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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 The whole distance to be crossed was not above a quarter of a mile.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading The whole distance to be crossed was not above a quarter of a mile.
alarm
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From this reading By these so early signals of alarm he feared to find his enemies prepared; and if he failed to gain a footing in the town, he knew that his small party would soon be broken and exterminated in the open.
Almost
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From this reading Almost at the same moment a great rumour began to arise, and spread and grow continually louder in the town; and they were not yet halfway to the nearest house before the bells began to ring backward from the steeple.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading But they had no sooner debauched beyond the cover of the trees than they were aware of people fleeing and screaming in the snowy meadows upon either hand.
arise
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From this reading Almost at the same moment a great rumour began to arise, and spread and grow continually louder in the town; and they were not yet halfway to the nearest house before the bells began to ring backward from the steeple.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Almost at the same moment a great rumour began to arise, and spread and grow continually louder in the town; and they were not yet halfway to the nearest house before the bells began to ring backward from the steeple.
aware
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From this reading But they had no sooner debauched beyond the cover of the trees than they were aware of people fleeing and screaming in the snowy meadows upon either hand.
backward
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From this reading Almost at the same moment a great rumour began to arise, and spread and grow continually louder in the town; and they were not yet halfway to the nearest house before the bells began to ring backward from the steeple.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The whole distance to be crossed was not above a quarter of a mile.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Almost at the same moment a great rumour began to arise, and spread and grow continually louder in the town; and they were not yet halfway to the nearest house before the bells began to ring backward from the steeple.
begannounUS /began/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Almost at the same moment a great rumour began to arise, and spread and grow continually louder in the town; and they were not yet halfway to the nearest house before the bells began to ring backward from the steeple.
bells
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From this reading Almost at the same moment a great rumour began to arise, and spread and grow continually louder in the town; and they were not yet halfway to the nearest house before the bells began to ring backward from the steeple.
beyondprepositionUS /bɪˈɑːnd/
on the far side of; further than
From this reading But they had no sooner debauched beyond the cover of the trees than they were aware of people fleeing and screaming in the snowy meadows upon either hand.
brokennounUS /broken/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading By these so early signals of alarm he feared to find his enemies prepared; and if he failed to gain a footing in the town, he knew that his small party would soon be broken and exterminated in the open.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But they had no sooner debauched beyond the cover of the trees than they were aware of people fleeing and screaming in the snowy meadows upon either hand.
ByprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading By these so early signals of alarm he feared to find his enemies prepared; and if he failed to gain a footing in the town, he knew that his small party would soon be broken and exterminated in the open.
continually
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From this reading Almost at the same moment a great rumour began to arise, and spread and grow continually louder in the town; and they were not yet halfway to the nearest house before the bells began to ring backward from the steeple.
cover
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From this reading But they had no sooner debauched beyond the cover of the trees than they were aware of people fleeing and screaming in the snowy meadows upon either hand.
crossed
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From this reading The whole distance to be crossed was not above a quarter of a mile.
debauched
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From this reading But they had no sooner debauched beyond the cover of the trees than they were aware of people fleeing and screaming in the snowy meadows upon either hand.
distance
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From this reading The whole distance to be crossed was not above a quarter of a mile.
duke
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From this reading The young duke ground his teeth together.
early
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From this reading By these so early signals of alarm he feared to find his enemies prepared; and if he failed to gain a footing in the town, he knew that his small party would soon be broken and exterminated in the open.
eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/
one or the other of two
From this reading But they had no sooner debauched beyond the cover of the trees than they were aware of people fleeing and screaming in the snowy meadows upon either hand.
enemies
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By these so early signals of alarm he feared to find his enemies prepared; and if he failed to gain a footing in the town, he knew that his small party would soon be broken and exterminated in the open.
exterminated
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From this reading By these so early signals of alarm he feared to find his enemies prepared; and if he failed to gain a footing in the town, he knew that his small party would soon be broken and exterminated in the open.
failed
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From this reading By these so early signals of alarm he feared to find his enemies prepared; and if he failed to gain a footing in the town, he knew that his small party would soon be broken and exterminated in the open.
