adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Above the shrill whistle for more coal I heard a voice shout, "Began with an explosion - it's the fire- bug, all right."
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading I had been so busy trying to make myself believe that I was really of some assistance about the engine that I had not taken time to watch the fire itself.
AboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Above the shrill whistle for more coal I heard a voice shout, "Began with an explosion - it's the fire- bug, all right."
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading Above the shrill whistle for more coal I heard a voice shout, "Began with an explosion - it's the fire- bug, all right."
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Above the shrill whistle for more coal I heard a voice shout, "Began with an explosion - it's the fire- bug, all right."
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was McCormick, dripping and grimy, in a high state of excitement, talking to Kennedy.
assistancenounUS /əˈsɪstəns/
the activity of contributing to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose
From this reading I had been so busy trying to make myself believe that I was really of some assistance about the engine that I had not taken time to watch the fire itself.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading I had been so busy trying to make myself believe that I was really of some assistance about the engine that I had not taken time to watch the fire itself.
BeganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Above the shrill whistle for more coal I heard a voice shout, "Began with an explosion - it's the fire- bug, all right."
believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading I had been so busy trying to make myself believe that I was really of some assistance about the engine that I had not taken time to watch the fire itself.
bugnounUS /bʌɡ/
general term for any insect or similar creeping or crawling invertebrate
From this reading Above the shrill whistle for more coal I heard a voice shout, "Began with an explosion - it's the fire- bug, all right."
busyadjectiveUS /ˈbɪzi/
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading I had been so busy trying to make myself believe that I was really of some assistance about the engine that I had not taken time to watch the fire itself.
coalnounUS /koʊl/
fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period
From this reading Above the shrill whistle for more coal I heard a voice shout, "Began with an explosion - it's the fire- bug, all right."
controlnounUS /kənˈtroʊl/
power to direct or determine
From this reading It was now under control.
drippingnounUS /ˈdrɪpɪŋ/
a liquid (as water) that flows in drops (as from the eaves of house)
From this reading It was McCormick, dripping and grimy, in a high state of excitement, talking to Kennedy.
enginenounUS /ˈendʒən/
motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work
From this reading I had been so busy trying to make myself believe that I was really of some assistance about the engine that I had not taken time to watch the fire itself.
excitementnounUS /ɪkˈsaɪtmənt/
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading It was McCormick, dripping and grimy, in a high state of excitement, talking to Kennedy.
explosionnounUS /ɪkˈsploʊʒən/
a violent release of energy caused by a chemical or nuclear reaction
From this reading Above the shrill whistle for more coal I heard a voice shout, "Began with an explosion - it's the fire- bug, all right."
fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/
start firing a weapon
From this reading Above the shrill whistle for more coal I heard a voice shout, "Began with an explosion - it's the fire- bug, all right."
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Above the shrill whistle for more coal I heard a voice shout, "Began with an explosion - it's the fire- bug, all right."
grimyadjectiveUS /ˈɡraɪmi/
thickly covered with ingrained dirt or soot
From this reading It was McCormick, dripping and grimy, in a high state of excitement, talking to Kennedy.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I had been so busy trying to make myself believe that I was really of some assistance about the engine that I had not taken time to watch the fire itself.
heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Above the shrill whistle for more coal I heard a voice shout, "Began with an explosion - it's the fire- bug, all right."
highadjectiveUS /haɪ/
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading It was McCormick, dripping and grimy, in a high state of excitement, talking to Kennedy.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Above the shrill whistle for more coal I heard a voice shout, "Began with an explosion - it's the fire- bug, all right."
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was McCormick, dripping and grimy, in a high state of excitement, talking to Kennedy.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was McCormick, dripping and grimy, in a high state of excitement, talking to Kennedy.
it's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Above the shrill whistle for more coal I heard a voice shout, "Began with an explosion - it's the fire- bug, all right."
itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading I had been so busy trying to make myself believe that I was really of some assistance about the engine that I had not taken time to watch the fire itself.
