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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 It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.
absurdly
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From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.
anxious
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From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.
any
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From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.
appeared
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From this reading It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.
betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.
bridge
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From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.
certainty
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From this reading It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.
childlike
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From this reading It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.
coaxings
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From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.
colonel
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From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.
commander
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From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.
darkness
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From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.
deadnounUS /dead/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.
deeper
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From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.
Distracted
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From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.
doubt
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From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.
drinking
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From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.
enter
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From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.
EvernounUS /ever/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.
excitedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsaɪtɪd/
very enthusiastic or eager
From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.
exercise
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From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.
extremely
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From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.
foolhardy
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From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.
group
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From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.
gulf
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From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.
handsplural nounUS /hændz/
members of a ship’s crew
From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.
heart
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From this reading It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.
heavily
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From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.
impatience
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From this reading It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.
kept
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From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.
laying
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From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.
made
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From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.
Mala
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From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.
man
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From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.
menaces
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From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.
miserable
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From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.
moving
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From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.
much
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From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.
object
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From this reading It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.
officers
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From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.
planned
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From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.
prospect
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From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.
prudence
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.
Punta
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From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.
remainednounUS /ˈremained/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.
rounded
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From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.
samenounUS /same/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.
set
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.
shadownounUS /ˈʃæd.oʊ/
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.
Some
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.
sort
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From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.
Sotillo
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From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.
Staff
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.
stand
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From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.
steamer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.
surprise
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.
ungovernable
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From this reading It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.
way
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From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.
wealth
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From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.