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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 thick mist hung near the land.
alertness
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From this reading The Harbour Defence Flotilla was in readiness, and under the black cliffs sentinels kept watch with every nerve strained to its highest tension, for the safety of England now depended upon their alertness.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading At sea the night was dark and moonless.
anxious
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From this reading The Coastguard and Artillery on our southern and eastern shores spent a terribly anxious time, peering from their points of vantage out into the cavernous darkness where no light glimmered.
Artillery
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From this reading The Coastguard and Artillery on our southern and eastern shores spent a terribly anxious time, peering from their points of vantage out into the cavernous darkness where no light glimmered.
AtprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At sea the night was dark and moonless.
black
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From this reading The Harbour Defence Flotilla was in readiness, and under the black cliffs sentinels kept watch with every nerve strained to its highest tension, for the safety of England now depended upon their alertness.
BOMBARDMENT
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From this reading BOMBARDMENT OF NEWHAVEN.
cavernous
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From this reading The Coastguard and Artillery on our southern and eastern shores spent a terribly anxious time, peering from their points of vantage out into the cavernous darkness where no light glimmered.
cliffs
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From this reading The Harbour Defence Flotilla was in readiness, and under the black cliffs sentinels kept watch with every nerve strained to its highest tension, for the safety of England now depended upon their alertness.
Coastguard
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From this reading The Coastguard and Artillery on our southern and eastern shores spent a terribly anxious time, peering from their points of vantage out into the cavernous darkness where no light glimmered.
dark
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From this reading At sea the night was dark and moonless.
darkness
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From this reading The Coastguard and Artillery on our southern and eastern shores spent a terribly anxious time, peering from their points of vantage out into the cavernous darkness where no light glimmered.
Defence
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From this reading The Harbour Defence Flotilla was in readiness, and under the black cliffs sentinels kept watch with every nerve strained to its highest tension, for the safety of England now depended upon their alertness.
depended
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From this reading The Harbour Defence Flotilla was in readiness, and under the black cliffs sentinels kept watch with every nerve strained to its highest tension, for the safety of England now depended upon their alertness.
eastern
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From this reading The Coastguard and Artillery on our southern and eastern shores spent a terribly anxious time, peering from their points of vantage out into the cavernous darkness where no light glimmered.
England
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From this reading The Harbour Defence Flotilla was in readiness, and under the black cliffs sentinels kept watch with every nerve strained to its highest tension, for the safety of England now depended upon their alertness.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading The Harbour Defence Flotilla was in readiness, and under the black cliffs sentinels kept watch with every nerve strained to its highest tension, for the safety of England now depended upon their alertness.
Flotilla
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From this reading The Harbour Defence Flotilla was in readiness, and under the black cliffs sentinels kept watch with every nerve strained to its highest tension, for the safety of England now depended upon their alertness.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The Harbour Defence Flotilla was in readiness, and under the black cliffs sentinels kept watch with every nerve strained to its highest tension, for the safety of England now depended upon their alertness.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The Coastguard and Artillery on our southern and eastern shores spent a terribly anxious time, peering from their points of vantage out into the cavernous darkness where no light glimmered.
glimmered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Coastguard and Artillery on our southern and eastern shores spent a terribly anxious time, peering from their points of vantage out into the cavernous darkness where no light glimmered.
Harbour
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Harbour Defence Flotilla was in readiness, and under the black cliffs sentinels kept watch with every nerve strained to its highest tension, for the safety of England now depended upon their alertness.
highest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Harbour Defence Flotilla was in readiness, and under the black cliffs sentinels kept watch with every nerve strained to its highest tension, for the safety of England now depended upon their alertness.
hung
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From this reading A thick mist hung near the land.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The Harbour Defence Flotilla was in readiness, and under the black cliffs sentinels kept watch with every nerve strained to its highest tension, for the safety of England now depended upon their alertness.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The Coastguard and Artillery on our southern and eastern shores spent a terribly anxious time, peering from their points of vantage out into the cavernous darkness where no light glimmered.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The Harbour Defence Flotilla was in readiness, and under the black cliffs sentinels kept watch with every nerve strained to its highest tension, for the safety of England now depended upon their alertness.
kept
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Harbour Defence Flotilla was in readiness, and under the black cliffs sentinels kept watch with every nerve strained to its highest tension, for the safety of England now depended upon their alertness.
land
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A thick mist hung near the land.
light
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Coastguard and Artillery on our southern and eastern shores spent a terribly anxious time, peering from their points of vantage out into the cavernous darkness where no light glimmered.
mist
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A thick mist hung near the land.
moonless
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From this reading At sea the night was dark and moonless.
near
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From this reading A thick mist hung near the land.
nerve
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From this reading The Harbour Defence Flotilla was in readiness, and under the black cliffs sentinels kept watch with every nerve strained to its highest tension, for the safety of England now depended upon their alertness.
