AdeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A lyric conception—my friend, the Poet, said—hits me like a bullet in the forehead.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It is an impromptu, I suppose, then, if you write it so suddenly,—I replied.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I have often had the blood drop from my cheeks when it struck, and felt that I turned as white as death.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I have often had the blood drop from my cheeks when it struck, and felt that I turned as white as death.
beatingnounUS /ˈbiːtɪŋ/
the act of overcoming or outdoing
From this reading Then comes a creeping as of centipedes running down the spine,—then a gasp and a great jump of the heart,—then a sudden flush and a beating in the vessels of the head,—then a long sigh,—and the poem is written.
bloodnounUS /blʌd/
The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.
From this reading I have often had the blood drop from my cheeks when it struck, and felt that I turned as white as death.
bulletnounUS /ˈbʊlət/
a projectile that is fired from a gun
From this reading A lyric conception—my friend, the Poet, said—hits me like a bullet in the forehead.
centipedes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then comes a creeping as of centipedes running down the spine,—then a gasp and a great jump of the heart,—then a sudden flush and a beating in the vessels of the head,—then a long sigh,—and the poem is written.
cheeksnounUS /tʃiːks/
plural of “cheek” — either side of the face below the eyes
From this reading I have often had the blood drop from my cheeks when it struck, and felt that I turned as white as death.
comesnounUS /kʌmz/
plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract
From this reading Then comes a creeping as of centipedes running down the spine,—then a gasp and a great jump of the heart,—then a sudden flush and a beating in the vessels of the head,—then a long sigh,—and the poem is written.
conceptionnounUS /kənˈsepʃən/
an abstract or general idea inferred or derived from specific instances
From this reading A lyric conception—my friend, the Poet, said—hits me like a bullet in the forehead.
creepingnounUS /ˈkriːpɪŋ/
a slow mode of locomotion on hands and knees or dragging the body
From this reading Then comes a creeping as of centipedes running down the spine,—then a gasp and a great jump of the heart,—then a sudden flush and a beating in the vessels of the head,—then a long sigh,—and the poem is written.
deathnounUS /deθ/
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading I have often had the blood drop from my cheeks when it struck, and felt that I turned as white as death.
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Then comes a creeping as of centipedes running down the spine,—then a gasp and a great jump of the heart,—then a sudden flush and a beating in the vessels of the head,—then a long sigh,—and the poem is written.
dropverbUS /drɑːp/
let fall to the ground
From this reading I have often had the blood drop from my cheeks when it struck, and felt that I turned as white as death.
faradverbUS /fɑːr/
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading No,—said he,—far from it.
feltverbUS /felt/
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading I have often had the blood drop from my cheeks when it struck, and felt that I turned as white as death.
flushnounUS /flʌʃ/
the period of greatest prosperity or productivity
From this reading Then comes a creeping as of centipedes running down the spine,—then a gasp and a great jump of the heart,—then a sudden flush and a beating in the vessels of the head,—then a long sigh,—and the poem is written.
foreheadnounUS /ˈfɔːrhed/
the part of the face above the eyes
From this reading A lyric conception—my friend, the Poet, said—hits me like a bullet in the forehead.
friendnounUS /frend/
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading A lyric conception—my friend, the Poet, said—hits me like a bullet in the forehead.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading I have often had the blood drop from my cheeks when it struck, and felt that I turned as white as death.
gaspnounUS /ɡæsp/
a short labored intake of breath with the mouth open
From this reading Then comes a creeping as of centipedes running down the spine,—then a gasp and a great jump of the heart,—then a sudden flush and a beating in the vessels of the head,—then a long sigh,—and the poem is written.
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Then comes a creeping as of centipedes running down the spine,—then a gasp and a great jump of the heart,—then a sudden flush and a beating in the vessels of the head,—then a long sigh,—and the poem is written.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I have often had the blood drop from my cheeks when it struck, and felt that I turned as white as death.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I have often had the blood drop from my cheeks when it struck, and felt that I turned as white as death.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading No,—said he,—far from it.
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 Then comes a creeping as of centipedes running down the spine,—then a gasp and a great jump of the heart,—then a sudden flush and a beating in the vessels of the head,—then a long sigh,—and the poem is written.
heartnounUS /hɑːrt/
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading Then comes a creeping as of centipedes running down the spine,—then a gasp and a great jump of the heart,—then a sudden flush and a beating in the vessels of the head,—then a long sigh,—and the poem is written.
hitsnounUS /hɪts/
plural of “hit” — (baseball) a successful stroke in an athletic contest (especially in baseball)
From this reading A lyric conception—my friend, the Poet, said—hits me like a bullet in the forehead.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I have often had the blood drop from my cheeks when it struck, and felt that I turned as white as death.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading It is an impromptu, I suppose, then, if you write it so suddenly,—I replied.
impromptunounUS /ˌɪmˈprɑːmptuː/
an extemporaneous speech or remark
From this reading It is an impromptu, I suppose, then, if you write it so suddenly,—I replied.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A lyric conception—my friend, the Poet, said—hits me like a bullet in the forehead.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Then comes a creeping as of centipedes running down the spine,—then a gasp and a great jump of the heart,—then a sudden flush and a beating in the vessels of the head,—then a long sigh,—and the poem is written.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I have often had the blood drop from my cheeks when it struck, and felt that I turned as white as death.
jumpverbUS /dʒʌmp/
move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading Then comes a creeping as of centipedes running down the spine,—then a gasp and a great jump of the heart,—then a sudden flush and a beating in the vessels of the head,—then a long sigh,—and the poem is written.
likeverbUS /laɪk/
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading A lyric conception—my friend, the Poet, said—hits me like a bullet in the forehead.
