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Barbarians
Barbarians

Chapter XXV

Cover illustration for Barbarians
Context Illustration Reading 1/121 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
KAMERAD Down the slope, through the thicket, came a man.
She could see his legs only.
He wore dust-coloured breeches and tan puttees, like Sticky Smith’s and Kid Glenn’s, only he wore no big, clanking Mexican spurs.
The man passed in front of her, his burly body barely visible through the leaves, but not his features.
She rose, turned, ran over the moss, hurried through the ferns of the warren, retracing her steps, and arrived breathless at the _lavoir_.
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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.

Barbarians

Chapter XXV

Reading 1/121 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
KAMERAD Down the slope, through the thicket, came a man.
Line 2
She could see his legs only.
Line 3
He wore dust-coloured breeches and tan puttees, like Sticky Smith’s and Kid Glenn’s, only he wore no big, clanking Mexican spurs.
Line 4
The man passed in front of her, his burly body barely visible through the leaves, but not his features.
Line 5
She rose, turned, ran over the moss, hurried through the ferns of the warren, retracing her steps, and arrived breathless at the _lavoir_.

Learner Dictionary

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

Body noun US /body/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The man passed in front of her, his burly body barely visible through the leaves, but not his features.”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading “She could see his legs only.”

Over preposition US /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading “She rose, turned, ran over the moss, hurried through the ferns of the warren, retracing her steps, and arrived breathless at the _lavoir_.”

Passed noun US /passed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The man passed in front of her, his burly body barely visible through the leaves, but not his features.”

Thicket noun US /ˈθɪkɪt/

a dense group of bushes or small trees

From this reading “KAMERAD Down the slope, through the thicket, came a man.”

Through noun US /ˈthrough/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “KAMERAD Down the slope, through the thicket, came a man.”

All words in this reading · 59

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 KAMERAD Down the slope, through the thicket, came a man.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He wore dust-coloured breeches and tan puttees, like Sticky Smith’s and Kid Glenn’s, only he wore no big, clanking Mexican spurs.

arrived

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

From this reading She rose, turned, ran over the moss, hurried through the ferns of the warren, retracing her steps, and arrived breathless at the _lavoir_.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading She rose, turned, ran over the moss, hurried through the ferns of the warren, retracing her steps, and arrived breathless at the _lavoir_.

barely

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

From this reading The man passed in front of her, his burly body barely visible through the leaves, but not his features.

big

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

From this reading He wore dust-coloured breeches and tan puttees, like Sticky Smith’s and Kid Glenn’s, only he wore no big, clanking Mexican spurs.

bodynounUS /body/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The man passed in front of her, his burly body barely visible through the leaves, but not his features.

breathless

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

From this reading She rose, turned, ran over the moss, hurried through the ferns of the warren, retracing her steps, and arrived breathless at the _lavoir_.

breeches

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

From this reading He wore dust-coloured breeches and tan puttees, like Sticky Smith’s and Kid Glenn’s, only he wore no big, clanking Mexican spurs.

burly

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

From this reading The man passed in front of her, his burly body barely visible through the leaves, but not his features.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The man passed in front of her, his burly body barely visible through the leaves, but not his features.

came

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

From this reading KAMERAD Down the slope, through the thicket, came a man.

clanking

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

From this reading He wore dust-coloured breeches and tan puttees, like Sticky Smith’s and Kid Glenn’s, only he wore no big, clanking Mexican spurs.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading She could see his legs only.

Down

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

From this reading KAMERAD Down the slope, through the thicket, came a man.

dust-coloured

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

From this reading He wore dust-coloured breeches and tan puttees, like Sticky Smith’s and Kid Glenn’s, only he wore no big, clanking Mexican spurs.

features

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

From this reading The man passed in front of her, his burly body barely visible through the leaves, but not his features.

ferns

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

From this reading She rose, turned, ran over the moss, hurried through the ferns of the warren, retracing her steps, and arrived breathless at the _lavoir_.

front

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

From this reading The man passed in front of her, his burly body barely visible through the leaves, but not his features.

Glenn's

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

From this reading He wore dust-coloured breeches and tan puttees, like Sticky Smith’s and Kid Glenn’s, only he wore no big, clanking Mexican spurs.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He wore dust-coloured breeches and tan puttees, like Sticky Smith’s and Kid Glenn’s, only he wore no big, clanking Mexican spurs.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading The man passed in front of her, his burly body barely visible through the leaves, but not his features.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading She could see his legs only.

hurried

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

From this reading She rose, turned, ran over the moss, hurried through the ferns of the warren, retracing her steps, and arrived breathless at the _lavoir_.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The man passed in front of her, his burly body barely visible through the leaves, but not his features.

