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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 A touch of paranoia would have served Dennison well; but he was lacking in that vital characteristic of inventors.
afford
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From this reading An inventor cannot afford carelessness, particularly when his invention is extremely valuable and obviously patentable.
all
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From this reading _Of all the irksome, frustrating, maddening discoveries--was there no way of keeping it discovered?_ With so much at stake, Charles Dennison should not have been careless.
AndeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading An inventor cannot afford carelessness, particularly when his invention is extremely valuable and obviously patentable.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading An inventor cannot afford carelessness, particularly when his invention is extremely valuable and obviously patentable.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There are too many grasping hands ready to seize what belongs to someone else, too many men who feast upon the creativity of the innocent.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading _Of all the irksome, frustrating, maddening discoveries--was there no way of keeping it discovered?_ With so much at stake, Charles Dennison should not have been careless.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading _Of all the irksome, frustrating, maddening discoveries--was there no way of keeping it discovered?_ With so much at stake, Charles Dennison should not have been careless.
belongs
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From this reading There are too many grasping hands ready to seize what belongs to someone else, too many men who feast upon the creativity of the innocent.
bullet
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From this reading And he didn't even realize the full extent of his carelessness until a bullet, fired from a silenced weapon, chipped a granite wall not three inches from his head.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading A touch of paranoia would have served Dennison well; but he was lacking in that vital characteristic of inventors.
cannot
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From this reading An inventor cannot afford carelessness, particularly when his invention is extremely valuable and obviously patentable.
careless
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From this reading _Of all the irksome, frustrating, maddening discoveries--was there no way of keeping it discovered?_ With so much at stake, Charles Dennison should not have been careless.
carelessness
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From this reading An inventor cannot afford carelessness, particularly when his invention is extremely valuable and obviously patentable.
characteristic
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From this reading A touch of paranoia would have served Dennison well; but he was lacking in that vital characteristic of inventors.
Charles
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From this reading _Of all the irksome, frustrating, maddening discoveries--was there no way of keeping it discovered?_ With so much at stake, Charles Dennison should not have been careless.
chipped
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From this reading And he didn't even realize the full extent of his carelessness until a bullet, fired from a silenced weapon, chipped a granite wall not three inches from his head.
creativity
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From this reading There are too many grasping hands ready to seize what belongs to someone else, too many men who feast upon the creativity of the innocent.
Dennison
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From this reading _Of all the irksome, frustrating, maddening discoveries--was there no way of keeping it discovered?_ With so much at stake, Charles Dennison should not have been careless.
didn't
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From this reading And he didn't even realize the full extent of his carelessness until a bullet, fired from a silenced weapon, chipped a granite wall not three inches from his head.
discovered
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From this reading _Of all the irksome, frustrating, maddening discoveries--was there no way of keeping it discovered?_ With so much at stake, Charles Dennison should not have been careless.
discoveries
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From this reading _Of all the irksome, frustrating, maddening discoveries--was there no way of keeping it discovered?_ With so much at stake, Charles Dennison should not have been careless.
else
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From this reading There are too many grasping hands ready to seize what belongs to someone else, too many men who feast upon the creativity of the innocent.
evennounUS /even/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading And he didn't even realize the full extent of his carelessness until a bullet, fired from a silenced weapon, chipped a granite wall not three inches from his head.
extent
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From this reading And he didn't even realize the full extent of his carelessness until a bullet, fired from a silenced weapon, chipped a granite wall not three inches from his head.
extremely
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From this reading An inventor cannot afford carelessness, particularly when his invention is extremely valuable and obviously patentable.
feast
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From this reading There are too many grasping hands ready to seize what belongs to someone else, too many men who feast upon the creativity of the innocent.
fired
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From this reading And he didn't even realize the full extent of his carelessness until a bullet, fired from a silenced weapon, chipped a granite wall not three inches from his head.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading And he didn't even realize the full extent of his carelessness until a bullet, fired from a silenced weapon, chipped a granite wall not three inches from his head.
