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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 week of heavy reading had passed since the evening he first met Ruth Morse, and still he dared not call.
afraid
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not know the proper time to call, nor was there any one to tell him, and he was afraid of committing himself to an irretrievable blunder.
againnounUS /again/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Time and again he nerved himself up to call, but under the doubts that assailed him his determination died away.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He did not know the proper time to call, nor was there any one to tell him, and he was afraid of committing himself to an irretrievable blunder.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A week of heavy reading had passed since the evening he first met Ruth Morse, and still he dared not call.
any
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From this reading He did not know the proper time to call, nor was there any one to tell him, and he was afraid of committing himself to an irretrievable blunder.
assailed
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From this reading Time and again he nerved himself up to call, but under the doubts that assailed him his determination died away.
away
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From this reading Time and again he nerved himself up to call, but under the doubts that assailed him his determination died away.
backed
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From this reading But his eyes were strong, and they were backed by a body superbly strong.
blunder
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From this reading He did not know the proper time to call, nor was there any one to tell him, and he was afraid of committing himself to an irretrievable blunder.
bodynounUS /body/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But his eyes were strong, and they were backed by a body superbly strong.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Time and again he nerved himself up to call, but under the doubts that assailed him his determination died away.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading But his eyes were strong, and they were backed by a body superbly strong.
call
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From this reading A week of heavy reading had passed since the evening he first met Ruth Morse, and still he dared not call.
committing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not know the proper time to call, nor was there any one to tell him, and he was afraid of committing himself to an irretrievable blunder.
companions
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From this reading Having shaken himself free from his old companions and old ways of life, and having no new companions, nothing remained for him but to read, and the long hours he devoted to it would have ruined a dozen pairs of ordinary eyes.
dared
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From this reading A week of heavy reading had passed since the evening he first met Ruth Morse, and still he dared not call.
determination
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From this reading Time and again he nerved himself up to call, but under the doubts that assailed him his determination died away.
devoted
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From this reading Having shaken himself free from his old companions and old ways of life, and having no new companions, nothing remained for him but to read, and the long hours he devoted to it would have ruined a dozen pairs of ordinary eyes.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He did not know the proper time to call, nor was there any one to tell him, and he was afraid of committing himself to an irretrievable blunder.
died
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Time and again he nerved himself up to call, but under the doubts that assailed him his determination died away.
doubts
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From this reading Time and again he nerved himself up to call, but under the doubts that assailed him his determination died away.
dozen
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From this reading Having shaken himself free from his old companions and old ways of life, and having no new companions, nothing remained for him but to read, and the long hours he devoted to it would have ruined a dozen pairs of ordinary eyes.
evening
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A week of heavy reading had passed since the evening he first met Ruth Morse, and still he dared not call.
eyes
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From this reading Having shaken himself free from his old companions and old ways of life, and having no new companions, nothing remained for him but to read, and the long hours he devoted to it would have ruined a dozen pairs of ordinary eyes.
firstnounUS /first/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading A week of heavy reading had passed since the evening he first met Ruth Morse, and still he dared not call.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Having shaken himself free from his old companions and old ways of life, and having no new companions, nothing remained for him but to read, and the long hours he devoted to it would have ruined a dozen pairs of ordinary eyes.
freeadjectiveUS /friː/
acting without enough restraint or discipline
From this reading Having shaken himself free from his old companions and old ways of life, and having no new companions, nothing remained for him but to read, and the long hours he devoted to it would have ruined a dozen pairs of ordinary eyes.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Having shaken himself free from his old companions and old ways of life, and having no new companions, nothing remained for him but to read, and the long hours he devoted to it would have ruined a dozen pairs of ordinary eyes.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A week of heavy reading had passed since the evening he first met Ruth Morse, and still he dared not call.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Having shaken himself free from his old companions and old ways of life, and having no new companions, nothing remained for him but to read, and the long hours he devoted to it would have ruined a dozen pairs of ordinary eyes.
Havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading Having shaken himself free from his old companions and old ways of life, and having no new companions, nothing remained for him but to read, and the long hours he devoted to it would have ruined a dozen pairs of ordinary eyes.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A week of heavy reading had passed since the evening he first met Ruth Morse, and still he dared not call.
heavy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A week of heavy reading had passed since the evening he first met Ruth Morse, and still he dared not call.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Time and again he nerved himself up to call, but under the doubts that assailed him his determination died away.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Time and again he nerved himself up to call, but under the doubts that assailed him his determination died away.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Time and again he nerved himself up to call, but under the doubts that assailed him his determination died away.
hours
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Having shaken himself free from his old companions and old ways of life, and having no new companions, nothing remained for him but to read, and the long hours he devoted to it would have ruined a dozen pairs of ordinary eyes.
irretrievable
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not know the proper time to call, nor was there any one to tell him, and he was afraid of committing himself to an irretrievable blunder.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Having shaken himself free from his old companions and old ways of life, and having no new companions, nothing remained for him but to read, and the long hours he devoted to it would have ruined a dozen pairs of ordinary eyes.
knownounUS /know/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He did not know the proper time to call, nor was there any one to tell him, and he was afraid of committing himself to an irretrievable blunder.
lifenounUS /life/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Having shaken himself free from his old companions and old ways of life, and having no new companions, nothing remained for him but to read, and the long hours he devoted to it would have ruined a dozen pairs of ordinary eyes.
longnounUS /long/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Having shaken himself free from his old companions and old ways of life, and having no new companions, nothing remained for him but to read, and the long hours he devoted to it would have ruined a dozen pairs of ordinary eyes.
met
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A week of heavy reading had passed since the evening he first met Ruth Morse, and still he dared not call.
