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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 A huge hairy paw reached up into the light-beam and snatched a flying thing out of it.
actually
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From this reading Because of their wild gyrations it was impossible to see them in detail, but they were those unpleasant night-creatures which looked like plucked flying monkeys but were actually something quite different.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading More things strangely-shaped and pallid like human skin reeled and flapped crazily toward him.
AnothernounUS /ˈanother/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Another great paw.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The three great Kodiaks were on their hind legs, swatting at creatures which flittered insanely, unable to resist the fascination of the glaring lamp.
BecauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/
for the reason that
From this reading Because of their wild gyrations it was impossible to see them in detail, but they were those unpleasant night-creatures which looked like plucked flying monkeys but were actually something quite different.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Because of their wild gyrations it was impossible to see them in detail, but they were those unpleasant night-creatures which looked like plucked flying monkeys but were actually something quite different.
crazily
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From this reading More things strangely-shaped and pallid like human skin reeled and flapped crazily toward him.
creatures
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From this reading The three great Kodiaks were on their hind legs, swatting at creatures which flittered insanely, unable to resist the fascination of the glaring lamp.
detail
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From this reading Because of their wild gyrations it was impossible to see them in detail, but they were those unpleasant night-creatures which looked like plucked flying monkeys but were actually something quite different.
differentnounUS /ˈdifferent/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Because of their wild gyrations it was impossible to see them in detail, but they were those unpleasant night-creatures which looked like plucked flying monkeys but were actually something quite different.
fascination
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From this reading The three great Kodiaks were on their hind legs, swatting at creatures which flittered insanely, unable to resist the fascination of the glaring lamp.
flapped
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From this reading More things strangely-shaped and pallid like human skin reeled and flapped crazily toward him.
flittered
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From this reading The three great Kodiaks were on their hind legs, swatting at creatures which flittered insanely, unable to resist the fascination of the glaring lamp.
flying
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From this reading A huge hairy paw reached up into the light-beam and snatched a flying thing out of it.
glaring
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From this reading The three great Kodiaks were on their hind legs, swatting at creatures which flittered insanely, unable to resist the fascination of the glaring lamp.
greatnounUS /great/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Another great paw.
gyrations
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From this reading Because of their wild gyrations it was impossible to see them in detail, but they were those unpleasant night-creatures which looked like plucked flying monkeys but were actually something quite different.
hairy
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From this reading A huge hairy paw reached up into the light-beam and snatched a flying thing out of it.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading More things strangely-shaped and pallid like human skin reeled and flapped crazily toward him.
hind
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From this reading The three great Kodiaks were on their hind legs, swatting at creatures which flittered insanely, unable to resist the fascination of the glaring lamp.
huge
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From this reading A huge hairy paw reached up into the light-beam and snatched a flying thing out of it.
human
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From this reading More things strangely-shaped and pallid like human skin reeled and flapped crazily toward him.
impossible
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From this reading Because of their wild gyrations it was impossible to see them in detail, but they were those unpleasant night-creatures which looked like plucked flying monkeys but were actually something quite different.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Because of their wild gyrations it was impossible to see them in detail, but they were those unpleasant night-creatures which looked like plucked flying monkeys but were actually something quite different.
insanely
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The three great Kodiaks were on their hind legs, swatting at creatures which flittered insanely, unable to resist the fascination of the glaring lamp.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading A huge hairy paw reached up into the light-beam and snatched a flying thing out of it.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading A huge hairy paw reached up into the light-beam and snatched a flying thing out of it.
Kodiaks
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From this reading The three great Kodiaks were on their hind legs, swatting at creatures which flittered insanely, unable to resist the fascination of the glaring lamp.
lamp
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From this reading The three great Kodiaks were on their hind legs, swatting at creatures which flittered insanely, unable to resist the fascination of the glaring lamp.
legs
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From this reading The three great Kodiaks were on their hind legs, swatting at creatures which flittered insanely, unable to resist the fascination of the glaring lamp.
light-beam
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From this reading A huge hairy paw reached up into the light-beam and snatched a flying thing out of it.
like
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From this reading More things strangely-shaped and pallid like human skin reeled and flapped crazily toward him.
lookednounUS /looked/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Because of their wild gyrations it was impossible to see them in detail, but they were those unpleasant night-creatures which looked like plucked flying monkeys but were actually something quite different.
monkeys
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From this reading Because of their wild gyrations it was impossible to see them in detail, but they were those unpleasant night-creatures which looked like plucked flying monkeys but were actually something quite different.
