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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 That I should dare to speak to him like that--him so big, and me so small, and him a great gentleman, and me just nothing and nobody--it did put his back up.
alonenounUS /alone/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I do believe, if we'd been alone, he would have struck me.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading That I should dare to speak to him like that--him so big, and me so small, and him a great gentleman, and me just nothing and nobody--it did put his back up.
AsconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As it was, I'm sure he would have liked to.
back
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That I should dare to speak to him like that--him so big, and me so small, and him a great gentleman, and me just nothing and nobody--it did put his back up.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading I do believe, if we'd been alone, he would have struck me.
believenounUS /ˈbelieve/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading I do believe, if we'd been alone, he would have struck me.
big
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From this reading That I should dare to speak to him like that--him so big, and me so small, and him a great gentleman, and me just nothing and nobody--it did put his back up.
CALLING
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WHO'S THAT CALLING?
dare
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That I should dare to speak to him like that--him so big, and me so small, and him a great gentleman, and me just nothing and nobody--it did put his back up.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading That I should dare to speak to him like that--him so big, and me so small, and him a great gentleman, and me just nothing and nobody--it did put his back up.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading I do believe, if we'd been alone, he would have struck me.
eat
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From this reading He glared as if he would have liked to eat me.
gentlemannounUS /ˈgentleman/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading That I should dare to speak to him like that--him so big, and me so small, and him a great gentleman, and me just nothing and nobody--it did put his back up.
glared
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He glared as if he would have liked to eat me.
greatnounUS /great/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading That I should dare to speak to him like that--him so big, and me so small, and him a great gentleman, and me just nothing and nobody--it did put his back up.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I do believe, if we'd been alone, he would have struck me.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I do believe, if we'd been alone, he would have struck me.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading That I should dare to speak to him like that--him so big, and me so small, and him a great gentleman, and me just nothing and nobody--it did put his back up.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading That I should dare to speak to him like that--him so big, and me so small, and him a great gentleman, and me just nothing and nobody--it did put his back up.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I do believe, if we'd been alone, he would have struck me.
I'm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As it was, I'm sure he would have liked to.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading I do believe, if we'd been alone, he would have struck me.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading As it was, I'm sure he would have liked to.
just
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That I should dare to speak to him like that--him so big, and me so small, and him a great gentleman, and me just nothing and nobody--it did put his back up.
like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That I should dare to speak to him like that--him so big, and me so small, and him a great gentleman, and me just nothing and nobody--it did put his back up.
liked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As it was, I'm sure he would have liked to.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I do believe, if we'd been alone, he would have struck me.
nobodypronounUS /ˈnoʊbɑːdiː/
no person; not anyone
From this reading That I should dare to speak to him like that--him so big, and me so small, and him a great gentleman, and me just nothing and nobody--it did put his back up.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading That I should dare to speak to him like that--him so big, and me so small, and him a great gentleman, and me just nothing and nobody--it did put his back up.
put
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That I should dare to speak to him like that--him so big, and me so small, and him a great gentleman, and me just nothing and nobody--it did put his back up.
shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading That I should dare to speak to him like that--him so big, and me so small, and him a great gentleman, and me just nothing and nobody--it did put his back up.
small
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That I should dare to speak to him like that--him so big, and me so small, and him a great gentleman, and me just nothing and nobody--it did put his back up.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading That I should dare to speak to him like that--him so big, and me so small, and him a great gentleman, and me just nothing and nobody--it did put his back up.
speak
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That I should dare to speak to him like that--him so big, and me so small, and him a great gentleman, and me just nothing and nobody--it did put his back up.
strucknounUS /struck/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I do believe, if we'd been alone, he would have struck me.
surenounUS /sure/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading As it was, I'm sure he would have liked to.
THATconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading WHO'S THAT CALLING?
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading As it was, I'm sure he would have liked to.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That I should dare to speak to him like that--him so big, and me so small, and him a great gentleman, and me just nothing and nobody--it did put his back up.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading As it was, I'm sure he would have liked to.
we'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I do believe, if we'd been alone, he would have struck me.
WHO'S
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WHO'S THAT CALLING?
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading I do believe, if we'd been alone, he would have struck me.