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Empire Builders
Empire Builders

Chapter XII

Cover illustration for Empire Builders
Context Illustration Reading 1/83 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Then we have three more chances in the hat.
Much obliged for the dynamite hint, Stuart.
I'll herd these three cartridges pretty carefully.
Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."
Another interval of suspense followed, thickly scored with pricklings of anxiety for the besieged.
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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.

Empire Builders

Chapter XII

Reading 1/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Then we have three more chances in the hat.
Line 2
Much obliged for the dynamite hint, Stuart.
Line 3
I'll herd these three cartridges pretty carefully.
Line 4
Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."
Line 5
Another interval of suspense followed, thickly scored with pricklings of anxiety for the besieged.

Learner Dictionary

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

Another noun US /ˈanother/

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

From this reading “Another interval of suspense followed, thickly scored with pricklings of anxiety for the besieged.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “"Then we have three more chances in the hat.”

Make noun US /make/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."”

Need noun US /need/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."”

These determiner US /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading “I'll herd these three cartridges pretty carefully.”

All words in this reading · 45

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 Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."

AnothernounUS /ˈanother/

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

From this reading Another interval of suspense followed, thickly scored with pricklings of anxiety for the besieged.

anxiety

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

From this reading Another interval of suspense followed, thickly scored with pricklings of anxiety for the besieged.

artillery

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

From this reading Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."

Back

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

From this reading Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."

besieged

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

From this reading Another interval of suspense followed, thickly scored with pricklings of anxiety for the besieged.

carefully

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

From this reading I'll herd these three cartridges pretty carefully.

cartridges

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

From this reading I'll herd these three cartridges pretty carefully.

chances

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

From this reading "Then we have three more chances in the hat.

dynamite

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

From this reading Much obliged for the dynamite hint, Stuart.

followed

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

From this reading Another interval of suspense followed, thickly scored with pricklings of anxiety for the besieged.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Much obliged for the dynamite hint, Stuart.

hat

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

From this reading "Then we have three more chances in the hat.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "Then we have three more chances in the hat.

herd

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

From this reading I'll herd these three cartridges pretty carefully.

hint

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

From this reading Much obliged for the dynamite hint, Stuart.

I'll

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

From this reading I'll herd these three cartridges pretty carefully.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "Then we have three more chances in the hat.

interval

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

From this reading Another interval of suspense followed, thickly scored with pricklings of anxiety for the besieged.

makenounUS /make/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."

more

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

From this reading "Then we have three more chances in the hat.

Much

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

From this reading Much obliged for the dynamite hint, Stuart.

neednounUS /need/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."

noise

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

From this reading Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."

obliged

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

From this reading Much obliged for the dynamite hint, Stuart.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Another interval of suspense followed, thickly scored with pricklings of anxiety for the besieged.

pretty

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

From this reading I'll herd these three cartridges pretty carefully.

pricklings

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

From this reading Another interval of suspense followed, thickly scored with pricklings of anxiety for the besieged.

scored

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

From this reading Another interval of suspense followed, thickly scored with pricklings of anxiety for the besieged.

sentry-boxes

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

From this reading Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."

Stuart

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

From this reading Much obliged for the dynamite hint, Stuart.

suspense

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

From this reading Another interval of suspense followed, thickly scored with pricklings of anxiety for the besieged.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "Then we have three more chances in the hat.

Then

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

From this reading "Then we have three more chances in the hat.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading I'll herd these three cartridges pretty carefully.

thickly

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

From this reading Another interval of suspense followed, thickly scored with pricklings of anxiety for the besieged.

three

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

From this reading "Then we have three more chances in the hat.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."

two

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

From this reading Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading "Then we have three more chances in the hat.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Another interval of suspense followed, thickly scored with pricklings of anxiety for the besieged.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you need the artillery."