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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 When Spring and first love meet in a girl's heart, then the birds sing.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Stormed by an attack of his cacoethes scribendi, after those few blank days at Becket, Felix saw nothing amiss with his young daughter.
all
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From this reading The songs that blackbirds and dusty-coated thrushes flung through Nedda's window when she awoke in Hampstead those May mornings seemed to have been sung by herself all night.
amiss
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From this reading Stormed by an attack of his cacoethes scribendi, after those few blank days at Becket, Felix saw nothing amiss with his young daughter.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Stormed by an attack of his cacoethes scribendi, after those few blank days at Becket, Felix saw nothing amiss with his young daughter.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When Spring and first love meet in a girl's heart, then the birds sing.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Whether the lawn below were a field of bright dew, or dry and darkish in a shiver of east wind, her eyes never grew dim all day; and her blood felt as light as ostrich feathers.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Stormed by an attack of his cacoethes scribendi, after those few blank days at Becket, Felix saw nothing amiss with his young daughter.
attack
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From this reading Stormed by an attack of his cacoethes scribendi, after those few blank days at Becket, Felix saw nothing amiss with his young daughter.
awoke
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From this reading The songs that blackbirds and dusty-coated thrushes flung through Nedda's window when she awoke in Hampstead those May mornings seemed to have been sung by herself all night.
Becket
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From this reading Stormed by an attack of his cacoethes scribendi, after those few blank days at Becket, Felix saw nothing amiss with his young daughter.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The songs that blackbirds and dusty-coated thrushes flung through Nedda's window when she awoke in Hampstead those May mornings seemed to have been sung by herself all night.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading Whether the lawn below were a field of bright dew, or dry and darkish in a shiver of east wind, her eyes never grew dim all day; and her blood felt as light as ostrich feathers.
birds
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From this reading When Spring and first love meet in a girl's heart, then the birds sing.
blackbirds
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From this reading The songs that blackbirds and dusty-coated thrushes flung through Nedda's window when she awoke in Hampstead those May mornings seemed to have been sung by herself all night.
blank
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From this reading Stormed by an attack of his cacoethes scribendi, after those few blank days at Becket, Felix saw nothing amiss with his young daughter.
bloodnounUS /blood/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Whether the lawn below were a field of bright dew, or dry and darkish in a shiver of east wind, her eyes never grew dim all day; and her blood felt as light as ostrich feathers.
bright
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From this reading Whether the lawn below were a field of bright dew, or dry and darkish in a shiver of east wind, her eyes never grew dim all day; and her blood felt as light as ostrich feathers.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The songs that blackbirds and dusty-coated thrushes flung through Nedda's window when she awoke in Hampstead those May mornings seemed to have been sung by herself all night.
cacoethes
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From this reading Stormed by an attack of his cacoethes scribendi, after those few blank days at Becket, Felix saw nothing amiss with his young daughter.
darkish
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From this reading Whether the lawn below were a field of bright dew, or dry and darkish in a shiver of east wind, her eyes never grew dim all day; and her blood felt as light as ostrich feathers.
daughter
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From this reading Stormed by an attack of his cacoethes scribendi, after those few blank days at Becket, Felix saw nothing amiss with his young daughter.
day
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From this reading Whether the lawn below were a field of bright dew, or dry and darkish in a shiver of east wind, her eyes never grew dim all day; and her blood felt as light as ostrich feathers.
days
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From this reading Stormed by an attack of his cacoethes scribendi, after those few blank days at Becket, Felix saw nothing amiss with his young daughter.
dew
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From this reading Whether the lawn below were a field of bright dew, or dry and darkish in a shiver of east wind, her eyes never grew dim all day; and her blood felt as light as ostrich feathers.
dim
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From this reading Whether the lawn below were a field of bright dew, or dry and darkish in a shiver of east wind, her eyes never grew dim all day; and her blood felt as light as ostrich feathers.
dry
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From this reading Whether the lawn below were a field of bright dew, or dry and darkish in a shiver of east wind, her eyes never grew dim all day; and her blood felt as light as ostrich feathers.
dusty-coated
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From this reading The songs that blackbirds and dusty-coated thrushes flung through Nedda's window when she awoke in Hampstead those May mornings seemed to have been sung by herself all night.
east
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From this reading Whether the lawn below were a field of bright dew, or dry and darkish in a shiver of east wind, her eyes never grew dim all day; and her blood felt as light as ostrich feathers.
eyes
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From this reading Whether the sun were flashing on the leaves, or rain-drops sieving through on a sou'west wind, the same warmth glowed up in her the moment her eyes opened.
feathers
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From this reading Whether the lawn below were a field of bright dew, or dry and darkish in a shiver of east wind, her eyes never grew dim all day; and her blood felt as light as ostrich feathers.
