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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 Forcing himself to lie completely still, to continue his even breathing, he strained to catch a repetition of the sound; his eyes turned toward the rear window.
acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/
from one side of something to the other
From this reading A fresh breeze, warm and fragrant with the odors of the rain forest, swept across the couch.
againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The latest rain squall had swept by, and the window was now a luminous rectangle against a brilliant, star-filled sky.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The latest rain squall had swept by, and the window was now a luminous rectangle against a brilliant, star-filled sky.
AsconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As his vision cleared and focused, he saw that the casement window was partly open.
breathing
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From this reading Forcing himself to lie completely still, to continue his even breathing, he strained to catch a repetition of the sound; his eyes turned toward the rear window.
breeze
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From this reading A fresh breeze, warm and fragrant with the odors of the rain forest, swept across the couch.
brilliant
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From this reading The latest rain squall had swept by, and the window was now a luminous rectangle against a brilliant, star-filled sky.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The latest rain squall had swept by, and the window was now a luminous rectangle against a brilliant, star-filled sky.
casement
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From this reading As his vision cleared and focused, he saw that the casement window was partly open.
catch
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From this reading Forcing himself to lie completely still, to continue his even breathing, he strained to catch a repetition of the sound; his eyes turned toward the rear window.
cleared
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From this reading As his vision cleared and focused, he saw that the casement window was partly open.
click
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From this reading Lucifer heard a definite, sharp click from the visagraph.
completely
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From this reading Forcing himself to lie completely still, to continue his even breathing, he strained to catch a repetition of the sound; his eyes turned toward the rear window.
continue
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From this reading Forcing himself to lie completely still, to continue his even breathing, he strained to catch a repetition of the sound; his eyes turned toward the rear window.
couch
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From this reading A fresh breeze, warm and fragrant with the odors of the rain forest, swept across the couch.
definite
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From this reading Lucifer heard a definite, sharp click from the visagraph.
evennounUS /even/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Forcing himself to lie completely still, to continue his even breathing, he strained to catch a repetition of the sound; his eyes turned toward the rear window.
eyes
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From this reading Forcing himself to lie completely still, to continue his even breathing, he strained to catch a repetition of the sound; his eyes turned toward the rear window.
focused
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From this reading As his vision cleared and focused, he saw that the casement window was partly open.
Forcing
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From this reading Forcing himself to lie completely still, to continue his even breathing, he strained to catch a repetition of the sound; his eyes turned toward the rear window.
forest
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From this reading A fresh breeze, warm and fragrant with the odors of the rain forest, swept across the couch.
fragrant
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From this reading A fresh breeze, warm and fragrant with the odors of the rain forest, swept across the couch.
fresh
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From this reading A fresh breeze, warm and fragrant with the odors of the rain forest, swept across the couch.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Lucifer heard a definite, sharp click from the visagraph.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The latest rain squall had swept by, and the window was now a luminous rectangle against a brilliant, star-filled sky.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Forcing himself to lie completely still, to continue his even breathing, he strained to catch a repetition of the sound; his eyes turned toward the rear window.
heard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lucifer heard a definite, sharp click from the visagraph.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Forcing himself to lie completely still, to continue his even breathing, he strained to catch a repetition of the sound; his eyes turned toward the rear window.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Forcing himself to lie completely still, to continue his even breathing, he strained to catch a repetition of the sound; his eyes turned toward the rear window.
latest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The latest rain squall had swept by, and the window was now a luminous rectangle against a brilliant, star-filled sky.
lie
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From this reading Forcing himself to lie completely still, to continue his even breathing, he strained to catch a repetition of the sound; his eyes turned toward the rear window.
Lucifer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lucifer heard a definite, sharp click from the visagraph.
luminous
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From this reading The latest rain squall had swept by, and the window was now a luminous rectangle against a brilliant, star-filled sky.
now
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From this reading The latest rain squall had swept by, and the window was now a luminous rectangle against a brilliant, star-filled sky.
odors
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From this reading A fresh breeze, warm and fragrant with the odors of the rain forest, swept across the couch.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Forcing himself to lie completely still, to continue his even breathing, he strained to catch a repetition of the sound; his eyes turned toward the rear window.
openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/
To move from a closed position.
From this reading As his vision cleared and focused, he saw that the casement window was partly open.
partly
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From this reading As his vision cleared and focused, he saw that the casement window was partly open.
rain
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The latest rain squall had swept by, and the window was now a luminous rectangle against a brilliant, star-filled sky.
rear
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From this reading Forcing himself to lie completely still, to continue his even breathing, he strained to catch a repetition of the sound; his eyes turned toward the rear window.
rectangle
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From this reading The latest rain squall had swept by, and the window was now a luminous rectangle against a brilliant, star-filled sky.
repetition
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From this reading Forcing himself to lie completely still, to continue his even breathing, he strained to catch a repetition of the sound; his eyes turned toward the rear window.
saw
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As his vision cleared and focused, he saw that the casement window was partly open.
sharp
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lucifer heard a definite, sharp click from the visagraph.
sky
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The latest rain squall had swept by, and the window was now a luminous rectangle against a brilliant, star-filled sky.
sound
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Forcing himself to lie completely still, to continue his even breathing, he strained to catch a repetition of the sound; his eyes turned toward the rear window.
squall
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The latest rain squall had swept by, and the window was now a luminous rectangle against a brilliant, star-filled sky.
star-filled
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From this reading The latest rain squall had swept by, and the window was now a luminous rectangle against a brilliant, star-filled sky.
stillnounUS /still/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Forcing himself to lie completely still, to continue his even breathing, he strained to catch a repetition of the sound; his eyes turned toward the rear window.
strained
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From this reading Forcing himself to lie completely still, to continue his even breathing, he strained to catch a repetition of the sound; his eyes turned toward the rear window.
swept
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The latest rain squall had swept by, and the window was now a luminous rectangle against a brilliant, star-filled sky.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading As his vision cleared and focused, he saw that the casement window was partly open.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Forcing himself to lie completely still, to continue his even breathing, he strained to catch a repetition of the sound; his eyes turned toward the rear window.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Forcing himself to lie completely still, to continue his even breathing, he strained to catch a repetition of the sound; his eyes turned toward the rear window.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading Forcing himself to lie completely still, to continue his even breathing, he strained to catch a repetition of the sound; his eyes turned toward the rear window.
turned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Forcing himself to lie completely still, to continue his even breathing, he strained to catch a repetition of the sound; his eyes turned toward the rear window.
visagraph
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lucifer heard a definite, sharp click from the visagraph.
vision
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As his vision cleared and focused, he saw that the casement window was partly open.
warm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A fresh breeze, warm and fragrant with the odors of the rain forest, swept across the couch.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The latest rain squall had swept by, and the window was now a luminous rectangle against a brilliant, star-filled sky.
window
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Forcing himself to lie completely still, to continue his even breathing, he strained to catch a repetition of the sound; his eyes turned toward the rear window.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading A fresh breeze, warm and fragrant with the odors of the rain forest, swept across the couch.
