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Half Brothers
Half Brothers

Chapter XIII

Cover illustration for Half Brothers
Context Illustration Reading 1/38 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE SON AND HEIR.
It was four years before Phyllis came to live at home again; and the transformation was complete.
The tom-boy of fourteen, with her excess of animal spirits, had developed into a bright and dainty girl of eighteen, with a grace and bloom about her like that of a flower just opening to the light.
Her face was prettier, and her figure more graceful than even her mother had expected them to be.
She could sing well, with a sweet, clear voice, that suggested the spontaneous joyousness of a song-bird.
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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.

Half Brothers

Chapter XIII

Reading 1/38 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE SON AND HEIR.
Line 2
It was four years before Phyllis came to live at home again; and the transformation was complete.
Line 3
The tom-boy of fourteen, with her excess of animal spirits, had developed into a bright and dainty girl of eighteen, with a grace and bloom about her like that of a flower just opening to the light.
Line 4
Her face was prettier, and her figure more graceful than even her mother had expected them to be.
Line 5
She could sing well, with a sweet, clear voice, that suggested the spontaneous joyousness of a song-bird.

Learner Dictionary

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

About preposition US /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading “The tom-boy of fourteen, with her excess of animal spirits, had developed into a bright and dainty girl of eighteen, with a grace and bloom about her like that of a flower just opening to the light.”

Again noun US /again/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It was four years before Phyllis came to live at home again; and the transformation was complete.”

Before preposition US /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading “It was four years before Phyllis came to live at home again; and the transformation was complete.”

Complete noun US /complete/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It was four years before Phyllis came to live at home again; and the transformation was complete.”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

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

From this reading “She could sing well, with a sweet, clear voice, that suggested the spontaneous joyousness of a song-bird.”

Even noun US /even/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Her face was prettier, and her figure more graceful than even her mother had expected them to be.”

HEIR noun US /er/

A person legally or magically entitled to the property or rank of another on that person's death.

From this reading “THE SON AND HEIR.”

Well noun US /well/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “She could sing well, with a sweet, clear voice, that suggested the spontaneous joyousness of a song-bird.”

All words in this reading · 65

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 The tom-boy of fourteen, with her excess of animal spirits, had developed into a bright and dainty girl of eighteen, with a grace and bloom about her like that of a flower just opening to the light.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading The tom-boy of fourteen, with her excess of animal spirits, had developed into a bright and dainty girl of eighteen, with a grace and bloom about her like that of a flower just opening to the light.

againnounUS /again/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It was four years before Phyllis came to live at home again; and the transformation was complete.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading THE SON AND HEIR.

animal

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

From this reading The tom-boy of fourteen, with her excess of animal spirits, had developed into a bright and dainty girl of eighteen, with a grace and bloom about her like that of a flower just opening to the light.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading It was four years before Phyllis came to live at home again; and the transformation was complete.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Her face was prettier, and her figure more graceful than even her mother had expected them to be.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading It was four years before Phyllis came to live at home again; and the transformation was complete.

bloom

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

From this reading The tom-boy of fourteen, with her excess of animal spirits, had developed into a bright and dainty girl of eighteen, with a grace and bloom about her like that of a flower just opening to the light.

bright

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

From this reading The tom-boy of fourteen, with her excess of animal spirits, had developed into a bright and dainty girl of eighteen, with a grace and bloom about her like that of a flower just opening to the light.

came

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

From this reading It was four years before Phyllis came to live at home again; and the transformation was complete.

clear

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

From this reading She could sing well, with a sweet, clear voice, that suggested the spontaneous joyousness of a song-bird.

completenounUS /complete/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It was four years before Phyllis came to live at home again; and the transformation was complete.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading She could sing well, with a sweet, clear voice, that suggested the spontaneous joyousness of a song-bird.

dainty

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

From this reading The tom-boy of fourteen, with her excess of animal spirits, had developed into a bright and dainty girl of eighteen, with a grace and bloom about her like that of a flower just opening to the light.

developed

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

From this reading The tom-boy of fourteen, with her excess of animal spirits, had developed into a bright and dainty girl of eighteen, with a grace and bloom about her like that of a flower just opening to the light.

eighteen

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

From this reading The tom-boy of fourteen, with her excess of animal spirits, had developed into a bright and dainty girl of eighteen, with a grace and bloom about her like that of a flower just opening to the light.

evennounUS /even/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Her face was prettier, and her figure more graceful than even her mother had expected them to be.

excess

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

From this reading The tom-boy of fourteen, with her excess of animal spirits, had developed into a bright and dainty girl of eighteen, with a grace and bloom about her like that of a flower just opening to the light.

expected

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

From this reading Her face was prettier, and her figure more graceful than even her mother had expected them to be.

face

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

From this reading Her face was prettier, and her figure more graceful than even her mother had expected them to be.

figure

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

From this reading Her face was prettier, and her figure more graceful than even her mother had expected them to be.

flower

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

From this reading The tom-boy of fourteen, with her excess of animal spirits, had developed into a bright and dainty girl of eighteen, with a grace and bloom about her like that of a flower just opening to the light.

four

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

From this reading It was four years before Phyllis came to live at home again; and the transformation was complete.

