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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 It was a large, irregular room, divided into unequal portions by the four wide, massive pillars that supported its arched roof.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A smell of damp and mildew came from its walls and from its flags moistened by the water that trickled from without.
any
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From this reading Its appearance at any time must have been gruesome.
appearancenounUS /ˈappearance/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Its appearance at any time must have been gruesome.
arched
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From this reading It was a large, irregular room, divided into unequal portions by the four wide, massive pillars that supported its arched roof.
aspect
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From this reading But, at that moment, with the tall figures of Sébastiani and his sons, with the slanting gleams of light that fell between the pillars, with the vision of the captive chained down upon the truckle-bed, it assumed a sinister and barbarous aspect.
assumed
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From this reading But, at that moment, with the tall figures of Sébastiani and his sons, with the slanting gleams of light that fell between the pillars, with the vision of the captive chained down upon the truckle-bed, it assumed a sinister and barbarous aspect.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Its appearance at any time must have been gruesome.
barbarous
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From this reading But, at that moment, with the tall figures of Sébastiani and his sons, with the slanting gleams of light that fell between the pillars, with the vision of the captive chained down upon the truckle-bed, it assumed a sinister and barbarous aspect.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Its appearance at any time must have been gruesome.
beneathprepositionUS /bɪˈniːθ/
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading THE LOVERS’ TOWER The torture-chamber showed beneath him.
betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading But, at that moment, with the tall figures of Sébastiani and his sons, with the slanting gleams of light that fell between the pillars, with the vision of the captive chained down upon the truckle-bed, it assumed a sinister and barbarous aspect.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But, at that moment, with the tall figures of Sébastiani and his sons, with the slanting gleams of light that fell between the pillars, with the vision of the captive chained down upon the truckle-bed, it assumed a sinister and barbarous aspect.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading It was a large, irregular room, divided into unequal portions by the four wide, massive pillars that supported its arched roof.
came
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A smell of damp and mildew came from its walls and from its flags moistened by the water that trickled from without.
captive
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From this reading But, at that moment, with the tall figures of Sébastiani and his sons, with the slanting gleams of light that fell between the pillars, with the vision of the captive chained down upon the truckle-bed, it assumed a sinister and barbarous aspect.
chained
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But, at that moment, with the tall figures of Sébastiani and his sons, with the slanting gleams of light that fell between the pillars, with the vision of the captive chained down upon the truckle-bed, it assumed a sinister and barbarous aspect.
damp
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A smell of damp and mildew came from its walls and from its flags moistened by the water that trickled from without.
dividednounUS /ˈdivided/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading It was a large, irregular room, divided into unequal portions by the four wide, massive pillars that supported its arched roof.
down
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From this reading But, at that moment, with the tall figures of Sébastiani and his sons, with the slanting gleams of light that fell between the pillars, with the vision of the captive chained down upon the truckle-bed, it assumed a sinister and barbarous aspect.
fell
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From this reading But, at that moment, with the tall figures of Sébastiani and his sons, with the slanting gleams of light that fell between the pillars, with the vision of the captive chained down upon the truckle-bed, it assumed a sinister and barbarous aspect.
figures
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From this reading But, at that moment, with the tall figures of Sébastiani and his sons, with the slanting gleams of light that fell between the pillars, with the vision of the captive chained down upon the truckle-bed, it assumed a sinister and barbarous aspect.
flags
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A smell of damp and mildew came from its walls and from its flags moistened by the water that trickled from without.
four
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From this reading It was a large, irregular room, divided into unequal portions by the four wide, massive pillars that supported its arched roof.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A smell of damp and mildew came from its walls and from its flags moistened by the water that trickled from without.
gleams
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From this reading But, at that moment, with the tall figures of Sébastiani and his sons, with the slanting gleams of light that fell between the pillars, with the vision of the captive chained down upon the truckle-bed, it assumed a sinister and barbarous aspect.
gruesome
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Its appearance at any time must have been gruesome.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Its appearance at any time must have been gruesome.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading THE LOVERS’ TOWER The torture-chamber showed beneath him.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading But, at that moment, with the tall figures of Sébastiani and his sons, with the slanting gleams of light that fell between the pillars, with the vision of the captive chained down upon the truckle-bed, it assumed a sinister and barbarous aspect.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading It was a large, irregular room, divided into unequal portions by the four wide, massive pillars that supported its arched roof.
irregular
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From this reading It was a large, irregular room, divided into unequal portions by the four wide, massive pillars that supported its arched roof.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a large, irregular room, divided into unequal portions by the four wide, massive pillars that supported its arched roof.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading It was a large, irregular room, divided into unequal portions by the four wide, massive pillars that supported its arched roof.
large
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a large, irregular room, divided into unequal portions by the four wide, massive pillars that supported its arched roof.
light
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From this reading But, at that moment, with the tall figures of Sébastiani and his sons, with the slanting gleams of light that fell between the pillars, with the vision of the captive chained down upon the truckle-bed, it assumed a sinister and barbarous aspect.
