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I Will Repay
I Will Repay

Chapter XXI

Cover illustration for I Will Repay
Context Illustration Reading 1/21 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The Cheval Borgne.
It was close upon midnight.
The place had become suffocatingly hot; the fumes of rank tobacco, of rancid butter, and of raw spirits hung like a vapour in mid-air.
The principal room in the "Auberge du Cheval Borgne" had been used for the past five years now as the chief meeting-place of the ultra-sansculotte party of the Republic.
The house itself was squalid and dirty, up one of those mean streets which, by their narrow way and shelving buildings, shut out sun, air, and light from their miserable inhabitants.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

I Will Repay

Chapter XXI

Reading 1/21 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The Cheval Borgne.
Line 2
It was close upon midnight.
Line 3
The place had become suffocatingly hot; the fumes of rank tobacco, of rancid butter, and of raw spirits hung like a vapour in mid-air.
Line 4
The principal room in the "Auberge du Cheval Borgne" had been used for the past five years now as the chief meeting-place of the ultra-sansculotte party of the Republic.
Line 5
The house itself was squalid and dirty, up one of those mean streets which, by their narrow way and shelving buildings, shut out sun, air, and light from their miserable inhabitants.

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 principal room in the "Auberge du Cheval Borgne" had been used for the past five years now as the chief meeting-place of the ultra-sansculotte party of the Republic.”

Itself pronoun US /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading “The house itself was squalid and dirty, up one of those mean streets which, by their narrow way and shelving buildings, shut out sun, air, and light from their miserable inhabitants.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “The house itself was squalid and dirty, up one of those mean streets which, by their narrow way and shelving buildings, shut out sun, air, and light from their miserable inhabitants.”

Party noun US /party/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The principal room in the "Auberge du Cheval Borgne" had been used for the past five years now as the chief meeting-place of the ultra-sansculotte party of the Republic.”

Those determiner US /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading “The house itself was squalid and dirty, up one of those mean streets which, by their narrow way and shelving buildings, shut out sun, air, and light from their miserable inhabitants.”

Tobacco noun US /ˈtobacco/

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

From this reading “The place had become suffocatingly hot; the fumes of rank tobacco, of rancid butter, and of raw spirits hung like a vapour in mid-air.”

Upon preposition US /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading “It was close upon midnight.”

All words in this reading · 69

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 place had become suffocatingly hot; the fumes of rank tobacco, of rancid butter, and of raw spirits hung like a vapour in mid-air.

air

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

From this reading The house itself was squalid and dirty, up one of those mean streets which, by their narrow way and shelving buildings, shut out sun, air, and light from their miserable inhabitants.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The place had become suffocatingly hot; the fumes of rank tobacco, of rancid butter, and of raw spirits hung like a vapour in mid-air.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The principal room in the "Auberge du Cheval Borgne" had been used for the past five years now as the chief meeting-place of the ultra-sansculotte party of the Republic.

Auberge

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

From this reading The principal room in the "Auberge du Cheval Borgne" had been used for the past five years now as the chief meeting-place of the ultra-sansculotte party of the Republic.

become

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

From this reading The place had become suffocatingly hot; the fumes of rank tobacco, of rancid butter, and of raw spirits hung like a vapour in mid-air.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The principal room in the "Auberge du Cheval Borgne" had been used for the past five years now as the chief meeting-place of the ultra-sansculotte party of the Republic.

Borgne

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

From this reading The Cheval Borgne.

buildings

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

From this reading The house itself was squalid and dirty, up one of those mean streets which, by their narrow way and shelving buildings, shut out sun, air, and light from their miserable inhabitants.

butter

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

From this reading The place had become suffocatingly hot; the fumes of rank tobacco, of rancid butter, and of raw spirits hung like a vapour in mid-air.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The house itself was squalid and dirty, up one of those mean streets which, by their narrow way and shelving buildings, shut out sun, air, and light from their miserable inhabitants.

Cheval

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

From this reading The Cheval Borgne.

chief

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

From this reading The principal room in the "Auberge du Cheval Borgne" had been used for the past five years now as the chief meeting-place of the ultra-sansculotte party of the Republic.

close

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

From this reading It was close upon midnight.

dirty

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

From this reading The house itself was squalid and dirty, up one of those mean streets which, by their narrow way and shelving buildings, shut out sun, air, and light from their miserable inhabitants.

du

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

From this reading The principal room in the "Auberge du Cheval Borgne" had been used for the past five years now as the chief meeting-place of the ultra-sansculotte party of the Republic.

five

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

From this reading The principal room in the "Auberge du Cheval Borgne" had been used for the past five years now as the chief meeting-place of the ultra-sansculotte party of the Republic.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The principal room in the "Auberge du Cheval Borgne" had been used for the past five years now as the chief meeting-place of the ultra-sansculotte party of the Republic.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The house itself was squalid and dirty, up one of those mean streets which, by their narrow way and shelving buildings, shut out sun, air, and light from their miserable inhabitants.

fumes

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

From this reading The place had become suffocatingly hot; the fumes of rank tobacco, of rancid butter, and of raw spirits hung like a vapour in mid-air.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The place had become suffocatingly hot; the fumes of rank tobacco, of rancid butter, and of raw spirits hung like a vapour in mid-air.

hot

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

From this reading The place had become suffocatingly hot; the fumes of rank tobacco, of rancid butter, and of raw spirits hung like a vapour in mid-air.

house

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

From this reading The house itself was squalid and dirty, up one of those mean streets which, by their narrow way and shelving buildings, shut out sun, air, and light from their miserable inhabitants.

