adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “Horace,” he said, “I have been a fool, a driveling idiot.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He was standing by the fire, with the grave face and slightly bent head of his professional manner.
appreciationnounUS /əˌpriːʃiˈeɪʃən/
understanding of the nature or meaning or quality or magnitude of something
From this reading So I entered Sperry’s library with appreciation.
armornounUS /ˈɑːrmər/
protective covering made of metal and used in combat
From this reading We say, in the neighborhood, that Sperry uses his professional manner as armor, so I was rather prepared to do battle; but he forestalled me.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading We say, in the neighborhood, that Sperry uses his professional manner as armor, so I was rather prepared to do battle; but he forestalled me.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading We were getting something at those sittings.
battlenounUS /ˈbætəl/
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading We say, in the neighborhood, that Sperry uses his professional manner as armor, so I was rather prepared to do battle; but he forestalled me.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “Horace,” he said, “I have been a fool, a driveling idiot.
bentnounUS /bent/
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading He was standing by the fire, with the grave face and slightly bent head of his professional manner.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading We say, in the neighborhood, that Sperry uses his professional manner as armor, so I was rather prepared to do battle; but he forestalled me.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He was standing by the fire, with the grave face and slightly bent head of his professional manner.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading We say, in the neighborhood, that Sperry uses his professional manner as armor, so I was rather prepared to do battle; but he forestalled me.
driveling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Horace,” he said, “I have been a fool, a driveling idiot.
enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading So I entered Sperry’s library with appreciation.
facenounUS /feɪs/
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading He was standing by the fire, with the grave face and slightly bent head of his professional manner.
fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/
start firing a weapon
From this reading He was standing by the fire, with the grave face and slightly bent head of his professional manner.
foolnounUS /fuːl/
a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading “Horace,” he said, “I have been a fool, a driveling idiot.
forestalledverbUS /ˌfɔːrˈstɑːld/
past form of “forestall” — keep from happening or arising; make impossible
From this reading We say, in the neighborhood, that Sperry uses his professional manner as armor, so I was rather prepared to do battle; but he forestalled me.
gettingnounUS /ˈɡetɪŋ/
the act of acquiring something
From this reading We were getting something at those sittings.
gravenounUS /ɡreɪv/
death of a person
From this reading He was standing by the fire, with the grave face and slightly bent head of his professional manner.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “Horace,” he said, “I have been a fool, a driveling idiot.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was standing by the fire, with the grave face and slightly bent head of his professional manner.
headnounUS /hed/
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading He was standing by the fire, with the grave face and slightly bent head of his professional manner.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He was standing by the fire, with the grave face and slightly bent head of his professional manner.
HoracenounUS /ˈhɔːrəs/
Roman lyric poet said to have influenced English poetry (65-8 BC)
From this reading “Horace,” he said, “I have been a fool, a driveling idiot.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading So I entered Sperry’s library with appreciation.
idiotnounUS /ˈɪdiːət/
a person of subnormal intelligence
From this reading “Horace,” he said, “I have been a fool, a driveling idiot.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading We say, in the neighborhood, that Sperry uses his professional manner as armor, so I was rather prepared to do battle; but he forestalled me.
librarynounUS /ˈlaɪbreriː/
a room where books are kept
From this reading So I entered Sperry’s library with appreciation.
mannernounUS /ˈmænər/
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading He was standing by the fire, with the grave face and slightly bent head of his professional manner.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading We say, in the neighborhood, that Sperry uses his professional manner as armor, so I was rather prepared to do battle; but he forestalled me.
neighborhoodnounUS /ˈneɪbərhʊd/
a surrounding or nearby region
From this reading We say, in the neighborhood, that Sperry uses his professional manner as armor, so I was rather prepared to do battle; but he forestalled me.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He was standing by the fire, with the grave face and slightly bent head of his professional manner.
preparedadjectiveUS /priˈperd/
made ready or fit or suitable beforehand
From this reading We say, in the neighborhood, that Sperry uses his professional manner as armor, so I was rather prepared to do battle; but he forestalled me.
professionaladjectiveUS /prəˈfeʃənəl/
engaged in a profession or engaging in as a profession or means of livelihood
From this reading He was standing by the fire, with the grave face and slightly bent head of his professional manner.
ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/
on the contrary
From this reading We say, in the neighborhood, that Sperry uses his professional manner as armor, so I was rather prepared to do battle; but he forestalled me.
saidadjectiveUS /sed/
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Horace,” he said, “I have been a fool, a driveling idiot.
sayverbUS /seɪ/
express in words
From this reading We say, in the neighborhood, that Sperry uses his professional manner as armor, so I was rather prepared to do battle; but he forestalled me.
sittings
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We were getting something at those sittings.
slightlyadverbUS /ˈslaɪtli/
to a small degree or extent
From this reading He was standing by the fire, with the grave face and slightly bent head of his professional manner.
SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So I entered Sperry’s library with appreciation.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading We were getting something at those sittings.
SperrynounUS /ˈsperi/
United States engineer and inventor of the gyrocompass (1860-1930)
From this reading We say, in the neighborhood, that Sperry uses his professional manner as armor, so I was rather prepared to do battle; but he forestalled me.
Sperry's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So I entered Sperry’s library with appreciation.
standingadjectiveUS /ˈstændɪŋ/
having a supporting base
From this reading He was standing by the fire, with the grave face and slightly bent head of his professional manner.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading We say, in the neighborhood, that Sperry uses his professional manner as armor, so I was rather prepared to do battle; but he forestalled me.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He was standing by the fire, with the grave face and slightly bent head of his professional manner.
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading We were getting something at those sittings.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading We say, in the neighborhood, that Sperry uses his professional manner as armor, so I was rather prepared to do battle; but he forestalled me.
usesnounUS /ˈjuːsəz/
plural of “use” — the act of using
From this reading We say, in the neighborhood, that Sperry uses his professional manner as armor, so I was rather prepared to do battle; but he forestalled me.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was standing by the fire, with the grave face and slightly bent head of his professional manner.
WepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We say, in the neighborhood, that Sperry uses his professional manner as armor, so I was rather prepared to do battle; but he forestalled me.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading We were getting something at those sittings.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading So I entered Sperry’s library with appreciation.
