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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 Ever since Mascarin’s visit, the Count de Mussidan had been in a deplorable state of mind.
action
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From this reading He knew the necessity for immediate action, for he felt sure that this demand would only be the forerunner of numerous others of a similar character.
ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading HUSBAND AND WIFE.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He knew the necessity for immediate action, for he felt sure that this demand would only be the forerunner of numerous others of a similar character.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Ever since Mascarin’s visit, the Count de Mussidan had been in a deplorable state of mind.
brains
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Forgetting the injury to his foot, he passed the night pacing up and down the library, cudgelling his brains for some means of breaking the meshes of the net in which he was entangled.
breaking
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From this reading Forgetting the injury to his foot, he passed the night pacing up and down the library, cudgelling his brains for some means of breaking the meshes of the net in which he was entangled.
character
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From this reading He knew the necessity for immediate action, for he felt sure that this demand would only be the forerunner of numerous others of a similar character.
Count
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From this reading Ever since Mascarin’s visit, the Count de Mussidan had been in a deplorable state of mind.
cudgelling
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From this reading Forgetting the injury to his foot, he passed the night pacing up and down the library, cudgelling his brains for some means of breaking the meshes of the net in which he was entangled.
de
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From this reading Ever since Mascarin’s visit, the Count de Mussidan had been in a deplorable state of mind.
demand
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From this reading He knew the necessity for immediate action, for he felt sure that this demand would only be the forerunner of numerous others of a similar character.
deplorable
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From this reading Ever since Mascarin’s visit, the Count de Mussidan had been in a deplorable state of mind.
dismissed
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From this reading He thought over and dismissed many schemes.
down
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From this reading Forgetting the injury to his foot, he passed the night pacing up and down the library, cudgelling his brains for some means of breaking the meshes of the net in which he was entangled.
entangled
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From this reading Forgetting the injury to his foot, he passed the night pacing up and down the library, cudgelling his brains for some means of breaking the meshes of the net in which he was entangled.
EvernounUS /ever/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Ever since Mascarin’s visit, the Count de Mussidan had been in a deplorable state of mind.
felt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He knew the necessity for immediate action, for he felt sure that this demand would only be the forerunner of numerous others of a similar character.
footnounUS /foot/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Forgetting the injury to his foot, he passed the night pacing up and down the library, cudgelling his brains for some means of breaking the meshes of the net in which he was entangled.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Forgetting the injury to his foot, he passed the night pacing up and down the library, cudgelling his brains for some means of breaking the meshes of the net in which he was entangled.
forerunner
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He knew the necessity for immediate action, for he felt sure that this demand would only be the forerunner of numerous others of a similar character.
Forgetting
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From this reading Forgetting the injury to his foot, he passed the night pacing up and down the library, cudgelling his brains for some means of breaking the meshes of the net in which he was entangled.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Ever since Mascarin’s visit, the Count de Mussidan had been in a deplorable state of mind.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Forgetting the injury to his foot, he passed the night pacing up and down the library, cudgelling his brains for some means of breaking the meshes of the net in which he was entangled.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Forgetting the injury to his foot, he passed the night pacing up and down the library, cudgelling his brains for some means of breaking the meshes of the net in which he was entangled.
HUSBAND
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From this reading HUSBAND AND WIFE.
immediate
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From this reading He knew the necessity for immediate action, for he felt sure that this demand would only be the forerunner of numerous others of a similar character.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Ever since Mascarin’s visit, the Count de Mussidan had been in a deplorable state of mind.
injury
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From this reading Forgetting the injury to his foot, he passed the night pacing up and down the library, cudgelling his brains for some means of breaking the meshes of the net in which he was entangled.
knew
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From this reading He knew the necessity for immediate action, for he felt sure that this demand would only be the forerunner of numerous others of a similar character.
library
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From this reading Forgetting the injury to his foot, he passed the night pacing up and down the library, cudgelling his brains for some means of breaking the meshes of the net in which he was entangled.
many
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From this reading He thought over and dismissed many schemes.
