AdeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
againadverbUS /əˈɡen/
anew
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
agenounUS /eɪdʒ/
how long something has existed
From this reading I must have turned frightfully pale, for the two boys, who had struck me this blow with the carelessness of their age--of our age--stood there disconcerted.
agoadverbUS /əˈɡoʊ/
in the past
From this reading This occurred sixteen years ago, but I cannot now recall the beating of my heart at those words without horror.
alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/
in addition
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
AndconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "And that he is to be guillotined?"
arrestedverbUS /ərˈestɪd/
past form of “arrest” — take into custody
From this reading "Is it true that the murderer of your father has been arrested?"
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading This occurred sixteen years ago, but I cannot now recall the beating of my heart at those words without horror.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "And that he is to be guillotined?"
beatingnounUS /ˈbiːtɪŋ/
the act of overcoming or outdoing
From this reading This occurred sixteen years ago, but I cannot now recall the beating of my heart at those words without horror.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "Is it true that the murderer of your father has been arrested?"
blindnounUS /blaɪnd/
people who have severe visual impairments, considered as a group
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
blowverbUS /bloʊ/
exhale hard
From this reading I must have turned frightfully pale, for the two boys, who had struck me this blow with the carelessness of their age--of our age--stood there disconcerted.
boysnounUS /bɔɪz/
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading I must have turned frightfully pale, for the two boys, who had struck me this blow with the carelessness of their age--of our age--stood there disconcerted.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading This occurred sixteen years ago, but I cannot now recall the beating of my heart at those words without horror.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
cannot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This occurred sixteen years ago, but I cannot now recall the beating of my heart at those words without horror.
carelessnessnounUS /ˈkerləsnəs/
the quality of not being careful or taking pains
From this reading I must have turned frightfully pale, for the two boys, who had struck me this blow with the carelessness of their age--of our age--stood there disconcerted.
commandnounUS /kəˈmænd/
an authoritative direction or instruction to do something
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
curiositynounUS /ˌkjʊriˈɑːsəti/
a state in which you want to learn more about something
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
disconcertedadjective
having self-possession upset; thrown into confusion
From this reading I must have turned frightfully pale, for the two boys, who had struck me this blow with the carelessness of their age--of our age--stood there disconcerted.
explanationnounUS /ˌekspləˈneɪʃən/
a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading "Is it true that the murderer of your father has been arrested?"
fearverbUS /fɪr/
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
feltverbUS /felt/
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
fistsnounUS /fɪsts/
plural of “fist” — a hand with the fingers clenched in the palm (as for hitting)
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I must have turned frightfully pale, for the two boys, who had struck me this blow with the carelessness of their age--of our age--stood there disconcerted.
frightfullyadverbUS /ˈfraɪtfəli/
used as intensifiers
From this reading I must have turned frightfully pale, for the two boys, who had struck me this blow with the carelessness of their age--of our age--stood there disconcerted.
furynounUS /ˈfjʊri/
a feeling of intense anger
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
guillotined
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "And that he is to be guillotined?"
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I must have turned frightfully pale, for the two boys, who had struck me this blow with the carelessness of their age--of our age--stood there disconcerted.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Is it true that the murderer of your father has been arrested?"
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I must have turned frightfully pale, for the two boys, who had struck me this blow with the carelessness of their age--of our age--stood there disconcerted.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "And that he is to be guillotined?"
heartnounUS /hɑːrt/
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading This occurred sixteen years ago, but I cannot now recall the beating of my heart at those words without horror.
hitverbUS /hɪt/
cause to move by striking
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
horrornounUS /ˈhɔːrər/
intense and profound fear
From this reading This occurred sixteen years ago, but I cannot now recall the beating of my heart at those words without horror.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading This occurred sixteen years ago, but I cannot now recall the beating of my heart at those words without horror.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
impulsenounUS /ˈɪmpəls/
an instinctive motive
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
Isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Is it true that the murderer of your father has been arrested?"
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Is it true that the murderer of your father has been arrested?"
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I must have turned frightfully pale, for the two boys, who had struck me this blow with the carelessness of their age--of our age--stood there disconcerted.
murderernounUS /ˈmɜːrdərər/
a criminal who commits homicide (who performs the unlawful premeditated killing of another human being)
From this reading "Is it true that the murderer of your father has been arrested?"
