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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 Scarcely had he begun when a sharp attack of lumbago fell upon him; for two or three days it was torture to support himself at the desk, and he moved about like a cripple.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Scarcely had he begun when a sharp attack of lumbago fell upon him; for two or three days it was torture to support himself at the desk, and he moved about like a cripple.
achievement
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In this achievement Reardon rose almost to heroic pitch, for he had much to contend with beyond the mere labour of composition.
almost
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From this reading In this achievement Reardon rose almost to heroic pitch, for he had much to contend with beyond the mere labour of composition.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Scarcely had he begun when a sharp attack of lumbago fell upon him; for two or three days it was torture to support himself at the desk, and he moved about like a cripple.
anothernounUS /ˈanother/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading And before the end of the fortnight it was necessary to think of raising another small sum of money; he took his watch to the pawnbroker’s (you can imagine that it would not stand as security for much), and sold a few more books.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading And before the end of the fortnight it was necessary to think of raising another small sum of money; he took his watch to the pawnbroker’s (you can imagine that it would not stand as security for much), and sold a few more books.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Scarcely had he begun when a sharp attack of lumbago fell upon him; for two or three days it was torture to support himself at the desk, and he moved about like a cripple.
attack
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From this reading Scarcely had he begun when a sharp attack of lumbago fell upon him; for two or three days it was torture to support himself at the desk, and he moved about like a cripple.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading And before the end of the fortnight it was necessary to think of raising another small sum of money; he took his watch to the pawnbroker’s (you can imagine that it would not stand as security for much), and sold a few more books.
begun
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Scarcely had he begun when a sharp attack of lumbago fell upon him; for two or three days it was torture to support himself at the desk, and he moved about like a cripple.
beyondprepositionUS /bɪˈɑːnd/
on the far side of; further than
From this reading In this achievement Reardon rose almost to heroic pitch, for he had much to contend with beyond the mere labour of composition.
booksnounUS /bʊks/
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading And before the end of the fortnight it was necessary to think of raising another small sum of money; he took his watch to the pawnbroker’s (you can imagine that it would not stand as security for much), and sold a few more books.
canmodal verbUS /kæn/
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading And before the end of the fortnight it was necessary to think of raising another small sum of money; he took his watch to the pawnbroker’s (you can imagine that it would not stand as security for much), and sold a few more books.
composition
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From this reading In this achievement Reardon rose almost to heroic pitch, for he had much to contend with beyond the mere labour of composition.
contend
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From this reading In this achievement Reardon rose almost to heroic pitch, for he had much to contend with beyond the mere labour of composition.
cripple
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From this reading Scarcely had he begun when a sharp attack of lumbago fell upon him; for two or three days it was torture to support himself at the desk, and he moved about like a cripple.
days
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From this reading The last volume was written in fourteen days.
desk
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From this reading Scarcely had he begun when a sharp attack of lumbago fell upon him; for two or three days it was torture to support himself at the desk, and he moved about like a cripple.
end
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From this reading And before the end of the fortnight it was necessary to think of raising another small sum of money; he took his watch to the pawnbroker’s (you can imagine that it would not stand as security for much), and sold a few more books.
enfeeblement
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From this reading Upon this ensued headaches, sore-throat, general enfeeblement.
ensued
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From this reading Upon this ensued headaches, sore-throat, general enfeeblement.
fell
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From this reading Scarcely had he begun when a sharp attack of lumbago fell upon him; for two or three days it was torture to support himself at the desk, and he moved about like a cripple.
few
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And before the end of the fortnight it was necessary to think of raising another small sum of money; he took his watch to the pawnbroker’s (you can imagine that it would not stand as security for much), and sold a few more books.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading In this achievement Reardon rose almost to heroic pitch, for he had much to contend with beyond the mere labour of composition.
fortnight
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And before the end of the fortnight it was necessary to think of raising another small sum of money; he took his watch to the pawnbroker’s (you can imagine that it would not stand as security for much), and sold a few more books.