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading Then comes a creeping as of centipedes running down the spine,—then a gasp and a great jump of the heart,—then a sudden flush and a beating in the vessels of the head,—then a long sigh,—and the poem is written.
lyricadjectiveUS /ˈlɪrɪk/
expressing deep emotion
From this reading A lyric conception—my friend, the Poet, said—hits me like a bullet in the forehead.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading A lyric conception—my friend, the Poet, said—hits me like a bullet in the forehead.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading A lyric conception—my friend, the Poet, said—hits me like a bullet in the forehead.
NodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading No,—said he,—far from it.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Then comes a creeping as of centipedes running down the spine,—then a gasp and a great jump of the heart,—then a sudden flush and a beating in the vessels of the head,—then a long sigh,—and the poem is written.
oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/
many times at short intervals
From this reading I have often had the blood drop from my cheeks when it struck, and felt that I turned as white as death.
poemnounUS /ˈpoʊəm/
a composition written in metrical feet forming rhythmical lines
From this reading Then comes a creeping as of centipedes running down the spine,—then a gasp and a great jump of the heart,—then a sudden flush and a beating in the vessels of the head,—then a long sigh,—and the poem is written.
PoetnounUS /ˈpoʊət/
a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry)
From this reading A lyric conception—my friend, the Poet, said—hits me like a bullet in the forehead.
repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading It is an impromptu, I suppose, then, if you write it so suddenly,—I replied.
runningadjectiveUS /ˈrʌnɪŋ/
(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream
From this reading Then comes a creeping as of centipedes running down the spine,—then a gasp and a great jump of the heart,—then a sudden flush and a beating in the vessels of the head,—then a long sigh,—and the poem is written.
saidadjectiveUS /sed/
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading A lyric conception—my friend, the Poet, said—hits me like a bullet in the forehead.
sighverbUS /saɪ/
heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily
From this reading Then comes a creeping as of centipedes running down the spine,—then a gasp and a great jump of the heart,—then a sudden flush and a beating in the vessels of the head,—then a long sigh,—and the poem is written.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It is an impromptu, I suppose, then, if you write it so suddenly,—I replied.
spinenounUS /spaɪn/
the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord
From this reading Then comes a creeping as of centipedes running down the spine,—then a gasp and a great jump of the heart,—then a sudden flush and a beating in the vessels of the head,—then a long sigh,—and the poem is written.
struckadjectiveUS /strʌk/
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading I have often had the blood drop from my cheeks when it struck, and felt that I turned as white as death.
suddenadjectiveUS /ˈsʌdən/
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading Then comes a creeping as of centipedes running down the spine,—then a gasp and a great jump of the heart,—then a sudden flush and a beating in the vessels of the head,—then a long sigh,—and the poem is written.
suddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/
happening unexpectedly
From this reading It is an impromptu, I suppose, then, if you write it so suddenly,—I replied.
supposeverbUS /səˈpoʊz/
express a supposition
From this reading It is an impromptu, I suppose, then, if you write it so suddenly,—I replied.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I have often had the blood drop from my cheeks when it struck, and felt that I turned as white as death.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A lyric conception—my friend, the Poet, said—hits me like a bullet in the forehead.
ThenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then comes a creeping as of centipedes running down the spine,—then a gasp and a great jump of the heart,—then a sudden flush and a beating in the vessels of the head,—then a long sigh,—and the poem is written.
turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/
moved around an axis or center
From this reading I have often had the blood drop from my cheeks when it struck, and felt that I turned as white as death.
vesselsnounUS /ˈvesəlz/
plural of “vessel” — a tube in which a body fluid circulates
From this reading Then comes a creeping as of centipedes running down the spine,—then a gasp and a great jump of the heart,—then a sudden flush and a beating in the vessels of the head,—then a long sigh,—and the poem is written.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading I have often had the blood drop from my cheeks when it struck, and felt that I turned as white as death.
whitenounUS /waɪt/
a Caucasian
From this reading I have often had the blood drop from my cheeks when it struck, and felt that I turned as white as death.
writeverbUS /raɪt/
produce a literary work
From this reading It is an impromptu, I suppose, then, if you write it so suddenly,—I replied.
writtenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/
set down in writing in any of various ways
From this reading Then comes a creeping as of centipedes running down the spine,—then a gasp and a great jump of the heart,—then a sudden flush and a beating in the vessels of the head,—then a long sigh,—and the poem is written.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading It is an impromptu, I suppose, then, if you write it so suddenly,—I replied.
