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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 I had only been on duty two hours, but I had lost a Cadillac-corpse already.
alreadynounUS /already/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I had only been on duty two hours, but I had lost a Cadillac-corpse already.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I stood by the yawning mouth of the newly exhumed grave and swore.
aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading I shifted the beam of my pocket torch from the deep impressions made by the 'copter feet to the tumbled earth around the huge grave mouth, then into the empty grave itself.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Staring down at the smooth, mute subsoil, I felt like Christian wallowing in the Slough of Despond.
beam
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I shifted the beam of my pocket torch from the deep impressions made by the 'copter feet to the tumbled earth around the huge grave mouth, then into the empty grave itself.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading I had only been on duty two hours, but I had lost a Cadillac-corpse already.
blue
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The gun metal casket had left a neat rectangle in the blue clay when the cargo winch had yanked it loose.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I had only been on duty two hours, but I had lost a Cadillac-corpse already.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading I stood by the yawning mouth of the newly exhumed grave and swore.
Cadillac-corpse
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had only been on duty two hours, but I had lost a Cadillac-corpse already.
cargo
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The gun metal casket had left a neat rectangle in the blue clay when the cargo winch had yanked it loose.
casket
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The gun metal casket had left a neat rectangle in the blue clay when the cargo winch had yanked it loose.
Christian
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Staring down at the smooth, mute subsoil, I felt like Christian wallowing in the Slough of Despond.
clay
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The gun metal casket had left a neat rectangle in the blue clay when the cargo winch had yanked it loose.
copter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I shifted the beam of my pocket torch from the deep impressions made by the 'copter feet to the tumbled earth around the huge grave mouth, then into the empty grave itself.
deep
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I shifted the beam of my pocket torch from the deep impressions made by the 'copter feet to the tumbled earth around the huge grave mouth, then into the empty grave itself.
Despond
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Staring down at the smooth, mute subsoil, I felt like Christian wallowing in the Slough of Despond.
down
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Staring down at the smooth, mute subsoil, I felt like Christian wallowing in the Slough of Despond.
dutynounUS /ˈduːti/
a responsibility that must be carried out
From this reading I had only been on duty two hours, but I had lost a Cadillac-corpse already.
earth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I shifted the beam of my pocket torch from the deep impressions made by the 'copter feet to the tumbled earth around the huge grave mouth, then into the empty grave itself.
empty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I shifted the beam of my pocket torch from the deep impressions made by the 'copter feet to the tumbled earth around the huge grave mouth, then into the empty grave itself.
exhumed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I stood by the yawning mouth of the newly exhumed grave and swore.
feet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I shifted the beam of my pocket torch from the deep impressions made by the 'copter feet to the tumbled earth around the huge grave mouth, then into the empty grave itself.
felt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Staring down at the smooth, mute subsoil, I felt like Christian wallowing in the Slough of Despond.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading I shifted the beam of my pocket torch from the deep impressions made by the 'copter feet to the tumbled earth around the huge grave mouth, then into the empty grave itself.
grave
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I stood by the yawning mouth of the newly exhumed grave and swore.
gun
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The gun metal casket had left a neat rectangle in the blue clay when the cargo winch had yanked it loose.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I had only been on duty two hours, but I had lost a Cadillac-corpse already.
hours
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had only been on duty two hours, but I had lost a Cadillac-corpse already.
huge
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I shifted the beam of my pocket torch from the deep impressions made by the 'copter feet to the tumbled earth around the huge grave mouth, then into the empty grave itself.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I stood by the yawning mouth of the newly exhumed grave and swore.
impressions
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I shifted the beam of my pocket torch from the deep impressions made by the 'copter feet to the tumbled earth around the huge grave mouth, then into the empty grave itself.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The gun metal casket had left a neat rectangle in the blue clay when the cargo winch had yanked it loose.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading I shifted the beam of my pocket torch from the deep impressions made by the 'copter feet to the tumbled earth around the huge grave mouth, then into the empty grave itself.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The gun metal casket had left a neat rectangle in the blue clay when the cargo winch had yanked it loose.
itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading I shifted the beam of my pocket torch from the deep impressions made by the 'copter feet to the tumbled earth around the huge grave mouth, then into the empty grave itself.
leftnounUS /left/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The gun metal casket had left a neat rectangle in the blue clay when the cargo winch had yanked it loose.
like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Staring down at the smooth, mute subsoil, I felt like Christian wallowing in the Slough of Despond.
loose
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The gun metal casket had left a neat rectangle in the blue clay when the cargo winch had yanked it loose.
lost
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had only been on duty two hours, but I had lost a Cadillac-corpse already.
made
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I shifted the beam of my pocket torch from the deep impressions made by the 'copter feet to the tumbled earth around the huge grave mouth, then into the empty grave itself.
metal
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The gun metal casket had left a neat rectangle in the blue clay when the cargo winch had yanked it loose.
mouth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I stood by the yawning mouth of the newly exhumed grave and swore.
mute
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Staring down at the smooth, mute subsoil, I felt like Christian wallowing in the Slough of Despond.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I shifted the beam of my pocket torch from the deep impressions made by the 'copter feet to the tumbled earth around the huge grave mouth, then into the empty grave itself.
neat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The gun metal casket had left a neat rectangle in the blue clay when the cargo winch had yanked it loose.
newly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I stood by the yawning mouth of the newly exhumed grave and swore.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I stood by the yawning mouth of the newly exhumed grave and swore.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I had only been on duty two hours, but I had lost a Cadillac-corpse already.
only
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had only been on duty two hours, but I had lost a Cadillac-corpse already.
pocket
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I shifted the beam of my pocket torch from the deep impressions made by the 'copter feet to the tumbled earth around the huge grave mouth, then into the empty grave itself.
rectangle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The gun metal casket had left a neat rectangle in the blue clay when the cargo winch had yanked it loose.
shifted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I shifted the beam of my pocket torch from the deep impressions made by the 'copter feet to the tumbled earth around the huge grave mouth, then into the empty grave itself.
Slough
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Staring down at the smooth, mute subsoil, I felt like Christian wallowing in the Slough of Despond.
smooth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Staring down at the smooth, mute subsoil, I felt like Christian wallowing in the Slough of Despond.
Staring
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Staring down at the smooth, mute subsoil, I felt like Christian wallowing in the Slough of Despond.
stoodnounUS /stood/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I stood by the yawning mouth of the newly exhumed grave and swore.
subsoil
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Staring down at the smooth, mute subsoil, I felt like Christian wallowing in the Slough of Despond.
swore
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I stood by the yawning mouth of the newly exhumed grave and swore.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I stood by the yawning mouth of the newly exhumed grave and swore.
then
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I shifted the beam of my pocket torch from the deep impressions made by the 'copter feet to the tumbled earth around the huge grave mouth, then into the empty grave itself.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I shifted the beam of my pocket torch from the deep impressions made by the 'copter feet to the tumbled earth around the huge grave mouth, then into the empty grave itself.
torch
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I shifted the beam of my pocket torch from the deep impressions made by the 'copter feet to the tumbled earth around the huge grave mouth, then into the empty grave itself.
tumbled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I shifted the beam of my pocket torch from the deep impressions made by the 'copter feet to the tumbled earth around the huge grave mouth, then into the empty grave itself.
two
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had only been on duty two hours, but I had lost a Cadillac-corpse already.
wallowing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Staring down at the smooth, mute subsoil, I felt like Christian wallowing in the Slough of Despond.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading The gun metal casket had left a neat rectangle in the blue clay when the cargo winch had yanked it loose.
winch
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The gun metal casket had left a neat rectangle in the blue clay when the cargo winch had yanked it loose.
yanked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The gun metal casket had left a neat rectangle in the blue clay when the cargo winch had yanked it loose.
yawning
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I stood by the yawning mouth of the newly exhumed grave and swore.
