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Against the Stone Beasts
Against the Stone Beasts

Chapter I

Cover illustration for Against the Stone Beasts
Context Illustration Reading 1/153 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Down the time-track tumbled Andreson, to land in a continuum of ghastly matter-and-space reversal--and find a love that shattered the very laws of life!
The letters on the fly-specked glass were simple, almost dogmatic.
Andreson eyed them with some amusement.
Art agents seldom have any taste, he thought; can't afford to.
The sign repeated, _Special Showing of Surrealist Paintings_, and declined to offer further information.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Against the Stone Beasts

Chapter I

Reading 1/153 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Down the time-track tumbled Andreson, to land in a continuum of ghastly matter-and-space reversal--and find a love that shattered the very laws of life!
Line 2
The letters on the fly-specked glass were simple, almost dogmatic.
Line 3
Andreson eyed them with some amusement.
Line 4
Art agents seldom have any taste, he thought; can't afford to.
Line 5
The sign repeated, _Special Showing of Surrealist Paintings_, and declined to offer further information.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Art auxiliary verb US /ɑːrt/

an old form of “are”, used with “thou”

From this reading “Art agents seldom have any taste, he thought; can't afford to.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “Art agents seldom have any taste, he thought; can't afford to.”

Life noun US /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Down the time-track tumbled Andreson, to land in a continuum of ghastly matter-and-space reversal--and find a love that shattered the very laws of life!”

Repeated noun US /repeated/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The sign repeated, _Special Showing of Surrealist Paintings_, and declined to offer further information.”

Taste verb US /teɪst/

To perceive flavor through the mouth.

From this reading “Art agents seldom have any taste, he thought; can't afford to.”

Thought noun US /thought/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Art agents seldom have any taste, he thought; can't afford to.”

All words in this reading · 55

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Down the time-track tumbled Andreson, to land in a continuum of ghastly matter-and-space reversal--and find a love that shattered the very laws of life!

afford

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Art agents seldom have any taste, he thought; can't afford to.

agents

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Art agents seldom have any taste, he thought; can't afford to.

almost

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The letters on the fly-specked glass were simple, almost dogmatic.

amusement

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Andreson eyed them with some amusement.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Down the time-track tumbled Andreson, to land in a continuum of ghastly matter-and-space reversal--and find a love that shattered the very laws of life!

Andreson

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Down the time-track tumbled Andreson, to land in a continuum of ghastly matter-and-space reversal--and find a love that shattered the very laws of life!

any

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Art agents seldom have any taste, he thought; can't afford to.

Artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/

an old form of “are”, used with “thou”

From this reading Art agents seldom have any taste, he thought; can't afford to.

can't

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Art agents seldom have any taste, he thought; can't afford to.

continuum

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Down the time-track tumbled Andreson, to land in a continuum of ghastly matter-and-space reversal--and find a love that shattered the very laws of life!

declined

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The sign repeated, _Special Showing of Surrealist Paintings_, and declined to offer further information.

dogmatic

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The letters on the fly-specked glass were simple, almost dogmatic.

Down

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Down the time-track tumbled Andreson, to land in a continuum of ghastly matter-and-space reversal--and find a love that shattered the very laws of life!

eyed

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Andreson eyed them with some amusement.

find

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Down the time-track tumbled Andreson, to land in a continuum of ghastly matter-and-space reversal--and find a love that shattered the very laws of life!

fly-specked

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The letters on the fly-specked glass were simple, almost dogmatic.

further

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The sign repeated, _Special Showing of Surrealist Paintings_, and declined to offer further information.

ghastly

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Down the time-track tumbled Andreson, to land in a continuum of ghastly matter-and-space reversal--and find a love that shattered the very laws of life!

glass

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The letters on the fly-specked glass were simple, almost dogmatic.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Art agents seldom have any taste, he thought; can't afford to.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Art agents seldom have any taste, he thought; can't afford to.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Down the time-track tumbled Andreson, to land in a continuum of ghastly matter-and-space reversal--and find a love that shattered the very laws of life!

information

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The sign repeated, _Special Showing of Surrealist Paintings_, and declined to offer further information.

land

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Down the time-track tumbled Andreson, to land in a continuum of ghastly matter-and-space reversal--and find a love that shattered the very laws of life!

laws

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Down the time-track tumbled Andreson, to land in a continuum of ghastly matter-and-space reversal--and find a love that shattered the very laws of life!

letters

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The letters on the fly-specked glass were simple, almost dogmatic.

lifenounUS /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Down the time-track tumbled Andreson, to land in a continuum of ghastly matter-and-space reversal--and find a love that shattered the very laws of life!

love

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Down the time-track tumbled Andreson, to land in a continuum of ghastly matter-and-space reversal--and find a love that shattered the very laws of life!

matter-and-space

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Down the time-track tumbled Andreson, to land in a continuum of ghastly matter-and-space reversal--and find a love that shattered the very laws of life!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Down the time-track tumbled Andreson, to land in a continuum of ghastly matter-and-space reversal--and find a love that shattered the very laws of life!

offer

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The sign repeated, _Special Showing of Surrealist Paintings_, and declined to offer further information.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The letters on the fly-specked glass were simple, almost dogmatic.

Paintings

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The sign repeated, _Special Showing of Surrealist Paintings_, and declined to offer further information.

repeatednounUS /repeated/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The sign repeated, _Special Showing of Surrealist Paintings_, and declined to offer further information.

reversal

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Down the time-track tumbled Andreson, to land in a continuum of ghastly matter-and-space reversal--and find a love that shattered the very laws of life!

seldom

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Art agents seldom have any taste, he thought; can't afford to.

shattered

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Down the time-track tumbled Andreson, to land in a continuum of ghastly matter-and-space reversal--and find a love that shattered the very laws of life!

Showing

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The sign repeated, _Special Showing of Surrealist Paintings_, and declined to offer further information.

sign

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The sign repeated, _Special Showing of Surrealist Paintings_, and declined to offer further information.

simple

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The letters on the fly-specked glass were simple, almost dogmatic.

some

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Andreson eyed them with some amusement.

Special

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The sign repeated, _Special Showing of Surrealist Paintings_, and declined to offer further information.

Surrealist

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The sign repeated, _Special Showing of Surrealist Paintings_, and declined to offer further information.

tasteverbUS /teɪst/

To perceive flavor through the mouth.

From this reading Art agents seldom have any taste, he thought; can't afford to.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Down the time-track tumbled Andreson, to land in a continuum of ghastly matter-and-space reversal--and find a love that shattered the very laws of life!

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Down the time-track tumbled Andreson, to land in a continuum of ghastly matter-and-space reversal--and find a love that shattered the very laws of life!

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Andreson eyed them with some amusement.

thoughtnounUS /thought/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Art agents seldom have any taste, he thought; can't afford to.

time-track

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Down the time-track tumbled Andreson, to land in a continuum of ghastly matter-and-space reversal--and find a love that shattered the very laws of life!

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Down the time-track tumbled Andreson, to land in a continuum of ghastly matter-and-space reversal--and find a love that shattered the very laws of life!

tumbled

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Down the time-track tumbled Andreson, to land in a continuum of ghastly matter-and-space reversal--and find a love that shattered the very laws of life!

very

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Down the time-track tumbled Andreson, to land in a continuum of ghastly matter-and-space reversal--and find a love that shattered the very laws of life!

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading The letters on the fly-specked glass were simple, almost dogmatic.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Andreson eyed them with some amusement.