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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 The satelloid was a fragile thing compared to the Aztec--a moth compared to a hawk.
absolute
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From this reading The satelloid was moving higher, faster than the Aztec, riding the rim of the exosphere where the atmosphere is indistinguishable from absolute space.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was a relative handful of light metals and delicate electronic components, yet it moved at frightful speeds over the course the armchair astronauts had dubbed "Sputnik Avenue."
armchair
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From this reading It was a relative handful of light metals and delicate electronic components, yet it moved at frightful speeds over the course the armchair astronauts had dubbed "Sputnik Avenue."
astronauts
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From this reading It was a relative handful of light metals and delicate electronic components, yet it moved at frightful speeds over the course the armchair astronauts had dubbed "Sputnik Avenue."
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It was a relative handful of light metals and delicate electronic components, yet it moved at frightful speeds over the course the armchair astronauts had dubbed "Sputnik Avenue."
atmosphere
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From this reading The satelloid was moving higher, faster than the Aztec, riding the rim of the exosphere where the atmosphere is indistinguishable from absolute space.
Avenue
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From this reading It was a relative handful of light metals and delicate electronic components, yet it moved at frightful speeds over the course the armchair astronauts had dubbed "Sputnik Avenue."
Aztec
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From this reading The satelloid was moving higher, faster than the Aztec, riding the rim of the exosphere where the atmosphere is indistinguishable from absolute space.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Crag felt thankful he hadn't been tabbed for the job.
came
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From this reading The communicator came to life with data on Pickering.
communicator
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From this reading The communicator came to life with data on Pickering.
compared
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From this reading The satelloid was a fragile thing compared to the Aztec--a moth compared to a hawk.
components
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a relative handful of light metals and delicate electronic components, yet it moved at frightful speeds over the course the armchair astronauts had dubbed "Sputnik Avenue."
coursenounUS /course/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It was a relative handful of light metals and delicate electronic components, yet it moved at frightful speeds over the course the armchair astronauts had dubbed "Sputnik Avenue."
Crag
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From this reading Crag felt thankful he hadn't been tabbed for the job.
data
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From this reading The communicator came to life with data on Pickering.
delicate
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a relative handful of light metals and delicate electronic components, yet it moved at frightful speeds over the course the armchair astronauts had dubbed "Sputnik Avenue."
dubbed
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From this reading It was a relative handful of light metals and delicate electronic components, yet it moved at frightful speeds over the course the armchair astronauts had dubbed "Sputnik Avenue."
electronic
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a relative handful of light metals and delicate electronic components, yet it moved at frightful speeds over the course the armchair astronauts had dubbed "Sputnik Avenue."
exosphere
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The satelloid was moving higher, faster than the Aztec, riding the rim of the exosphere where the atmosphere is indistinguishable from absolute space.
faster
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The satelloid was moving higher, faster than the Aztec, riding the rim of the exosphere where the atmosphere is indistinguishable from absolute space.
felt
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From this reading Crag felt thankful he hadn't been tabbed for the job.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Crag felt thankful he hadn't been tabbed for the job.
fragile
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The satelloid was a fragile thing compared to the Aztec--a moth compared to a hawk.
frightful
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a relative handful of light metals and delicate electronic components, yet it moved at frightful speeds over the course the armchair astronauts had dubbed "Sputnik Avenue."
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The satelloid was moving higher, faster than the Aztec, riding the rim of the exosphere where the atmosphere is indistinguishable from absolute space.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It was a relative handful of light metals and delicate electronic components, yet it moved at frightful speeds over the course the armchair astronauts had dubbed "Sputnik Avenue."
hadn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Crag felt thankful he hadn't been tabbed for the job.
handful
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a relative handful of light metals and delicate electronic components, yet it moved at frightful speeds over the course the armchair astronauts had dubbed "Sputnik Avenue."