Mascarin's
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From this reading Ever since Mascarin’s visit, the Count de Mussidan had been in a deplorable state of mind.
means
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From this reading Forgetting the injury to his foot, he passed the night pacing up and down the library, cudgelling his brains for some means of breaking the meshes of the net in which he was entangled.
meshes
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From this reading Forgetting the injury to his foot, he passed the night pacing up and down the library, cudgelling his brains for some means of breaking the meshes of the net in which he was entangled.
mindnounUS /mind/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Ever since Mascarin’s visit, the Count de Mussidan had been in a deplorable state of mind.
Mussidan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ever since Mascarin’s visit, the Count de Mussidan had been in a deplorable state of mind.
necessity
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He knew the necessity for immediate action, for he felt sure that this demand would only be the forerunner of numerous others of a similar character.
net
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Forgetting the injury to his foot, he passed the night pacing up and down the library, cudgelling his brains for some means of breaking the meshes of the net in which he was entangled.
night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Forgetting the injury to his foot, he passed the night pacing up and down the library, cudgelling his brains for some means of breaking the meshes of the net in which he was entangled.
numerous
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He knew the necessity for immediate action, for he felt sure that this demand would only be the forerunner of numerous others of a similar character.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Ever since Mascarin’s visit, the Count de Mussidan had been in a deplorable state of mind.
only
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He knew the necessity for immediate action, for he felt sure that this demand would only be the forerunner of numerous others of a similar character.
others
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He knew the necessity for immediate action, for he felt sure that this demand would only be the forerunner of numerous others of a similar character.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading He thought over and dismissed many schemes.
pacing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Forgetting the injury to his foot, he passed the night pacing up and down the library, cudgelling his brains for some means of breaking the meshes of the net in which he was entangled.
passednounUS /passed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Forgetting the injury to his foot, he passed the night pacing up and down the library, cudgelling his brains for some means of breaking the meshes of the net in which he was entangled.
schemes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He thought over and dismissed many schemes.
similar
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He knew the necessity for immediate action, for he felt sure that this demand would only be the forerunner of numerous others of a similar character.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading Ever since Mascarin’s visit, the Count de Mussidan had been in a deplorable state of mind.
some
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Forgetting the injury to his foot, he passed the night pacing up and down the library, cudgelling his brains for some means of breaking the meshes of the net in which he was entangled.
state
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ever since Mascarin’s visit, the Count de Mussidan had been in a deplorable state of mind.
surenounUS /sure/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He knew the necessity for immediate action, for he felt sure that this demand would only be the forerunner of numerous others of a similar character.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He knew the necessity for immediate action, for he felt sure that this demand would only be the forerunner of numerous others of a similar character.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Ever since Mascarin’s visit, the Count de Mussidan had been in a deplorable state of mind.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading He knew the necessity for immediate action, for he felt sure that this demand would only be the forerunner of numerous others of a similar character.
thoughtnounUS /thought/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He thought over and dismissed many schemes.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Forgetting the injury to his foot, he passed the night pacing up and down the library, cudgelling his brains for some means of breaking the meshes of the net in which he was entangled.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Forgetting the injury to his foot, he passed the night pacing up and down the library, cudgelling his brains for some means of breaking the meshes of the net in which he was entangled.
visit
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ever since Mascarin’s visit, the Count de Mussidan had been in a deplorable state of mind.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Forgetting the injury to his foot, he passed the night pacing up and down the library, cudgelling his brains for some means of breaking the meshes of the net in which he was entangled.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Forgetting the injury to his foot, he passed the night pacing up and down the library, cudgelling his brains for some means of breaking the meshes of the net in which he was entangled.
WIFE
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HUSBAND AND WIFE.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He knew the necessity for immediate action, for he felt sure that this demand would only be the forerunner of numerous others of a similar character.