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aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He had dreamed of some day seeing such wondrous boys as these, and here they were before him, all about him, in their natty khaki, self-possessed, unabashed, merry, free.
all
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From this reading He had dreamed of some day seeing such wondrous boys as these, and here they were before him, all about him, in their natty khaki, self-possessed, unabashed, merry, free.
almost
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From this reading ALONE But there was one there who smiled almost fearfully, as if doubting his privilege of mirth in that gay, strange company.
ALONEnounUS /alone/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading ALONE But there was one there who smiled almost fearfully, as if doubting his privilege of mirth in that gay, strange company.
aloud
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From this reading He smiled, not as one of them, but in silent awe, and did not dare to laugh aloud.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He smiled, not as one of them, but in silent awe, and did not dare to laugh aloud.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading ALONE But there was one there who smiled almost fearfully, as if doubting his privilege of mirth in that gay, strange company.
awe
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From this reading He smiled, not as one of them, but in silent awe, and did not dare to laugh aloud.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading He had dreamed of some day seeing such wondrous boys as these, and here they were before him, all about him, in their natty khaki, self-possessed, unabashed, merry, free.
boys
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From this reading He had dreamed of some day seeing such wondrous boys as these, and here they were before him, all about him, in their natty khaki, self-possessed, unabashed, merry, free.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading ALONE But there was one there who smiled almost fearfully, as if doubting his privilege of mirth in that gay, strange company.
company
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From this reading ALONE But there was one there who smiled almost fearfully, as if doubting his privilege of mirth in that gay, strange company.
Crossroads
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From this reading Was not that enough for Peter Piper of Piper's Crossroads?
dare
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From this reading He smiled, not as one of them, but in silent awe, and did not dare to laugh aloud.
day
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From this reading He had dreamed of some day seeing such wondrous boys as these, and here they were before him, all about him, in their natty khaki, self-possessed, unabashed, merry, free.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He smiled, not as one of them, but in silent awe, and did not dare to laugh aloud.
doubting
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From this reading ALONE But there was one there who smiled almost fearfully, as if doubting his privilege of mirth in that gay, strange company.
dreamed
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From this reading He had dreamed of some day seeing such wondrous boys as these, and here they were before him, all about him, in their natty khaki, self-possessed, unabashed, merry, free.
enough
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From this reading Was not that enough for Peter Piper of Piper's Crossroads?
fearfully
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From this reading ALONE But there was one there who smiled almost fearfully, as if doubting his privilege of mirth in that gay, strange company.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Was not that enough for Peter Piper of Piper's Crossroads?
freeadjectiveUS /friː/
acting without enough restraint or discipline
From this reading He had dreamed of some day seeing such wondrous boys as these, and here they were before him, all about him, in their natty khaki, self-possessed, unabashed, merry, free.
gay
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From this reading ALONE But there was one there who smiled almost fearfully, as if doubting his privilege of mirth in that gay, strange company.
go
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From this reading He hoped that they would not notice him and tell him to go home.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had dreamed of some day seeing such wondrous boys as these, and here they were before him, all about him, in their natty khaki, self-possessed, unabashed, merry, free.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He smiled, not as one of them, but in silent awe, and did not dare to laugh aloud.
herenounUS /here/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He had dreamed of some day seeing such wondrous boys as these, and here they were before him, all about him, in their natty khaki, self-possessed, unabashed, merry, free.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He hoped that they would not notice him and tell him to go home.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading ALONE But there was one there who smiled almost fearfully, as if doubting his privilege of mirth in that gay, strange company.
home
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From this reading He hoped that they would not notice him and tell him to go home.
hoped
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From this reading He hoped that they would not notice him and tell him to go home.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading ALONE But there was one there who smiled almost fearfully, as if doubting his privilege of mirth in that gay, strange company.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading ALONE But there was one there who smiled almost fearfully, as if doubting his privilege of mirth in that gay, strange company.
khaki
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From this reading He had dreamed of some day seeing such wondrous boys as these, and here they were before him, all about him, in their natty khaki, self-possessed, unabashed, merry, free.
