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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 Couples who spooned too long at seaside resorts and missed the last train home could wake up a preacher and be united in indissoluble bonds of holy matrimony for two dollars.
all
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From this reading And the license bureau was not open all night, as it should have been.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading In the good old idyllic days it had been possible for romantic youth to get married as easily as to get dinner--and as hard to get unmarried as to get wings.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading In the good old idyllic days it had been possible for romantic youth to get married as easily as to get dinner--and as hard to get unmarried as to get wings.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Couples who spooned too long at seaside resorts and missed the last train home could wake up a preacher and be united in indissoluble bonds of holy matrimony for two dollars.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Couples who spooned too long at seaside resorts and missed the last train home could wake up a preacher and be united in indissoluble bonds of holy matrimony for two dollars.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading In the good old idyllic days it had been possible for romantic youth to get married as easily as to get dinner--and as hard to get unmarried as to get wings.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading But now a greedy and impertinent civil government had stepped in and sacrilegiously insisted on having a license bought and paid for before the Church could officiate.
bonds
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From this reading Couples who spooned too long at seaside resorts and missed the last train home could wake up a preacher and be united in indissoluble bonds of holy matrimony for two dollars.
bought
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But now a greedy and impertinent civil government had stepped in and sacrilegiously insisted on having a license bought and paid for before the Church could officiate.
bureau
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And the license bureau was not open all night, as it should have been.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But now a greedy and impertinent civil government had stepped in and sacrilegiously insisted on having a license bought and paid for before the Church could officiate.
Church
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From this reading But now a greedy and impertinent civil government had stepped in and sacrilegiously insisted on having a license bought and paid for before the Church could officiate.
civil
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From this reading But now a greedy and impertinent civil government had stepped in and sacrilegiously insisted on having a license bought and paid for before the Church could officiate.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Couples who spooned too long at seaside resorts and missed the last train home could wake up a preacher and be united in indissoluble bonds of holy matrimony for two dollars.
Couples
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From this reading Couples who spooned too long at seaside resorts and missed the last train home could wake up a preacher and be united in indissoluble bonds of holy matrimony for two dollars.
day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The preachers of that day slept light, in order to save the reputations of foolish virgins.
days
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From this reading In the good old idyllic days it had been possible for romantic youth to get married as easily as to get dinner--and as hard to get unmarried as to get wings.
dinner
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From this reading In the good old idyllic days it had been possible for romantic youth to get married as easily as to get dinner--and as hard to get unmarried as to get wings.
dollars
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From this reading Couples who spooned too long at seaside resorts and missed the last train home could wake up a preacher and be united in indissoluble bonds of holy matrimony for two dollars.
easily
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From this reading In the good old idyllic days it had been possible for romantic youth to get married as easily as to get dinner--and as hard to get unmarried as to get wings.
foolish
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From this reading The preachers of that day slept light, in order to save the reputations of foolish virgins.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading In the good old idyllic days it had been possible for romantic youth to get married as easily as to get dinner--and as hard to get unmarried as to get wings.
get
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the good old idyllic days it had been possible for romantic youth to get married as easily as to get dinner--and as hard to get unmarried as to get wings.
goodnounUS /good/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading In the good old idyllic days it had been possible for romantic youth to get married as easily as to get dinner--and as hard to get unmarried as to get wings.
government
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But now a greedy and impertinent civil government had stepped in and sacrilegiously insisted on having a license bought and paid for before the Church could officiate.
greedy
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From this reading But now a greedy and impertinent civil government had stepped in and sacrilegiously insisted on having a license bought and paid for before the Church could officiate.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading In the good old idyllic days it had been possible for romantic youth to get married as easily as to get dinner--and as hard to get unmarried as to get wings.
hard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the good old idyllic days it had been possible for romantic youth to get married as easily as to get dinner--and as hard to get unmarried as to get wings.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading And the license bureau was not open all night, as it should have been.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading But now a greedy and impertinent civil government had stepped in and sacrilegiously insisted on having a license bought and paid for before the Church could officiate.
holy
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From this reading Couples who spooned too long at seaside resorts and missed the last train home could wake up a preacher and be united in indissoluble bonds of holy matrimony for two dollars.
home
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From this reading Couples who spooned too long at seaside resorts and missed the last train home could wake up a preacher and be united in indissoluble bonds of holy matrimony for two dollars.
idyllic
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the good old idyllic days it had been possible for romantic youth to get married as easily as to get dinner--and as hard to get unmarried as to get wings.
impertinent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But now a greedy and impertinent civil government had stepped in and sacrilegiously insisted on having a license bought and paid for before the Church could officiate.
InprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the good old idyllic days it had been possible for romantic youth to get married as easily as to get dinner--and as hard to get unmarried as to get wings.
indissoluble
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Couples who spooned too long at seaside resorts and missed the last train home could wake up a preacher and be united in indissoluble bonds of holy matrimony for two dollars.
insistedverbUS /ɪnˈsɪstɪd/
demanded something firmly
From this reading But now a greedy and impertinent civil government had stepped in and sacrilegiously insisted on having a license bought and paid for before the Church could officiate.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading In the good old idyllic days it had been possible for romantic youth to get married as easily as to get dinner--and as hard to get unmarried as to get wings.
lastnounUS /last/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Couples who spooned too long at seaside resorts and missed the last train home could wake up a preacher and be united in indissoluble bonds of holy matrimony for two dollars.
license
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But now a greedy and impertinent civil government had stepped in and sacrilegiously insisted on having a license bought and paid for before the Church could officiate.
light
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The preachers of that day slept light, in order to save the reputations of foolish virgins.
longnounUS /long/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Couples who spooned too long at seaside resorts and missed the last train home could wake up a preacher and be united in indissoluble bonds of holy matrimony for two dollars.
married
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the good old idyllic days it had been possible for romantic youth to get married as easily as to get dinner--and as hard to get unmarried as to get wings.
matrimony
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Couples who spooned too long at seaside resorts and missed the last train home could wake up a preacher and be united in indissoluble bonds of holy matrimony for two dollars.
missed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Couples who spooned too long at seaside resorts and missed the last train home could wake up a preacher and be united in indissoluble bonds of holy matrimony for two dollars.
night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And the license bureau was not open all night, as it should have been.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading And the license bureau was not open all night, as it should have been.
now
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But now a greedy and impertinent civil government had stepped in and sacrilegiously insisted on having a license bought and paid for before the Church could officiate.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Couples who spooned too long at seaside resorts and missed the last train home could wake up a preacher and be united in indissoluble bonds of holy matrimony for two dollars.
officiate
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But now a greedy and impertinent civil government had stepped in and sacrilegiously insisted on having a license bought and paid for before the Church could officiate.
old
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the good old idyllic days it had been possible for romantic youth to get married as easily as to get dinner--and as hard to get unmarried as to get wings.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading But now a greedy and impertinent civil government had stepped in and sacrilegiously insisted on having a license bought and paid for before the Church could officiate.
openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/
To move from a closed position.
From this reading And the license bureau was not open all night, as it should have been.
ordernounUS /order/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The preachers of that day slept light, in order to save the reputations of foolish virgins.
paid
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But now a greedy and impertinent civil government had stepped in and sacrilegiously insisted on having a license bought and paid for before the Church could officiate.
possible
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the good old idyllic days it had been possible for romantic youth to get married as easily as to get dinner--and as hard to get unmarried as to get wings.
preacher
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Couples who spooned too long at seaside resorts and missed the last train home could wake up a preacher and be united in indissoluble bonds of holy matrimony for two dollars.
preachers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The preachers of that day slept light, in order to save the reputations of foolish virgins.
reputations
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The preachers of that day slept light, in order to save the reputations of foolish virgins.
resorts
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Couples who spooned too long at seaside resorts and missed the last train home could wake up a preacher and be united in indissoluble bonds of holy matrimony for two dollars.
romantic
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the good old idyllic days it had been possible for romantic youth to get married as easily as to get dinner--and as hard to get unmarried as to get wings.
sacrilegiously
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But now a greedy and impertinent civil government had stepped in and sacrilegiously insisted on having a license bought and paid for before the Church could officiate.
saveprepositionUS /seɪv/
except for; apart from
From this reading The preachers of that day slept light, in order to save the reputations of foolish virgins.
seaside
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Couples who spooned too long at seaside resorts and missed the last train home could wake up a preacher and be united in indissoluble bonds of holy matrimony for two dollars.
shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading And the license bureau was not open all night, as it should have been.
slept
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The preachers of that day slept light, in order to save the reputations of foolish virgins.
spooned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Couples who spooned too long at seaside resorts and missed the last train home could wake up a preacher and be united in indissoluble bonds of holy matrimony for two dollars.
stepped
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But now a greedy and impertinent civil government had stepped in and sacrilegiously insisted on having a license bought and paid for before the Church could officiate.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The preachers of that day slept light, in order to save the reputations of foolish virgins.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading In the good old idyllic days it had been possible for romantic youth to get married as easily as to get dinner--and as hard to get unmarried as to get wings.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In the good old idyllic days it had been possible for romantic youth to get married as easily as to get dinner--and as hard to get unmarried as to get wings.
too
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Couples who spooned too long at seaside resorts and missed the last train home could wake up a preacher and be united in indissoluble bonds of holy matrimony for two dollars.
train
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Couples who spooned too long at seaside resorts and missed the last train home could wake up a preacher and be united in indissoluble bonds of holy matrimony for two dollars.
two
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Couples who spooned too long at seaside resorts and missed the last train home could wake up a preacher and be united in indissoluble bonds of holy matrimony for two dollars.
united
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Couples who spooned too long at seaside resorts and missed the last train home could wake up a preacher and be united in indissoluble bonds of holy matrimony for two dollars.
unmarried
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the good old idyllic days it had been possible for romantic youth to get married as easily as to get dinner--and as hard to get unmarried as to get wings.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Couples who spooned too long at seaside resorts and missed the last train home could wake up a preacher and be united in indissoluble bonds of holy matrimony for two dollars.
virgins
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The preachers of that day slept light, in order to save the reputations of foolish virgins.
wake
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From this reading Couples who spooned too long at seaside resorts and missed the last train home could wake up a preacher and be united in indissoluble bonds of holy matrimony for two dollars.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And the license bureau was not open all night, as it should have been.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading Couples who spooned too long at seaside resorts and missed the last train home could wake up a preacher and be united in indissoluble bonds of holy matrimony for two dollars.
wings
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the good old idyllic days it had been possible for romantic youth to get married as easily as to get dinner--and as hard to get unmarried as to get wings.
youth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the good old idyllic days it had been possible for romantic youth to get married as easily as to get dinner--and as hard to get unmarried as to get wings.
