adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They were listening with gloomy voracity to the instruction of a third.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Two frowning boys sat in their tennis flannels beneath the glare of lamp and gas.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Their leather belts were loosened, their soft pink shirts unbuttoned at the collar.
baredadjectiveUS /berd/
having the head uncovered
From this reading They sat at a table bared of its customary sporting ornaments, and from time to time they questioned, sucked their pencils, and scrawled vigorous, laconic notes.
beltsnounUS /belts/
plural of “belt” — endless loop of flexible material between two rotating shafts or pulleys
From this reading Their leather belts were loosened, their soft pink shirts unbuttoned at the collar.
beneathprepositionUS /bɪˈniːθ/
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading Two frowning boys sat in their tennis flannels beneath the glare of lamp and gas.
bloomnounUS /bluːm/
the organic process of bearing flowers
From this reading Their necks and faces shone with the bloom of out-of-doors.
boysnounUS /bɔɪz/
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading Two frowning boys sat in their tennis flannels beneath the glare of lamp and gas.
collarnounUS /ˈkɑːlər/
a band that fits around the neck and is usually folded over
From this reading Their leather belts were loosened, their soft pink shirts unbuttoned at the collar.
customaryadjectiveUS /ˈkʌstəmeri/
in accordance with convention or custom
From this reading They sat at a table bared of its customary sporting ornaments, and from time to time they questioned, sucked their pencils, and scrawled vigorous, laconic notes.
facesnounUS /ˈfeɪsəz/
plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Their necks and faces shone with the bloom of out-of-doors.
flannelsnounUS /ˈflænəlz/
plural of “flannel” — a soft light woolen fabric; used for clothing
From this reading Two frowning boys sat in their tennis flannels beneath the glare of lamp and gas.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading They sat at a table bared of its customary sporting ornaments, and from time to time they questioned, sucked their pencils, and scrawled vigorous, laconic notes.
frowningadjectiveUS /ˈfraʊnɪŋ/
showing displeasure or anger
From this reading Two frowning boys sat in their tennis flannels beneath the glare of lamp and gas.
gasnounUS /ɡæs/
the state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states by: relatively low density and viscosity
From this reading Two frowning boys sat in their tennis flannels beneath the glare of lamp and gas.
glarenounUS /ɡler/
a light within the field of vision that is brighter than the brightness to which the eyes are adapted
From this reading Two frowning boys sat in their tennis flannels beneath the glare of lamp and gas.
gloomyadjectiveUS /ˈɡluːmi/
depressingly dark
From this reading They were listening with gloomy voracity to the instruction of a third.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Two frowning boys sat in their tennis flannels beneath the glare of lamp and gas.
instructionnounUS /ˌɪnˈstrʌkʃən/
a message describing how something is to be done
From this reading They were listening with gloomy voracity to the instruction of a third.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading They sat at a table bared of its customary sporting ornaments, and from time to time they questioned, sucked their pencils, and scrawled vigorous, laconic notes.
laconicadjectiveUS /lɑːˈkɑːnɪk/
brief and to the point; effectively cut short
From this reading They sat at a table bared of its customary sporting ornaments, and from time to time they questioned, sucked their pencils, and scrawled vigorous, laconic notes.
lampnounUS /læmp/
an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading Two frowning boys sat in their tennis flannels beneath the glare of lamp and gas.
leathernounUS /ˈleðər/
an animal skin made smooth and flexible by removing the hair and then tanning
From this reading Their leather belts were loosened, their soft pink shirts unbuttoned at the collar.
listeningnounUS /ˈlɪsənɪŋ/
the act of hearing attentively
From this reading They were listening with gloomy voracity to the instruction of a third.
loosenedadjectiveUS /ˈluːsənd/
straightened out
From this reading Their leather belts were loosened, their soft pink shirts unbuttoned at the collar.
necksnounUS /neks/
plural of “neck” — the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body
From this reading Their necks and faces shone with the bloom of out-of-doors.
notesnounUS /noʊts/
plural of “note” — a brief written record
From this reading They sat at a table bared of its customary sporting ornaments, and from time to time they questioned, sucked their pencils, and scrawled vigorous, laconic notes.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Two frowning boys sat in their tennis flannels beneath the glare of lamp and gas.
