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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 And Graham, standing underneath, wrestling darkly with the unknown powers that imprisoned him, and which he had now deliberately challenged, was startled by the sound of a voice.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading As the fans in the circular aperture of the inner room rotated and permitted glimpses of the night, dim sounds drifted in thereby.
aperture
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From this reading As the fans in the circular aperture of the inner room rotated and permitted glimpses of the night, dim sounds drifted in thereby.
AsconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As the fans in the circular aperture of the inner room rotated and permitted glimpses of the night, dim sounds drifted in thereby.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Graham looked down, and there were spots of blood at his feet.
beat
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From this reading When a dark hand was extended, the swift fan struck it, swung round and beat on with a little brownish patch on the edge of its thin blade, and something began to fall therefrom upon the floor, dripping silently.
begannounUS /began/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading When a dark hand was extended, the swift fan struck it, swung round and beat on with a little brownish patch on the edge of its thin blade, and something began to fall therefrom upon the floor, dripping silently.
blade
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From this reading When a dark hand was extended, the swift fan struck it, swung round and beat on with a little brownish patch on the edge of its thin blade, and something began to fall therefrom upon the floor, dripping silently.
bloodnounUS /blood/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Graham looked down, and there were spots of blood at his feet.
brownish
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From this reading When a dark hand was extended, the swift fan struck it, swung round and beat on with a little brownish patch on the edge of its thin blade, and something began to fall therefrom upon the floor, dripping silently.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading And Graham, standing underneath, wrestling darkly with the unknown powers that imprisoned him, and which he had now deliberately challenged, was startled by the sound of a voice.
challenged
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From this reading And Graham, standing underneath, wrestling darkly with the unknown powers that imprisoned him, and which he had now deliberately challenged, was startled by the sound of a voice.
circular
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From this reading As the fans in the circular aperture of the inner room rotated and permitted glimpses of the night, dim sounds drifted in thereby.
dark
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From this reading He peered up and saw in the intervals of the rotation, dark and dim, the face and shoulders of a man regarding him.
darkly
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From this reading And Graham, standing underneath, wrestling darkly with the unknown powers that imprisoned him, and which he had now deliberately challenged, was startled by the sound of a voice.
deliberately
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From this reading And Graham, standing underneath, wrestling darkly with the unknown powers that imprisoned him, and which he had now deliberately challenged, was startled by the sound of a voice.
dim
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From this reading As the fans in the circular aperture of the inner room rotated and permitted glimpses of the night, dim sounds drifted in thereby.
down
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From this reading Graham looked down, and there were spots of blood at his feet.
drifted
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From this reading As the fans in the circular aperture of the inner room rotated and permitted glimpses of the night, dim sounds drifted in thereby.
dripping
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From this reading When a dark hand was extended, the swift fan struck it, swung round and beat on with a little brownish patch on the edge of its thin blade, and something began to fall therefrom upon the floor, dripping silently.
edge
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From this reading When a dark hand was extended, the swift fan struck it, swung round and beat on with a little brownish patch on the edge of its thin blade, and something began to fall therefrom upon the floor, dripping silently.
extended
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From this reading When a dark hand was extended, the swift fan struck it, swung round and beat on with a little brownish patch on the edge of its thin blade, and something began to fall therefrom upon the floor, dripping silently.
face
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From this reading He peered up and saw in the intervals of the rotation, dark and dim, the face and shoulders of a man regarding him.
fall
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From this reading When a dark hand was extended, the swift fan struck it, swung round and beat on with a little brownish patch on the edge of its thin blade, and something began to fall therefrom upon the floor, dripping silently.
fan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When a dark hand was extended, the swift fan struck it, swung round and beat on with a little brownish patch on the edge of its thin blade, and something began to fall therefrom upon the floor, dripping silently.
fans
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the fans in the circular aperture of the inner room rotated and permitted glimpses of the night, dim sounds drifted in thereby.
feet
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From this reading Graham looked down, and there were spots of blood at his feet.
floor
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From this reading When a dark hand was extended, the swift fan struck it, swung round and beat on with a little brownish patch on the edge of its thin blade, and something began to fall therefrom upon the floor, dripping silently.
glimpses
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From this reading As the fans in the circular aperture of the inner room rotated and permitted glimpses of the night, dim sounds drifted in thereby.
