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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 Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading There was an occasional nervous twitching of its tail, but otherwise it was as motionless as if it had been carved of marble.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
animal
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
approach
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So intense was the interest of the savage beast in the young hunter directly beneath it that it was unaware of the approach of James Boone.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading There was an occasional nervous twitching of its tail, but otherwise it was as motionless as if it had been carved of marble.
beast
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So intense was the interest of the savage beast in the young hunter directly beneath it that it was unaware of the approach of James Boone.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
beneathprepositionUS /bɪˈniːθ/
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading So intense was the interest of the savage beast in the young hunter directly beneath it that it was unaware of the approach of James Boone.
Boone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
boy
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From this reading Even as he perceived the animal, however, its muscles tightened, and it prepared for a leap upon the unsuspecting boy.
branches
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From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading There was an occasional nervous twitching of its tail, but otherwise it was as motionless as if it had been carved of marble.
carved
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was an occasional nervous twitching of its tail, but otherwise it was as motionless as if it had been carved of marble.
chestnut
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From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
colour
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From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
crouching
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
directlynounUS /ˈdirectly/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading So intense was the interest of the savage beast in the young hunter directly beneath it that it was unaware of the approach of James Boone.
escaped
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
EvennounUS /even/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Even as he perceived the animal, however, its muscles tightened, and it prepared for a leap upon the unsuspecting boy.
foliage
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Even as he perceived the animal, however, its muscles tightened, and it prepared for a leap upon the unsuspecting boy.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Even as he perceived the animal, however, its muscles tightened, and it prepared for a leap upon the unsuspecting boy.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading Even as he perceived the animal, however, its muscles tightened, and it prepared for a leap upon the unsuspecting boy.
HUNTER
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading So intense was the interest of the savage beast in the young hunter directly beneath it that it was unaware of the approach of James Boone.
intense
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So intense was the interest of the savage beast in the young hunter directly beneath it that it was unaware of the approach of James Boone.
interest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So intense was the interest of the savage beast in the young hunter directly beneath it that it was unaware of the approach of James Boone.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
ItsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
James
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
keen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
leap
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even as he perceived the animal, however, its muscles tightened, and it prepared for a leap upon the unsuspecting boy.
lying
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
marble
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was an occasional nervous twitching of its tail, but otherwise it was as motionless as if it had been carved of marble.
motionless
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was an occasional nervous twitching of its tail, but otherwise it was as motionless as if it had been carved of marble.
muscles
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From this reading Even as he perceived the animal, however, its muscles tightened, and it prepared for a leap upon the unsuspecting boy.
nervous
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was an occasional nervous twitching of its tail, but otherwise it was as motionless as if it had been carved of marble.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
occasional
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was an occasional nervous twitching of its tail, but otherwise it was as motionless as if it had been carved of marble.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
otherwise
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was an occasional nervous twitching of its tail, but otherwise it was as motionless as if it had been carved of marble.
perceived
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even as he perceived the animal, however, its muscles tightened, and it prepared for a leap upon the unsuspecting boy.
prepared
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even as he perceived the animal, however, its muscles tightened, and it prepared for a leap upon the unsuspecting boy.
SAM
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
savage
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So intense was the interest of the savage beast in the young hunter directly beneath it that it was unaware of the approach of James Boone.
sight
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
skin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So intense was the interest of the savage beast in the young hunter directly beneath it that it was unaware of the approach of James Boone.
tail
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was an occasional nervous twitching of its tail, but otherwise it was as motionless as if it had been carved of marble.
tawny
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
There
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was an occasional nervous twitching of its tail, but otherwise it was as motionless as if it had been carved of marble.
tightened
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even as he perceived the animal, however, its muscles tightened, and it prepared for a leap upon the unsuspecting boy.
tinged
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
trained
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
twitching
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was an occasional nervous twitching of its tail, but otherwise it was as motionless as if it had been carved of marble.
unaware
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So intense was the interest of the savage beast in the young hunter directly beneath it that it was unaware of the approach of James Boone.
unlike
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
unsuspecting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even as he perceived the animal, however, its muscles tightened, and it prepared for a leap upon the unsuspecting boy.
unusually
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
vision
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
young
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So intense was the interest of the savage beast in the young hunter directly beneath it that it was unaware of the approach of James Boone.
