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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 There was the big sky up there, empty and awful deep; and the ocean down there without a thing on it but just the waves.
All
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All around us was a ring, where the sky and the water come together; yes, a monstrous big ring it was, and we right in the dead center of it—plumb in the center.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading We was racing along like a prairie fire, but it never made any difference, we couldn’t seem to git past that center no way.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading I couldn’t see that we ever gained an inch on that ring.
AndconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading STORM And it got lonesomer and lonesomer.
any
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We was racing along like a prairie fire, but it never made any difference, we couldn’t seem to git past that center no way.
aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading All around us was a ring, where the sky and the water come together; yes, a monstrous big ring it was, and we right in the dead center of it—plumb in the center.
awful
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was the big sky up there, empty and awful deep; and the ocean down there without a thing on it but just the waves.
big
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was the big sky up there, empty and awful deep; and the ocean down there without a thing on it but just the waves.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading There was the big sky up there, empty and awful deep; and the ocean down there without a thing on it but just the waves.
centernounUS /ˈsɛn.tər/
The middle point or core of an area.
From this reading All around us was a ring, where the sky and the water come together; yes, a monstrous big ring it was, and we right in the dead center of it—plumb in the center.
comenounUS /come/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading All around us was a ring, where the sky and the water come together; yes, a monstrous big ring it was, and we right in the dead center of it—plumb in the center.
couldn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We was racing along like a prairie fire, but it never made any difference, we couldn’t seem to git past that center no way.
deadnounUS /dead/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading All around us was a ring, where the sky and the water come together; yes, a monstrous big ring it was, and we right in the dead center of it—plumb in the center.
deep
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was the big sky up there, empty and awful deep; and the ocean down there without a thing on it but just the waves.
difference
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We was racing along like a prairie fire, but it never made any difference, we couldn’t seem to git past that center no way.
down
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was the big sky up there, empty and awful deep; and the ocean down there without a thing on it but just the waves.
empty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was the big sky up there, empty and awful deep; and the ocean down there without a thing on it but just the waves.
evernounUS /ever/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I couldn’t see that we ever gained an inch on that ring.
fire
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We was racing along like a prairie fire, but it never made any difference, we couldn’t seem to git past that center no way.
gained
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I couldn’t see that we ever gained an inch on that ring.
git
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We was racing along like a prairie fire, but it never made any difference, we couldn’t seem to git past that center no way.
got
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading STORM And it got lonesomer and lonesomer.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I couldn’t see that we ever gained an inch on that ring.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading All around us was a ring, where the sky and the water come together; yes, a monstrous big ring it was, and we right in the dead center of it—plumb in the center.
inch
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I couldn’t see that we ever gained an inch on that ring.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading STORM And it got lonesomer and lonesomer.
just
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was the big sky up there, empty and awful deep; and the ocean down there without a thing on it but just the waves.
like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We was racing along like a prairie fire, but it never made any difference, we couldn’t seem to git past that center no way.
lonesomer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading STORM And it got lonesomer and lonesomer.
made
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We was racing along like a prairie fire, but it never made any difference, we couldn’t seem to git past that center no way.
monstrous
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All around us was a ring, where the sky and the water come together; yes, a monstrous big ring it was, and we right in the dead center of it—plumb in the center.
nevernounUS /never/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading We was racing along like a prairie fire, but it never made any difference, we couldn’t seem to git past that center no way.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading We was racing along like a prairie fire, but it never made any difference, we couldn’t seem to git past that center no way.
ocean
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was the big sky up there, empty and awful deep; and the ocean down there without a thing on it but just the waves.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading All around us was a ring, where the sky and the water come together; yes, a monstrous big ring it was, and we right in the dead center of it—plumb in the center.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading There was the big sky up there, empty and awful deep; and the ocean down there without a thing on it but just the waves.
past
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We was racing along like a prairie fire, but it never made any difference, we couldn’t seem to git past that center no way.
plumb
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All around us was a ring, where the sky and the water come together; yes, a monstrous big ring it was, and we right in the dead center of it—plumb in the center.
prairie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We was racing along like a prairie fire, but it never made any difference, we couldn’t seem to git past that center no way.
racing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We was racing along like a prairie fire, but it never made any difference, we couldn’t seem to git past that center no way.
rightnounUS /right/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading All around us was a ring, where the sky and the water come together; yes, a monstrous big ring it was, and we right in the dead center of it—plumb in the center.
ring
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All around us was a ring, where the sky and the water come together; yes, a monstrous big ring it was, and we right in the dead center of it—plumb in the center.
see
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I couldn’t see that we ever gained an inch on that ring.
seem
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We was racing along like a prairie fire, but it never made any difference, we couldn’t seem to git past that center no way.
sky
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was the big sky up there, empty and awful deep; and the ocean down there without a thing on it but just the waves.
STORM
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading STORM And it got lonesomer and lonesomer.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading We was racing along like a prairie fire, but it never made any difference, we couldn’t seem to git past that center no way.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There was the big sky up there, empty and awful deep; and the ocean down there without a thing on it but just the waves.
There
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was the big sky up there, empty and awful deep; and the ocean down there without a thing on it but just the waves.
thingnounUS /thing/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading There was the big sky up there, empty and awful deep; and the ocean down there without a thing on it but just the waves.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading We was racing along like a prairie fire, but it never made any difference, we couldn’t seem to git past that center no way.
together
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All around us was a ring, where the sky and the water come together; yes, a monstrous big ring it was, and we right in the dead center of it—plumb in the center.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was the big sky up there, empty and awful deep; and the ocean down there without a thing on it but just the waves.
uspronounUS /ʌs/
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading All around us was a ring, where the sky and the water come together; yes, a monstrous big ring it was, and we right in the dead center of it—plumb in the center.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was the big sky up there, empty and awful deep; and the ocean down there without a thing on it but just the waves.
water
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All around us was a ring, where the sky and the water come together; yes, a monstrous big ring it was, and we right in the dead center of it—plumb in the center.
waves
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was the big sky up there, empty and awful deep; and the ocean down there without a thing on it but just the waves.
way
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We was racing along like a prairie fire, but it never made any difference, we couldn’t seem to git past that center no way.
wepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading All around us was a ring, where the sky and the water come together; yes, a monstrous big ring it was, and we right in the dead center of it—plumb in the center.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading All around us was a ring, where the sky and the water come together; yes, a monstrous big ring it was, and we right in the dead center of it—plumb in the center.
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading There was the big sky up there, empty and awful deep; and the ocean down there without a thing on it but just the waves.
yes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All around us was a ring, where the sky and the water come together; yes, a monstrous big ring it was, and we right in the dead center of it—plumb in the center.