fourteen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The last volume was written in fourteen days.
general
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From this reading Upon this ensued headaches, sore-throat, general enfeeblement.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading In this achievement Reardon rose almost to heroic pitch, for he had much to contend with beyond the mere labour of composition.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading In this achievement Reardon rose almost to heroic pitch, for he had much to contend with beyond the mere labour of composition.
headaches
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From this reading Upon this ensued headaches, sore-throat, general enfeeblement.
heroic
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In this achievement Reardon rose almost to heroic pitch, for he had much to contend with beyond the mere labour of composition.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Scarcely had he begun when a sharp attack of lumbago fell upon him; for two or three days it was torture to support himself at the desk, and he moved about like a cripple.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Scarcely had he begun when a sharp attack of lumbago fell upon him; for two or three days it was torture to support himself at the desk, and he moved about like a cripple.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading And before the end of the fortnight it was necessary to think of raising another small sum of money; he took his watch to the pawnbroker’s (you can imagine that it would not stand as security for much), and sold a few more books.
imaginenounUS /ˈimagine/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading And before the end of the fortnight it was necessary to think of raising another small sum of money; he took his watch to the pawnbroker’s (you can imagine that it would not stand as security for much), and sold a few more books.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The last volume was written in fourteen days.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Scarcely had he begun when a sharp attack of lumbago fell upon him; for two or three days it was torture to support himself at the desk, and he moved about like a cripple.
labour
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In this achievement Reardon rose almost to heroic pitch, for he had much to contend with beyond the mere labour of composition.
lastnounUS /last/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The last volume was written in fourteen days.
like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Scarcely had he begun when a sharp attack of lumbago fell upon him; for two or three days it was torture to support himself at the desk, and he moved about like a cripple.
lumbago
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Scarcely had he begun when a sharp attack of lumbago fell upon him; for two or three days it was torture to support himself at the desk, and he moved about like a cripple.
mere
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In this achievement Reardon rose almost to heroic pitch, for he had much to contend with beyond the mere labour of composition.
money
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And before the end of the fortnight it was necessary to think of raising another small sum of money; he took his watch to the pawnbroker’s (you can imagine that it would not stand as security for much), and sold a few more books.
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And before the end of the fortnight it was necessary to think of raising another small sum of money; he took his watch to the pawnbroker’s (you can imagine that it would not stand as security for much), and sold a few more books.
moved
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Scarcely had he begun when a sharp attack of lumbago fell upon him; for two or three days it was torture to support himself at the desk, and he moved about like a cripple.
much
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In this achievement Reardon rose almost to heroic pitch, for he had much to contend with beyond the mere labour of composition.
necessary
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And before the end of the fortnight it was necessary to think of raising another small sum of money; he took his watch to the pawnbroker’s (you can imagine that it would not stand as security for much), and sold a few more books.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading And before the end of the fortnight it was necessary to think of raising another small sum of money; he took his watch to the pawnbroker’s (you can imagine that it would not stand as security for much), and sold a few more books.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In this achievement Reardon rose almost to heroic pitch, for he had much to contend with beyond the mere labour of composition.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Scarcely had he begun when a sharp attack of lumbago fell upon him; for two or three days it was torture to support himself at the desk, and he moved about like a cripple.
pawnbroker's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And before the end of the fortnight it was necessary to think of raising another small sum of money; he took his watch to the pawnbroker’s (you can imagine that it would not stand as security for much), and sold a few more books.
pitch
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In this achievement Reardon rose almost to heroic pitch, for he had much to contend with beyond the mere labour of composition.
raising
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And before the end of the fortnight it was necessary to think of raising another small sum of money; he took his watch to the pawnbroker’s (you can imagine that it would not stand as security for much), and sold a few more books.
Reardon
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From this reading In this achievement Reardon rose almost to heroic pitch, for he had much to contend with beyond the mere labour of composition.
rose
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In this achievement Reardon rose almost to heroic pitch, for he had much to contend with beyond the mere labour of composition.
