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Down Went McGinty
Down Went McGinty

Chapter I

Cover illustration for Down Went McGinty
Context Illustration Reading 1/102 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
_McGinty's first love was Moon-shaped; gutted and inhumanly beautiful.
And it served him well all the days of his short life._ I guess you could say I hated Kolomar.
Not with the same hatred I had for the Comrades, but I hated him.
There were the obvious reasons--he'd beat me out of my general's star, and got the top job with Security that I'd been promised for the last five years.
It was because of him that I was still stuck with the command of a second-rate satellite.
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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 Went McGinty

Chapter I

Reading 1/102 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
_McGinty's first love was Moon-shaped; gutted and inhumanly beautiful.
Line 2
And it served him well all the days of his short life._ I guess you could say I hated Kolomar.
Line 3
Not with the same hatred I had for the Comrades, but I hated him.
Line 4
There were the obvious reasons--he'd beat me out of my general's star, and got the top job with Security that I'd been promised for the last five years.
Line 5
It was because of him that I was still stuck with the command of a second-rate satellite.

Learner Dictionary

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

Because conjunction US /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading “It was because of him that I was still stuck with the command of a second-rate satellite.”

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “There were the obvious reasons--he'd beat me out of my general's star, and got the top job with Security that I'd been promised for the last five years.”

Comrades noun US /ˈkɑːmrædz/

people who share difficult work or danger, especially soldiers

From this reading “Not with the same hatred I had for the Comrades, but I hated him.”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

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

From this reading “And it served him well all the days of his short life._ I guess you could say I hated Kolomar.”

First noun US /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “_McGinty's first love was Moon-shaped; gutted and inhumanly beautiful.”

Last noun US /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “There were the obvious reasons--he'd beat me out of my general's star, and got the top job with Security that I'd been promised for the last five years.”

Life noun US /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “And it served him well all the days of his short life._ I guess you could say I hated Kolomar.”

Reasons noun US /ˈreasons/

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

From this reading “There were the obvious reasons--he'd beat me out of my general's star, and got the top job with Security that I'd been promised for the last five years.”

Same noun US /same/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Not with the same hatred I had for the Comrades, but I hated him.”

Short adjective US /ʃɔrt/

brief or direct in expression

From this reading “And it served him well all the days of his short life._ I guess you could say I hated Kolomar.”

Still noun US /still/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It was because of him that I was still stuck with the command of a second-rate satellite.”

Well noun US /well/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “And it served him well all the days of his short life._ I guess you could say I hated Kolomar.”

All words in this reading · 64

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 It was because of him that I was still stuck with the command of a second-rate satellite.

all

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

From this reading And it served him well all the days of his short life._ I guess you could say I hated Kolomar.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading _McGinty's first love was Moon-shaped; gutted and inhumanly beautiful.

beat

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

From this reading There were the obvious reasons--he'd beat me out of my general's star, and got the top job with Security that I'd been promised for the last five years.

beautiful

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

From this reading _McGinty's first love was Moon-shaped; gutted and inhumanly beautiful.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading It was because of him that I was still stuck with the command of a second-rate satellite.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading There were the obvious reasons--he'd beat me out of my general's star, and got the top job with Security that I'd been promised for the last five years.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Not with the same hatred I had for the Comrades, but I hated him.

command

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

From this reading It was because of him that I was still stuck with the command of a second-rate satellite.

ComradesnounUS /ˈkɑːmrædz/

people who share difficult work or danger, especially soldiers

From this reading Not with the same hatred I had for the Comrades, but I hated him.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading And it served him well all the days of his short life._ I guess you could say I hated Kolomar.

days

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

From this reading And it served him well all the days of his short life._ I guess you could say I hated Kolomar.

firstnounUS /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading _McGinty's first love was Moon-shaped; gutted and inhumanly beautiful.

five

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

From this reading There were the obvious reasons--he'd beat me out of my general's star, and got the top job with Security that I'd been promised for the last five years.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Not with the same hatred I had for the Comrades, but I hated him.

general's

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

From this reading There were the obvious reasons--he'd beat me out of my general's star, and got the top job with Security that I'd been promised for the last five years.

got

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

From this reading There were the obvious reasons--he'd beat me out of my general's star, and got the top job with Security that I'd been promised for the last five years.

guess

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

From this reading And it served him well all the days of his short life._ I guess you could say I hated Kolomar.

gutted

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

From this reading _McGinty's first love was Moon-shaped; gutted and inhumanly beautiful.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Not with the same hatred I had for the Comrades, but I hated him.

hated

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

From this reading And it served him well all the days of his short life._ I guess you could say I hated Kolomar.

hatred

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

From this reading Not with the same hatred I had for the Comrades, but I hated him.

he'd

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

From this reading There were the obvious reasons--he'd beat me out of my general's star, and got the top job with Security that I'd been promised for the last five years.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading And it served him well all the days of his short life._ I guess you could say I hated Kolomar.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading And it served him well all the days of his short life._ I guess you could say I hated Kolomar.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading And it served him well all the days of his short life._ I guess you could say I hated Kolomar.