Morse
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From this reading A week of heavy reading had passed since the evening he first met Ruth Morse, and still he dared not call.
nerved
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Time and again he nerved himself up to call, but under the doubts that assailed him his determination died away.
new
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Having shaken himself free from his old companions and old ways of life, and having no new companions, nothing remained for him but to read, and the long hours he devoted to it would have ruined a dozen pairs of ordinary eyes.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading Having shaken himself free from his old companions and old ways of life, and having no new companions, nothing remained for him but to read, and the long hours he devoted to it would have ruined a dozen pairs of ordinary eyes.
norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading He did not know the proper time to call, nor was there any one to tell him, and he was afraid of committing himself to an irretrievable blunder.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading A week of heavy reading had passed since the evening he first met Ruth Morse, and still he dared not call.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Having shaken himself free from his old companions and old ways of life, and having no new companions, nothing remained for him but to read, and the long hours he devoted to it would have ruined a dozen pairs of ordinary eyes.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A week of heavy reading had passed since the evening he first met Ruth Morse, and still he dared not call.
old
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Having shaken himself free from his old companions and old ways of life, and having no new companions, nothing remained for him but to read, and the long hours he devoted to it would have ruined a dozen pairs of ordinary eyes.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He did not know the proper time to call, nor was there any one to tell him, and he was afraid of committing himself to an irretrievable blunder.
ordinary
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Having shaken himself free from his old companions and old ways of life, and having no new companions, nothing remained for him but to read, and the long hours he devoted to it would have ruined a dozen pairs of ordinary eyes.
pairs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Having shaken himself free from his old companions and old ways of life, and having no new companions, nothing remained for him but to read, and the long hours he devoted to it would have ruined a dozen pairs of ordinary eyes.
passednounUS /passed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading A week of heavy reading had passed since the evening he first met Ruth Morse, and still he dared not call.
proper
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not know the proper time to call, nor was there any one to tell him, and he was afraid of committing himself to an irretrievable blunder.
read
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Having shaken himself free from his old companions and old ways of life, and having no new companions, nothing remained for him but to read, and the long hours he devoted to it would have ruined a dozen pairs of ordinary eyes.
reading
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A week of heavy reading had passed since the evening he first met Ruth Morse, and still he dared not call.
remainednounUS /ˈremained/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Having shaken himself free from his old companions and old ways of life, and having no new companions, nothing remained for him but to read, and the long hours he devoted to it would have ruined a dozen pairs of ordinary eyes.
ruined
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Having shaken himself free from his old companions and old ways of life, and having no new companions, nothing remained for him but to read, and the long hours he devoted to it would have ruined a dozen pairs of ordinary eyes.
Ruth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A week of heavy reading had passed since the evening he first met Ruth Morse, and still he dared not call.
shaken
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Having shaken himself free from his old companions and old ways of life, and having no new companions, nothing remained for him but to read, and the long hours he devoted to it would have ruined a dozen pairs of ordinary eyes.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading A week of heavy reading had passed since the evening he first met Ruth Morse, and still he dared not call.
stillnounUS /still/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading A week of heavy reading had passed since the evening he first met Ruth Morse, and still he dared not call.
strong
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But his eyes were strong, and they were backed by a body superbly strong.
superbly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But his eyes were strong, and they were backed by a body superbly strong.
tellnounUS /tell/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He did not know the proper time to call, nor was there any one to tell him, and he was afraid of committing himself to an irretrievable blunder.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Time and again he nerved himself up to call, but under the doubts that assailed him his determination died away.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A week of heavy reading had passed since the evening he first met Ruth Morse, and still he dared not call.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not know the proper time to call, nor was there any one to tell him, and he was afraid of committing himself to an irretrievable blunder.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But his eyes were strong, and they were backed by a body superbly strong.
TimenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Time and again he nerved himself up to call, but under the doubts that assailed him his determination died away.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Time and again he nerved himself up to call, but under the doubts that assailed him his determination died away.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Time and again he nerved himself up to call, but under the doubts that assailed him his determination died away.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Time and again he nerved himself up to call, but under the doubts that assailed him his determination died away.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He did not know the proper time to call, nor was there any one to tell him, and he was afraid of committing himself to an irretrievable blunder.
ways
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Having shaken himself free from his old companions and old ways of life, and having no new companions, nothing remained for him but to read, and the long hours he devoted to it would have ruined a dozen pairs of ordinary eyes.
week
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A week of heavy reading had passed since the evening he first met Ruth Morse, and still he dared not call.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading But his eyes were strong, and they were backed by a body superbly strong.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Having shaken himself free from his old companions and old ways of life, and having no new companions, nothing remained for him but to read, and the long hours he devoted to it would have ruined a dozen pairs of ordinary eyes.
