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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 Outside was a tangle of rose-stems, but no leaf or bloom.
againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The January sunshine streamed palely in, whitening the deal floor and striking against a great land map on the wall.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Upon the hearth had been thrown an armful of hickory and pine.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE IMAGE The murderer of Ludwell Cary unlocked the green door of the office in Charlottesville, entered, and opened the shutters of the small, square windows.
armful
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From this reading Upon the hearth had been thrown an armful of hickory and pine.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Upon the hearth had been thrown an armful of hickory and pine.
bloom
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From this reading Outside was a tangle of rose-stems, but no leaf or bloom.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Outside was a tangle of rose-stems, but no leaf or bloom.
Cary
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From this reading THE IMAGE The murderer of Ludwell Cary unlocked the green door of the office in Charlottesville, entered, and opened the shutters of the small, square windows.
Charlottesville
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From this reading THE IMAGE The murderer of Ludwell Cary unlocked the green door of the office in Charlottesville, entered, and opened the shutters of the small, square windows.
colour
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From this reading Rand, kneeling, laid a fire, struck a spark into the tinder, and had speedily a leap and colour of pointed flames.
deal
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From this reading The January sunshine streamed palely in, whitening the deal floor and striking against a great land map on the wall.
door
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From this reading THE IMAGE The murderer of Ludwell Cary unlocked the green door of the office in Charlottesville, entered, and opened the shutters of the small, square windows.
entered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE IMAGE The murderer of Ludwell Cary unlocked the green door of the office in Charlottesville, entered, and opened the shutters of the small, square windows.
fire
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From this reading Rand, kneeling, laid a fire, struck a spark into the tinder, and had speedily a leap and colour of pointed flames.
flames
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From this reading Rand, kneeling, laid a fire, struck a spark into the tinder, and had speedily a leap and colour of pointed flames.
floor
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From this reading The January sunshine streamed palely in, whitening the deal floor and striking against a great land map on the wall.
greatnounUS /great/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The January sunshine streamed palely in, whitening the deal floor and striking against a great land map on the wall.
green
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From this reading THE IMAGE The murderer of Ludwell Cary unlocked the green door of the office in Charlottesville, entered, and opened the shutters of the small, square windows.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Upon the hearth had been thrown an armful of hickory and pine.
hearth
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From this reading Upon the hearth had been thrown an armful of hickory and pine.
hickory
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From this reading Upon the hearth had been thrown an armful of hickory and pine.
IMAGE
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From this reading THE IMAGE The murderer of Ludwell Cary unlocked the green door of the office in Charlottesville, entered, and opened the shutters of the small, square windows.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE IMAGE The murderer of Ludwell Cary unlocked the green door of the office in Charlottesville, entered, and opened the shutters of the small, square windows.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Rand, kneeling, laid a fire, struck a spark into the tinder, and had speedily a leap and colour of pointed flames.
January
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From this reading The January sunshine streamed palely in, whitening the deal floor and striking against a great land map on the wall.
kneeling
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From this reading Rand, kneeling, laid a fire, struck a spark into the tinder, and had speedily a leap and colour of pointed flames.
laid
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From this reading Rand, kneeling, laid a fire, struck a spark into the tinder, and had speedily a leap and colour of pointed flames.
land
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From this reading The January sunshine streamed palely in, whitening the deal floor and striking against a great land map on the wall.
leaf
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From this reading Outside was a tangle of rose-stems, but no leaf or bloom.
leap
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From this reading Rand, kneeling, laid a fire, struck a spark into the tinder, and had speedily a leap and colour of pointed flames.
Ludwell
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From this reading THE IMAGE The murderer of Ludwell Cary unlocked the green door of the office in Charlottesville, entered, and opened the shutters of the small, square windows.
map
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From this reading The January sunshine streamed palely in, whitening the deal floor and striking against a great land map on the wall.
murderer
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From this reading THE IMAGE The murderer of Ludwell Cary unlocked the green door of the office in Charlottesville, entered, and opened the shutters of the small, square windows.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading Outside was a tangle of rose-stems, but no leaf or bloom.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE IMAGE The murderer of Ludwell Cary unlocked the green door of the office in Charlottesville, entered, and opened the shutters of the small, square windows.
office
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE IMAGE The murderer of Ludwell Cary unlocked the green door of the office in Charlottesville, entered, and opened the shutters of the small, square windows.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The January sunshine streamed palely in, whitening the deal floor and striking against a great land map on the wall.
opened
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE IMAGE The murderer of Ludwell Cary unlocked the green door of the office in Charlottesville, entered, and opened the shutters of the small, square windows.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Outside was a tangle of rose-stems, but no leaf or bloom.
OutsidenounUS /ˈoutside/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Outside was a tangle of rose-stems, but no leaf or bloom.
palely
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The January sunshine streamed palely in, whitening the deal floor and striking against a great land map on the wall.
pine
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Upon the hearth had been thrown an armful of hickory and pine.
pointed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Rand, kneeling, laid a fire, struck a spark into the tinder, and had speedily a leap and colour of pointed flames.
Rand
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From this reading Rand, kneeling, laid a fire, struck a spark into the tinder, and had speedily a leap and colour of pointed flames.
rose-stems
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From this reading Outside was a tangle of rose-stems, but no leaf or bloom.
shutters
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE IMAGE The murderer of Ludwell Cary unlocked the green door of the office in Charlottesville, entered, and opened the shutters of the small, square windows.
small
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE IMAGE The murderer of Ludwell Cary unlocked the green door of the office in Charlottesville, entered, and opened the shutters of the small, square windows.
spark
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Rand, kneeling, laid a fire, struck a spark into the tinder, and had speedily a leap and colour of pointed flames.
speedily
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Rand, kneeling, laid a fire, struck a spark into the tinder, and had speedily a leap and colour of pointed flames.
square
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE IMAGE The murderer of Ludwell Cary unlocked the green door of the office in Charlottesville, entered, and opened the shutters of the small, square windows.
streamed
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From this reading The January sunshine streamed palely in, whitening the deal floor and striking against a great land map on the wall.
striking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The January sunshine streamed palely in, whitening the deal floor and striking against a great land map on the wall.
strucknounUS /struck/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Rand, kneeling, laid a fire, struck a spark into the tinder, and had speedily a leap and colour of pointed flames.
sunshine
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The January sunshine streamed palely in, whitening the deal floor and striking against a great land map on the wall.
tangle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Outside was a tangle of rose-stems, but no leaf or bloom.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE IMAGE The murderer of Ludwell Cary unlocked the green door of the office in Charlottesville, entered, and opened the shutters of the small, square windows.
thrown
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Upon the hearth had been thrown an armful of hickory and pine.
tinder
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Rand, kneeling, laid a fire, struck a spark into the tinder, and had speedily a leap and colour of pointed flames.
unlocked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE IMAGE The murderer of Ludwell Cary unlocked the green door of the office in Charlottesville, entered, and opened the shutters of the small, square windows.
UponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Upon the hearth had been thrown an armful of hickory and pine.
wall
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The January sunshine streamed palely in, whitening the deal floor and striking against a great land map on the wall.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Outside was a tangle of rose-stems, but no leaf or bloom.
whitening
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The January sunshine streamed palely in, whitening the deal floor and striking against a great land map on the wall.
windows
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE IMAGE The murderer of Ludwell Cary unlocked the green door of the office in Charlottesville, entered, and opened the shutters of the small, square windows.
