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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 Don't tell me that it wasn't a knocker.
althoughnounUS /ˈalthough/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I had seen it often enough, and I ought to know.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
beer
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From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
butcher
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
butchers
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From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
demoniacal
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From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
description
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From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
dirty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
Don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Don't tell me that it wasn't a knocker.
doorstep
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
enough
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From this reading I had seen it often enough, and I ought to know.
etc
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From this reading And so ought, for the matter of that, etc., etc., etc.
executing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
extravagant
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
FIRSTnounUS /first/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading THE FIRST PHANTOM.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading And so ought, for the matter of that, etc., etc., etc.
general
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I had seen it often enough, and I ought to know.
high-lows
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
human
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I had seen it often enough, and I ought to know.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Don't tell me that it wasn't a knocker.
jig
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
knocker
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Don't tell me that it wasn't a knocker.
knockers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
knownounUS /know/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I had seen it often enough, and I ought to know.
matter
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From this reading And so ought, for the matter of that, etc., etc., etc.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Don't tell me that it wasn't a knocker.
merely
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
most
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
often
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had seen it often enough, and I ought to know.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
oughtmodal verbUS /ɔːt/
used with “to” to say what is right or advisable
From this reading I had seen it often enough, and I ought to know.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
PHANTOMnounUS /ˈfæn.təm/
A ghost or apparition; a figment of the imagination or a hidden dweller.
From this reading THE FIRST PHANTOM.
pitied
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
postman
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
railing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
scornful
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
seen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had seen it often enough, and I ought to know.
SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
swinging
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
tellnounUS /tell/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Don't tell me that it wasn't a knocker.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Don't tell me that it wasn't a knocker.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE FIRST PHANTOM.
thingnounUS /thing/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
three-o'clock
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I had seen it often enough, and I ought to know.
trifles
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
used
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
wasn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Don't tell me that it wasn't a knocker.
weaknesses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
whompronounUS /huːm/
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading So ought the three-o'clock beer, in dirty high-lows, swinging himself over the railing, or executing a demoniacal jig upon the doorstep; so ought the butcher, although butchers as a general thing are scornful of such trifles; so ought the postman, to whom knockers of the most extravagant description were merely human weaknesses, that were to be pitied and used.