I'd

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

From this reading There were the obvious reasons--he'd beat me out of my general's star, and got the top job with Security that I'd been promised for the last five years.

inhumanly

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

From this reading _McGinty's first love was Moon-shaped; gutted and inhumanly beautiful.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading And it served him well all the days of his short life._ I guess you could say I hated Kolomar.

job

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

From this reading There were the obvious reasons--he'd beat me out of my general's star, and got the top job with Security that I'd been promised for the last five years.

Kolomar

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

From this reading And it served him well all the days of his short life._ I guess you could say I hated Kolomar.

lastnounUS /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading There were the obvious reasons--he'd beat me out of my general's star, and got the top job with Security that I'd been promised for the last five years.

lifenounUS /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading And it served him well all the days of his short life._ I guess you could say I hated Kolomar.

love

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

From this reading _McGinty's first love was Moon-shaped; gutted and inhumanly beautiful.

McGinty's

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

From this reading _McGinty's first love was Moon-shaped; gutted and inhumanly beautiful.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading There were the obvious reasons--he'd beat me out of my general's star, and got the top job with Security that I'd been promised for the last five years.

Moon-shaped

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

From this reading _McGinty's first love was Moon-shaped; gutted and inhumanly beautiful.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading There were the obvious reasons--he'd beat me out of my general's star, and got the top job with Security that I'd been promised for the last five years.

NotadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Not with the same hatred I had for the Comrades, but I hated him.

obvious

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

From this reading There were the obvious reasons--he'd beat me out of my general's star, and got the top job with Security that I'd been promised for the last five years.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading And it served him well all the days of his short life._ I guess you could say I hated Kolomar.

out

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

From this reading There were the obvious reasons--he'd beat me out of my general's star, and got the top job with Security that I'd been promised for the last five years.

promised

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

From this reading There were the obvious reasons--he'd beat me out of my general's star, and got the top job with Security that I'd been promised for the last five years.

reasonsnounUS /ˈreasons/

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

From this reading There were the obvious reasons--he'd beat me out of my general's star, and got the top job with Security that I'd been promised for the last five years.

samenounUS /same/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Not with the same hatred I had for the Comrades, but I hated him.

satellite

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

From this reading It was because of him that I was still stuck with the command of a second-rate satellite.

say

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

From this reading And it served him well all the days of his short life._ I guess you could say I hated Kolomar.

second-rate

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

From this reading It was because of him that I was still stuck with the command of a second-rate satellite.

Security

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

From this reading There were the obvious reasons--he'd beat me out of my general's star, and got the top job with Security that I'd been promised for the last five years.

served

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

From this reading And it served him well all the days of his short life._ I guess you could say I hated Kolomar.

shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔrt/

brief or direct in expression

From this reading And it served him well all the days of his short life._ I guess you could say I hated Kolomar.

star

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

From this reading There were the obvious reasons--he'd beat me out of my general's star, and got the top job with Security that I'd been promised for the last five years.

stillnounUS /still/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It was because of him that I was still stuck with the command of a second-rate satellite.

stuck

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

From this reading It was because of him that I was still stuck with the command of a second-rate satellite.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading There were the obvious reasons--he'd beat me out of my general's star, and got the top job with Security that I'd been promised for the last five years.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading And it served him well all the days of his short life._ I guess you could say I hated Kolomar.

There

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

From this reading There were the obvious reasons--he'd beat me out of my general's star, and got the top job with Security that I'd been promised for the last five years.

top

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

From this reading There were the obvious reasons--he'd beat me out of my general's star, and got the top job with Security that I'd been promised for the last five years.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading _McGinty's first love was Moon-shaped; gutted and inhumanly beautiful.

well

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

From this reading And it served him well all the days of his short life._ I guess you could say I hated Kolomar.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading There were the obvious reasons--he'd beat me out of my general's star, and got the top job with Security that I'd been promised for the last five years.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Not with the same hatred I had for the Comrades, but I hated him.

years

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

From this reading There were the obvious reasons--he'd beat me out of my general's star, and got the top job with Security that I'd been promised for the last five years.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading And it served him well all the days of his short life._ I guess you could say I hated Kolomar.