NEWHAVEN
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BOMBARDMENT OF NEWHAVEN.
night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At sea the night was dark and moonless.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading The Coastguard and Artillery on our southern and eastern shores spent a terribly anxious time, peering from their points of vantage out into the cavernous darkness where no light glimmered.
now
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Harbour Defence Flotilla was in readiness, and under the black cliffs sentinels kept watch with every nerve strained to its highest tension, for the safety of England now depended upon their alertness.
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading BOMBARDMENT OF NEWHAVEN.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The Coastguard and Artillery on our southern and eastern shores spent a terribly anxious time, peering from their points of vantage out into the cavernous darkness where no light glimmered.
ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading The Coastguard and Artillery on our southern and eastern shores spent a terribly anxious time, peering from their points of vantage out into the cavernous darkness where no light glimmered.
out
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From this reading The Coastguard and Artillery on our southern and eastern shores spent a terribly anxious time, peering from their points of vantage out into the cavernous darkness where no light glimmered.
peeringverbUS /ˈpɪrɪŋ/
looking closely or carefully
From this reading The Coastguard and Artillery on our southern and eastern shores spent a terribly anxious time, peering from their points of vantage out into the cavernous darkness where no light glimmered.
points
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Coastguard and Artillery on our southern and eastern shores spent a terribly anxious time, peering from their points of vantage out into the cavernous darkness where no light glimmered.
readiness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Harbour Defence Flotilla was in readiness, and under the black cliffs sentinels kept watch with every nerve strained to its highest tension, for the safety of England now depended upon their alertness.
safety
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Harbour Defence Flotilla was in readiness, and under the black cliffs sentinels kept watch with every nerve strained to its highest tension, for the safety of England now depended upon their alertness.
sea
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At sea the night was dark and moonless.
sentinels
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From this reading The Harbour Defence Flotilla was in readiness, and under the black cliffs sentinels kept watch with every nerve strained to its highest tension, for the safety of England now depended upon their alertness.
shores
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Coastguard and Artillery on our southern and eastern shores spent a terribly anxious time, peering from their points of vantage out into the cavernous darkness where no light glimmered.
southern
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Coastguard and Artillery on our southern and eastern shores spent a terribly anxious time, peering from their points of vantage out into the cavernous darkness where no light glimmered.
spent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Coastguard and Artillery on our southern and eastern shores spent a terribly anxious time, peering from their points of vantage out into the cavernous darkness where no light glimmered.
strained
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Harbour Defence Flotilla was in readiness, and under the black cliffs sentinels kept watch with every nerve strained to its highest tension, for the safety of England now depended upon their alertness.
tension
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Harbour Defence Flotilla was in readiness, and under the black cliffs sentinels kept watch with every nerve strained to its highest tension, for the safety of England now depended upon their alertness.
terribly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Coastguard and Artillery on our southern and eastern shores spent a terribly anxious time, peering from their points of vantage out into the cavernous darkness where no light glimmered.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading At sea the night was dark and moonless.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The Coastguard and Artillery on our southern and eastern shores spent a terribly anxious time, peering from their points of vantage out into the cavernous darkness where no light glimmered.
thick
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A thick mist hung near the land.
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The Coastguard and Artillery on our southern and eastern shores spent a terribly anxious time, peering from their points of vantage out into the cavernous darkness where no light glimmered.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The Harbour Defence Flotilla was in readiness, and under the black cliffs sentinels kept watch with every nerve strained to its highest tension, for the safety of England now depended upon their alertness.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading The Harbour Defence Flotilla was in readiness, and under the black cliffs sentinels kept watch with every nerve strained to its highest tension, for the safety of England now depended upon their alertness.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The Harbour Defence Flotilla was in readiness, and under the black cliffs sentinels kept watch with every nerve strained to its highest tension, for the safety of England now depended upon their alertness.
vantage
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Coastguard and Artillery on our southern and eastern shores spent a terribly anxious time, peering from their points of vantage out into the cavernous darkness where no light glimmered.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading At sea the night was dark and moonless.
watch
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Harbour Defence Flotilla was in readiness, and under the black cliffs sentinels kept watch with every nerve strained to its highest tension, for the safety of England now depended upon their alertness.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading The Coastguard and Artillery on our southern and eastern shores spent a terribly anxious time, peering from their points of vantage out into the cavernous darkness where no light glimmered.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading The Harbour Defence Flotilla was in readiness, and under the black cliffs sentinels kept watch with every nerve strained to its highest tension, for the safety of England now depended upon their alertness.