Scarcely
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Scarcely had he begun when a sharp attack of lumbago fell upon him; for two or three days it was torture to support himself at the desk, and he moved about like a cripple.
security
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And before the end of the fortnight it was necessary to think of raising another small sum of money; he took his watch to the pawnbroker’s (you can imagine that it would not stand as security for much), and sold a few more books.
sharp
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Scarcely had he begun when a sharp attack of lumbago fell upon him; for two or three days it was torture to support himself at the desk, and he moved about like a cripple.
small
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And before the end of the fortnight it was necessary to think of raising another small sum of money; he took his watch to the pawnbroker’s (you can imagine that it would not stand as security for much), and sold a few more books.
sold
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And before the end of the fortnight it was necessary to think of raising another small sum of money; he took his watch to the pawnbroker’s (you can imagine that it would not stand as security for much), and sold a few more books.
sore-throat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Upon this ensued headaches, sore-throat, general enfeeblement.
stand
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And before the end of the fortnight it was necessary to think of raising another small sum of money; he took his watch to the pawnbroker’s (you can imagine that it would not stand as security for much), and sold a few more books.
sum
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And before the end of the fortnight it was necessary to think of raising another small sum of money; he took his watch to the pawnbroker’s (you can imagine that it would not stand as security for much), and sold a few more books.
supportverbUS /səˈpɔːrt/
to provide what someone needs in order to live
From this reading Scarcely had he begun when a sharp attack of lumbago fell upon him; for two or three days it was torture to support himself at the desk, and he moved about like a cripple.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading And before the end of the fortnight it was necessary to think of raising another small sum of money; he took his watch to the pawnbroker’s (you can imagine that it would not stand as security for much), and sold a few more books.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The last volume was written in fourteen days.
thinknounUS /think/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading And before the end of the fortnight it was necessary to think of raising another small sum of money; he took his watch to the pawnbroker’s (you can imagine that it would not stand as security for much), and sold a few more books.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading In this achievement Reardon rose almost to heroic pitch, for he had much to contend with beyond the mere labour of composition.
three
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Scarcely had he begun when a sharp attack of lumbago fell upon him; for two or three days it was torture to support himself at the desk, and he moved about like a cripple.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In this achievement Reardon rose almost to heroic pitch, for he had much to contend with beyond the mere labour of composition.
tooknounUS /took/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading And before the end of the fortnight it was necessary to think of raising another small sum of money; he took his watch to the pawnbroker’s (you can imagine that it would not stand as security for much), and sold a few more books.
torture
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Scarcely had he begun when a sharp attack of lumbago fell upon him; for two or three days it was torture to support himself at the desk, and he moved about like a cripple.
two
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Scarcely had he begun when a sharp attack of lumbago fell upon him; for two or three days it was torture to support himself at the desk, and he moved about like a cripple.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Scarcely had he begun when a sharp attack of lumbago fell upon him; for two or three days it was torture to support himself at the desk, and he moved about like a cripple.
volume
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The last volume was written in fourteen days.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The last volume was written in fourteen days.
watch
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And before the end of the fortnight it was necessary to think of raising another small sum of money; he took his watch to the pawnbroker’s (you can imagine that it would not stand as security for much), and sold a few more books.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading Scarcely had he begun when a sharp attack of lumbago fell upon him; for two or three days it was torture to support himself at the desk, and he moved about like a cripple.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading In this achievement Reardon rose almost to heroic pitch, for he had much to contend with beyond the mere labour of composition.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading And before the end of the fortnight it was necessary to think of raising another small sum of money; he took his watch to the pawnbroker’s (you can imagine that it would not stand as security for much), and sold a few more books.
written
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The last volume was written in fourteen days.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading And before the end of the fortnight it was necessary to think of raising another small sum of money; he took his watch to the pawnbroker’s (you can imagine that it would not stand as security for much), and sold a few more books.
