Chapter VIII
SAMUEL PEPYS Erected by public subscription 1883. ‘Oh, isn’t he nice?’ said Maude. ‘He’s not a bad-looking chap, is he?’ ‘I don’t believe that man ever could have struck his wife or kicked the maid.’ ‘That’s calling him a liar.’
A Duet, with an Occasional Chorus
Chapter VIII
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SAMUEL
PEPYS
Erected
by
public
subscription
1883.
‘Oh,
isn’t
he
nice?’
said
Maude.
‘He’s
not
a
bad-looking
chap,
is
he?’
‘I
don’t
believe
that
man
ever
could
have
struck
his
wife
or
kicked
the
maid.’
‘That’s
calling
him
a
liar.’
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Line 1
SAMUEL
PEPYS
Erected
by
public
subscription
1883.
Line 2
‘Oh,
isn’t
he
nice?’
said
Maude.
Line 3
‘He’s
not
a
bad-looking
chap,
is
he?’
Line 4
‘I
don’t
believe
that
man
ever
could
have
struck
his
wife
or
kicked
the
maid.’
Line 5
‘That’s
calling
him
a
liar.’
Learner Dictionary
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
Believe
noun
US /ˈbelieve/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading “‘I don’t believe that man ever could have struck his wife or kicked the maid.’”
Could
modal verb
US /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading “‘I don’t believe that man ever could have struck his wife or kicked the maid.’”
Ever
noun
US /ever/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “‘I don’t believe that man ever could have struck his wife or kicked the maid.’”
Have
auxiliary verb
US /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “‘I don’t believe that man ever could have struck his wife or kicked the maid.’”
Struck
noun
US /struck/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “‘I don’t believe that man ever could have struck his wife or kicked the maid.’”
All words in this reading · 38
Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
1883
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SAMUEL PEPYS Erected by public subscription 1883.
adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading ‘He’s not a bad-looking chap, is he?’
bad-looking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘He’s not a bad-looking chap, is he?’
believenounUS /ˈbelieve/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading ‘I don’t believe that man ever could have struck his wife or kicked the maid.’
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading SAMUEL PEPYS Erected by public subscription 1883.
calling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘That’s calling him a liar.’
chap
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘He’s not a bad-looking chap, is he?’
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading ‘I don’t believe that man ever could have struck his wife or kicked the maid.’
don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘I don’t believe that man ever could have struck his wife or kicked the maid.’
Erected
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SAMUEL PEPYS Erected by public subscription 1883.
evernounUS /ever/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading ‘I don’t believe that man ever could have struck his wife or kicked the maid.’
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading ‘I don’t believe that man ever could have struck his wife or kicked the maid.’
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading ‘Oh, isn’t he nice?’ said Maude.
He's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘He’s not a bad-looking chap, is he?’
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading ‘That’s calling him a liar.’
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading ‘I don’t believe that man ever could have struck his wife or kicked the maid.’
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading ‘I don’t believe that man ever could have struck his wife or kicked the maid.’
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading ‘He’s not a bad-looking chap, is he?’
isn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Oh, isn’t he nice?’ said Maude.
kicked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘I don’t believe that man ever could have struck his wife or kicked the maid.’
liar
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘That’s calling him a liar.’
maid
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘I don’t believe that man ever could have struck his wife or kicked the maid.’
man
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘I don’t believe that man ever could have struck his wife or kicked the maid.’
Maude
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Oh, isn’t he nice?’ said Maude.
nice
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Oh, isn’t he nice?’ said Maude.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading ‘He’s not a bad-looking chap, is he?’
Oh
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Oh, isn’t he nice?’ said Maude.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading ‘I don’t believe that man ever could have struck his wife or kicked the maid.’
PEPYS
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SAMUEL PEPYS Erected by public subscription 1883.
public
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SAMUEL PEPYS Erected by public subscription 1883.
said
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Oh, isn’t he nice?’ said Maude.
SAMUEL
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SAMUEL PEPYS Erected by public subscription 1883.
strucknounUS /struck/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading ‘I don’t believe that man ever could have struck his wife or kicked the maid.’
subscription
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SAMUEL PEPYS Erected by public subscription 1883.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading ‘I don’t believe that man ever could have struck his wife or kicked the maid.’
That's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘That’s calling him a liar.’
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ‘I don’t believe that man ever could have struck his wife or kicked the maid.’
wife
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘I don’t believe that man ever could have struck his wife or kicked the maid.’