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Down South
Down South

Chapter III

Cover illustration for Down South
Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A NATIVE FLORIDIAN.
The gentleman who wished to see the captain came off in a small boat, pulled by a man who might have been a mulatto, a Cuban, or a Spaniard.
I noticed that he was a fine-looking fellow, lightly but handsomely built.
If he had been brown, instead of slightly yellow, I should have taken him for a white man.
He had a fine eye, and both his form and his face attracted my attention.
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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.

Down South

Chapter III

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A NATIVE FLORIDIAN.
Line 2
The gentleman who wished to see the captain came off in a small boat, pulled by a man who might have been a mulatto, a Cuban, or a Spaniard.
Line 3
I noticed that he was a fine-looking fellow, lightly but handsomely built.
Line 4
If he had been brown, instead of slightly yellow, I should have taken him for a white man.
Line 5
He had a fine eye, and both his form and his face attracted my attention.

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 “The gentleman who wished to see the captain came off in a small boat, pulled by a man who might have been a mulatto, a Cuban, or a Spaniard.”

Captain noun US /ˈcaptain/

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

From this reading “The gentleman who wished to see the captain came off in a small boat, pulled by a man who might have been a mulatto, a Cuban, or a Spaniard.”

Fine noun US /fine/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “I noticed that he was a fine-looking fellow, lightly but handsomely built.”

Gentleman noun US /ˈgentleman/

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

From this reading “The gentleman who wished to see the captain came off in a small boat, pulled by a man who might have been a mulatto, a Cuban, or a Spaniard.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “The gentleman who wished to see the captain came off in a small boat, pulled by a man who might have been a mulatto, a Cuban, or a Spaniard.”

Might modal verb US /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading “The gentleman who wished to see the captain came off in a small boat, pulled by a man who might have been a mulatto, a Cuban, or a Spaniard.”

Pulled noun US /pulled/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The gentleman who wished to see the captain came off in a small boat, pulled by a man who might have been a mulatto, a Cuban, or a Spaniard.”

All words in this reading · 58

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 A NATIVE FLORIDIAN.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He had a fine eye, and both his form and his face attracted my attention.

attention

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

From this reading He had a fine eye, and both his form and his face attracted my attention.

attracted

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

From this reading He had a fine eye, and both his form and his face attracted my attention.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The gentleman who wished to see the captain came off in a small boat, pulled by a man who might have been a mulatto, a Cuban, or a Spaniard.

boat

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

From this reading The gentleman who wished to see the captain came off in a small boat, pulled by a man who might have been a mulatto, a Cuban, or a Spaniard.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading He had a fine eye, and both his form and his face attracted my attention.

brown

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

From this reading If he had been brown, instead of slightly yellow, I should have taken him for a white man.

built

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

From this reading I noticed that he was a fine-looking fellow, lightly but handsomely built.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading I noticed that he was a fine-looking fellow, lightly but handsomely built.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The gentleman who wished to see the captain came off in a small boat, pulled by a man who might have been a mulatto, a Cuban, or a Spaniard.

came

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

From this reading The gentleman who wished to see the captain came off in a small boat, pulled by a man who might have been a mulatto, a Cuban, or a Spaniard.

captainnounUS /ˈcaptain/

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

From this reading The gentleman who wished to see the captain came off in a small boat, pulled by a man who might have been a mulatto, a Cuban, or a Spaniard.

Cuban

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

From this reading The gentleman who wished to see the captain came off in a small boat, pulled by a man who might have been a mulatto, a Cuban, or a Spaniard.

eye

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

From this reading He had a fine eye, and both his form and his face attracted my attention.

face

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

From this reading He had a fine eye, and both his form and his face attracted my attention.

fellow

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

From this reading I noticed that he was a fine-looking fellow, lightly but handsomely built.

finenounUS /fine/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He had a fine eye, and both his form and his face attracted my attention.

fine-looking

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

From this reading I noticed that he was a fine-looking fellow, lightly but handsomely built.

