Chapter CCXCVII
How long did he remain thus? What was the ebb and flow of this tragic meditation? Did he straighten up? Did he remain bowed? Had he been bent to breaking?
Les Misérables
Chapter CCXCVII
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
How
long
did
he
remain
thus?
What
was
the
ebb
and
flow
of
this
tragic
meditation?
Did
he
straighten
up?
Did
he
remain
bowed?
Had
he
been
bent
to
breaking?
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Line 1
How
long
did
he
remain
thus?
Line 2
What
was
the
ebb
and
flow
of
this
tragic
meditation?
Line 3
Did
he
straighten
up?
Line 4
Did
he
remain
bowed?
Line 5
Had
he
been
bent
to
breaking?
Learner Dictionary
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
Been
auxiliary verb
US /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “Had he been bent to breaking?”
Ebb
noun
US /ɛb/
the movement of the tide away from the land
From this reading “What was the ebb and flow of this tragic meditation?”
Long
noun
US /long/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “How long did he remain thus?”
All words in this reading · 24
Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading What was the ebb and flow of this tragic meditation?
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Had he been bent to breaking?
bent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had he been bent to breaking?
bowed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Did he remain bowed?
breaking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had he been bent to breaking?
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading How long did he remain thus?
ebbnounUS /ɛb/
the movement of the tide away from the land
From this reading What was the ebb and flow of this tragic meditation?
flow
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What was the ebb and flow of this tragic meditation?
Hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Had he been bent to breaking?
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading How long did he remain thus?
How
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How long did he remain thus?
longnounUS /long/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading How long did he remain thus?
meditation
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What was the ebb and flow of this tragic meditation?
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading What was the ebb and flow of this tragic meditation?
remain
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How long did he remain thus?
straighten
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Did he straighten up?
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading What was the ebb and flow of this tragic meditation?
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading What was the ebb and flow of this tragic meditation?
thus
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How long did he remain thus?
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Had he been bent to breaking?
tragic
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What was the ebb and flow of this tragic meditation?
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Did he straighten up?
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading What was the ebb and flow of this tragic meditation?
WhatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What was the ebb and flow of this tragic meditation?