feared
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By these so early signals of alarm he feared to find his enemies prepared; and if he failed to gain a footing in the town, he knew that his small party would soon be broken and exterminated in the open.
find
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From this reading By these so early signals of alarm he feared to find his enemies prepared; and if he failed to gain a footing in the town, he knew that his small party would soon be broken and exterminated in the open.
fleeing
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From this reading But they had no sooner debauched beyond the cover of the trees than they were aware of people fleeing and screaming in the snowy meadows upon either hand.
footing
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From this reading By these so early signals of alarm he feared to find his enemies prepared; and if he failed to gain a footing in the town, he knew that his small party would soon be broken and exterminated in the open.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Almost at the same moment a great rumour began to arise, and spread and grow continually louder in the town; and they were not yet halfway to the nearest house before the bells began to ring backward from the steeple.
gain
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From this reading By these so early signals of alarm he feared to find his enemies prepared; and if he failed to gain a footing in the town, he knew that his small party would soon be broken and exterminated in the open.
greatnounUS /great/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Almost at the same moment a great rumour began to arise, and spread and grow continually louder in the town; and they were not yet halfway to the nearest house before the bells began to ring backward from the steeple.
ground
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From this reading The young duke ground his teeth together.
grow
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From this reading Almost at the same moment a great rumour began to arise, and spread and grow continually louder in the town; and they were not yet halfway to the nearest house before the bells began to ring backward from the steeple.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading But they had no sooner debauched beyond the cover of the trees than they were aware of people fleeing and screaming in the snowy meadows upon either hand.
halfway
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From this reading Almost at the same moment a great rumour began to arise, and spread and grow continually louder in the town; and they were not yet halfway to the nearest house before the bells began to ring backward from the steeple.
hand
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From this reading But they had no sooner debauched beyond the cover of the trees than they were aware of people fleeing and screaming in the snowy meadows upon either hand.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading By these so early signals of alarm he feared to find his enemies prepared; and if he failed to gain a footing in the town, he knew that his small party would soon be broken and exterminated in the open.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The young duke ground his teeth together.
house
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From this reading Almost at the same moment a great rumour began to arise, and spread and grow continually louder in the town; and they were not yet halfway to the nearest house before the bells began to ring backward from the steeple.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading By these so early signals of alarm he feared to find his enemies prepared; and if he failed to gain a footing in the town, he knew that his small party would soon be broken and exterminated in the open.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But they had no sooner debauched beyond the cover of the trees than they were aware of people fleeing and screaming in the snowy meadows upon either hand.
knew
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By these so early signals of alarm he feared to find his enemies prepared; and if he failed to gain a footing in the town, he knew that his small party would soon be broken and exterminated in the open.
louder
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From this reading Almost at the same moment a great rumour began to arise, and spread and grow continually louder in the town; and they were not yet halfway to the nearest house before the bells began to ring backward from the steeple.
meadows
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But they had no sooner debauched beyond the cover of the trees than they were aware of people fleeing and screaming in the snowy meadows upon either hand.
mile
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The whole distance to be crossed was not above a quarter of a mile.
moment
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Almost at the same moment a great rumour began to arise, and spread and grow continually louder in the town; and they were not yet halfway to the nearest house before the bells began to ring backward from the steeple.
nearest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Almost at the same moment a great rumour began to arise, and spread and grow continually louder in the town; and they were not yet halfway to the nearest house before the bells began to ring backward from the steeple.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading But they had no sooner debauched beyond the cover of the trees than they were aware of people fleeing and screaming in the snowy meadows upon either hand.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The whole distance to be crossed was not above a quarter of a mile.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The whole distance to be crossed was not above a quarter of a mile.
openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/
To move from a closed position.