Felix
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From this reading Stormed by an attack of his cacoethes scribendi, after those few blank days at Becket, Felix saw nothing amiss with his young daughter.
felt
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From this reading Whether the lawn below were a field of bright dew, or dry and darkish in a shiver of east wind, her eyes never grew dim all day; and her blood felt as light as ostrich feathers.
few
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From this reading Stormed by an attack of his cacoethes scribendi, after those few blank days at Becket, Felix saw nothing amiss with his young daughter.
field
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From this reading Whether the lawn below were a field of bright dew, or dry and darkish in a shiver of east wind, her eyes never grew dim all day; and her blood felt as light as ostrich feathers.
firstnounUS /first/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading When Spring and first love meet in a girl's heart, then the birds sing.
flashing
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From this reading Whether the sun were flashing on the leaves, or rain-drops sieving through on a sou'west wind, the same warmth glowed up in her the moment her eyes opened.
flung
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From this reading The songs that blackbirds and dusty-coated thrushes flung through Nedda's window when she awoke in Hampstead those May mornings seemed to have been sung by herself all night.
girl's
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From this reading When Spring and first love meet in a girl's heart, then the birds sing.
glowed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Whether the sun were flashing on the leaves, or rain-drops sieving through on a sou'west wind, the same warmth glowed up in her the moment her eyes opened.
grew
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From this reading Whether the lawn below were a field of bright dew, or dry and darkish in a shiver of east wind, her eyes never grew dim all day; and her blood felt as light as ostrich feathers.
Hampstead
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From this reading The songs that blackbirds and dusty-coated thrushes flung through Nedda's window when she awoke in Hampstead those May mornings seemed to have been sung by herself all night.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The songs that blackbirds and dusty-coated thrushes flung through Nedda's window when she awoke in Hampstead those May mornings seemed to have been sung by herself all night.
heart
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Spring and first love meet in a girl's heart, then the birds sing.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Whether the sun were flashing on the leaves, or rain-drops sieving through on a sou'west wind, the same warmth glowed up in her the moment her eyes opened.
herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading The songs that blackbirds and dusty-coated thrushes flung through Nedda's window when she awoke in Hampstead those May mornings seemed to have been sung by herself all night.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Stormed by an attack of his cacoethes scribendi, after those few blank days at Becket, Felix saw nothing amiss with his young daughter.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When Spring and first love meet in a girl's heart, then the birds sing.
lawn
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From this reading Whether the lawn below were a field of bright dew, or dry and darkish in a shiver of east wind, her eyes never grew dim all day; and her blood felt as light as ostrich feathers.
leaves
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Whether the sun were flashing on the leaves, or rain-drops sieving through on a sou'west wind, the same warmth glowed up in her the moment her eyes opened.
light
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Whether the lawn below were a field of bright dew, or dry and darkish in a shiver of east wind, her eyes never grew dim all day; and her blood felt as light as ostrich feathers.
love
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Spring and first love meet in a girl's heart, then the birds sing.
Maymodal verbUS /meɪ/
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading The songs that blackbirds and dusty-coated thrushes flung through Nedda's window when she awoke in Hampstead those May mornings seemed to have been sung by herself all night.
meet
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From this reading When Spring and first love meet in a girl's heart, then the birds sing.
moment
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From this reading Whether the sun were flashing on the leaves, or rain-drops sieving through on a sou'west wind, the same warmth glowed up in her the moment her eyes opened.
mornings
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From this reading The songs that blackbirds and dusty-coated thrushes flung through Nedda's window when she awoke in Hampstead those May mornings seemed to have been sung by herself all night.
Nedda's
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From this reading The songs that blackbirds and dusty-coated thrushes flung through Nedda's window when she awoke in Hampstead those May mornings seemed to have been sung by herself all night.
nevernounUS /never/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Whether the lawn below were a field of bright dew, or dry and darkish in a shiver of east wind, her eyes never grew dim all day; and her blood felt as light as ostrich feathers.
night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The songs that blackbirds and dusty-coated thrushes flung through Nedda's window when she awoke in Hampstead those May mornings seemed to have been sung by herself all night.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Stormed by an attack of his cacoethes scribendi, after those few blank days at Becket, Felix saw nothing amiss with his young daughter.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Whether the lawn below were a field of bright dew, or dry and darkish in a shiver of east wind, her eyes never grew dim all day; and her blood felt as light as ostrich feathers.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Whether the sun were flashing on the leaves, or rain-drops sieving through on a sou'west wind, the same warmth glowed up in her the moment her eyes opened.
opened
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Whether the sun were flashing on the leaves, or rain-drops sieving through on a sou'west wind, the same warmth glowed up in her the moment her eyes opened.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Whether the sun were flashing on the leaves, or rain-drops sieving through on a sou'west wind, the same warmth glowed up in her the moment her eyes opened.
