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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 The rest of the gamble hinged entirely on what they succeeded in doing, or failed to do, within the space of a few hundred heart-beats.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading They made the roadside in little more than a minute after leaving the ship.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Terry and Mike lay prone in the wide drainage gutter, their swords drawn, their bodies camouflaged by a few handfuls of hastily hacked scrub brush.
area
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From this reading He estimated that there would be five minutes at the most before the area was flooded with S-men.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He estimated that there would be five minutes at the most before the area was flooded with S-men.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He estimated that there would be five minutes at the most before the area was flooded with S-men.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading He estimated that there would be five minutes at the most before the area was flooded with S-men.
bodies
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From this reading Terry and Mike lay prone in the wide drainage gutter, their swords drawn, their bodies camouflaged by a few handfuls of hastily hacked scrub brush.
brush
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From this reading Terry and Mike lay prone in the wide drainage gutter, their swords drawn, their bodies camouflaged by a few handfuls of hastily hacked scrub brush.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Terry and Mike lay prone in the wide drainage gutter, their swords drawn, their bodies camouflaged by a few handfuls of hastily hacked scrub brush.
camouflaged
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From this reading Terry and Mike lay prone in the wide drainage gutter, their swords drawn, their bodies camouflaged by a few handfuls of hastily hacked scrub brush.
cloak
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From this reading Doug stood at the side of the superhighway, the power-pack at his feet, his shredded cloak in his hands to wave.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading The rest of the gamble hinged entirely on what they succeeded in doing, or failed to do, within the space of a few hundred heart-beats.
doing
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From this reading The rest of the gamble hinged entirely on what they succeeded in doing, or failed to do, within the space of a few hundred heart-beats.
Doug
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From this reading Doug stood at the side of the superhighway, the power-pack at his feet, his shredded cloak in his hands to wave.
drainage
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From this reading Terry and Mike lay prone in the wide drainage gutter, their swords drawn, their bodies camouflaged by a few handfuls of hastily hacked scrub brush.
drawn
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From this reading Terry and Mike lay prone in the wide drainage gutter, their swords drawn, their bodies camouflaged by a few handfuls of hastily hacked scrub brush.
entirelynounUS /ˈentirely/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading The rest of the gamble hinged entirely on what they succeeded in doing, or failed to do, within the space of a few hundred heart-beats.
estimated
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From this reading He estimated that there would be five minutes at the most before the area was flooded with S-men.
failed
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From this reading The rest of the gamble hinged entirely on what they succeeded in doing, or failed to do, within the space of a few hundred heart-beats.
feet
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From this reading Doug stood at the side of the superhighway, the power-pack at his feet, his shredded cloak in his hands to wave.
few
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From this reading The rest of the gamble hinged entirely on what they succeeded in doing, or failed to do, within the space of a few hundred heart-beats.
five
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He estimated that there would be five minutes at the most before the area was flooded with S-men.
flooded
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From this reading He estimated that there would be five minutes at the most before the area was flooded with S-men.
gamble
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From this reading The rest of the gamble hinged entirely on what they succeeded in doing, or failed to do, within the space of a few hundred heart-beats.
gutter
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From this reading Terry and Mike lay prone in the wide drainage gutter, their swords drawn, their bodies camouflaged by a few handfuls of hastily hacked scrub brush.
hacked
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From this reading Terry and Mike lay prone in the wide drainage gutter, their swords drawn, their bodies camouflaged by a few handfuls of hastily hacked scrub brush.
handfuls
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From this reading Terry and Mike lay prone in the wide drainage gutter, their swords drawn, their bodies camouflaged by a few handfuls of hastily hacked scrub brush.
handsplural nounUS /hændz/
members of a ship’s crew
From this reading Doug stood at the side of the superhighway, the power-pack at his feet, his shredded cloak in his hands to wave.
hastily
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From this reading Terry and Mike lay prone in the wide drainage gutter, their swords drawn, their bodies camouflaged by a few handfuls of hastily hacked scrub brush.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He estimated that there would be five minutes at the most before the area was flooded with S-men.
heart-beats
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From this reading The rest of the gamble hinged entirely on what they succeeded in doing, or failed to do, within the space of a few hundred heart-beats.
hinged
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From this reading The rest of the gamble hinged entirely on what they succeeded in doing, or failed to do, within the space of a few hundred heart-beats.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Doug stood at the side of the superhighway, the power-pack at his feet, his shredded cloak in his hands to wave.
hundred
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From this reading The rest of the gamble hinged entirely on what they succeeded in doing, or failed to do, within the space of a few hundred heart-beats.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The rest of the gamble hinged entirely on what they succeeded in doing, or failed to do, within the space of a few hundred heart-beats.
lay
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Terry and Mike lay prone in the wide drainage gutter, their swords drawn, their bodies camouflaged by a few handfuls of hastily hacked scrub brush.
leaving
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From this reading They made the roadside in little more than a minute after leaving the ship.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading They made the roadside in little more than a minute after leaving the ship.
made
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From this reading They made the roadside in little more than a minute after leaving the ship.
