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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 “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
affected
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading That during the day they make a sham though brave pretence, and after the sun is down their true life begins?
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/
any thing at all
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
beginningnounUS /ˈbeginning/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
begins
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That during the day they make a sham though brave pretence, and after the sun is down their true life begins?
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
blessed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Have they the souls of night-things, and is the whole blessed town in the hands of the cats?”
brave
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That during the day they make a sham though brave pretence, and after the sun is down their true life begins?
Canmodal verbUS /kæn/
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
cats
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Have they the souls of night-things, and is the whole blessed town in the hands of the cats?”
centre
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From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
comenounUS /come/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
cords
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
dared
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That during the day they make a sham though brave pretence, and after the sun is down their true life begins?
deprecating
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
dismay
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fancy somehow electrified him with little shocks of shrinking and dismay.
down
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That during the day they make a sham though brave pretence, and after the sun is down their true life begins?
duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading That during the day they make a sham though brave pretence, and after the sun is down their true life begins?
dusk
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
electrified
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fancy somehow electrified him with little shocks of shrinking and dismay.
fancy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fancy somehow electrified him with little shocks of shrinking and dismay.
feel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
forces
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
handsplural nounUS /hændz/
members of a ship’s crew
From this reading Have they the souls of night-things, and is the whole blessed town in the hands of the cats?”
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The fancy somehow electrified him with little shocks of shrinking and dismay.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
honestly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Have they the souls of night-things, and is the whole blessed town in the hands of the cats?”
invisible
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading That during the day they make a sham though brave pretence, and after the sun is down their true life begins?
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
knew
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
laugh
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
lifenounUS /life/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The fancy somehow electrified him with little shocks of shrinking and dismay.
live
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
makenounUS /make/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading That during the day they make a sham though brave pretence, and after the sun is down their true life begins?
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
night-things
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Have they the souls of night-things, and is the whole blessed town in the hands of the cats?”
odd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
only
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
people
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
pretence
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That during the day they make a sham though brave pretence, and after the sun is down their true life begins?
real
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
sham
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That during the day they make a sham though brave pretence, and after the sun is down their true life begins?
shocks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fancy somehow electrified him with little shocks of shrinking and dismay.
shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
shrinking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fancy somehow electrified him with little shocks of shrinking and dismay.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
somehow
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fancy somehow electrified him with little shocks of shrinking and dismay.
souls
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Have they the souls of night-things, and is the whole blessed town in the hands of the cats?”
strange
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
sun
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That during the day they make a sham though brave pretence, and after the sun is down their true life begins?
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
thinknounUS /think/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading That during the day they make a sham though brave pretence, and after the sun is down their true life begins?
thoughtnounUS /thought/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
thousand
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
town
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Have they the souls of night-things, and is the whole blessed town in the hands of the cats?”
true
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That during the day they make a sham though brave pretence, and after the sun is down their true life begins?
tugging
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
twilightnounUS /ˈtwaɪlaɪt/
the dim light before night or sunrise
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
uneasy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
very
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Yet, though he affected to laugh, he knew that he was beginning to feel more than uneasy, and that strange forces were tugging with a thousand invisible cords at the very centre of his being.
whole
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Have they the souls of night-things, and is the whole blessed town in the hands of the cats?”
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
yetconjunctionUS /jet/
but in spite of that
From this reading “Can it be,” he thought to himself, yet with a deprecating laugh that he should have dared to think anything so odd, “can it be that these people are people of the twilight, that they live only at night their real life, and come out honestly only with the dusk?