frustrating
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From this reading _Of all the irksome, frustrating, maddening discoveries--was there no way of keeping it discovered?_ With so much at stake, Charles Dennison should not have been careless.
full
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From this reading And he didn't even realize the full extent of his carelessness until a bullet, fired from a silenced weapon, chipped a granite wall not three inches from his head.
granite
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From this reading And he didn't even realize the full extent of his carelessness until a bullet, fired from a silenced weapon, chipped a granite wall not three inches from his head.
grasping
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From this reading There are too many grasping hands ready to seize what belongs to someone else, too many men who feast upon the creativity of the innocent.
handsplural nounUS /hændz/
members of a ship’s crew
From this reading There are too many grasping hands ready to seize what belongs to someone else, too many men who feast upon the creativity of the innocent.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading _Of all the irksome, frustrating, maddening discoveries--was there no way of keeping it discovered?_ With so much at stake, Charles Dennison should not have been careless.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A touch of paranoia would have served Dennison well; but he was lacking in that vital characteristic of inventors.
head
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From this reading And he didn't even realize the full extent of his carelessness until a bullet, fired from a silenced weapon, chipped a granite wall not three inches from his head.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading An inventor cannot afford carelessness, particularly when his invention is extremely valuable and obviously patentable.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A touch of paranoia would have served Dennison well; but he was lacking in that vital characteristic of inventors.
inches
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From this reading And he didn't even realize the full extent of his carelessness until a bullet, fired from a silenced weapon, chipped a granite wall not three inches from his head.
innocent
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From this reading There are too many grasping hands ready to seize what belongs to someone else, too many men who feast upon the creativity of the innocent.
invention
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading An inventor cannot afford carelessness, particularly when his invention is extremely valuable and obviously patentable.
inventor
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From this reading An inventor cannot afford carelessness, particularly when his invention is extremely valuable and obviously patentable.
inventors
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From this reading A touch of paranoia would have served Dennison well; but he was lacking in that vital characteristic of inventors.
irksome
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From this reading _Of all the irksome, frustrating, maddening discoveries--was there no way of keeping it discovered?_ With so much at stake, Charles Dennison should not have been careless.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading An inventor cannot afford carelessness, particularly when his invention is extremely valuable and obviously patentable.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading _Of all the irksome, frustrating, maddening discoveries--was there no way of keeping it discovered?_ With so much at stake, Charles Dennison should not have been careless.
keeping
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Of all the irksome, frustrating, maddening discoveries--was there no way of keeping it discovered?_ With so much at stake, Charles Dennison should not have been careless.
lacking
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From this reading A touch of paranoia would have served Dennison well; but he was lacking in that vital characteristic of inventors.
maddening
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From this reading _Of all the irksome, frustrating, maddening discoveries--was there no way of keeping it discovered?_ With so much at stake, Charles Dennison should not have been careless.
many
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From this reading There are too many grasping hands ready to seize what belongs to someone else, too many men who feast upon the creativity of the innocent.
men
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There are too many grasping hands ready to seize what belongs to someone else, too many men who feast upon the creativity of the innocent.
much
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From this reading _Of all the irksome, frustrating, maddening discoveries--was there no way of keeping it discovered?_ With so much at stake, Charles Dennison should not have been careless.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading _Of all the irksome, frustrating, maddening discoveries--was there no way of keeping it discovered?_ With so much at stake, Charles Dennison should not have been careless.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading _Of all the irksome, frustrating, maddening discoveries--was there no way of keeping it discovered?_ With so much at stake, Charles Dennison should not have been careless.
obviously
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading An inventor cannot afford carelessness, particularly when his invention is extremely valuable and obviously patentable.
OfprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _Of all the irksome, frustrating, maddening discoveries--was there no way of keeping it discovered?_ With so much at stake, Charles Dennison should not have been careless.
paranoia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A touch of paranoia would have served Dennison well; but he was lacking in that vital characteristic of inventors.
particularly
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From this reading An inventor cannot afford carelessness, particularly when his invention is extremely valuable and obviously patentable.
patentable
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From this reading An inventor cannot afford carelessness, particularly when his invention is extremely valuable and obviously patentable.
ready
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From this reading There are too many grasping hands ready to seize what belongs to someone else, too many men who feast upon the creativity of the innocent.
realize
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And he didn't even realize the full extent of his carelessness until a bullet, fired from a silenced weapon, chipped a granite wall not three inches from his head.
seize
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From this reading There are too many grasping hands ready to seize what belongs to someone else, too many men who feast upon the creativity of the innocent.
served
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From this reading A touch of paranoia would have served Dennison well; but he was lacking in that vital characteristic of inventors.
shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading _Of all the irksome, frustrating, maddening discoveries--was there no way of keeping it discovered?_ With so much at stake, Charles Dennison should not have been careless.
silenced
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And he didn't even realize the full extent of his carelessness until a bullet, fired from a silenced weapon, chipped a granite wall not three inches from his head.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading _Of all the irksome, frustrating, maddening discoveries--was there no way of keeping it discovered?_ With so much at stake, Charles Dennison should not have been careless.
someonepronounUS /ˈsʌmwʌn/
a person, without saying who
From this reading There are too many grasping hands ready to seize what belongs to someone else, too many men who feast upon the creativity of the innocent.
stake
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Of all the irksome, frustrating, maddening discoveries--was there no way of keeping it discovered?_ With so much at stake, Charles Dennison should not have been careless.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A touch of paranoia would have served Dennison well; but he was lacking in that vital characteristic of inventors.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _Of all the irksome, frustrating, maddening discoveries--was there no way of keeping it discovered?_ With so much at stake, Charles Dennison should not have been careless.
there
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From this reading _Of all the irksome, frustrating, maddening discoveries--was there no way of keeping it discovered?_ With so much at stake, Charles Dennison should not have been careless.
three
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And he didn't even realize the full extent of his carelessness until a bullet, fired from a silenced weapon, chipped a granite wall not three inches from his head.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There are too many grasping hands ready to seize what belongs to someone else, too many men who feast upon the creativity of the innocent.
too
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There are too many grasping hands ready to seize what belongs to someone else, too many men who feast upon the creativity of the innocent.
touch
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From this reading A touch of paranoia would have served Dennison well; but he was lacking in that vital characteristic of inventors.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading And he didn't even realize the full extent of his carelessness until a bullet, fired from a silenced weapon, chipped a granite wall not three inches from his head.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading There are too many grasping hands ready to seize what belongs to someone else, too many men who feast upon the creativity of the innocent.
valuable
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading An inventor cannot afford carelessness, particularly when his invention is extremely valuable and obviously patentable.
vital
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A touch of paranoia would have served Dennison well; but he was lacking in that vital characteristic of inventors.
wall
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And he didn't even realize the full extent of his carelessness until a bullet, fired from a silenced weapon, chipped a granite wall not three inches from his head.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _Of all the irksome, frustrating, maddening discoveries--was there no way of keeping it discovered?_ With so much at stake, Charles Dennison should not have been careless.
way
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Of all the irksome, frustrating, maddening discoveries--was there no way of keeping it discovered?_ With so much at stake, Charles Dennison should not have been careless.
weapon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And he didn't even realize the full extent of his carelessness until a bullet, fired from a silenced weapon, chipped a granite wall not three inches from his head.
well
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A touch of paranoia would have served Dennison well; but he was lacking in that vital characteristic of inventors.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading There are too many grasping hands ready to seize what belongs to someone else, too many men who feast upon the creativity of the innocent.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading An inventor cannot afford carelessness, particularly when his invention is extremely valuable and obviously patentable.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading There are too many grasping hands ready to seize what belongs to someone else, too many men who feast upon the creativity of the innocent.
WithprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading _Of all the irksome, frustrating, maddening discoveries--was there no way of keeping it discovered?_ With so much at stake, Charles Dennison should not have been careless.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading A touch of paranoia would have served Dennison well; but he was lacking in that vital characteristic of inventors.