ostrich
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Whether the lawn below were a field of bright dew, or dry and darkish in a shiver of east wind, her eyes never grew dim all day; and her blood felt as light as ostrich feathers.
rain-drops
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Whether the sun were flashing on the leaves, or rain-drops sieving through on a sou'west wind, the same warmth glowed up in her the moment her eyes opened.
samenounUS /same/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Whether the sun were flashing on the leaves, or rain-drops sieving through on a sou'west wind, the same warmth glowed up in her the moment her eyes opened.
saw
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Stormed by an attack of his cacoethes scribendi, after those few blank days at Becket, Felix saw nothing amiss with his young daughter.
scribendi
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From this reading Stormed by an attack of his cacoethes scribendi, after those few blank days at Becket, Felix saw nothing amiss with his young daughter.
seemednounUS /seemed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The songs that blackbirds and dusty-coated thrushes flung through Nedda's window when she awoke in Hampstead those May mornings seemed to have been sung by herself all night.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The songs that blackbirds and dusty-coated thrushes flung through Nedda's window when she awoke in Hampstead those May mornings seemed to have been sung by herself all night.
shiver
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From this reading Whether the lawn below were a field of bright dew, or dry and darkish in a shiver of east wind, her eyes never grew dim all day; and her blood felt as light as ostrich feathers.
sieving
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Whether the sun were flashing on the leaves, or rain-drops sieving through on a sou'west wind, the same warmth glowed up in her the moment her eyes opened.
sing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Spring and first love meet in a girl's heart, then the birds sing.
songs
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From this reading The songs that blackbirds and dusty-coated thrushes flung through Nedda's window when she awoke in Hampstead those May mornings seemed to have been sung by herself all night.
sou'west
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Whether the sun were flashing on the leaves, or rain-drops sieving through on a sou'west wind, the same warmth glowed up in her the moment her eyes opened.
Spring
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Spring and first love meet in a girl's heart, then the birds sing.
Stormed
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From this reading Stormed by an attack of his cacoethes scribendi, after those few blank days at Becket, Felix saw nothing amiss with his young daughter.
sun
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Whether the sun were flashing on the leaves, or rain-drops sieving through on a sou'west wind, the same warmth glowed up in her the moment her eyes opened.
sung
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From this reading The songs that blackbirds and dusty-coated thrushes flung through Nedda's window when she awoke in Hampstead those May mornings seemed to have been sung by herself all night.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The songs that blackbirds and dusty-coated thrushes flung through Nedda's window when she awoke in Hampstead those May mornings seemed to have been sung by herself all night.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When Spring and first love meet in a girl's heart, then the birds sing.
then
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From this reading When Spring and first love meet in a girl's heart, then the birds sing.
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading The songs that blackbirds and dusty-coated thrushes flung through Nedda's window when she awoke in Hampstead those May mornings seemed to have been sung by herself all night.
throughnounUS /ˈthrough/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading The songs that blackbirds and dusty-coated thrushes flung through Nedda's window when she awoke in Hampstead those May mornings seemed to have been sung by herself all night.
thrushes
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From this reading The songs that blackbirds and dusty-coated thrushes flung through Nedda's window when she awoke in Hampstead those May mornings seemed to have been sung by herself all night.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The songs that blackbirds and dusty-coated thrushes flung through Nedda's window when she awoke in Hampstead those May mornings seemed to have been sung by herself all night.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Whether the sun were flashing on the leaves, or rain-drops sieving through on a sou'west wind, the same warmth glowed up in her the moment her eyes opened.
warmth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Whether the sun were flashing on the leaves, or rain-drops sieving through on a sou'west wind, the same warmth glowed up in her the moment her eyes opened.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Whether the sun were flashing on the leaves, or rain-drops sieving through on a sou'west wind, the same warmth glowed up in her the moment her eyes opened.
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading When Spring and first love meet in a girl's heart, then the birds sing.
WhetherconjunctionUS /ˈweðər/
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading Whether the sun were flashing on the leaves, or rain-drops sieving through on a sou'west wind, the same warmth glowed up in her the moment her eyes opened.
windnounUS /wind/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Whether the sun were flashing on the leaves, or rain-drops sieving through on a sou'west wind, the same warmth glowed up in her the moment her eyes opened.
window
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From this reading The songs that blackbirds and dusty-coated thrushes flung through Nedda's window when she awoke in Hampstead those May mornings seemed to have been sung by herself all night.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Stormed by an attack of his cacoethes scribendi, after those few blank days at Becket, Felix saw nothing amiss with his young daughter.
young
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Stormed by an attack of his cacoethes scribendi, after those few blank days at Becket, Felix saw nothing amiss with his young daughter.