LOVERS
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From this reading THE LOVERS’ TOWER The torture-chamber showed beneath him.
massive
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From this reading It was a large, irregular room, divided into unequal portions by the four wide, massive pillars that supported its arched roof.
mildew
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From this reading A smell of damp and mildew came from its walls and from its flags moistened by the water that trickled from without.
moistened
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From this reading A smell of damp and mildew came from its walls and from its flags moistened by the water that trickled from without.
moment
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But, at that moment, with the tall figures of Sébastiani and his sons, with the slanting gleams of light that fell between the pillars, with the vision of the captive chained down upon the truckle-bed, it assumed a sinister and barbarous aspect.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Its appearance at any time must have been gruesome.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A smell of damp and mildew came from its walls and from its flags moistened by the water that trickled from without.
pillars
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a large, irregular room, divided into unequal portions by the four wide, massive pillars that supported its arched roof.
portions
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From this reading It was a large, irregular room, divided into unequal portions by the four wide, massive pillars that supported its arched roof.
roof
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a large, irregular room, divided into unequal portions by the four wide, massive pillars that supported its arched roof.
room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a large, irregular room, divided into unequal portions by the four wide, massive pillars that supported its arched roof.
showed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE LOVERS’ TOWER The torture-chamber showed beneath him.
sinister
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But, at that moment, with the tall figures of Sébastiani and his sons, with the slanting gleams of light that fell between the pillars, with the vision of the captive chained down upon the truckle-bed, it assumed a sinister and barbarous aspect.
slanting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But, at that moment, with the tall figures of Sébastiani and his sons, with the slanting gleams of light that fell between the pillars, with the vision of the captive chained down upon the truckle-bed, it assumed a sinister and barbarous aspect.
smell
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A smell of damp and mildew came from its walls and from its flags moistened by the water that trickled from without.
sons
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From this reading But, at that moment, with the tall figures of Sébastiani and his sons, with the slanting gleams of light that fell between the pillars, with the vision of the captive chained down upon the truckle-bed, it assumed a sinister and barbarous aspect.
supported
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a large, irregular room, divided into unequal portions by the four wide, massive pillars that supported its arched roof.
Sébastiani
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From this reading But, at that moment, with the tall figures of Sébastiani and his sons, with the slanting gleams of light that fell between the pillars, with the vision of the captive chained down upon the truckle-bed, it assumed a sinister and barbarous aspect.
tall
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But, at that moment, with the tall figures of Sébastiani and his sons, with the slanting gleams of light that fell between the pillars, with the vision of the captive chained down upon the truckle-bed, it assumed a sinister and barbarous aspect.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was a large, irregular room, divided into unequal portions by the four wide, massive pillars that supported its arched roof.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE LOVERS’ TOWER The torture-chamber showed beneath him.
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Its appearance at any time must have been gruesome.
torture-chamber
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE LOVERS’ TOWER The torture-chamber showed beneath him.
TOWER
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE LOVERS’ TOWER The torture-chamber showed beneath him.
trickled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A smell of damp and mildew came from its walls and from its flags moistened by the water that trickled from without.
truckle-bed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But, at that moment, with the tall figures of Sébastiani and his sons, with the slanting gleams of light that fell between the pillars, with the vision of the captive chained down upon the truckle-bed, it assumed a sinister and barbarous aspect.
unequal
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a large, irregular room, divided into unequal portions by the four wide, massive pillars that supported its arched roof.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading But, at that moment, with the tall figures of Sébastiani and his sons, with the slanting gleams of light that fell between the pillars, with the vision of the captive chained down upon the truckle-bed, it assumed a sinister and barbarous aspect.
vision
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But, at that moment, with the tall figures of Sébastiani and his sons, with the slanting gleams of light that fell between the pillars, with the vision of the captive chained down upon the truckle-bed, it assumed a sinister and barbarous aspect.
walls
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A smell of damp and mildew came from its walls and from its flags moistened by the water that trickled from without.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a large, irregular room, divided into unequal portions by the four wide, massive pillars that supported its arched roof.
water
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A smell of damp and mildew came from its walls and from its flags moistened by the water that trickled from without.
wide
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a large, irregular room, divided into unequal portions by the four wide, massive pillars that supported its arched roof.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading But, at that moment, with the tall figures of Sébastiani and his sons, with the slanting gleams of light that fell between the pillars, with the vision of the captive chained down upon the truckle-bed, it assumed a sinister and barbarous aspect.
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading A smell of damp and mildew came from its walls and from its flags moistened by the water that trickled from without.