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Final Proof
Final Proof

Chapter XVI

Cover illustration for Final Proof
Context Illustration Reading 1/82 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"'Mr. Barnes' she began, 'this affair is simply awful.
I have been robbed, and the thief is a woman of my own social status.
I am horrified to discover that one of my set could stoop so low as to steal.
And then the thing itself was such a trifle.
A diamond stud, worth two hundred dollars at the outside valuation.
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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.

Final Proof

Chapter XVI

Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"'Mr. Barnes' she began, 'this affair is simply awful.
Line 2
I have been robbed, and the thief is a woman of my own social status.
Line 3
I am horrified to discover that one of my set could stoop so low as to steal.
Line 4
And then the thing itself was such a trifle.
Line 5
A diamond stud, worth two hundred dollars at the outside valuation.

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 “I have been robbed, and the thief is a woman of my own social status.”

Began noun US /began/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"'Mr. Barnes' she began, 'this affair is simply awful.”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

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

From this reading “I am horrified to discover that one of my set could stoop so low as to steal.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “I have been robbed, and the thief is a woman of my own social status.”

Itself pronoun US /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading “And then the thing itself was such a trifle.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “I am horrified to discover that one of my set could stoop so low as to steal.”

Outside noun US /ˈoutside/

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

From this reading “A diamond stud, worth two hundred dollars at the outside valuation.”

Thing noun US /thing/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “And then the thing itself was such a trifle.”

Trifle noun US /ˈtraɪfəl/

something that needs very little effort

From this reading “And then the thing itself was such a trifle.”

All words in this reading · 51

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 I have been robbed, and the thief is a woman of my own social status.

affair

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

From this reading "'Mr. Barnes' she began, 'this affair is simply awful.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading I am horrified to discover that one of my set could stoop so low as to steal.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I have been robbed, and the thief is a woman of my own social status.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading I am horrified to discover that one of my set could stoop so low as to steal.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading A diamond stud, worth two hundred dollars at the outside valuation.

awful

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

From this reading "'Mr. Barnes' she began, 'this affair is simply awful.

Barnes

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

From this reading "'Mr. Barnes' she began, 'this affair is simply awful.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading I have been robbed, and the thief is a woman of my own social status.

begannounUS /began/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading "'Mr. Barnes' she began, 'this affair is simply awful.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading I am horrified to discover that one of my set could stoop so low as to steal.

diamond

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

From this reading A diamond stud, worth two hundred dollars at the outside valuation.

discover

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

From this reading I am horrified to discover that one of my set could stoop so low as to steal.

dollars

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

From this reading A diamond stud, worth two hundred dollars at the outside valuation.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I have been robbed, and the thief is a woman of my own social status.

horrified

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

From this reading I am horrified to discover that one of my set could stoop so low as to steal.

hundred

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

From this reading A diamond stud, worth two hundred dollars at the outside valuation.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I have been robbed, and the thief is a woman of my own social status.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "'Mr. Barnes' she began, 'this affair is simply awful.

itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading And then the thing itself was such a trifle.

low

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

From this reading I am horrified to discover that one of my set could stoop so low as to steal.

Mr

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

From this reading "'Mr. Barnes' she began, 'this affair is simply awful.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I have been robbed, and the thief is a woman of my own social status.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I have been robbed, and the thief is a woman of my own social status.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading I am horrified to discover that one of my set could stoop so low as to steal.

outsidenounUS /ˈoutside/

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

From this reading A diamond stud, worth two hundred dollars at the outside valuation.

own

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

From this reading I have been robbed, and the thief is a woman of my own social status.

robbed

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

From this reading I have been robbed, and the thief is a woman of my own social status.

set

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

From this reading I am horrified to discover that one of my set could stoop so low as to steal.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading "'Mr. Barnes' she began, 'this affair is simply awful.

simply

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

From this reading "'Mr. Barnes' she began, 'this affair is simply awful.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading I am horrified to discover that one of my set could stoop so low as to steal.

social

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

From this reading I have been robbed, and the thief is a woman of my own social status.

status

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

From this reading I have been robbed, and the thief is a woman of my own social status.

steal

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

From this reading I am horrified to discover that one of my set could stoop so low as to steal.

stoop

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

From this reading I am horrified to discover that one of my set could stoop so low as to steal.

stud

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

From this reading A diamond stud, worth two hundred dollars at the outside valuation.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading And then the thing itself was such a trifle.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I am horrified to discover that one of my set could stoop so low as to steal.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading I have been robbed, and the thief is a woman of my own social status.

then

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

From this reading And then the thing itself was such a trifle.

thief

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

From this reading I have been robbed, and the thief is a woman of my own social status.

thingnounUS /thing/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading And then the thing itself was such a trifle.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading "'Mr. Barnes' she began, 'this affair is simply awful.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I am horrified to discover that one of my set could stoop so low as to steal.

triflenounUS /ˈtraɪfəl/

something that needs very little effort

From this reading And then the thing itself was such a trifle.

two

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

From this reading A diamond stud, worth two hundred dollars at the outside valuation.

valuation

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

From this reading A diamond stud, worth two hundred dollars at the outside valuation.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading And then the thing itself was such a trifle.

woman

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

From this reading I have been robbed, and the thief is a woman of my own social status.

worth

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

From this reading A diamond stud, worth two hundred dollars at the outside valuation.