Mike
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Terry and Mike lay prone in the wide drainage gutter, their swords drawn, their bodies camouflaged by a few handfuls of hastily hacked scrub brush.
minute
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They made the roadside in little more than a minute after leaving the ship.
minutes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He estimated that there would be five minutes at the most before the area was flooded with S-men.
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They made the roadside in little more than a minute after leaving the ship.
most
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He estimated that there would be five minutes at the most before the area was flooded with S-men.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The rest of the gamble hinged entirely on what they succeeded in doing, or failed to do, within the space of a few hundred heart-beats.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The rest of the gamble hinged entirely on what they succeeded in doing, or failed to do, within the space of a few hundred heart-beats.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The rest of the gamble hinged entirely on what they succeeded in doing, or failed to do, within the space of a few hundred heart-beats.
power-pack
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Doug stood at the side of the superhighway, the power-pack at his feet, his shredded cloak in his hands to wave.
prone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Terry and Mike lay prone in the wide drainage gutter, their swords drawn, their bodies camouflaged by a few handfuls of hastily hacked scrub brush.
restnounUS /rest/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The rest of the gamble hinged entirely on what they succeeded in doing, or failed to do, within the space of a few hundred heart-beats.
roadside
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They made the roadside in little more than a minute after leaving the ship.
S-men
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He estimated that there would be five minutes at the most before the area was flooded with S-men.
scrub
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Terry and Mike lay prone in the wide drainage gutter, their swords drawn, their bodies camouflaged by a few handfuls of hastily hacked scrub brush.
shipnounUS /ship/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading They made the roadside in little more than a minute after leaving the ship.
shredded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Doug stood at the side of the superhighway, the power-pack at his feet, his shredded cloak in his hands to wave.
side
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Doug stood at the side of the superhighway, the power-pack at his feet, his shredded cloak in his hands to wave.
space
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From this reading The rest of the gamble hinged entirely on what they succeeded in doing, or failed to do, within the space of a few hundred heart-beats.
stoodnounUS /stood/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Doug stood at the side of the superhighway, the power-pack at his feet, his shredded cloak in his hands to wave.
succeeded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The rest of the gamble hinged entirely on what they succeeded in doing, or failed to do, within the space of a few hundred heart-beats.
superhighway
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Doug stood at the side of the superhighway, the power-pack at his feet, his shredded cloak in his hands to wave.
swords
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Terry and Mike lay prone in the wide drainage gutter, their swords drawn, their bodies camouflaged by a few handfuls of hastily hacked scrub brush.
Terry
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Terry and Mike lay prone in the wide drainage gutter, their swords drawn, their bodies camouflaged by a few handfuls of hastily hacked scrub brush.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading They made the roadside in little more than a minute after leaving the ship.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He estimated that there would be five minutes at the most before the area was flooded with S-men.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He estimated that there would be five minutes at the most before the area was flooded with S-men.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Terry and Mike lay prone in the wide drainage gutter, their swords drawn, their bodies camouflaged by a few handfuls of hastily hacked scrub brush.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He estimated that there would be five minutes at the most before the area was flooded with S-men.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The rest of the gamble hinged entirely on what they succeeded in doing, or failed to do, within the space of a few hundred heart-beats.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The rest of the gamble hinged entirely on what they succeeded in doing, or failed to do, within the space of a few hundred heart-beats.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He estimated that there would be five minutes at the most before the area was flooded with S-men.
wave
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Doug stood at the side of the superhighway, the power-pack at his feet, his shredded cloak in his hands to wave.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading The rest of the gamble hinged entirely on what they succeeded in doing, or failed to do, within the space of a few hundred heart-beats.
wide
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Terry and Mike lay prone in the wide drainage gutter, their swords drawn, their bodies camouflaged by a few handfuls of hastily hacked scrub brush.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading He estimated that there would be five minutes at the most before the area was flooded with S-men.
withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading The rest of the gamble hinged entirely on what they succeeded in doing, or failed to do, within the space of a few hundred heart-beats.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He estimated that there would be five minutes at the most before the area was flooded with S-men.