fourteen

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

From this reading The tom-boy of fourteen, with her excess of animal spirits, had developed into a bright and dainty girl of eighteen, with a grace and bloom about her like that of a flower just opening to the light.

girl

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

From this reading The tom-boy of fourteen, with her excess of animal spirits, had developed into a bright and dainty girl of eighteen, with a grace and bloom about her like that of a flower just opening to the light.

grace

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

From this reading The tom-boy of fourteen, with her excess of animal spirits, had developed into a bright and dainty girl of eighteen, with a grace and bloom about her like that of a flower just opening to the light.

graceful

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

From this reading Her face was prettier, and her figure more graceful than even her mother had expected them to be.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The tom-boy of fourteen, with her excess of animal spirits, had developed into a bright and dainty girl of eighteen, with a grace and bloom about her like that of a flower just opening to the light.

HEIRnounUS /er/

A person legally or magically entitled to the property or rank of another on that person's death.

From this reading THE SON AND HEIR.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading The tom-boy of fourteen, with her excess of animal spirits, had developed into a bright and dainty girl of eighteen, with a grace and bloom about her like that of a flower just opening to the light.

home

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

From this reading It was four years before Phyllis came to live at home again; and the transformation was complete.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading The tom-boy of fourteen, with her excess of animal spirits, had developed into a bright and dainty girl of eighteen, with a grace and bloom about her like that of a flower just opening to the light.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was four years before Phyllis came to live at home again; and the transformation was complete.

joyousness

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

From this reading She could sing well, with a sweet, clear voice, that suggested the spontaneous joyousness of a song-bird.

just

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

From this reading The tom-boy of fourteen, with her excess of animal spirits, had developed into a bright and dainty girl of eighteen, with a grace and bloom about her like that of a flower just opening to the light.

light

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

From this reading The tom-boy of fourteen, with her excess of animal spirits, had developed into a bright and dainty girl of eighteen, with a grace and bloom about her like that of a flower just opening to the light.

like

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

From this reading The tom-boy of fourteen, with her excess of animal spirits, had developed into a bright and dainty girl of eighteen, with a grace and bloom about her like that of a flower just opening to the light.

live

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

From this reading It was four years before Phyllis came to live at home again; and the transformation was complete.

more

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

From this reading Her face was prettier, and her figure more graceful than even her mother had expected them to be.

mother

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

From this reading Her face was prettier, and her figure more graceful than even her mother had expected them to be.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The tom-boy of fourteen, with her excess of animal spirits, had developed into a bright and dainty girl of eighteen, with a grace and bloom about her like that of a flower just opening to the light.

opening

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

From this reading The tom-boy of fourteen, with her excess of animal spirits, had developed into a bright and dainty girl of eighteen, with a grace and bloom about her like that of a flower just opening to the light.

Phyllis

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

From this reading It was four years before Phyllis came to live at home again; and the transformation was complete.

prettier

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

From this reading Her face was prettier, and her figure more graceful than even her mother had expected them to be.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She could sing well, with a sweet, clear voice, that suggested the spontaneous joyousness of a song-bird.

sing

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

From this reading She could sing well, with a sweet, clear voice, that suggested the spontaneous joyousness of a song-bird.

SON

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

From this reading THE SON AND HEIR.

song-bird

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

From this reading She could sing well, with a sweet, clear voice, that suggested the spontaneous joyousness of a song-bird.

spirits

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

From this reading The tom-boy of fourteen, with her excess of animal spirits, had developed into a bright and dainty girl of eighteen, with a grace and bloom about her like that of a flower just opening to the light.

spontaneous

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

From this reading She could sing well, with a sweet, clear voice, that suggested the spontaneous joyousness of a song-bird.

suggested

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

From this reading She could sing well, with a sweet, clear voice, that suggested the spontaneous joyousness of a song-bird.

sweet

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

From this reading She could sing well, with a sweet, clear voice, that suggested the spontaneous joyousness of a song-bird.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Her face was prettier, and her figure more graceful than even her mother had expected them to be.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The tom-boy of fourteen, with her excess of animal spirits, had developed into a bright and dainty girl of eighteen, with a grace and bloom about her like that of a flower just opening to the light.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE SON AND HEIR.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Her face was prettier, and her figure more graceful than even her mother had expected them to be.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It was four years before Phyllis came to live at home again; and the transformation was complete.

tom-boy

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

From this reading The tom-boy of fourteen, with her excess of animal spirits, had developed into a bright and dainty girl of eighteen, with a grace and bloom about her like that of a flower just opening to the light.

transformation

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

From this reading It was four years before Phyllis came to live at home again; and the transformation was complete.

voice

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

From this reading She could sing well, with a sweet, clear voice, that suggested the spontaneous joyousness of a song-bird.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was four years before Phyllis came to live at home again; and the transformation was complete.

well

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

From this reading She could sing well, with a sweet, clear voice, that suggested the spontaneous joyousness of a song-bird.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The tom-boy of fourteen, with her excess of animal spirits, had developed into a bright and dainty girl of eighteen, with a grace and bloom about her like that of a flower just opening to the light.

years

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

From this reading It was four years before Phyllis came to live at home again; and the transformation was complete.