KAMERAD

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

From this reading KAMERAD Down the slope, through the thicket, came a man.

Kid

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

From this reading He wore dust-coloured breeches and tan puttees, like Sticky Smith’s and Kid Glenn’s, only he wore no big, clanking Mexican spurs.

lavoir

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

From this reading She rose, turned, ran over the moss, hurried through the ferns of the warren, retracing her steps, and arrived breathless at the _lavoir_.

leaves

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

From this reading The man passed in front of her, his burly body barely visible through the leaves, but not his features.

legs

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

From this reading She could see his legs only.

like

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

From this reading He wore dust-coloured breeches and tan puttees, like Sticky Smith’s and Kid Glenn’s, only he wore no big, clanking Mexican spurs.

man

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

From this reading KAMERAD Down the slope, through the thicket, came a man.

Mexican

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

From this reading He wore dust-coloured breeches and tan puttees, like Sticky Smith’s and Kid Glenn’s, only he wore no big, clanking Mexican spurs.

moss

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

From this reading She rose, turned, ran over the moss, hurried through the ferns of the warren, retracing her steps, and arrived breathless at the _lavoir_.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading He wore dust-coloured breeches and tan puttees, like Sticky Smith’s and Kid Glenn’s, only he wore no big, clanking Mexican spurs.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The man passed in front of her, his burly body barely visible through the leaves, but not his features.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The man passed in front of her, his burly body barely visible through the leaves, but not his features.

only

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

From this reading She could see his legs only.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading She rose, turned, ran over the moss, hurried through the ferns of the warren, retracing her steps, and arrived breathless at the _lavoir_.

passednounUS /passed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The man passed in front of her, his burly body barely visible through the leaves, but not his features.

puttees

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

From this reading He wore dust-coloured breeches and tan puttees, like Sticky Smith’s and Kid Glenn’s, only he wore no big, clanking Mexican spurs.

ran

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

From this reading She rose, turned, ran over the moss, hurried through the ferns of the warren, retracing her steps, and arrived breathless at the _lavoir_.

retracing

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

From this reading She rose, turned, ran over the moss, hurried through the ferns of the warren, retracing her steps, and arrived breathless at the _lavoir_.

rose

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

From this reading She rose, turned, ran over the moss, hurried through the ferns of the warren, retracing her steps, and arrived breathless at the _lavoir_.

see

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

From this reading She could see his legs only.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She could see his legs only.

slope

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

From this reading KAMERAD Down the slope, through the thicket, came a man.

Smith's

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

From this reading He wore dust-coloured breeches and tan puttees, like Sticky Smith’s and Kid Glenn’s, only he wore no big, clanking Mexican spurs.

spurs

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

From this reading He wore dust-coloured breeches and tan puttees, like Sticky Smith’s and Kid Glenn’s, only he wore no big, clanking Mexican spurs.

steps

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

From this reading She rose, turned, ran over the moss, hurried through the ferns of the warren, retracing her steps, and arrived breathless at the _lavoir_.

Sticky

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

From this reading He wore dust-coloured breeches and tan puttees, like Sticky Smith’s and Kid Glenn’s, only he wore no big, clanking Mexican spurs.

tan

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

From this reading He wore dust-coloured breeches and tan puttees, like Sticky Smith’s and Kid Glenn’s, only he wore no big, clanking Mexican spurs.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading KAMERAD Down the slope, through the thicket, came a man.

thicketnounUS /ˈθɪkɪt/

a dense group of bushes or small trees

From this reading KAMERAD Down the slope, through the thicket, came a man.

throughnounUS /ˈthrough/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading KAMERAD Down the slope, through the thicket, came a man.

turned

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

From this reading She rose, turned, ran over the moss, hurried through the ferns of the warren, retracing her steps, and arrived breathless at the _lavoir_.

visible

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

From this reading The man passed in front of her, his burly body barely visible through the leaves, but not his features.

warren

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

From this reading She rose, turned, ran over the moss, hurried through the ferns of the warren, retracing her steps, and arrived breathless at the _lavoir_.

wore

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

From this reading He wore dust-coloured breeches and tan puttees, like Sticky Smith’s and Kid Glenn’s, only he wore no big, clanking Mexican spurs.