KennedynounUS /ˈkenədi/
35th President of the United States; established the Peace Corps; assassinated in Dallas (1917-1963)
From this reading It was McCormick, dripping and grimy, in a high state of excitement, talking to Kennedy.
lookedverbUS /lʊkt/
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading I looked up.
makeverbUS /meɪk/
engage in
From this reading I had been so busy trying to make myself believe that I was really of some assistance about the engine that I had not taken time to watch the fire itself.
McCormicknounUS /məˈkɔːrmɪk/
United States inventor and manufacturer of a mechanical harvester (1809-1884)
From this reading It was McCormick, dripping and grimy, in a high state of excitement, talking to Kennedy.
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Above the shrill whistle for more coal I heard a voice shout, "Began with an explosion - it's the fire- bug, all right."
myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading I had been so busy trying to make myself believe that I was really of some assistance about the engine that I had not taken time to watch the fire itself.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I had been so busy trying to make myself believe that I was really of some assistance about the engine that I had not taken time to watch the fire itself.
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading It was now under control.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was McCormick, dripping and grimy, in a high state of excitement, talking to Kennedy.
reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading I had been so busy trying to make myself believe that I was really of some assistance about the engine that I had not taken time to watch the fire itself.
rightadverbUS /raɪt/
precisely, exactly
From this reading Above the shrill whistle for more coal I heard a voice shout, "Began with an explosion - it's the fire- bug, all right."
shoutverbUS /ʃaʊt/
utter in a loud voice; talk in a loud voice (usually denoting characteristic manner of speaking)
From this reading Above the shrill whistle for more coal I heard a voice shout, "Began with an explosion - it's the fire- bug, all right."
shrilladjectiveUS /ʃrɪl/
having or emitting a high-pitched and sharp tone or tones
From this reading Above the shrill whistle for more coal I heard a voice shout, "Began with an explosion - it's the fire- bug, all right."
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading I had been so busy trying to make myself believe that I was really of some assistance about the engine that I had not taken time to watch the fire itself.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading I had been so busy trying to make myself believe that I was really of some assistance about the engine that I had not taken time to watch the fire itself.
statenounUS /steɪt/
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading It was McCormick, dripping and grimy, in a high state of excitement, talking to Kennedy.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading I had been so busy trying to make myself believe that I was really of some assistance about the engine that I had not taken time to watch the fire itself.
talkingnounUS /ˈtɔːkɪŋ/
an exchange of ideas via conversation
From this reading It was McCormick, dripping and grimy, in a high state of excitement, talking to Kennedy.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I had been so busy trying to make myself believe that I was really of some assistance about the engine that I had not taken time to watch the fire itself.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Above the shrill whistle for more coal I heard a voice shout, "Began with an explosion - it's the fire- bug, all right."
timenounUS /taɪm/
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading I had been so busy trying to make myself believe that I was really of some assistance about the engine that I had not taken time to watch the fire itself.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was McCormick, dripping and grimy, in a high state of excitement, talking to Kennedy.
tryingadjectiveUS /ˈtraɪɪŋ/
hard to endure
From this reading I had been so busy trying to make myself believe that I was really of some assistance about the engine that I had not taken time to watch the fire itself.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading It was now under control.
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading I looked up.
voicenounUS /vɔɪs/
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading Above the shrill whistle for more coal I heard a voice shout, "Began with an explosion - it's the fire- bug, all right."
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was McCormick, dripping and grimy, in a high state of excitement, talking to Kennedy.
watchverbUS /wɑːtʃ/
look attentively
From this reading I had been so busy trying to make myself believe that I was really of some assistance about the engine that I had not taken time to watch the fire itself.
whistleverbUS /ˈwɪsəl/
make whistling sounds
From this reading Above the shrill whistle for more coal I heard a voice shout, "Began with an explosion - it's the fire- bug, all right."
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Above the shrill whistle for more coal I heard a voice shout, "Began with an explosion - it's the fire- bug, all right."
