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andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There on the wall the letters glowed, right under the torch-holder; glowed like ruddy fire, the whole dread inscription spreading in one long, terrible line under the eyes of king and nobles.
ashen
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From this reading While Belshazzar looked, his bronzed cheeks turned ashen.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The lord of the Chaldees gazed upon his servants, and they—back at their master, while none spoke.
awful
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From this reading The awful hand had vanished the instant the sentence was written,—gone—whither?
back
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From this reading The lord of the Chaldees gazed upon his servants, and they—back at their master, while none spoke.
Belshazzar
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From this reading While Belshazzar looked, his bronzed cheeks turned ashen.
bronzed
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From this reading While Belshazzar looked, his bronzed cheeks turned ashen.
burned
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From this reading But the letters did not vanish; their steadfast light burned calmly on.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the letters did not vanish; their steadfast light burned calmly on.
calmly
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From this reading But the letters did not vanish; their steadfast light burned calmly on.
Chaldees
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From this reading The lord of the Chaldees gazed upon his servants, and they—back at their master, while none spoke.
cheeks
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From this reading While Belshazzar looked, his bronzed cheeks turned ashen.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading But the letters did not vanish; their steadfast light burned calmly on.
dread
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From this reading There on the wall the letters glowed, right under the torch-holder; glowed like ruddy fire, the whole dread inscription spreading in one long, terrible line under the eyes of king and nobles.
eyes
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From this reading There on the wall the letters glowed, right under the torch-holder; glowed like ruddy fire, the whole dread inscription spreading in one long, terrible line under the eyes of king and nobles.
fire
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From this reading There on the wall the letters glowed, right under the torch-holder; glowed like ruddy fire, the whole dread inscription spreading in one long, terrible line under the eyes of king and nobles.
gazed
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From this reading The lord of the Chaldees gazed upon his servants, and they—back at their master, while none spoke.
glowed
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From this reading There on the wall the letters glowed, right under the torch-holder; glowed like ruddy fire, the whole dread inscription spreading in one long, terrible line under the eyes of king and nobles.
gone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The awful hand had vanished the instant the sentence was written,—gone—whither?
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The awful hand had vanished the instant the sentence was written,—gone—whither?
hand
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From this reading The awful hand had vanished the instant the sentence was written,—gone—whither?
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading While Belshazzar looked, his bronzed cheeks turned ashen.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There on the wall the letters glowed, right under the torch-holder; glowed like ruddy fire, the whole dread inscription spreading in one long, terrible line under the eyes of king and nobles.
inscription
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From this reading There on the wall the letters glowed, right under the torch-holder; glowed like ruddy fire, the whole dread inscription spreading in one long, terrible line under the eyes of king and nobles.
instant
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The awful hand had vanished the instant the sentence was written,—gone—whither?
king
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From this reading There on the wall the letters glowed, right under the torch-holder; glowed like ruddy fire, the whole dread inscription spreading in one long, terrible line under the eyes of king and nobles.
letters
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There on the wall the letters glowed, right under the torch-holder; glowed like ruddy fire, the whole dread inscription spreading in one long, terrible line under the eyes of king and nobles.
light
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the letters did not vanish; their steadfast light burned calmly on.
like
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From this reading There on the wall the letters glowed, right under the torch-holder; glowed like ruddy fire, the whole dread inscription spreading in one long, terrible line under the eyes of king and nobles.
line
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From this reading There on the wall the letters glowed, right under the torch-holder; glowed like ruddy fire, the whole dread inscription spreading in one long, terrible line under the eyes of king and nobles.
long
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From this reading There on the wall the letters glowed, right under the torch-holder; glowed like ruddy fire, the whole dread inscription spreading in one long, terrible line under the eyes of king and nobles.
looked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading While Belshazzar looked, his bronzed cheeks turned ashen.
lord
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From this reading The lord of the Chaldees gazed upon his servants, and they—back at their master, while none spoke.
