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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 Only the present mattered, and it was a dark one.
aching
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From this reading Having been battered just enough to feel all one aching bruise, Ross had lost interest in the future.
aliens
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From this reading That he still lived was a minor wonder, but he deduced that he continued to breathe only because they wanted to exchange him for the reward offered by the aliens from out of time, an unpleasant prospect to contemplate.
all
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From this reading Having been battered just enough to feel all one aching bruise, Ross had lost interest in the future.
also
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From this reading He might have fought Ennar to a standstill, but in the eyes of the horsemen he had also been beaten, and he had not impressed them as he had hoped.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading That he still lived was a minor wonder, but he deduced that he continued to breathe only because they wanted to exchange him for the reward offered by the aliens from out of time, an unpleasant prospect to contemplate.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Only the present mattered, and it was a dark one.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He might have fought Ennar to a standstill, but in the eyes of the horsemen he had also been beaten, and he had not impressed them as he had hoped.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Murdock lay on his back, gazing up at the laced hides which stretched to make the tent roofing.
back
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From this reading Murdock lay on his back, gazing up at the laced hides which stretched to make the tent roofing.
battered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Having been battered just enough to feel all one aching bruise, Ross had lost interest in the future.
beaten
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From this reading He might have fought Ennar to a standstill, but in the eyes of the horsemen he had also been beaten, and he had not impressed them as he had hoped.
becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/
for the reason that
From this reading That he still lived was a minor wonder, but he deduced that he continued to breathe only because they wanted to exchange him for the reward offered by the aliens from out of time, an unpleasant prospect to contemplate.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Having been battered just enough to feel all one aching bruise, Ross had lost interest in the future.
breatheverbUS /briːð/
to speak or reveal information, especially secretly
From this reading That he still lived was a minor wonder, but he deduced that he continued to breathe only because they wanted to exchange him for the reward offered by the aliens from out of time, an unpleasant prospect to contemplate.
bruise
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From this reading Having been battered just enough to feel all one aching bruise, Ross had lost interest in the future.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He might have fought Ennar to a standstill, but in the eyes of the horsemen he had also been beaten, and he had not impressed them as he had hoped.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading That he still lived was a minor wonder, but he deduced that he continued to breathe only because they wanted to exchange him for the reward offered by the aliens from out of time, an unpleasant prospect to contemplate.
contemplate
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That he still lived was a minor wonder, but he deduced that he continued to breathe only because they wanted to exchange him for the reward offered by the aliens from out of time, an unpleasant prospect to contemplate.
continuednounUS /ˈcontinued/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading That he still lived was a minor wonder, but he deduced that he continued to breathe only because they wanted to exchange him for the reward offered by the aliens from out of time, an unpleasant prospect to contemplate.
dark
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From this reading Only the present mattered, and it was a dark one.
deduced
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From this reading That he still lived was a minor wonder, but he deduced that he continued to breathe only because they wanted to exchange him for the reward offered by the aliens from out of time, an unpleasant prospect to contemplate.
Ennar
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From this reading He might have fought Ennar to a standstill, but in the eyes of the horsemen he had also been beaten, and he had not impressed them as he had hoped.
enough
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From this reading Having been battered just enough to feel all one aching bruise, Ross had lost interest in the future.
exchange
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From this reading That he still lived was a minor wonder, but he deduced that he continued to breathe only because they wanted to exchange him for the reward offered by the aliens from out of time, an unpleasant prospect to contemplate.
eyes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He might have fought Ennar to a standstill, but in the eyes of the horsemen he had also been beaten, and he had not impressed them as he had hoped.
feel
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From this reading Having been battered just enough to feel all one aching bruise, Ross had lost interest in the future.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading That he still lived was a minor wonder, but he deduced that he continued to breathe only because they wanted to exchange him for the reward offered by the aliens from out of time, an unpleasant prospect to contemplate.
fought
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He might have fought Ennar to a standstill, but in the eyes of the horsemen he had also been beaten, and he had not impressed them as he had hoped.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading That he still lived was a minor wonder, but he deduced that he continued to breathe only because they wanted to exchange him for the reward offered by the aliens from out of time, an unpleasant prospect to contemplate.
future
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Having been battered just enough to feel all one aching bruise, Ross had lost interest in the future.
gazing
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From this reading Murdock lay on his back, gazing up at the laced hides which stretched to make the tent roofing.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Having been battered just enough to feel all one aching bruise, Ross had lost interest in the future.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He might have fought Ennar to a standstill, but in the eyes of the horsemen he had also been beaten, and he had not impressed them as he had hoped.
Havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading Having been battered just enough to feel all one aching bruise, Ross had lost interest in the future.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He might have fought Ennar to a standstill, but in the eyes of the horsemen he had also been beaten, and he had not impressed them as he had hoped.
hides
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Murdock lay on his back, gazing up at the laced hides which stretched to make the tent roofing.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading That he still lived was a minor wonder, but he deduced that he continued to breathe only because they wanted to exchange him for the reward offered by the aliens from out of time, an unpleasant prospect to contemplate.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Murdock lay on his back, gazing up at the laced hides which stretched to make the tent roofing.
hoped
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He might have fought Ennar to a standstill, but in the eyes of the horsemen he had also been beaten, and he had not impressed them as he had hoped.
horsemen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He might have fought Ennar to a standstill, but in the eyes of the horsemen he had also been beaten, and he had not impressed them as he had hoped.
impressed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He might have fought Ennar to a standstill, but in the eyes of the horsemen he had also been beaten, and he had not impressed them as he had hoped.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Having been battered just enough to feel all one aching bruise, Ross had lost interest in the future.
interest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Having been battered just enough to feel all one aching bruise, Ross had lost interest in the future.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Only the present mattered, and it was a dark one.
just
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Having been battered just enough to feel all one aching bruise, Ross had lost interest in the future.
laced
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Murdock lay on his back, gazing up at the laced hides which stretched to make the tent roofing.
lay
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Murdock lay on his back, gazing up at the laced hides which stretched to make the tent roofing.
lived
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That he still lived was a minor wonder, but he deduced that he continued to breathe only because they wanted to exchange him for the reward offered by the aliens from out of time, an unpleasant prospect to contemplate.
lost
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Having been battered just enough to feel all one aching bruise, Ross had lost interest in the future.
makenounUS /make/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Murdock lay on his back, gazing up at the laced hides which stretched to make the tent roofing.
mattered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Only the present mattered, and it was a dark one.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading He might have fought Ennar to a standstill, but in the eyes of the horsemen he had also been beaten, and he had not impressed them as he had hoped.
minor
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That he still lived was a minor wonder, but he deduced that he continued to breathe only because they wanted to exchange him for the reward offered by the aliens from out of time, an unpleasant prospect to contemplate.
Murdock
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Murdock lay on his back, gazing up at the laced hides which stretched to make the tent roofing.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He might have fought Ennar to a standstill, but in the eyes of the horsemen he had also been beaten, and he had not impressed them as he had hoped.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He might have fought Ennar to a standstill, but in the eyes of the horsemen he had also been beaten, and he had not impressed them as he had hoped.
offered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That he still lived was a minor wonder, but he deduced that he continued to breathe only because they wanted to exchange him for the reward offered by the aliens from out of time, an unpleasant prospect to contemplate.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Murdock lay on his back, gazing up at the laced hides which stretched to make the tent roofing.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Having been battered just enough to feel all one aching bruise, Ross had lost interest in the future.
Only
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Only the present mattered, and it was a dark one.
out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That he still lived was a minor wonder, but he deduced that he continued to breathe only because they wanted to exchange him for the reward offered by the aliens from out of time, an unpleasant prospect to contemplate.
present
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Only the present mattered, and it was a dark one.
prospect
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That he still lived was a minor wonder, but he deduced that he continued to breathe only because they wanted to exchange him for the reward offered by the aliens from out of time, an unpleasant prospect to contemplate.
reward
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That he still lived was a minor wonder, but he deduced that he continued to breathe only because they wanted to exchange him for the reward offered by the aliens from out of time, an unpleasant prospect to contemplate.
roofing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Murdock lay on his back, gazing up at the laced hides which stretched to make the tent roofing.
Ross
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Having been battered just enough to feel all one aching bruise, Ross had lost interest in the future.
standstill
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He might have fought Ennar to a standstill, but in the eyes of the horsemen he had also been beaten, and he had not impressed them as he had hoped.
stillnounUS /still/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading That he still lived was a minor wonder, but he deduced that he continued to breathe only because they wanted to exchange him for the reward offered by the aliens from out of time, an unpleasant prospect to contemplate.
stretched
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Murdock lay on his back, gazing up at the laced hides which stretched to make the tent roofing.
tent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Murdock lay on his back, gazing up at the laced hides which stretched to make the tent roofing.
ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That he still lived was a minor wonder, but he deduced that he continued to breathe only because they wanted to exchange him for the reward offered by the aliens from out of time, an unpleasant prospect to contemplate.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Murdock lay on his back, gazing up at the laced hides which stretched to make the tent roofing.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading He might have fought Ennar to a standstill, but in the eyes of the horsemen he had also been beaten, and he had not impressed them as he had hoped.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading That he still lived was a minor wonder, but he deduced that he continued to breathe only because they wanted to exchange him for the reward offered by the aliens from out of time, an unpleasant prospect to contemplate.
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading That he still lived was a minor wonder, but he deduced that he continued to breathe only because they wanted to exchange him for the reward offered by the aliens from out of time, an unpleasant prospect to contemplate.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Murdock lay on his back, gazing up at the laced hides which stretched to make the tent roofing.
unpleasant
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That he still lived was a minor wonder, but he deduced that he continued to breathe only because they wanted to exchange him for the reward offered by the aliens from out of time, an unpleasant prospect to contemplate.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Murdock lay on his back, gazing up at the laced hides which stretched to make the tent roofing.
wanted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That he still lived was a minor wonder, but he deduced that he continued to breathe only because they wanted to exchange him for the reward offered by the aliens from out of time, an unpleasant prospect to contemplate.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Only the present mattered, and it was a dark one.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Murdock lay on his back, gazing up at the laced hides which stretched to make the tent roofing.
wonder
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That he still lived was a minor wonder, but he deduced that he continued to breathe only because they wanted to exchange him for the reward offered by the aliens from out of time, an unpleasant prospect to contemplate.
