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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 I Malcolm Sage was seated at a small green-covered table playing solitaire.
active
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From this reading The fact that in the surrounding darkness were hundreds of other brains, vital and active, appeared to stimulate his own imagination.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A velvet smoking-jacket and a pair of wine-coloured morocco slippers suggested that the day's work was done.
appeared
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From this reading The fact that in the surrounding darkness were hundreds of other brains, vital and active, appeared to stimulate his own imagination.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I Malcolm Sage was seated at a small green-covered table playing solitaire.
brain
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From this reading He had once told Sir James Walton that they clarified his brain and coordinated his thoughts, the cinema in particular.
brains
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From this reading The fact that in the surrounding darkness were hundreds of other brains, vital and active, appeared to stimulate his own imagination.
case
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From this reading Patience, chess, and the cinema were his unfailing sources of inspiration when engaged upon a more than usually difficult case.
chess
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From this reading Patience, chess, and the cinema were his unfailing sources of inspiration when engaged upon a more than usually difficult case.
cinema
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From this reading Patience, chess, and the cinema were his unfailing sources of inspiration when engaged upon a more than usually difficult case.
clarified
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From this reading He had once told Sir James Walton that they clarified his brain and coordinated his thoughts, the cinema in particular.
coordinated
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From this reading He had once told Sir James Walton that they clarified his brain and coordinated his thoughts, the cinema in particular.
darkness
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From this reading The fact that in the surrounding darkness were hundreds of other brains, vital and active, appeared to stimulate his own imagination.
day's
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From this reading A velvet smoking-jacket and a pair of wine-coloured morocco slippers suggested that the day's work was done.
difficult
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From this reading Patience, chess, and the cinema were his unfailing sources of inspiration when engaged upon a more than usually difficult case.
donenounUS /done/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading A velvet smoking-jacket and a pair of wine-coloured morocco slippers suggested that the day's work was done.
engaged
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From this reading Patience, chess, and the cinema were his unfailing sources of inspiration when engaged upon a more than usually difficult case.
fact
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From this reading The fact that in the surrounding darkness were hundreds of other brains, vital and active, appeared to stimulate his own imagination.
green-covered
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From this reading I Malcolm Sage was seated at a small green-covered table playing solitaire.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had once told Sir James Walton that they clarified his brain and coordinated his thoughts, the cinema in particular.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had once told Sir James Walton that they clarified his brain and coordinated his thoughts, the cinema in particular.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Patience, chess, and the cinema were his unfailing sources of inspiration when engaged upon a more than usually difficult case.
hundreds
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From this reading The fact that in the surrounding darkness were hundreds of other brains, vital and active, appeared to stimulate his own imagination.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I Malcolm Sage was seated at a small green-covered table playing solitaire.
imagination
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fact that in the surrounding darkness were hundreds of other brains, vital and active, appeared to stimulate his own imagination.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He had once told Sir James Walton that they clarified his brain and coordinated his thoughts, the cinema in particular.
inspiration
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Patience, chess, and the cinema were his unfailing sources of inspiration when engaged upon a more than usually difficult case.
James
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From this reading He had once told Sir James Walton that they clarified his brain and coordinated his thoughts, the cinema in particular.
Malcolm
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From this reading I Malcolm Sage was seated at a small green-covered table playing solitaire.
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Patience, chess, and the cinema were his unfailing sources of inspiration when engaged upon a more than usually difficult case.
morocco
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From this reading A velvet smoking-jacket and a pair of wine-coloured morocco slippers suggested that the day's work was done.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A velvet smoking-jacket and a pair of wine-coloured morocco slippers suggested that the day's work was done.
once
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had once told Sir James Walton that they clarified his brain and coordinated his thoughts, the cinema in particular.
other
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From this reading The fact that in the surrounding darkness were hundreds of other brains, vital and active, appeared to stimulate his own imagination.
own
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From this reading The fact that in the surrounding darkness were hundreds of other brains, vital and active, appeared to stimulate his own imagination.
pair
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From this reading A velvet smoking-jacket and a pair of wine-coloured morocco slippers suggested that the day's work was done.
particular
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From this reading He had once told Sir James Walton that they clarified his brain and coordinated his thoughts, the cinema in particular.
Patience
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From this reading Patience, chess, and the cinema were his unfailing sources of inspiration when engaged upon a more than usually difficult case.
playing
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From this reading I Malcolm Sage was seated at a small green-covered table playing solitaire.
Sage
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From this reading I Malcolm Sage was seated at a small green-covered table playing solitaire.
seated
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From this reading I Malcolm Sage was seated at a small green-covered table playing solitaire.
Sir
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From this reading He had once told Sir James Walton that they clarified his brain and coordinated his thoughts, the cinema in particular.
slippers
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From this reading A velvet smoking-jacket and a pair of wine-coloured morocco slippers suggested that the day's work was done.
small
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I Malcolm Sage was seated at a small green-covered table playing solitaire.
smoking-jacket
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A velvet smoking-jacket and a pair of wine-coloured morocco slippers suggested that the day's work was done.
solitaire
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I Malcolm Sage was seated at a small green-covered table playing solitaire.
sources
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From this reading Patience, chess, and the cinema were his unfailing sources of inspiration when engaged upon a more than usually difficult case.
stimulate
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fact that in the surrounding darkness were hundreds of other brains, vital and active, appeared to stimulate his own imagination.
suggested
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From this reading A velvet smoking-jacket and a pair of wine-coloured morocco slippers suggested that the day's work was done.
surrounding
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From this reading The fact that in the surrounding darkness were hundreds of other brains, vital and active, appeared to stimulate his own imagination.
table
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From this reading I Malcolm Sage was seated at a small green-covered table playing solitaire.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Patience, chess, and the cinema were his unfailing sources of inspiration when engaged upon a more than usually difficult case.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A velvet smoking-jacket and a pair of wine-coloured morocco slippers suggested that the day's work was done.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A velvet smoking-jacket and a pair of wine-coloured morocco slippers suggested that the day's work was done.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had once told Sir James Walton that they clarified his brain and coordinated his thoughts, the cinema in particular.
thoughts
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had once told Sir James Walton that they clarified his brain and coordinated his thoughts, the cinema in particular.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The fact that in the surrounding darkness were hundreds of other brains, vital and active, appeared to stimulate his own imagination.
toldnounUS /told/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He had once told Sir James Walton that they clarified his brain and coordinated his thoughts, the cinema in particular.
unfailing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Patience, chess, and the cinema were his unfailing sources of inspiration when engaged upon a more than usually difficult case.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Patience, chess, and the cinema were his unfailing sources of inspiration when engaged upon a more than usually difficult case.
usually
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Patience, chess, and the cinema were his unfailing sources of inspiration when engaged upon a more than usually difficult case.
velvet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A velvet smoking-jacket and a pair of wine-coloured morocco slippers suggested that the day's work was done.
vital
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From this reading The fact that in the surrounding darkness were hundreds of other brains, vital and active, appeared to stimulate his own imagination.
Walton
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From this reading He had once told Sir James Walton that they clarified his brain and coordinated his thoughts, the cinema in particular.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I Malcolm Sage was seated at a small green-covered table playing solitaire.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Patience, chess, and the cinema were his unfailing sources of inspiration when engaged upon a more than usually difficult case.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading Patience, chess, and the cinema were his unfailing sources of inspiration when engaged upon a more than usually difficult case.
wine-coloured
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A velvet smoking-jacket and a pair of wine-coloured morocco slippers suggested that the day's work was done.
work
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A velvet smoking-jacket and a pair of wine-coloured morocco slippers suggested that the day's work was done.
