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Ajax, for example
Ajax, for example

Chapter II

Cover illustration for Ajax, for example
Context Illustration Reading 1/80 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
“I’ve heard of boot-leggers,” says Magpie, “but you must ’a’ sprung from a family of boot-fighters, Ajax.
Did you hit him first?”
“I did not.
Nor second or third.
In fact he pummeled me for some time before I seemed to grasp his intentions, and then I retaliated.”
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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.

Ajax, for example

Chapter II

Reading 1/80 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
“I’ve heard of boot-leggers,” says Magpie, “but you must ’a’ sprung from a family of boot-fighters, Ajax.
Line 2
Did you hit him first?”
Line 3
“I did not.
/aɪ dɪd nɑːt/
Line 4
Nor second or third.
Line 5
In fact he pummeled me for some time before I seemed to grasp his intentions, and then I retaliated.”

Learner Dictionary

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

Before preposition US /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading “In fact he pummeled me for some time before I seemed to grasp his intentions, and then I retaliated.””

First noun US /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Did you hit him first?””

Grasp noun US /ɡræsp/

a firm hold in a specific situation in this story

From this reading “In fact he pummeled me for some time before I seemed to grasp his intentions, and then I retaliated.””

Must modal verb US /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading ““I’ve heard of boot-leggers,” says Magpie, “but you must ’a’ sprung from a family of boot-fighters, Ajax.”

Second noun US /second/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Nor second or third.”

Seemed noun US /seemed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “In fact he pummeled me for some time before I seemed to grasp his intentions, and then I retaliated.””

Third noun US /third/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Nor second or third.”

Time noun US /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “In fact he pummeled me for some time before I seemed to grasp his intentions, and then I retaliated.””

All words in this reading · 42

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 “I’ve heard of boot-leggers,” says Magpie, “but you must ’a’ sprung from a family of boot-fighters, Ajax.

Ajax

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

From this reading “I’ve heard of boot-leggers,” says Magpie, “but you must ’a’ sprung from a family of boot-fighters, Ajax.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading In fact he pummeled me for some time before I seemed to grasp his intentions, and then I retaliated.”

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading In fact he pummeled me for some time before I seemed to grasp his intentions, and then I retaliated.”

boot-fighters

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

From this reading “I’ve heard of boot-leggers,” says Magpie, “but you must ’a’ sprung from a family of boot-fighters, Ajax.

boot-leggers

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

From this reading “I’ve heard of boot-leggers,” says Magpie, “but you must ’a’ sprung from a family of boot-fighters, Ajax.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading “I’ve heard of boot-leggers,” says Magpie, “but you must ’a’ sprung from a family of boot-fighters, Ajax.

Didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Did you hit him first?”

fact

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

From this reading In fact he pummeled me for some time before I seemed to grasp his intentions, and then I retaliated.”

family

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

From this reading “I’ve heard of boot-leggers,” says Magpie, “but you must ’a’ sprung from a family of boot-fighters, Ajax.

firstnounUS /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Did you hit him first?”

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading In fact he pummeled me for some time before I seemed to grasp his intentions, and then I retaliated.”

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading “I’ve heard of boot-leggers,” says Magpie, “but you must ’a’ sprung from a family of boot-fighters, Ajax.

graspnounUS /ɡræsp/

a firm hold in a specific situation in this story

From this reading In fact he pummeled me for some time before I seemed to grasp his intentions, and then I retaliated.”

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading In fact he pummeled me for some time before I seemed to grasp his intentions, and then I retaliated.”

heard

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

From this reading “I’ve heard of boot-leggers,” says Magpie, “but you must ’a’ sprung from a family of boot-fighters, Ajax.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Did you hit him first?”

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading In fact he pummeled me for some time before I seemed to grasp his intentions, and then I retaliated.”

hit

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

From this reading Did you hit him first?”

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading “I did not.

I've

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

From this reading “I’ve heard of boot-leggers,” says Magpie, “but you must ’a’ sprung from a family of boot-fighters, Ajax.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In fact he pummeled me for some time before I seemed to grasp his intentions, and then I retaliated.”

intentions

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

From this reading In fact he pummeled me for some time before I seemed to grasp his intentions, and then I retaliated.”

Magpie

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

From this reading “I’ve heard of boot-leggers,” says Magpie, “but you must ’a’ sprung from a family of boot-fighters, Ajax.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading In fact he pummeled me for some time before I seemed to grasp his intentions, and then I retaliated.”

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading “I’ve heard of boot-leggers,” says Magpie, “but you must ’a’ sprung from a family of boot-fighters, Ajax.

NorconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading Nor second or third.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading “I did not.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “I’ve heard of boot-leggers,” says Magpie, “but you must ’a’ sprung from a family of boot-fighters, Ajax.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Nor second or third.

pummeled

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

From this reading In fact he pummeled me for some time before I seemed to grasp his intentions, and then I retaliated.”

retaliated

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

From this reading In fact he pummeled me for some time before I seemed to grasp his intentions, and then I retaliated.”

says

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

From this reading “I’ve heard of boot-leggers,” says Magpie, “but you must ’a’ sprung from a family of boot-fighters, Ajax.

second

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

From this reading Nor second or third.

seemednounUS /seemed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading In fact he pummeled me for some time before I seemed to grasp his intentions, and then I retaliated.”

some

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

From this reading In fact he pummeled me for some time before I seemed to grasp his intentions, and then I retaliated.”

sprung

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

From this reading “I’ve heard of boot-leggers,” says Magpie, “but you must ’a’ sprung from a family of boot-fighters, Ajax.

then

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

From this reading In fact he pummeled me for some time before I seemed to grasp his intentions, and then I retaliated.”

thirdnounUS /third/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Nor second or third.

timenounUS /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading In fact he pummeled me for some time before I seemed to grasp his intentions, and then I retaliated.”

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading In fact he pummeled me for some time before I seemed to grasp his intentions, and then I retaliated.”

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “I’ve heard of boot-leggers,” says Magpie, “but you must ’a’ sprung from a family of boot-fighters, Ajax.