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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 Theirs was a self-respect, a regard for the niceties and clean things of life, which had held them aloof from their kind.
aloof
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From this reading Theirs was a self-respect, a regard for the niceties and clean things of life, which had held them aloof from their kind.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading In an environment made up largely of sordidness and wretchedness they had kept themselves unsullied and wholesome.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Genevieve and Joe were working-class aristocrats.
aristocrats
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From this reading Genevieve and Joe were working-class aristocrats.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The social instinct was strong in them, yet they had remained lonely because they could not satisfy that instinct and at that same time satisfy their desire for cleanness and decency.
becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/
for the reason that
From this reading The social instinct was strong in them, yet they had remained lonely because they could not satisfy that instinct and at that same time satisfy their desire for cleanness and decency.
chum
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From this reading Friends did not come to them easily; nor had either ever possessed a really intimate friend, a heart-companion with whom to chum and have things in common.
clean
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From this reading Theirs was a self-respect, a regard for the niceties and clean things of life, which had held them aloof from their kind.
cleanness
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From this reading The social instinct was strong in them, yet they had remained lonely because they could not satisfy that instinct and at that same time satisfy their desire for cleanness and decency.
comenounUS /come/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Friends did not come to them easily; nor had either ever possessed a really intimate friend, a heart-companion with whom to chum and have things in common.
common
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From this reading Friends did not come to them easily; nor had either ever possessed a really intimate friend, a heart-companion with whom to chum and have things in common.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The social instinct was strong in them, yet they had remained lonely because they could not satisfy that instinct and at that same time satisfy their desire for cleanness and decency.
decency
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From this reading The social instinct was strong in them, yet they had remained lonely because they could not satisfy that instinct and at that same time satisfy their desire for cleanness and decency.
desire
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From this reading The social instinct was strong in them, yet they had remained lonely because they could not satisfy that instinct and at that same time satisfy their desire for cleanness and decency.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Friends did not come to them easily; nor had either ever possessed a really intimate friend, a heart-companion with whom to chum and have things in common.
easily
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From this reading Friends did not come to them easily; nor had either ever possessed a really intimate friend, a heart-companion with whom to chum and have things in common.
eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/
one or the other of two
From this reading Friends did not come to them easily; nor had either ever possessed a really intimate friend, a heart-companion with whom to chum and have things in common.
environment
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From this reading In an environment made up largely of sordidness and wretchedness they had kept themselves unsullied and wholesome.
evernounUS /ever/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Friends did not come to them easily; nor had either ever possessed a really intimate friend, a heart-companion with whom to chum and have things in common.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Theirs was a self-respect, a regard for the niceties and clean things of life, which had held them aloof from their kind.
friend
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Friends did not come to them easily; nor had either ever possessed a really intimate friend, a heart-companion with whom to chum and have things in common.
Friends
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Friends did not come to them easily; nor had either ever possessed a really intimate friend, a heart-companion with whom to chum and have things in common.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Theirs was a self-respect, a regard for the niceties and clean things of life, which had held them aloof from their kind.
Genevieve
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Genevieve and Joe were working-class aristocrats.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading In an environment made up largely of sordidness and wretchedness they had kept themselves unsullied and wholesome.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Friends did not come to them easily; nor had either ever possessed a really intimate friend, a heart-companion with whom to chum and have things in common.
heart-companion
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Friends did not come to them easily; nor had either ever possessed a really intimate friend, a heart-companion with whom to chum and have things in common.
held
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Theirs was a self-respect, a regard for the niceties and clean things of life, which had held them aloof from their kind.
InprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In an environment made up largely of sordidness and wretchedness they had kept themselves unsullied and wholesome.
instinct
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The social instinct was strong in them, yet they had remained lonely because they could not satisfy that instinct and at that same time satisfy their desire for cleanness and decency.
intimate
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Friends did not come to them easily; nor had either ever possessed a really intimate friend, a heart-companion with whom to chum and have things in common.
