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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 Gordon seemed sunken in a gloomy apathy, from which he could rouse himself only for the most urgent necessities.
AboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading About two weeks after the death of Doctor Gordon's wife James went to the post office before beginning his round of calls.
acted
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From this reading Once in a while a very sick patient acted upon him as a momentary stimulus, but Alton was unusually healthy just then.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading About two weeks after the death of Doctor Gordon's wife James went to the post office before beginning his round of calls.
all
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From this reading Lately nearly all the practice had devolved upon him.
Alton
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From this reading Once in a while a very sick patient acted upon him as a momentary stimulus, but Alton was unusually healthy just then.
apathy
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From this reading Gordon seemed sunken in a gloomy apathy, from which he could rouse himself only for the most urgent necessities.
aroused
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From this reading Once aroused he was fully himself, but for the most part he sat in his office smoking or seemingly half-asleep.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Once in a while a very sick patient acted upon him as a momentary stimulus, but Alton was unusually healthy just then.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading About two weeks after the death of Doctor Gordon's wife James went to the post office before beginning his round of calls.
beginningnounUS /ˈbeginning/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading About two weeks after the death of Doctor Gordon's wife James went to the post office before beginning his round of calls.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Once aroused he was fully himself, but for the most part he sat in his office smoking or seemingly half-asleep.
calls
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From this reading About two weeks after the death of Doctor Gordon's wife James went to the post office before beginning his round of calls.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Gordon seemed sunken in a gloomy apathy, from which he could rouse himself only for the most urgent necessities.
death
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From this reading About two weeks after the death of Doctor Gordon's wife James went to the post office before beginning his round of calls.
devolved
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From this reading Lately nearly all the practice had devolved upon him.
DoctornounUS /doctor/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading About two weeks after the death of Doctor Gordon's wife James went to the post office before beginning his round of calls.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Gordon seemed sunken in a gloomy apathy, from which he could rouse himself only for the most urgent necessities.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Gordon seemed sunken in a gloomy apathy, from which he could rouse himself only for the most urgent necessities.
fully
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From this reading Once aroused he was fully himself, but for the most part he sat in his office smoking or seemingly half-asleep.
gloomy
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From this reading Gordon seemed sunken in a gloomy apathy, from which he could rouse himself only for the most urgent necessities.
Gordon
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From this reading Gordon seemed sunken in a gloomy apathy, from which he could rouse himself only for the most urgent necessities.
Gordon's
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From this reading About two weeks after the death of Doctor Gordon's wife James went to the post office before beginning his round of calls.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Lately nearly all the practice had devolved upon him.
half-asleep
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From this reading Once aroused he was fully himself, but for the most part he sat in his office smoking or seemingly half-asleep.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Gordon seemed sunken in a gloomy apathy, from which he could rouse himself only for the most urgent necessities.
healthy
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From this reading Once in a while a very sick patient acted upon him as a momentary stimulus, but Alton was unusually healthy just then.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Lately nearly all the practice had devolved upon him.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Gordon seemed sunken in a gloomy apathy, from which he could rouse himself only for the most urgent necessities.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading About two weeks after the death of Doctor Gordon's wife James went to the post office before beginning his round of calls.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Gordon seemed sunken in a gloomy apathy, from which he could rouse himself only for the most urgent necessities.
James
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From this reading About two weeks after the death of Doctor Gordon's wife James went to the post office before beginning his round of calls.
just
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From this reading Once in a while a very sick patient acted upon him as a momentary stimulus, but Alton was unusually healthy just then.
Lately
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From this reading Lately nearly all the practice had devolved upon him.
momentary
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From this reading Once in a while a very sick patient acted upon him as a momentary stimulus, but Alton was unusually healthy just then.
most
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From this reading Gordon seemed sunken in a gloomy apathy, from which he could rouse himself only for the most urgent necessities.
nearly
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From this reading Lately nearly all the practice had devolved upon him.
necessities
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From this reading Gordon seemed sunken in a gloomy apathy, from which he could rouse himself only for the most urgent necessities.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading About two weeks after the death of Doctor Gordon's wife James went to the post office before beginning his round of calls.
office
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From this reading About two weeks after the death of Doctor Gordon's wife James went to the post office before beginning his round of calls.
Once
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From this reading Once aroused he was fully himself, but for the most part he sat in his office smoking or seemingly half-asleep.
only
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From this reading Gordon seemed sunken in a gloomy apathy, from which he could rouse himself only for the most urgent necessities.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Once aroused he was fully himself, but for the most part he sat in his office smoking or seemingly half-asleep.
partnounUS /part/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Once aroused he was fully himself, but for the most part he sat in his office smoking or seemingly half-asleep.
patient
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Once in a while a very sick patient acted upon him as a momentary stimulus, but Alton was unusually healthy just then.
post
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From this reading About two weeks after the death of Doctor Gordon's wife James went to the post office before beginning his round of calls.
practice
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From this reading Lately nearly all the practice had devolved upon him.
round
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From this reading About two weeks after the death of Doctor Gordon's wife James went to the post office before beginning his round of calls.
rouse
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From this reading Gordon seemed sunken in a gloomy apathy, from which he could rouse himself only for the most urgent necessities.
sat
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From this reading Once aroused he was fully himself, but for the most part he sat in his office smoking or seemingly half-asleep.
seemednounUS /seemed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Gordon seemed sunken in a gloomy apathy, from which he could rouse himself only for the most urgent necessities.
seemingly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Once aroused he was fully himself, but for the most part he sat in his office smoking or seemingly half-asleep.
sick
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Once in a while a very sick patient acted upon him as a momentary stimulus, but Alton was unusually healthy just then.
smokingnounUS /ˈsmoking/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Once aroused he was fully himself, but for the most part he sat in his office smoking or seemingly half-asleep.
stimulus
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Once in a while a very sick patient acted upon him as a momentary stimulus, but Alton was unusually healthy just then.
sunken
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From this reading Gordon seemed sunken in a gloomy apathy, from which he could rouse himself only for the most urgent necessities.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading About two weeks after the death of Doctor Gordon's wife James went to the post office before beginning his round of calls.
then
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Once in a while a very sick patient acted upon him as a momentary stimulus, but Alton was unusually healthy just then.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading About two weeks after the death of Doctor Gordon's wife James went to the post office before beginning his round of calls.
two
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From this reading About two weeks after the death of Doctor Gordon's wife James went to the post office before beginning his round of calls.
unusually
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From this reading Once in a while a very sick patient acted upon him as a momentary stimulus, but Alton was unusually healthy just then.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Lately nearly all the practice had devolved upon him.
urgent
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From this reading Gordon seemed sunken in a gloomy apathy, from which he could rouse himself only for the most urgent necessities.
very
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Once in a while a very sick patient acted upon him as a momentary stimulus, but Alton was unusually healthy just then.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Once aroused he was fully himself, but for the most part he sat in his office smoking or seemingly half-asleep.
weeks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading About two weeks after the death of Doctor Gordon's wife James went to the post office before beginning his round of calls.
wentnounUS /went/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading About two weeks after the death of Doctor Gordon's wife James went to the post office before beginning his round of calls.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Gordon seemed sunken in a gloomy apathy, from which he could rouse himself only for the most urgent necessities.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading Once in a while a very sick patient acted upon him as a momentary stimulus, but Alton was unusually healthy just then.
wife
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading About two weeks after the death of Doctor Gordon's wife James went to the post office before beginning his round of calls.