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading I must have turned frightfully pale, for the two boys, who had struck me this blow with the carelessness of their age--of our age--stood there disconcerted.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading This occurred sixteen years ago, but I cannot now recall the beating of my heart at those words without horror.
myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading This occurred sixteen years ago, but I cannot now recall the beating of my heart at those words without horror.
occurredverbUS /əˈkɜːrd/
inflected form of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading This occurred sixteen years ago, but I cannot now recall the beating of my heart at those words without horror.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Is it true that the murderer of your father has been arrested?"
ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading I must have turned frightfully pale, for the two boys, who had struck me this blow with the carelessness of their age--of our age--stood there disconcerted.
paleadjectiveUS /peɪl/
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading I must have turned frightfully pale, for the two boys, who had struck me this blow with the carelessness of their age--of our age--stood there disconcerted.
pangnounUS /pæŋ/
a sudden sharp feeling
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
recallverbUS /ˈriːkɔːl/
recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
From this reading This occurred sixteen years ago, but I cannot now recall the beating of my heart at those words without horror.
sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/
Identical; not different.
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
seizedverbUS /siːzd/
past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
silentadjectiveUS /ˈsaɪlənt/
marked by absence of sound
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
sixteenadjectiveUS /sɪkˈstiːn/
being one more than fifteen
From this reading This occurred sixteen years ago, but I cannot now recall the beating of my heart at those words without horror.
spokenounUS /spoʊk/
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
stoodverbUS /stʊd/
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading I must have turned frightfully pale, for the two boys, who had struck me this blow with the carelessness of their age--of our age--stood there disconcerted.
struckadjectiveUS /strʌk/
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading I must have turned frightfully pale, for the two boys, who had struck me this blow with the carelessness of their age--of our age--stood there disconcerted.
surroundedadjectiveUS /sərˈaʊndɪd/
confined on all sides
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Is it true that the murderer of your father has been arrested?"
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Is it true that the murderer of your father has been arrested?"
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading I must have turned frightfully pale, for the two boys, who had struck me this blow with the carelessness of their age--of our age--stood there disconcerted.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading I must have turned frightfully pale, for the two boys, who had struck me this blow with the carelessness of their age--of our age--stood there disconcerted.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This occurred sixteen years ago, but I cannot now recall the beating of my heart at those words without horror.
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading This occurred sixteen years ago, but I cannot now recall the beating of my heart at those words without horror.
timenounUS /taɪm/
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "And that he is to be guillotined?"
trueadjectiveUS /truː/
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading "Is it true that the murderer of your father has been arrested?"
turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/
moved around an axis or center
From this reading I must have turned frightfully pale, for the two boys, who had struck me this blow with the carelessness of their age--of our age--stood there disconcerted.
twonounUS /tuː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading I must have turned frightfully pale, for the two boys, who had struck me this blow with the carelessness of their age--of our age--stood there disconcerted.
unknownadjectiveUS /ənˈnoʊn/
not known
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
urgingnounUS /ˈɜːrdʒɪŋ/
a verbalization that encourages you to attempt something
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading I must have turned frightfully pale, for the two boys, who had struck me this blow with the carelessness of their age--of our age--stood there disconcerted.
wildadjectiveUS /waɪld/
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading A blind fury seized upon me, urging me to command them to be silent, and to hit them with my fists if they spoke again; but at the same time I felt a wild impulse of curiosity-- what if this were the explanation of the silence by which I felt myself surrounded?--and also a pang of fear, the fear of the unknown.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading I must have turned frightfully pale, for the two boys, who had struck me this blow with the carelessness of their age--of our age--stood there disconcerted.
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading This occurred sixteen years ago, but I cannot now recall the beating of my heart at those words without horror.
wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/
the words that are spoken
From this reading This occurred sixteen years ago, but I cannot now recall the beating of my heart at those words without horror.
yearsnounUS /jɪrz/
a late time of life
From this reading This occurred sixteen years ago, but I cannot now recall the beating of my heart at those words without horror.
yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Is it true that the murderer of your father has been arrested?"
