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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 I read it in a little house of call, in a whitewashed room that contained a cardboard cat labelled “The Best,” for sole ornament.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Four swarthy fellows, Mexican patriots, were talking noisily about their War of Independence, and the exploits of a General Trapelascis, who had been defeating the Spanish troops over there.
almost
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was almost impossible to connect them with a world that included Veronica’s delicate handwriting with the pencil lines erased at the base of each line of ink.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Four swarthy fellows, Mexican patriots, were talking noisily about their War of Independence, and the exploits of a General Trapelascis, who had been defeating the Spanish troops over there.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I was to come back; as soon as it was safe I was to come back; that was the main tenor of the letter.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It was almost impossible to connect them with a world that included Veronica’s delicate handwriting with the pencil lines erased at the base of each line of ink.
back
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was to come back; as soon as it was safe I was to come back; that was the main tenor of the letter.
base
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was almost impossible to connect them with a world that included Veronica’s delicate handwriting with the pencil lines erased at the base of each line of ink.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading They seemed to be infinitely more real.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Four swarthy fellows, Mexican patriots, were talking noisily about their War of Independence, and the exploits of a General Trapelascis, who had been defeating the Spanish troops over there.
Best
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I read it in a little house of call, in a whitewashed room that contained a cardboard cat labelled “The Best,” for sole ornament.
call
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I read it in a little house of call, in a whitewashed room that contained a cardboard cat labelled “The Best,” for sole ornament.
cardboard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I read it in a little house of call, in a whitewashed room that contained a cardboard cat labelled “The Best,” for sole ornament.
cat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I read it in a little house of call, in a whitewashed room that contained a cardboard cat labelled “The Best,” for sole ornament.
comenounUS /come/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I was to come back; as soon as it was safe I was to come back; that was the main tenor of the letter.
connect
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was almost impossible to connect them with a world that included Veronica’s delicate handwriting with the pencil lines erased at the base of each line of ink.
contained
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I read it in a little house of call, in a whitewashed room that contained a cardboard cat labelled “The Best,” for sole ornament.
defeating
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Four swarthy fellows, Mexican patriots, were talking noisily about their War of Independence, and the exploits of a General Trapelascis, who had been defeating the Spanish troops over there.
delicate
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was almost impossible to connect them with a world that included Veronica’s delicate handwriting with the pencil lines erased at the base of each line of ink.
eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading It was almost impossible to connect them with a world that included Veronica’s delicate handwriting with the pencil lines erased at the base of each line of ink.
erased
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From this reading It was almost impossible to connect them with a world that included Veronica’s delicate handwriting with the pencil lines erased at the base of each line of ink.
exploits
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Four swarthy fellows, Mexican patriots, were talking noisily about their War of Independence, and the exploits of a General Trapelascis, who had been defeating the Spanish troops over there.
fellows
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Four swarthy fellows, Mexican patriots, were talking noisily about their War of Independence, and the exploits of a General Trapelascis, who had been defeating the Spanish troops over there.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I read it in a little house of call, in a whitewashed room that contained a cardboard cat labelled “The Best,” for sole ornament.
Four
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Four swarthy fellows, Mexican patriots, were talking noisily about their War of Independence, and the exploits of a General Trapelascis, who had been defeating the Spanish troops over there.
General
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Four swarthy fellows, Mexican patriots, were talking noisily about their War of Independence, and the exploits of a General Trapelascis, who had been defeating the Spanish troops over there.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Four swarthy fellows, Mexican patriots, were talking noisily about their War of Independence, and the exploits of a General Trapelascis, who had been defeating the Spanish troops over there.
handwriting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was almost impossible to connect them with a world that included Veronica’s delicate handwriting with the pencil lines erased at the base of each line of ink.
house
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I read it in a little house of call, in a whitewashed room that contained a cardboard cat labelled “The Best,” for sole ornament.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I was to come back; as soon as it was safe I was to come back; that was the main tenor of the letter.
impossible
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was almost impossible to connect them with a world that included Veronica’s delicate handwriting with the pencil lines erased at the base of each line of ink.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I read it in a little house of call, in a whitewashed room that contained a cardboard cat labelled “The Best,” for sole ornament.
included
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was almost impossible to connect them with a world that included Veronica’s delicate handwriting with the pencil lines erased at the base of each line of ink.
Independence
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Four swarthy fellows, Mexican patriots, were talking noisily about their War of Independence, and the exploits of a General Trapelascis, who had been defeating the Spanish troops over there.
infinitely
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They seemed to be infinitely more real.
ink
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was almost impossible to connect them with a world that included Veronica’s delicate handwriting with the pencil lines erased at the base of each line of ink.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I was to come back; as soon as it was safe I was to come back; that was the main tenor of the letter.
labelled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I read it in a little house of call, in a whitewashed room that contained a cardboard cat labelled “The Best,” for sole ornament.
letter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was to come back; as soon as it was safe I was to come back; that was the main tenor of the letter.
line
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was almost impossible to connect them with a world that included Veronica’s delicate handwriting with the pencil lines erased at the base of each line of ink.
lines
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was almost impossible to connect them with a world that included Veronica’s delicate handwriting with the pencil lines erased at the base of each line of ink.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I read it in a little house of call, in a whitewashed room that contained a cardboard cat labelled “The Best,” for sole ornament.
main
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was to come back; as soon as it was safe I was to come back; that was the main tenor of the letter.