Graham
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From this reading And Graham, standing underneath, wrestling darkly with the unknown powers that imprisoned him, and which he had now deliberately challenged, was startled by the sound of a voice.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading And Graham, standing underneath, wrestling darkly with the unknown powers that imprisoned him, and which he had now deliberately challenged, was startled by the sound of a voice.
hand
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When a dark hand was extended, the swift fan struck it, swung round and beat on with a little brownish patch on the edge of its thin blade, and something began to fall therefrom upon the floor, dripping silently.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And Graham, standing underneath, wrestling darkly with the unknown powers that imprisoned him, and which he had now deliberately challenged, was startled by the sound of a voice.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading And Graham, standing underneath, wrestling darkly with the unknown powers that imprisoned him, and which he had now deliberately challenged, was startled by the sound of a voice.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Graham looked down, and there were spots of blood at his feet.
imprisoned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And Graham, standing underneath, wrestling darkly with the unknown powers that imprisoned him, and which he had now deliberately challenged, was startled by the sound of a voice.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading As the fans in the circular aperture of the inner room rotated and permitted glimpses of the night, dim sounds drifted in thereby.
inner
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the fans in the circular aperture of the inner room rotated and permitted glimpses of the night, dim sounds drifted in thereby.
intervals
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From this reading He peered up and saw in the intervals of the rotation, dark and dim, the face and shoulders of a man regarding him.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading When a dark hand was extended, the swift fan struck it, swung round and beat on with a little brownish patch on the edge of its thin blade, and something began to fall therefrom upon the floor, dripping silently.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading When a dark hand was extended, the swift fan struck it, swung round and beat on with a little brownish patch on the edge of its thin blade, and something began to fall therefrom upon the floor, dripping silently.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading When a dark hand was extended, the swift fan struck it, swung round and beat on with a little brownish patch on the edge of its thin blade, and something began to fall therefrom upon the floor, dripping silently.
lookednounUS /looked/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Graham looked down, and there were spots of blood at his feet.
man
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He peered up and saw in the intervals of the rotation, dark and dim, the face and shoulders of a man regarding him.
night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the fans in the circular aperture of the inner room rotated and permitted glimpses of the night, dim sounds drifted in thereby.
now
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And Graham, standing underneath, wrestling darkly with the unknown powers that imprisoned him, and which he had now deliberately challenged, was startled by the sound of a voice.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading As the fans in the circular aperture of the inner room rotated and permitted glimpses of the night, dim sounds drifted in thereby.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading When a dark hand was extended, the swift fan struck it, swung round and beat on with a little brownish patch on the edge of its thin blade, and something began to fall therefrom upon the floor, dripping silently.
patch
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From this reading When a dark hand was extended, the swift fan struck it, swung round and beat on with a little brownish patch on the edge of its thin blade, and something began to fall therefrom upon the floor, dripping silently.
peered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He peered up and saw in the intervals of the rotation, dark and dim, the face and shoulders of a man regarding him.
permitted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the fans in the circular aperture of the inner room rotated and permitted glimpses of the night, dim sounds drifted in thereby.
powersnounUS /powers/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading And Graham, standing underneath, wrestling darkly with the unknown powers that imprisoned him, and which he had now deliberately challenged, was startled by the sound of a voice.
regarding
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He peered up and saw in the intervals of the rotation, dark and dim, the face and shoulders of a man regarding him.
room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the fans in the circular aperture of the inner room rotated and permitted glimpses of the night, dim sounds drifted in thereby.
rotated
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From this reading As the fans in the circular aperture of the inner room rotated and permitted glimpses of the night, dim sounds drifted in thereby.
rotation
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He peered up and saw in the intervals of the rotation, dark and dim, the face and shoulders of a man regarding him.
round
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When a dark hand was extended, the swift fan struck it, swung round and beat on with a little brownish patch on the edge of its thin blade, and something began to fall therefrom upon the floor, dripping silently.
saw
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He peered up and saw in the intervals of the rotation, dark and dim, the face and shoulders of a man regarding him.
shoulders
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He peered up and saw in the intervals of the rotation, dark and dim, the face and shoulders of a man regarding him.