master
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From this reading The lord of the Chaldees gazed upon his servants, and they—back at their master, while none spoke.
nobles
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From this reading There on the wall the letters glowed, right under the torch-holder; glowed like ruddy fire, the whole dread inscription spreading in one long, terrible line under the eyes of king and nobles.
nonepronounUS /nʌn/
not one, and not any
From this reading The lord of the Chaldees gazed upon his servants, and they—back at their master, while none spoke.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But the letters did not vanish; their steadfast light burned calmly on.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There on the wall the letters glowed, right under the torch-holder; glowed like ruddy fire, the whole dread inscription spreading in one long, terrible line under the eyes of king and nobles.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading There on the wall the letters glowed, right under the torch-holder; glowed like ruddy fire, the whole dread inscription spreading in one long, terrible line under the eyes of king and nobles.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading There on the wall the letters glowed, right under the torch-holder; glowed like ruddy fire, the whole dread inscription spreading in one long, terrible line under the eyes of king and nobles.
right
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There on the wall the letters glowed, right under the torch-holder; glowed like ruddy fire, the whole dread inscription spreading in one long, terrible line under the eyes of king and nobles.
ruddy
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From this reading There on the wall the letters glowed, right under the torch-holder; glowed like ruddy fire, the whole dread inscription spreading in one long, terrible line under the eyes of king and nobles.
sentence
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The awful hand had vanished the instant the sentence was written,—gone—whither?
servants
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From this reading The lord of the Chaldees gazed upon his servants, and they—back at their master, while none spoke.
spoke
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From this reading The lord of the Chaldees gazed upon his servants, and they—back at their master, while none spoke.
spreading
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From this reading There on the wall the letters glowed, right under the torch-holder; glowed like ruddy fire, the whole dread inscription spreading in one long, terrible line under the eyes of king and nobles.
steadfast
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the letters did not vanish; their steadfast light burned calmly on.
terrible
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From this reading There on the wall the letters glowed, right under the torch-holder; glowed like ruddy fire, the whole dread inscription spreading in one long, terrible line under the eyes of king and nobles.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There on the wall the letters glowed, right under the torch-holder; glowed like ruddy fire, the whole dread inscription spreading in one long, terrible line under the eyes of king and nobles.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The lord of the Chaldees gazed upon his servants, and they—back at their master, while none spoke.
There
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From this reading There on the wall the letters glowed, right under the torch-holder; glowed like ruddy fire, the whole dread inscription spreading in one long, terrible line under the eyes of king and nobles.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The lord of the Chaldees gazed upon his servants, and they—back at their master, while none spoke.
torch-holder
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There on the wall the letters glowed, right under the torch-holder; glowed like ruddy fire, the whole dread inscription spreading in one long, terrible line under the eyes of king and nobles.
turned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading While Belshazzar looked, his bronzed cheeks turned ashen.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading There on the wall the letters glowed, right under the torch-holder; glowed like ruddy fire, the whole dread inscription spreading in one long, terrible line under the eyes of king and nobles.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The lord of the Chaldees gazed upon his servants, and they—back at their master, while none spoke.
vanish
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the letters did not vanish; their steadfast light burned calmly on.
vanished
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The awful hand had vanished the instant the sentence was written,—gone—whither?
wall
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There on the wall the letters glowed, right under the torch-holder; glowed like ruddy fire, the whole dread inscription spreading in one long, terrible line under the eyes of king and nobles.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The awful hand had vanished the instant the sentence was written,—gone—whither?
WhileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading While Belshazzar looked, his bronzed cheeks turned ashen.
whitheradverbUS /ˈwɪðər/
an old word meaning “to where”
From this reading The awful hand had vanished the instant the sentence was written,—gone—whither?
whole
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There on the wall the letters glowed, right under the torch-holder; glowed like ruddy fire, the whole dread inscription spreading in one long, terrible line under the eyes of king and nobles.
written
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The awful hand had vanished the instant the sentence was written,—gone—whither?