laugh
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From this reading He smiled, not as one of them, but in silent awe, and did not dare to laugh aloud.
merry
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From this reading He had dreamed of some day seeing such wondrous boys as these, and here they were before him, all about him, in their natty khaki, self-possessed, unabashed, merry, free.
mirth
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From this reading ALONE But there was one there who smiled almost fearfully, as if doubting his privilege of mirth in that gay, strange company.
natty
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From this reading He had dreamed of some day seeing such wondrous boys as these, and here they were before him, all about him, in their natty khaki, self-possessed, unabashed, merry, free.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He smiled, not as one of them, but in silent awe, and did not dare to laugh aloud.
notice
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From this reading He hoped that they would not notice him and tell him to go home.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading ALONE But there was one there who smiled almost fearfully, as if doubting his privilege of mirth in that gay, strange company.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading ALONE But there was one there who smiled almost fearfully, as if doubting his privilege of mirth in that gay, strange company.
Peter
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From this reading Was not that enough for Peter Piper of Piper's Crossroads?
Piper
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From this reading Was not that enough for Peter Piper of Piper's Crossroads?
Piper's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Was not that enough for Peter Piper of Piper's Crossroads?
privilege
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ALONE But there was one there who smiled almost fearfully, as if doubting his privilege of mirth in that gay, strange company.
seeing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had dreamed of some day seeing such wondrous boys as these, and here they were before him, all about him, in their natty khaki, self-possessed, unabashed, merry, free.
self-possessed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had dreamed of some day seeing such wondrous boys as these, and here they were before him, all about him, in their natty khaki, self-possessed, unabashed, merry, free.
silent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He smiled, not as one of them, but in silent awe, and did not dare to laugh aloud.
smiled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ALONE But there was one there who smiled almost fearfully, as if doubting his privilege of mirth in that gay, strange company.
some
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From this reading He had dreamed of some day seeing such wondrous boys as these, and here they were before him, all about him, in their natty khaki, self-possessed, unabashed, merry, free.
strange
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From this reading ALONE But there was one there who smiled almost fearfully, as if doubting his privilege of mirth in that gay, strange company.
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading He had dreamed of some day seeing such wondrous boys as these, and here they were before him, all about him, in their natty khaki, self-possessed, unabashed, merry, free.
tellnounUS /tell/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He hoped that they would not notice him and tell him to go home.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading ALONE But there was one there who smiled almost fearfully, as if doubting his privilege of mirth in that gay, strange company.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading He had dreamed of some day seeing such wondrous boys as these, and here they were before him, all about him, in their natty khaki, self-possessed, unabashed, merry, free.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading He smiled, not as one of them, but in silent awe, and did not dare to laugh aloud.
there
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From this reading ALONE But there was one there who smiled almost fearfully, as if doubting his privilege of mirth in that gay, strange company.
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading He had dreamed of some day seeing such wondrous boys as these, and here they were before him, all about him, in their natty khaki, self-possessed, unabashed, merry, free.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He hoped that they would not notice him and tell him to go home.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He smiled, not as one of them, but in silent awe, and did not dare to laugh aloud.
unabashed
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From this reading He had dreamed of some day seeing such wondrous boys as these, and here they were before him, all about him, in their natty khaki, self-possessed, unabashed, merry, free.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading ALONE But there was one there who smiled almost fearfully, as if doubting his privilege of mirth in that gay, strange company.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He had dreamed of some day seeing such wondrous boys as these, and here they were before him, all about him, in their natty khaki, self-possessed, unabashed, merry, free.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading ALONE But there was one there who smiled almost fearfully, as if doubting his privilege of mirth in that gay, strange company.
wondrousadjectiveUS /ˈwʌndrəs/
strange, beautiful, and impressive
From this reading He had dreamed of some day seeing such wondrous boys as these, and here they were before him, all about him, in their natty khaki, self-possessed, unabashed, merry, free.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He hoped that they would not notice him and tell him to go home.