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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 Curdie's Mission The next night Curdie went home from the mine a little earlier than usual, to make himself tidy before going to the dove tower.
age
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He came rather wearily up the hill: the road, he thought, must have grown steeper in parts since he was Curdie's age.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The princess had not appointed an exact time for him to be there; he would go as near the time he had gone first as he could.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The sun was then down, and the warm first of the twilight filled the evening.
appointed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The princess had not appointed an exact time for him to be there; he would go as near the time he had gone first as he could.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The princess had not appointed an exact time for him to be there; he would go as near the time he had gone first as he could.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The princess had not appointed an exact time for him to be there; he would go as near the time he had gone first as he could.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Curdie's Mission The next night Curdie went home from the mine a little earlier than usual, to make himself tidy before going to the dove tower.
bottom
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On his way to the bottom of the hill, he met his father coming up.
came
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He came rather wearily up the hill: the road, he thought, must have grown steeper in parts since he was Curdie's age.
coming
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On his way to the bottom of the hill, he met his father coming up.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The princess had not appointed an exact time for him to be there; he would go as near the time he had gone first as he could.
Curdie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Curdie's Mission The next night Curdie went home from the mine a little earlier than usual, to make himself tidy before going to the dove tower.
Curdie's
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From this reading Curdie's Mission The next night Curdie went home from the mine a little earlier than usual, to make himself tidy before going to the dove tower.
dove
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From this reading Curdie's Mission The next night Curdie went home from the mine a little earlier than usual, to make himself tidy before going to the dove tower.
down
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sun was then down, and the warm first of the twilight filled the evening.
earlier
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Curdie's Mission The next night Curdie went home from the mine a little earlier than usual, to make himself tidy before going to the dove tower.
evening
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sun was then down, and the warm first of the twilight filled the evening.
exactadjectiveUS /ɪɡˈzækt/
Strictly particular and correct.
From this reading The princess had not appointed an exact time for him to be there; he would go as near the time he had gone first as he could.
father
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On his way to the bottom of the hill, he met his father coming up.
filled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sun was then down, and the warm first of the twilight filled the evening.
firstnounUS /first/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The princess had not appointed an exact time for him to be there; he would go as near the time he had gone first as he could.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The princess had not appointed an exact time for him to be there; he would go as near the time he had gone first as he could.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Curdie's Mission The next night Curdie went home from the mine a little earlier than usual, to make himself tidy before going to the dove tower.
go
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The princess had not appointed an exact time for him to be there; he would go as near the time he had gone first as he could.
going
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Curdie's Mission The next night Curdie went home from the mine a little earlier than usual, to make himself tidy before going to the dove tower.
gone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The princess had not appointed an exact time for him to be there; he would go as near the time he had gone first as he could.
grown
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He came rather wearily up the hill: the road, he thought, must have grown steeper in parts since he was Curdie's age.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The princess had not appointed an exact time for him to be there; he would go as near the time he had gone first as he could.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He came rather wearily up the hill: the road, he thought, must have grown steeper in parts since he was Curdie's age.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The princess had not appointed an exact time for him to be there; he would go as near the time he had gone first as he could.
hill
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On his way to the bottom of the hill, he met his father coming up.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The princess had not appointed an exact time for him to be there; he would go as near the time he had gone first as he could.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Curdie's Mission The next night Curdie went home from the mine a little earlier than usual, to make himself tidy before going to the dove tower.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading On his way to the bottom of the hill, he met his father coming up.
home
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Curdie's Mission The next night Curdie went home from the mine a little earlier than usual, to make himself tidy before going to the dove tower.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He came rather wearily up the hill: the road, he thought, must have grown steeper in parts since he was Curdie's age.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Curdie's Mission The next night Curdie went home from the mine a little earlier than usual, to make himself tidy before going to the dove tower.
makenounUS /make/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Curdie's Mission The next night Curdie went home from the mine a little earlier than usual, to make himself tidy before going to the dove tower.
met
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On his way to the bottom of the hill, he met his father coming up.
minepronounUS /maɪn/
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Curdie's Mission The next night Curdie went home from the mine a little earlier than usual, to make himself tidy before going to the dove tower.
Mission
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Curdie's Mission The next night Curdie went home from the mine a little earlier than usual, to make himself tidy before going to the dove tower.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading He came rather wearily up the hill: the road, he thought, must have grown steeper in parts since he was Curdie's age.
near
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The princess had not appointed an exact time for him to be there; he would go as near the time he had gone first as he could.
nextnounUS /next/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Curdie's Mission The next night Curdie went home from the mine a little earlier than usual, to make himself tidy before going to the dove tower.
night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Curdie's Mission The next night Curdie went home from the mine a little earlier than usual, to make himself tidy before going to the dove tower.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The princess had not appointed an exact time for him to be there; he would go as near the time he had gone first as he could.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading On his way to the bottom of the hill, he met his father coming up.
OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On his way to the bottom of the hill, he met his father coming up.
parts
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He came rather wearily up the hill: the road, he thought, must have grown steeper in parts since he was Curdie's age.
princessnounUS /ˈprɪn.ses/
The daughter of a monarch; a female member of a royal family.
From this reading The princess had not appointed an exact time for him to be there; he would go as near the time he had gone first as he could.
rather
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He came rather wearily up the hill: the road, he thought, must have grown steeper in parts since he was Curdie's age.
road
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He came rather wearily up the hill: the road, he thought, must have grown steeper in parts since he was Curdie's age.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading He came rather wearily up the hill: the road, he thought, must have grown steeper in parts since he was Curdie's age.
steeper
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He came rather wearily up the hill: the road, he thought, must have grown steeper in parts since he was Curdie's age.
sun
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sun was then down, and the warm first of the twilight filled the evening.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Curdie's Mission The next night Curdie went home from the mine a little earlier than usual, to make himself tidy before going to the dove tower.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Curdie's Mission The next night Curdie went home from the mine a little earlier than usual, to make himself tidy before going to the dove tower.
then
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sun was then down, and the warm first of the twilight filled the evening.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The princess had not appointed an exact time for him to be there; he would go as near the time he had gone first as he could.
thoughtnounUS /thought/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He came rather wearily up the hill: the road, he thought, must have grown steeper in parts since he was Curdie's age.
tidy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Curdie's Mission The next night Curdie went home from the mine a little earlier than usual, to make himself tidy before going to the dove tower.
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The princess had not appointed an exact time for him to be there; he would go as near the time he had gone first as he could.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Curdie's Mission The next night Curdie went home from the mine a little earlier than usual, to make himself tidy before going to the dove tower.
tower
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Curdie's Mission The next night Curdie went home from the mine a little earlier than usual, to make himself tidy before going to the dove tower.
twilightnounUS /ˈtwaɪlaɪt/
the dim light before night or sunrise
From this reading The sun was then down, and the warm first of the twilight filled the evening.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On his way to the bottom of the hill, he met his father coming up.
usual
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Curdie's Mission The next night Curdie went home from the mine a little earlier than usual, to make himself tidy before going to the dove tower.
warm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sun was then down, and the warm first of the twilight filled the evening.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The sun was then down, and the warm first of the twilight filled the evening.
way
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On his way to the bottom of the hill, he met his father coming up.
wearily
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He came rather wearily up the hill: the road, he thought, must have grown steeper in parts since he was Curdie's age.
wentnounUS /went/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Curdie's Mission The next night Curdie went home from the mine a little earlier than usual, to make himself tidy before going to the dove tower.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The princess had not appointed an exact time for him to be there; he would go as near the time he had gone first as he could.