Joe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Genevieve and Joe were working-class aristocrats.
kept
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From this reading In an environment made up largely of sordidness and wretchedness they had kept themselves unsullied and wholesome.
kind
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From this reading Theirs was a self-respect, a regard for the niceties and clean things of life, which had held them aloof from their kind.
largely
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From this reading In an environment made up largely of sordidness and wretchedness they had kept themselves unsullied and wholesome.
lifenounUS /life/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Theirs was a self-respect, a regard for the niceties and clean things of life, which had held them aloof from their kind.
lonely
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The social instinct was strong in them, yet they had remained lonely because they could not satisfy that instinct and at that same time satisfy their desire for cleanness and decency.
made
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In an environment made up largely of sordidness and wretchedness they had kept themselves unsullied and wholesome.
niceties
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From this reading Theirs was a self-respect, a regard for the niceties and clean things of life, which had held them aloof from their kind.
norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading Friends did not come to them easily; nor had either ever possessed a really intimate friend, a heart-companion with whom to chum and have things in common.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Friends did not come to them easily; nor had either ever possessed a really intimate friend, a heart-companion with whom to chum and have things in common.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In an environment made up largely of sordidness and wretchedness they had kept themselves unsullied and wholesome.
possessed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Friends did not come to them easily; nor had either ever possessed a really intimate friend, a heart-companion with whom to chum and have things in common.
really
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Friends did not come to them easily; nor had either ever possessed a really intimate friend, a heart-companion with whom to chum and have things in common.
regard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Theirs was a self-respect, a regard for the niceties and clean things of life, which had held them aloof from their kind.
remainednounUS /ˈremained/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading The social instinct was strong in them, yet they had remained lonely because they could not satisfy that instinct and at that same time satisfy their desire for cleanness and decency.
samenounUS /same/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The social instinct was strong in them, yet they had remained lonely because they could not satisfy that instinct and at that same time satisfy their desire for cleanness and decency.
satisfy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The social instinct was strong in them, yet they had remained lonely because they could not satisfy that instinct and at that same time satisfy their desire for cleanness and decency.
self-respect
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Theirs was a self-respect, a regard for the niceties and clean things of life, which had held them aloof from their kind.
social
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The social instinct was strong in them, yet they had remained lonely because they could not satisfy that instinct and at that same time satisfy their desire for cleanness and decency.
sordidness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In an environment made up largely of sordidness and wretchedness they had kept themselves unsullied and wholesome.
strong
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From this reading The social instinct was strong in them, yet they had remained lonely because they could not satisfy that instinct and at that same time satisfy their desire for cleanness and decency.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The social instinct was strong in them, yet they had remained lonely because they could not satisfy that instinct and at that same time satisfy their desire for cleanness and decency.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Theirs was a self-respect, a regard for the niceties and clean things of life, which had held them aloof from their kind.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Theirs was a self-respect, a regard for the niceties and clean things of life, which had held them aloof from their kind.
TheirspronounUS /ðerz/
the one or ones belonging to them
From this reading Theirs was a self-respect, a regard for the niceties and clean things of life, which had held them aloof from their kind.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Theirs was a self-respect, a regard for the niceties and clean things of life, which had held them aloof from their kind.
themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading In an environment made up largely of sordidness and wretchedness they had kept themselves unsullied and wholesome.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading In an environment made up largely of sordidness and wretchedness they had kept themselves unsullied and wholesome.
things
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Theirs was a self-respect, a regard for the niceties and clean things of life, which had held them aloof from their kind.
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The social instinct was strong in them, yet they had remained lonely because they could not satisfy that instinct and at that same time satisfy their desire for cleanness and decency.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Friends did not come to them easily; nor had either ever possessed a really intimate friend, a heart-companion with whom to chum and have things in common.
unsullied
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In an environment made up largely of sordidness and wretchedness they had kept themselves unsullied and wholesome.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In an environment made up largely of sordidness and wretchedness they had kept themselves unsullied and wholesome.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Theirs was a self-respect, a regard for the niceties and clean things of life, which had held them aloof from their kind.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Genevieve and Joe were working-class aristocrats.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Theirs was a self-respect, a regard for the niceties and clean things of life, which had held them aloof from their kind.
wholesome
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In an environment made up largely of sordidness and wretchedness they had kept themselves unsullied and wholesome.
whompronounUS /huːm/
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Friends did not come to them easily; nor had either ever possessed a really intimate friend, a heart-companion with whom to chum and have things in common.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Friends did not come to them easily; nor had either ever possessed a really intimate friend, a heart-companion with whom to chum and have things in common.
working-class
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Genevieve and Joe were working-class aristocrats.
wretchedness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In an environment made up largely of sordidness and wretchedness they had kept themselves unsullied and wholesome.
yetconjunctionUS /jet/
but in spite of that
From this reading The social instinct was strong in them, yet they had remained lonely because they could not satisfy that instinct and at that same time satisfy their desire for cleanness and decency.
