adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading POSTSCRIPT It _was_ a diamond, although it _had_ splintered.
althoughconjunctionUS /ˌɔːlˈðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading POSTSCRIPT It _was_ a diamond, although it _had_ splintered.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was declared by experts that the diamond, at some period of its history, had been subjected to intense and continuing heat.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The man behind the counter had not been wrong; examination of such dust as could be collected proved that fact beyond a doubt.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It was declared by experts that the diamond, at some period of its history, had been subjected to intense and continuing heat.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The man behind the counter had not been wrong; examination of such dust as could be collected proved that fact beyond a doubt.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The man behind the counter had not been wrong; examination of such dust as could be collected proved that fact beyond a doubt.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading The man behind the counter had not been wrong; examination of such dust as could be collected proved that fact beyond a doubt.
beyondprepositionUS /bɪˈɑːnd/
on the far side of; further than
From this reading The man behind the counter had not been wrong; examination of such dust as could be collected proved that fact beyond a doubt.
brittleadjectiveUS /ˈbrɪtəl/
having little elasticity; hence easily cracked or fractured or snapped
From this reading The result had been to make it as brittle as glass.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading It was declared by experts that the diamond, at some period of its history, had been subjected to intense and continuing heat.
collectedadjectiveUS /kəˈlektəd/
brought together in one place
From this reading The man behind the counter had not been wrong; examination of such dust as could be collected proved that fact beyond a doubt.
continuingadjectiveUS /kənˈtɪnjuːɪŋ/
remaining in force or being carried on without letup
From this reading It was declared by experts that the diamond, at some period of its history, had been subjected to intense and continuing heat.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The man behind the counter had not been wrong; examination of such dust as could be collected proved that fact beyond a doubt.
counternounUS /ˈkaʊntər/
table consisting of a horizontal surface over which business is transacted
From this reading The man behind the counter had not been wrong; examination of such dust as could be collected proved that fact beyond a doubt.
declaredadjectiveUS /dɪˈklerd/
made known or openly avowed
From this reading It was declared by experts that the diamond, at some period of its history, had been subjected to intense and continuing heat.
diamondnounUS /ˈdaɪmənd/
a transparent piece of diamond that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem
From this reading POSTSCRIPT It _was_ a diamond, although it _had_ splintered.
doubtnounUS /daʊt/
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading The man behind the counter had not been wrong; examination of such dust as could be collected proved that fact beyond a doubt.
dustverbUS /dʌst/
remove the dust from
From this reading The man behind the counter had not been wrong; examination of such dust as could be collected proved that fact beyond a doubt.
examinationnounUS /ɪɡˌzæməˈneɪʃən/
the act of examining something closely (as for mistakes)
From this reading The man behind the counter had not been wrong; examination of such dust as could be collected proved that fact beyond a doubt.
expertsnounUS /ˈekspərts/
plural of “expert” — a person with special knowledge or ability who performs skillfully
From this reading It was declared by experts that the diamond, at some period of its history, had been subjected to intense and continuing heat.
factnounUS /fækt/
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading In that fact lay the point of the joke.
glassnounUS /ɡlæs/
a brittle transparent solid with irregular atomic structure
From this reading The result had been to make it as brittle as glass.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading POSTSCRIPT It _was_ a diamond, although it _had_ splintered.
heatnounUS /hiːt/
a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature
From this reading It was declared by experts that the diamond, at some period of its history, had been subjected to intense and continuing heat.
historynounUS /ˈhɪstəri/
the aggregate of past events
From this reading It was declared by experts that the diamond, at some period of its history, had been subjected to intense and continuing heat.
InprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In that fact lay the point of the joke.
intenseadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtens/
possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree
From this reading It was declared by experts that the diamond, at some period of its history, had been subjected to intense and continuing heat.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading POSTSCRIPT It _was_ a diamond, although it _had_ splintered.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading It was declared by experts that the diamond, at some period of its history, had been subjected to intense and continuing heat.
jokenounUS /dʒoʊk/
a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
From this reading In that fact lay the point of the joke.
layverbUS /leɪ/
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading In that fact lay the point of the joke.
makeverbUS /meɪk/
engage in
From this reading The result had been to make it as brittle as glass.
mannounUS /mæn/
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The man behind the counter had not been wrong; examination of such dust as could be collected proved that fact beyond a doubt.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The man behind the counter had not been wrong; examination of such dust as could be collected proved that fact beyond a doubt.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In that fact lay the point of the joke.
periodnounUS /ˈpɪriəd/
an amount of time
From this reading It was declared by experts that the diamond, at some period of its history, had been subjected to intense and continuing heat.
pointnounUS /pɔɪnt/
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading In that fact lay the point of the joke.
POSTSCRIPTnounUS /ˈpoʊskrɪpt/
a note appended to a letter after the signature
From this reading POSTSCRIPT It _was_ a diamond, although it _had_ splintered.
provedadjectiveUS /pruːvd/
established beyond doubt
From this reading The man behind the counter had not been wrong; examination of such dust as could be collected proved that fact beyond a doubt.
resultnounUS /rɪˈzʌlt/
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading The result had been to make it as brittle as glass.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading It was declared by experts that the diamond, at some period of its history, had been subjected to intense and continuing heat.
splinteredverbUS /ˈsplɪntərd/
past form of “splinter” — withdraw from an organization or communion
From this reading POSTSCRIPT It _was_ a diamond, although it _had_ splintered.
subjectedverbUS /səbˈdʒektɪd/
past form of “subject” — cause to experience or suffer or make liable or vulnerable to
From this reading It was declared by experts that the diamond, at some period of its history, had been subjected to intense and continuing heat.
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading The man behind the counter had not been wrong; examination of such dust as could be collected proved that fact beyond a doubt.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading In that fact lay the point of the joke.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading In that fact lay the point of the joke.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was declared by experts that the diamond, at some period of its history, had been subjected to intense and continuing heat.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading POSTSCRIPT It _was_ a diamond, although it _had_ splintered.
wrongadjectiveUS /rɔːŋ/
not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth
From this reading The man behind the counter had not been wrong; examination of such dust as could be collected proved that fact beyond a doubt.
