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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 Johnny ground the cigarette stub under his heel in the dirt, shrugged his shoulders with a fine imitation of perfect indifference, and yawned.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Indeed, having Bland for a partner was about the last thing Johnny would ever expect himself to do.
all
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From this reading He did not, of course, intend to fall for anything that did not look like good business, and he was not at all anxious to have Bland for a partner.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Johnny ground the cigarette stub under his heel in the dirt, shrugged his shoulders with a fine imitation of perfect indifference, and yawned.
anxious
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not, of course, intend to fall for anything that did not look like good business, and he was not at all anxious to have Bland for a partner.
anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/
any thing at all
From this reading He did not, of course, intend to fall for anything that did not look like good business, and he was not at all anxious to have Bland for a partner.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He did not, of course, intend to fall for anything that did not look like good business, and he was not at all anxious to have Bland for a partner.
Bland
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From this reading He did not, of course, intend to fall for anything that did not look like good business, and he was not at all anxious to have Bland for a partner.
Bland's
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From this reading He would think over Bland's idea.
business
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not, of course, intend to fall for anything that did not look like good business, and he was not at all anxious to have Bland for a partner.
cigarette
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Johnny ground the cigarette stub under his heel in the dirt, shrugged his shoulders with a fine imitation of perfect indifference, and yawned.
coursenounUS /course/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He did not, of course, intend to fall for anything that did not look like good business, and he was not at all anxious to have Bland for a partner.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He did not, of course, intend to fall for anything that did not look like good business, and he was not at all anxious to have Bland for a partner.
dirt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Johnny ground the cigarette stub under his heel in the dirt, shrugged his shoulders with a fine imitation of perfect indifference, and yawned.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Indeed, having Bland for a partner was about the last thing Johnny would ever expect himself to do.
down
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From this reading Still, there was no harm in letting Bland down easy.
easy
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From this reading Still, there was no harm in letting Bland down easy.
evernounUS /ever/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Indeed, having Bland for a partner was about the last thing Johnny would ever expect himself to do.
expectverbUS /ɪkˈspekt/
to think that something will happen
From this reading Indeed, having Bland for a partner was about the last thing Johnny would ever expect himself to do.
fall
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not, of course, intend to fall for anything that did not look like good business, and he was not at all anxious to have Bland for a partner.
finenounUS /fine/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Johnny ground the cigarette stub under his heel in the dirt, shrugged his shoulders with a fine imitation of perfect indifference, and yawned.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He did not, of course, intend to fall for anything that did not look like good business, and he was not at all anxious to have Bland for a partner.
goodnounUS /good/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He did not, of course, intend to fall for anything that did not look like good business, and he was not at all anxious to have Bland for a partner.
ground
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Johnny ground the cigarette stub under his heel in the dirt, shrugged his shoulders with a fine imitation of perfect indifference, and yawned.
harm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Still, there was no harm in letting Bland down easy.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He did not, of course, intend to fall for anything that did not look like good business, and he was not at all anxious to have Bland for a partner.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading Indeed, having Bland for a partner was about the last thing Johnny would ever expect himself to do.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He would think over Bland's idea.
heel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Johnny ground the cigarette stub under his heel in the dirt, shrugged his shoulders with a fine imitation of perfect indifference, and yawned.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Indeed, having Bland for a partner was about the last thing Johnny would ever expect himself to do.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Johnny ground the cigarette stub under his heel in the dirt, shrugged his shoulders with a fine imitation of perfect indifference, and yawned.
idea
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He would think over Bland's idea.
imitation
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Johnny ground the cigarette stub under his heel in the dirt, shrugged his shoulders with a fine imitation of perfect indifference, and yawned.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Johnny ground the cigarette stub under his heel in the dirt, shrugged his shoulders with a fine imitation of perfect indifference, and yawned.
Indeed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Indeed, having Bland for a partner was about the last thing Johnny would ever expect himself to do.
indifference
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Johnny ground the cigarette stub under his heel in the dirt, shrugged his shoulders with a fine imitation of perfect indifference, and yawned.
intend
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not, of course, intend to fall for anything that did not look like good business, and he was not at all anxious to have Bland for a partner.
Johnny
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Johnny ground the cigarette stub under his heel in the dirt, shrugged his shoulders with a fine imitation of perfect indifference, and yawned.
lastnounUS /last/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Indeed, having Bland for a partner was about the last thing Johnny would ever expect himself to do.
letting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Still, there was no harm in letting Bland down easy.
like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not, of course, intend to fall for anything that did not look like good business, and he was not at all anxious to have Bland for a partner.
looknounUS /look/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He did not, of course, intend to fall for anything that did not look like good business, and he was not at all anxious to have Bland for a partner.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading Still, there was no harm in letting Bland down easy.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He did not, of course, intend to fall for anything that did not look like good business, and he was not at all anxious to have Bland for a partner.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Johnny ground the cigarette stub under his heel in the dirt, shrugged his shoulders with a fine imitation of perfect indifference, and yawned.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading He would think over Bland's idea.
partner
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not, of course, intend to fall for anything that did not look like good business, and he was not at all anxious to have Bland for a partner.
perfect
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Johnny ground the cigarette stub under his heel in the dirt, shrugged his shoulders with a fine imitation of perfect indifference, and yawned.
shoulders
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Johnny ground the cigarette stub under his heel in the dirt, shrugged his shoulders with a fine imitation of perfect indifference, and yawned.
shrugged
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Johnny ground the cigarette stub under his heel in the dirt, shrugged his shoulders with a fine imitation of perfect indifference, and yawned.
StillnounUS /still/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Still, there was no harm in letting Bland down easy.
stub
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Johnny ground the cigarette stub under his heel in the dirt, shrugged his shoulders with a fine imitation of perfect indifference, and yawned.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He did not, of course, intend to fall for anything that did not look like good business, and he was not at all anxious to have Bland for a partner.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Johnny ground the cigarette stub under his heel in the dirt, shrugged his shoulders with a fine imitation of perfect indifference, and yawned.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Still, there was no harm in letting Bland down easy.
thingnounUS /thing/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Indeed, having Bland for a partner was about the last thing Johnny would ever expect himself to do.
thinknounUS /think/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He would think over Bland's idea.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He did not, of course, intend to fall for anything that did not look like good business, and he was not at all anxious to have Bland for a partner.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Johnny ground the cigarette stub under his heel in the dirt, shrugged his shoulders with a fine imitation of perfect indifference, and yawned.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He did not, of course, intend to fall for anything that did not look like good business, and he was not at all anxious to have Bland for a partner.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Johnny ground the cigarette stub under his heel in the dirt, shrugged his shoulders with a fine imitation of perfect indifference, and yawned.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He would think over Bland's idea.
yawned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Johnny ground the cigarette stub under his heel in the dirt, shrugged his shoulders with a fine imitation of perfect indifference, and yawned.