the windows, but massive crossed-bars of iron instead, against which is pressed, here and there, the ghastly face of a felon or a madman.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Seen from afar, the appearance of that edifice is rather majestic.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading There is a mixture of poverty and disgrace soiling its royal façades; without glass or shutters to the windows, but massive crossed-bars of iron instead, against which is pressed, here and there, the ghastly face of a felon or a madman.
Palace
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It spreads to the horizon in front of a hill, and at a distance retains something of its ancient splendour,--the look of a Royal Palace.
poverty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There is a mixture of poverty and disgrace soiling its royal façades; without glass or shutters to the windows, but massive crossed-bars of iron instead, against which is pressed, here and there, the ghastly face of a felon or a madman.
pressed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There is a mixture of poverty and disgrace soiling its royal façades; without glass or shutters to the windows, but massive crossed-bars of iron instead, against which is pressed, here and there, the ghastly face of a felon or a madman.
Prison
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The black cart brought me here to this hideous Bicêtre Prison.
rather
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From this reading Seen from afar, the appearance of that edifice is rather majestic.
retains
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From this reading It spreads to the horizon in front of a hill, and at a distance retains something of its ancient splendour,--the look of a Royal Palace.
Royal
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From this reading It spreads to the horizon in front of a hill, and at a distance retains something of its ancient splendour,--the look of a Royal Palace.
ruin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But as you approach it, the Palace changes to a ruin, and the dilapidated gables shock the sight.
Seen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Seen from afar, the appearance of that edifice is rather majestic.
shock
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From this reading But as you approach it, the Palace changes to a ruin, and the dilapidated gables shock the sight.
shutters
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There is a mixture of poverty and disgrace soiling its royal façades; without glass or shutters to the windows, but massive crossed-bars of iron instead, against which is pressed, here and there, the ghastly face of a felon or a madman.
sight
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But as you approach it, the Palace changes to a ruin, and the dilapidated gables shock the sight.
soiling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There is a mixture of poverty and disgrace soiling its royal façades; without glass or shutters to the windows, but massive crossed-bars of iron instead, against which is pressed, here and there, the ghastly face of a felon or a madman.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading It spreads to the horizon in front of a hill, and at a distance retains something of its ancient splendour,--the look of a Royal Palace.
splendournounUS /ˈsplendər/
magnificent and impressive appearance
From this reading It spreads to the horizon in front of a hill, and at a distance retains something of its ancient splendour,--the look of a Royal Palace.
spreads
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It spreads to the horizon in front of a hill, and at a distance retains something of its ancient splendour,--the look of a Royal Palace.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Seen from afar, the appearance of that edifice is rather majestic.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The black cart brought me here to this hideous Bicêtre Prison.
There
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There is a mixture of poverty and disgrace soiling its royal façades; without glass or shutters to the windows, but massive crossed-bars of iron instead, against which is pressed, here and there, the ghastly face of a felon or a madman.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading The black cart brought me here to this hideous Bicêtre Prison.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The black cart brought me here to this hideous Bicêtre Prison.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading There is a mixture of poverty and disgrace soiling its royal façades; without glass or shutters to the windows, but massive crossed-bars of iron instead, against which is pressed, here and there, the ghastly face of a felon or a madman.
windows
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There is a mixture of poverty and disgrace soiling its royal façades; without glass or shutters to the windows, but massive crossed-bars of iron instead, against which is pressed, here and there, the ghastly face of a felon or a madman.
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading There is a mixture of poverty and disgrace soiling its royal façades; without glass or shutters to the windows, but massive crossed-bars of iron instead, against which is pressed, here and there, the ghastly face of a felon or a madman.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading But as you approach it, the Palace changes to a ruin, and the dilapidated gables shock the sight.