Mexican
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Four swarthy fellows, Mexican patriots, were talking noisily about their War of Independence, and the exploits of a General Trapelascis, who had been defeating the Spanish troops over there.
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They seemed to be infinitely more real.
noisily
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Four swarthy fellows, Mexican patriots, were talking noisily about their War of Independence, and the exploits of a General Trapelascis, who had been defeating the Spanish troops over there.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I was to come back; as soon as it was safe I was to come back; that was the main tenor of the letter.
ornament
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I read it in a little house of call, in a whitewashed room that contained a cardboard cat labelled “The Best,” for sole ornament.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Four swarthy fellows, Mexican patriots, were talking noisily about their War of Independence, and the exploits of a General Trapelascis, who had been defeating the Spanish troops over there.
patriots
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Four swarthy fellows, Mexican patriots, were talking noisily about their War of Independence, and the exploits of a General Trapelascis, who had been defeating the Spanish troops over there.
pencil
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was almost impossible to connect them with a world that included Veronica’s delicate handwriting with the pencil lines erased at the base of each line of ink.
read
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I read it in a little house of call, in a whitewashed room that contained a cardboard cat labelled “The Best,” for sole ornament.
real
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They seemed to be infinitely more real.
room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I read it in a little house of call, in a whitewashed room that contained a cardboard cat labelled “The Best,” for sole ornament.
safe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was to come back; as soon as it was safe I was to come back; that was the main tenor of the letter.
seemednounUS /seemed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading They seemed to be infinitely more real.
sole
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I read it in a little house of call, in a whitewashed room that contained a cardboard cat labelled “The Best,” for sole ornament.
soon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was to come back; as soon as it was safe I was to come back; that was the main tenor of the letter.
Spanish
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Four swarthy fellows, Mexican patriots, were talking noisily about their War of Independence, and the exploits of a General Trapelascis, who had been defeating the Spanish troops over there.
swarthy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Four swarthy fellows, Mexican patriots, were talking noisily about their War of Independence, and the exploits of a General Trapelascis, who had been defeating the Spanish troops over there.
talking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Four swarthy fellows, Mexican patriots, were talking noisily about their War of Independence, and the exploits of a General Trapelascis, who had been defeating the Spanish troops over there.
tenor
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was to come back; as soon as it was safe I was to come back; that was the main tenor of the letter.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I was to come back; as soon as it was safe I was to come back; that was the main tenor of the letter.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I was to come back; as soon as it was safe I was to come back; that was the main tenor of the letter.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Four swarthy fellows, Mexican patriots, were talking noisily about their War of Independence, and the exploits of a General Trapelascis, who had been defeating the Spanish troops over there.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading It was almost impossible to connect them with a world that included Veronica’s delicate handwriting with the pencil lines erased at the base of each line of ink.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Four swarthy fellows, Mexican patriots, were talking noisily about their War of Independence, and the exploits of a General Trapelascis, who had been defeating the Spanish troops over there.
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They seemed to be infinitely more real.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I was to come back; as soon as it was safe I was to come back; that was the main tenor of the letter.
Trapelascis
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Four swarthy fellows, Mexican patriots, were talking noisily about their War of Independence, and the exploits of a General Trapelascis, who had been defeating the Spanish troops over there.
troops
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Four swarthy fellows, Mexican patriots, were talking noisily about their War of Independence, and the exploits of a General Trapelascis, who had been defeating the Spanish troops over there.
Veronica's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was almost impossible to connect them with a world that included Veronica’s delicate handwriting with the pencil lines erased at the base of each line of ink.
War
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Four swarthy fellows, Mexican patriots, were talking noisily about their War of Independence, and the exploits of a General Trapelascis, who had been defeating the Spanish troops over there.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was to come back; as soon as it was safe I was to come back; that was the main tenor of the letter.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Four swarthy fellows, Mexican patriots, were talking noisily about their War of Independence, and the exploits of a General Trapelascis, who had been defeating the Spanish troops over there.
whitewashed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I read it in a little house of call, in a whitewashed room that contained a cardboard cat labelled “The Best,” for sole ornament.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading Four swarthy fellows, Mexican patriots, were talking noisily about their War of Independence, and the exploits of a General Trapelascis, who had been defeating the Spanish troops over there.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading It was almost impossible to connect them with a world that included Veronica’s delicate handwriting with the pencil lines erased at the base of each line of ink.
world
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was almost impossible to connect them with a world that included Veronica’s delicate handwriting with the pencil lines erased at the base of each line of ink.
