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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 The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
artist
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From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
Black
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From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
blue
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From this reading There were hangings of soft, blue silk tapestry, brought from one of his northern palaces.
bowls
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From this reading There were several bowls of flowers, a couch, and two comfortable chairs.
broughtnounUS /ˈbrought/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading There were hangings of soft, blue silk tapestry, brought from one of his northern palaces.
chairs
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From this reading There were several bowls of flowers, a couch, and two comfortable chairs.
Chinese
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From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
cloth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The cloth which covered the table was of the finest silk.
comfortable
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From this reading There were several bowls of flowers, a couch, and two comfortable chairs.
couch
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From this reading There were several bowls of flowers, a couch, and two comfortable chairs.
covered
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From this reading The cloth which covered the table was of the finest silk.
critically
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From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
DragonnounUS /ˈdræɡən/
a mythical or imagined creature shaped like a large reptile
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
fanciful
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From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
figures
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From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
finest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The cloth which covered the table was of the finest silk.
flower-hung
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From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
flowers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were several bowls of flowers, a couch, and two comfortable chairs.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading There were hangings of soft, blue silk tapestry, brought from one of his northern palaces.
greatnounUS /great/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
hangings
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were hangings of soft, blue silk tapestry, brought from one of his northern palaces.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
inlaid
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From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
landscape
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From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
lookednounUS /looked/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
northern
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were hangings of soft, blue silk tapestry, brought from one of his northern palaces.
oak
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading There were hangings of soft, blue silk tapestry, brought from one of his northern palaces.
pagoda
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From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
palaces
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were hangings of soft, blue silk tapestry, brought from one of his northern palaces.
plaques
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From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
Prince
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
quaint
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
several
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were several bowls of flowers, a couch, and two comfortable chairs.
Shanmodal verbUS /ʃæn/
the form of “shall” used in the contraction “shan’t”
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
silk
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were hangings of soft, blue silk tapestry, brought from one of his northern palaces.
sitting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
soft
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were hangings of soft, blue silk tapestry, brought from one of his northern palaces.
stoodnounUS /stood/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
suite
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
table
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The cloth which covered the table was of the finest silk.
tapestry
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were hangings of soft, blue silk tapestry, brought from one of his northern palaces.
temple
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
There
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were hangings of soft, blue silk tapestry, brought from one of his northern palaces.
tiny
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
traced
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
two
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were several bowls of flowers, a couch, and two comfortable chairs.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Prince Shan stood in the tiny sitting room of his suite upon the _Black Dragon_ and looked around him critically.
walls
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The cloth which covered the table was of the finest silk.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
white
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading The walls were of black oak, with white inlaid plaques on which a great artist had traced little fanciful figures,--a quaint Chinese landscape, a temple, a flower-hung pagoda.