FLORIDIAN

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

From this reading A NATIVE FLORIDIAN.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading If he had been brown, instead of slightly yellow, I should have taken him for a white man.

form

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

From this reading He had a fine eye, and both his form and his face attracted my attention.

gentlemannounUS /ˈgentleman/

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

From this reading The gentleman who wished to see the captain came off in a small boat, pulled by a man who might have been a mulatto, a Cuban, or a Spaniard.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading If he had been brown, instead of slightly yellow, I should have taken him for a white man.

handsomely

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

From this reading I noticed that he was a fine-looking fellow, lightly but handsomely built.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The gentleman who wished to see the captain came off in a small boat, pulled by a man who might have been a mulatto, a Cuban, or a Spaniard.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading I noticed that he was a fine-looking fellow, lightly but handsomely built.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading If he had been brown, instead of slightly yellow, I should have taken him for a white man.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading He had a fine eye, and both his form and his face attracted my attention.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I noticed that he was a fine-looking fellow, lightly but handsomely built.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If he had been brown, instead of slightly yellow, I should have taken him for a white man.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The gentleman who wished to see the captain came off in a small boat, pulled by a man who might have been a mulatto, a Cuban, or a Spaniard.

instead

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

From this reading If he had been brown, instead of slightly yellow, I should have taken him for a white man.

lightly

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

From this reading I noticed that he was a fine-looking fellow, lightly but handsomely built.

man

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

From this reading The gentleman who wished to see the captain came off in a small boat, pulled by a man who might have been a mulatto, a Cuban, or a Spaniard.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading The gentleman who wished to see the captain came off in a small boat, pulled by a man who might have been a mulatto, a Cuban, or a Spaniard.

mulatto

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

From this reading The gentleman who wished to see the captain came off in a small boat, pulled by a man who might have been a mulatto, a Cuban, or a Spaniard.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading He had a fine eye, and both his form and his face attracted my attention.

NATIVE

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

From this reading A NATIVE FLORIDIAN.

noticed

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

From this reading I noticed that he was a fine-looking fellow, lightly but handsomely built.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading If he had been brown, instead of slightly yellow, I should have taken him for a white man.

off

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

From this reading The gentleman who wished to see the captain came off in a small boat, pulled by a man who might have been a mulatto, a Cuban, or a Spaniard.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading The gentleman who wished to see the captain came off in a small boat, pulled by a man who might have been a mulatto, a Cuban, or a Spaniard.

pullednounUS /pulled/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The gentleman who wished to see the captain came off in a small boat, pulled by a man who might have been a mulatto, a Cuban, or a Spaniard.

see

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

From this reading The gentleman who wished to see the captain came off in a small boat, pulled by a man who might have been a mulatto, a Cuban, or a Spaniard.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading If he had been brown, instead of slightly yellow, I should have taken him for a white man.

slightly

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

From this reading If he had been brown, instead of slightly yellow, I should have taken him for a white man.

small

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

From this reading The gentleman who wished to see the captain came off in a small boat, pulled by a man who might have been a mulatto, a Cuban, or a Spaniard.

Spaniard

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

From this reading The gentleman who wished to see the captain came off in a small boat, pulled by a man who might have been a mulatto, a Cuban, or a Spaniard.

taken

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

From this reading If he had been brown, instead of slightly yellow, I should have taken him for a white man.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I noticed that he was a fine-looking fellow, lightly but handsomely built.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The gentleman who wished to see the captain came off in a small boat, pulled by a man who might have been a mulatto, a Cuban, or a Spaniard.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The gentleman who wished to see the captain came off in a small boat, pulled by a man who might have been a mulatto, a Cuban, or a Spaniard.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading I noticed that he was a fine-looking fellow, lightly but handsomely built.

white

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

From this reading If he had been brown, instead of slightly yellow, I should have taken him for a white man.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading The gentleman who wished to see the captain came off in a small boat, pulled by a man who might have been a mulatto, a Cuban, or a Spaniard.

wished

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

From this reading The gentleman who wished to see the captain came off in a small boat, pulled by a man who might have been a mulatto, a Cuban, or a Spaniard.

yellow

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

From this reading If he had been brown, instead of slightly yellow, I should have taken him for a white man.