ornamentsnounUS /ˈɔːrnəmənts/
plural of “ornament” — something used to beautify
From this reading They sat at a table bared of its customary sporting ornaments, and from time to time they questioned, sucked their pencils, and scrawled vigorous, laconic notes.
out-of-doorsnoun
where the air is unconfined
From this reading Their necks and faces shone with the bloom of out-of-doors.
pencilsnounUS /ˈpensəlz/
plural of “pencil” — a thin cylindrical pointed writing implement; a rod of marking substance encased in wood
From this reading They sat at a table bared of its customary sporting ornaments, and from time to time they questioned, sucked their pencils, and scrawled vigorous, laconic notes.
pinknounUS /pɪŋk/
a light shade of red
From this reading Their leather belts were loosened, their soft pink shirts unbuttoned at the collar.
questionedverbUS /ˈkwestʃənd/
past form of “question” — challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading They sat at a table bared of its customary sporting ornaments, and from time to time they questioned, sucked their pencils, and scrawled vigorous, laconic notes.
satnounUS /sæt/
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Two frowning boys sat in their tennis flannels beneath the glare of lamp and gas.
scrawledverbUS /skrɔːld/
past form of “scrawl” — write carelessly
From this reading They sat at a table bared of its customary sporting ornaments, and from time to time they questioned, sucked their pencils, and scrawled vigorous, laconic notes.
shirtsnounUS /ʃɜːrts/
plural of “shirt” — a garment worn on the upper half of the body
From this reading Their leather belts were loosened, their soft pink shirts unbuttoned at the collar.
shoneverbUS /ʃoʊn/
inflected form of “shine” — be bright by reflecting or casting light
From this reading Their necks and faces shone with the bloom of out-of-doors.
softadjectiveUS /sɑːft/
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading Their leather belts were loosened, their soft pink shirts unbuttoned at the collar.
sportingadjectiveUS /ˈspɔːrtɪŋ/
exhibiting or calling for sportsmanship or fair play
From this reading They sat at a table bared of its customary sporting ornaments, and from time to time they questioned, sucked their pencils, and scrawled vigorous, laconic notes.
suckedverbUS /sʌkt/
past form of “suck” — draw into the mouth by creating a practical vacuum in the mouth
From this reading They sat at a table bared of its customary sporting ornaments, and from time to time they questioned, sucked their pencils, and scrawled vigorous, laconic notes.
tablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading They sat at a table bared of its customary sporting ornaments, and from time to time they questioned, sucked their pencils, and scrawled vigorous, laconic notes.
tennisnounUS /ˈtenəs/
a game played with rackets by two or four players who hit a ball back and forth over a net that divides the court
From this reading Two frowning boys sat in their tennis flannels beneath the glare of lamp and gas.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Two frowning boys sat in their tennis flannels beneath the glare of lamp and gas.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Two frowning boys sat in their tennis flannels beneath the glare of lamp and gas.
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were listening with gloomy voracity to the instruction of a third.
thirdnounUS /θɜːrd/
one of three equal parts of a divisible whole
From this reading They were listening with gloomy voracity to the instruction of a third.
timenounUS /taɪm/
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading They sat at a table bared of its customary sporting ornaments, and from time to time they questioned, sucked their pencils, and scrawled vigorous, laconic notes.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They were listening with gloomy voracity to the instruction of a third.
TwonounUS /tuː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Two frowning boys sat in their tennis flannels beneath the glare of lamp and gas.
unbuttonedadjectiveUS /ənˈbʌtənd/
not buttoned
From this reading Their leather belts were loosened, their soft pink shirts unbuttoned at the collar.
vigorousadjectiveUS /ˈvɪɡərəs/
characterized by forceful and energetic action or activity
From this reading They sat at a table bared of its customary sporting ornaments, and from time to time they questioned, sucked their pencils, and scrawled vigorous, laconic notes.
voracitynounUS /vərˈæsəti/
excessive desire to eat
From this reading They were listening with gloomy voracity to the instruction of a third.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Their leather belts were loosened, their soft pink shirts unbuttoned at the collar.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading They were listening with gloomy voracity to the instruction of a third.