hawk
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The satelloid was a fragile thing compared to the Aztec--a moth compared to a hawk.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Crag felt thankful he hadn't been tabbed for the job.
higher
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The satelloid was moving higher, faster than the Aztec, riding the rim of the exosphere where the atmosphere is indistinguishable from absolute space.
indistinguishable
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The satelloid was moving higher, faster than the Aztec, riding the rim of the exosphere where the atmosphere is indistinguishable from absolute space.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The satelloid was moving higher, faster than the Aztec, riding the rim of the exosphere where the atmosphere is indistinguishable from absolute space.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a relative handful of light metals and delicate electronic components, yet it moved at frightful speeds over the course the armchair astronauts had dubbed "Sputnik Avenue."
job
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Crag felt thankful he hadn't been tabbed for the job.
lifenounUS /life/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The communicator came to life with data on Pickering.
light
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a relative handful of light metals and delicate electronic components, yet it moved at frightful speeds over the course the armchair astronauts had dubbed "Sputnik Avenue."
metals
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a relative handful of light metals and delicate electronic components, yet it moved at frightful speeds over the course the armchair astronauts had dubbed "Sputnik Avenue."
moth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The satelloid was a fragile thing compared to the Aztec--a moth compared to a hawk.
moved
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a relative handful of light metals and delicate electronic components, yet it moved at frightful speeds over the course the armchair astronauts had dubbed "Sputnik Avenue."
moving
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The satelloid was moving higher, faster than the Aztec, riding the rim of the exosphere where the atmosphere is indistinguishable from absolute space.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The satelloid was moving higher, faster than the Aztec, riding the rim of the exosphere where the atmosphere is indistinguishable from absolute space.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The communicator came to life with data on Pickering.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading It was a relative handful of light metals and delicate electronic components, yet it moved at frightful speeds over the course the armchair astronauts had dubbed "Sputnik Avenue."
Pickering
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The communicator came to life with data on Pickering.
relative
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a relative handful of light metals and delicate electronic components, yet it moved at frightful speeds over the course the armchair astronauts had dubbed "Sputnik Avenue."
riding
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The satelloid was moving higher, faster than the Aztec, riding the rim of the exosphere where the atmosphere is indistinguishable from absolute space.
rim
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The satelloid was moving higher, faster than the Aztec, riding the rim of the exosphere where the atmosphere is indistinguishable from absolute space.
satelloid
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The satelloid was moving higher, faster than the Aztec, riding the rim of the exosphere where the atmosphere is indistinguishable from absolute space.
space
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The satelloid was moving higher, faster than the Aztec, riding the rim of the exosphere where the atmosphere is indistinguishable from absolute space.
speeds
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a relative handful of light metals and delicate electronic components, yet it moved at frightful speeds over the course the armchair astronauts had dubbed "Sputnik Avenue."
Sputnik
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a relative handful of light metals and delicate electronic components, yet it moved at frightful speeds over the course the armchair astronauts had dubbed "Sputnik Avenue."
tabbed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Crag felt thankful he hadn't been tabbed for the job.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The satelloid was moving higher, faster than the Aztec, riding the rim of the exosphere where the atmosphere is indistinguishable from absolute space.
thankful
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Crag felt thankful he hadn't been tabbed for the job.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The communicator came to life with data on Pickering.
thingnounUS /thing/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The satelloid was a fragile thing compared to the Aztec--a moth compared to a hawk.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The communicator came to life with data on Pickering.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The satelloid was moving higher, faster than the Aztec, riding the rim of the exosphere where the atmosphere is indistinguishable from absolute space.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading The satelloid was moving higher, faster than the Aztec, riding the rim of the exosphere where the atmosphere is indistinguishable from absolute space.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading The communicator came to life with data on Pickering.
yetconjunctionUS /jet/
but in spite of that
From this reading It was a relative handful of light metals and delicate electronic components, yet it moved at frightful speeds over the course the armchair astronauts had dubbed "Sputnik Avenue."