silently
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From this reading When a dark hand was extended, the swift fan struck it, swung round and beat on with a little brownish patch on the edge of its thin blade, and something began to fall therefrom upon the floor, dripping silently.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading When a dark hand was extended, the swift fan struck it, swung round and beat on with a little brownish patch on the edge of its thin blade, and something began to fall therefrom upon the floor, dripping silently.
sound
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From this reading And Graham, standing underneath, wrestling darkly with the unknown powers that imprisoned him, and which he had now deliberately challenged, was startled by the sound of a voice.
sounds
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the fans in the circular aperture of the inner room rotated and permitted glimpses of the night, dim sounds drifted in thereby.
spots
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Graham looked down, and there were spots of blood at his feet.
standingnounUS /ˈstanding/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading And Graham, standing underneath, wrestling darkly with the unknown powers that imprisoned him, and which he had now deliberately challenged, was startled by the sound of a voice.
startled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And Graham, standing underneath, wrestling darkly with the unknown powers that imprisoned him, and which he had now deliberately challenged, was startled by the sound of a voice.
strucknounUS /struck/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading When a dark hand was extended, the swift fan struck it, swung round and beat on with a little brownish patch on the edge of its thin blade, and something began to fall therefrom upon the floor, dripping silently.
swift
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When a dark hand was extended, the swift fan struck it, swung round and beat on with a little brownish patch on the edge of its thin blade, and something began to fall therefrom upon the floor, dripping silently.
swung
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When a dark hand was extended, the swift fan struck it, swung round and beat on with a little brownish patch on the edge of its thin blade, and something began to fall therefrom upon the floor, dripping silently.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading And Graham, standing underneath, wrestling darkly with the unknown powers that imprisoned him, and which he had now deliberately challenged, was startled by the sound of a voice.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As the fans in the circular aperture of the inner room rotated and permitted glimpses of the night, dim sounds drifted in thereby.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Graham looked down, and there were spots of blood at his feet.
thereby
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From this reading As the fans in the circular aperture of the inner room rotated and permitted glimpses of the night, dim sounds drifted in thereby.
therefrom
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When a dark hand was extended, the swift fan struck it, swung round and beat on with a little brownish patch on the edge of its thin blade, and something began to fall therefrom upon the floor, dripping silently.
thinadjectiveUS /θɪn/
Having little thickness or extent.
From this reading When a dark hand was extended, the swift fan struck it, swung round and beat on with a little brownish patch on the edge of its thin blade, and something began to fall therefrom upon the floor, dripping silently.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When a dark hand was extended, the swift fan struck it, swung round and beat on with a little brownish patch on the edge of its thin blade, and something began to fall therefrom upon the floor, dripping silently.
underneathprepositionUS /ˌʌndərˈniːθ/
directly under, often hidden by what is above
From this reading And Graham, standing underneath, wrestling darkly with the unknown powers that imprisoned him, and which he had now deliberately challenged, was startled by the sound of a voice.
unknown
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And Graham, standing underneath, wrestling darkly with the unknown powers that imprisoned him, and which he had now deliberately challenged, was startled by the sound of a voice.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He peered up and saw in the intervals of the rotation, dark and dim, the face and shoulders of a man regarding him.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading When a dark hand was extended, the swift fan struck it, swung round and beat on with a little brownish patch on the edge of its thin blade, and something began to fall therefrom upon the floor, dripping silently.
voice
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And Graham, standing underneath, wrestling darkly with the unknown powers that imprisoned him, and which he had now deliberately challenged, was startled by the sound of a voice.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And Graham, standing underneath, wrestling darkly with the unknown powers that imprisoned him, and which he had now deliberately challenged, was startled by the sound of a voice.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Graham looked down, and there were spots of blood at his feet.
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading When a dark hand was extended, the swift fan struck it, swung round and beat on with a little brownish patch on the edge of its thin blade, and something began to fall therefrom upon the floor, dripping silently.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading And Graham, standing underneath, wrestling darkly with the unknown powers that imprisoned him, and which he had now deliberately challenged, was startled by the sound of a voice.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading And Graham, standing underneath, wrestling darkly with the unknown powers that imprisoned him, and which he had now deliberately challenged, was startled by the sound of a voice.
wrestling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And Graham, standing underneath, wrestling darkly with the unknown powers that imprisoned him, and which he had now deliberately challenged, was startled by the sound of a voice.