More
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From this reading More things strangely-shaped and pallid like human skin reeled and flapped crazily toward him.
night-creatures
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From this reading Because of their wild gyrations it was impossible to see them in detail, but they were those unpleasant night-creatures which looked like plucked flying monkeys but were actually something quite different.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A huge hairy paw reached up into the light-beam and snatched a flying thing out of it.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The three great Kodiaks were on their hind legs, swatting at creatures which flittered insanely, unable to resist the fascination of the glaring lamp.
out
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From this reading A huge hairy paw reached up into the light-beam and snatched a flying thing out of it.
pallid
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From this reading More things strangely-shaped and pallid like human skin reeled and flapped crazily toward him.
paw
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From this reading A huge hairy paw reached up into the light-beam and snatched a flying thing out of it.
plucked
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From this reading Because of their wild gyrations it was impossible to see them in detail, but they were those unpleasant night-creatures which looked like plucked flying monkeys but were actually something quite different.
quitenounUS /quite/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Because of their wild gyrations it was impossible to see them in detail, but they were those unpleasant night-creatures which looked like plucked flying monkeys but were actually something quite different.
reached
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From this reading A huge hairy paw reached up into the light-beam and snatched a flying thing out of it.
reeledverbUS /riːld/
moved unsteadily as if about to fall
From this reading More things strangely-shaped and pallid like human skin reeled and flapped crazily toward him.
resist
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The three great Kodiaks were on their hind legs, swatting at creatures which flittered insanely, unable to resist the fascination of the glaring lamp.
see
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From this reading Because of their wild gyrations it was impossible to see them in detail, but they were those unpleasant night-creatures which looked like plucked flying monkeys but were actually something quite different.
skin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading More things strangely-shaped and pallid like human skin reeled and flapped crazily toward him.
snatched
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From this reading A huge hairy paw reached up into the light-beam and snatched a flying thing out of it.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Because of their wild gyrations it was impossible to see them in detail, but they were those unpleasant night-creatures which looked like plucked flying monkeys but were actually something quite different.
strangely-shaped
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading More things strangely-shaped and pallid like human skin reeled and flapped crazily toward him.
swatting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The three great Kodiaks were on their hind legs, swatting at creatures which flittered insanely, unable to resist the fascination of the glaring lamp.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A huge hairy paw reached up into the light-beam and snatched a flying thing out of it.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The three great Kodiaks were on their hind legs, swatting at creatures which flittered insanely, unable to resist the fascination of the glaring lamp.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Because of their wild gyrations it was impossible to see them in detail, but they were those unpleasant night-creatures which looked like plucked flying monkeys but were actually something quite different.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Because of their wild gyrations it was impossible to see them in detail, but they were those unpleasant night-creatures which looked like plucked flying monkeys but were actually something quite different.
thingnounUS /thing/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading A huge hairy paw reached up into the light-beam and snatched a flying thing out of it.
things
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From this reading More things strangely-shaped and pallid like human skin reeled and flapped crazily toward him.
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Because of their wild gyrations it was impossible to see them in detail, but they were those unpleasant night-creatures which looked like plucked flying monkeys but were actually something quite different.
three
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The three great Kodiaks were on their hind legs, swatting at creatures which flittered insanely, unable to resist the fascination of the glaring lamp.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The three great Kodiaks were on their hind legs, swatting at creatures which flittered insanely, unable to resist the fascination of the glaring lamp.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading More things strangely-shaped and pallid like human skin reeled and flapped crazily toward him.
unable
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The three great Kodiaks were on their hind legs, swatting at creatures which flittered insanely, unable to resist the fascination of the glaring lamp.
unpleasant
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Because of their wild gyrations it was impossible to see them in detail, but they were those unpleasant night-creatures which looked like plucked flying monkeys but were actually something quite different.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A huge hairy paw reached up into the light-beam and snatched a flying thing out of it.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Because of their wild gyrations it was impossible to see them in detail, but they were those unpleasant night-creatures which looked like plucked flying monkeys but were actually something quite different.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The three great Kodiaks were on their hind legs, swatting at creatures which flittered insanely, unable to resist the fascination of the glaring lamp.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The three great Kodiaks were on their hind legs, swatting at creatures which flittered insanely, unable to resist the fascination of the glaring lamp.
wild
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Because of their wild gyrations it was impossible to see them in detail, but they were those unpleasant night-creatures which looked like plucked flying monkeys but were actually something quite different.