From this reading By these so early signals of alarm he feared to find his enemies prepared; and if he failed to gain a footing in the town, he knew that his small party would soon be broken and exterminated in the open.
partynounUS /party/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading By these so early signals of alarm he feared to find his enemies prepared; and if he failed to gain a footing in the town, he knew that his small party would soon be broken and exterminated in the open.
people
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From this reading But they had no sooner debauched beyond the cover of the trees than they were aware of people fleeing and screaming in the snowy meadows upon either hand.
prepared
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By these so early signals of alarm he feared to find his enemies prepared; and if he failed to gain a footing in the town, he knew that his small party would soon be broken and exterminated in the open.
quarter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The whole distance to be crossed was not above a quarter of a mile.
ring
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Almost at the same moment a great rumour began to arise, and spread and grow continually louder in the town; and they were not yet halfway to the nearest house before the bells began to ring backward from the steeple.
rumour
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Almost at the same moment a great rumour began to arise, and spread and grow continually louder in the town; and they were not yet halfway to the nearest house before the bells began to ring backward from the steeple.
samenounUS /same/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Almost at the same moment a great rumour began to arise, and spread and grow continually louder in the town; and they were not yet halfway to the nearest house before the bells began to ring backward from the steeple.
screaming
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From this reading But they had no sooner debauched beyond the cover of the trees than they were aware of people fleeing and screaming in the snowy meadows upon either hand.
signals
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From this reading By these so early signals of alarm he feared to find his enemies prepared; and if he failed to gain a footing in the town, he knew that his small party would soon be broken and exterminated in the open.
small
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By these so early signals of alarm he feared to find his enemies prepared; and if he failed to gain a footing in the town, he knew that his small party would soon be broken and exterminated in the open.
snowy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But they had no sooner debauched beyond the cover of the trees than they were aware of people fleeing and screaming in the snowy meadows upon either hand.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading By these so early signals of alarm he feared to find his enemies prepared; and if he failed to gain a footing in the town, he knew that his small party would soon be broken and exterminated in the open.
soon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By these so early signals of alarm he feared to find his enemies prepared; and if he failed to gain a footing in the town, he knew that his small party would soon be broken and exterminated in the open.
sooner
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But they had no sooner debauched beyond the cover of the trees than they were aware of people fleeing and screaming in the snowy meadows upon either hand.
spread
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Almost at the same moment a great rumour began to arise, and spread and grow continually louder in the town; and they were not yet halfway to the nearest house before the bells began to ring backward from the steeple.
steeple
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Almost at the same moment a great rumour began to arise, and spread and grow continually louder in the town; and they were not yet halfway to the nearest house before the bells began to ring backward from the steeple.
teeth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The young duke ground his teeth together.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading But they had no sooner debauched beyond the cover of the trees than they were aware of people fleeing and screaming in the snowy meadows upon either hand.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading By these so early signals of alarm he feared to find his enemies prepared; and if he failed to gain a footing in the town, he knew that his small party would soon be broken and exterminated in the open.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The whole distance to be crossed was not above a quarter of a mile.
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading By these so early signals of alarm he feared to find his enemies prepared; and if he failed to gain a footing in the town, he knew that his small party would soon be broken and exterminated in the open.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But they had no sooner debauched beyond the cover of the trees than they were aware of people fleeing and screaming in the snowy meadows upon either hand.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The whole distance to be crossed was not above a quarter of a mile.
together
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From this reading The young duke ground his teeth together.
town
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Almost at the same moment a great rumour began to arise, and spread and grow continually louder in the town; and they were not yet halfway to the nearest house before the bells began to ring backward from the steeple.
trees
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But they had no sooner debauched beyond the cover of the trees than they were aware of people fleeing and screaming in the snowy meadows upon either hand.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading But they had no sooner debauched beyond the cover of the trees than they were aware of people fleeing and screaming in the snowy meadows upon either hand.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The whole distance to be crossed was not above a quarter of a mile.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading But they had no sooner debauched beyond the cover of the trees than they were aware of people fleeing and screaming in the snowy meadows upon either hand.
whole
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The whole distance to be crossed was not above a quarter of a mile.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading By these so early signals of alarm he feared to find his enemies prepared; and if he failed to gain a footing in the town, he knew that his small party would soon be broken and exterminated in the open.
yetconjunctionUS /jet/
but in spite of that
From this reading Almost at the same moment a great rumour began to arise, and spread and grow continually louder in the town; and they were not yet halfway to the nearest house before the bells began to ring backward from the steeple.
young
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The young duke ground his teeth together.