hung

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

From this reading The place had become suffocatingly hot; the fumes of rank tobacco, of rancid butter, and of raw spirits hung like a vapour in mid-air.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The place had become suffocatingly hot; the fumes of rank tobacco, of rancid butter, and of raw spirits hung like a vapour in mid-air.

inhabitants

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

From this reading The house itself was squalid and dirty, up one of those mean streets which, by their narrow way and shelving buildings, shut out sun, air, and light from their miserable inhabitants.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was close upon midnight.

itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading The house itself was squalid and dirty, up one of those mean streets which, by their narrow way and shelving buildings, shut out sun, air, and light from their miserable inhabitants.

light

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

From this reading The house itself was squalid and dirty, up one of those mean streets which, by their narrow way and shelving buildings, shut out sun, air, and light from their miserable inhabitants.

like

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

From this reading The place had become suffocatingly hot; the fumes of rank tobacco, of rancid butter, and of raw spirits hung like a vapour in mid-air.

mean

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

From this reading The house itself was squalid and dirty, up one of those mean streets which, by their narrow way and shelving buildings, shut out sun, air, and light from their miserable inhabitants.

meeting-place

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

From this reading The principal room in the "Auberge du Cheval Borgne" had been used for the past five years now as the chief meeting-place of the ultra-sansculotte party of the Republic.

mid-air

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

From this reading The place had become suffocatingly hot; the fumes of rank tobacco, of rancid butter, and of raw spirits hung like a vapour in mid-air.

midnight

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

From this reading It was close upon midnight.

miserable

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

From this reading The house itself was squalid and dirty, up one of those mean streets which, by their narrow way and shelving buildings, shut out sun, air, and light from their miserable inhabitants.

narrow

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

From this reading The house itself was squalid and dirty, up one of those mean streets which, by their narrow way and shelving buildings, shut out sun, air, and light from their miserable inhabitants.

now

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

From this reading The principal room in the "Auberge du Cheval Borgne" had been used for the past five years now as the chief meeting-place of the ultra-sansculotte party of the Republic.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The place had become suffocatingly hot; the fumes of rank tobacco, of rancid butter, and of raw spirits hung like a vapour in mid-air.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The house itself was squalid and dirty, up one of those mean streets which, by their narrow way and shelving buildings, shut out sun, air, and light from their miserable inhabitants.

out

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

From this reading The house itself was squalid and dirty, up one of those mean streets which, by their narrow way and shelving buildings, shut out sun, air, and light from their miserable inhabitants.

partynounUS /party/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The principal room in the "Auberge du Cheval Borgne" had been used for the past five years now as the chief meeting-place of the ultra-sansculotte party of the Republic.

past

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

From this reading The principal room in the "Auberge du Cheval Borgne" had been used for the past five years now as the chief meeting-place of the ultra-sansculotte party of the Republic.

place

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

From this reading The place had become suffocatingly hot; the fumes of rank tobacco, of rancid butter, and of raw spirits hung like a vapour in mid-air.

principal

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

From this reading The principal room in the "Auberge du Cheval Borgne" had been used for the past five years now as the chief meeting-place of the ultra-sansculotte party of the Republic.

rancid

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

From this reading The place had become suffocatingly hot; the fumes of rank tobacco, of rancid butter, and of raw spirits hung like a vapour in mid-air.

rank

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

From this reading The place had become suffocatingly hot; the fumes of rank tobacco, of rancid butter, and of raw spirits hung like a vapour in mid-air.

raw

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

From this reading The place had become suffocatingly hot; the fumes of rank tobacco, of rancid butter, and of raw spirits hung like a vapour in mid-air.

Republic

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

From this reading The principal room in the "Auberge du Cheval Borgne" had been used for the past five years now as the chief meeting-place of the ultra-sansculotte party of the Republic.

room

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

From this reading The principal room in the "Auberge du Cheval Borgne" had been used for the past five years now as the chief meeting-place of the ultra-sansculotte party of the Republic.

shelving

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

From this reading The house itself was squalid and dirty, up one of those mean streets which, by their narrow way and shelving buildings, shut out sun, air, and light from their miserable inhabitants.

shut

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

From this reading The house itself was squalid and dirty, up one of those mean streets which, by their narrow way and shelving buildings, shut out sun, air, and light from their miserable inhabitants.

spirits

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

From this reading The place had become suffocatingly hot; the fumes of rank tobacco, of rancid butter, and of raw spirits hung like a vapour in mid-air.

squalid

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

From this reading The house itself was squalid and dirty, up one of those mean streets which, by their narrow way and shelving buildings, shut out sun, air, and light from their miserable inhabitants.

streets

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

From this reading The house itself was squalid and dirty, up one of those mean streets which, by their narrow way and shelving buildings, shut out sun, air, and light from their miserable inhabitants.

suffocatingly

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

From this reading The place had become suffocatingly hot; the fumes of rank tobacco, of rancid butter, and of raw spirits hung like a vapour in mid-air.

sun

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

From this reading The house itself was squalid and dirty, up one of those mean streets which, by their narrow way and shelving buildings, shut out sun, air, and light from their miserable inhabitants.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The Cheval Borgne.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The house itself was squalid and dirty, up one of those mean streets which, by their narrow way and shelving buildings, shut out sun, air, and light from their miserable inhabitants.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading The house itself was squalid and dirty, up one of those mean streets which, by their narrow way and shelving buildings, shut out sun, air, and light from their miserable inhabitants.

tobacconounUS /ˈtobacco/

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

From this reading The place had become suffocatingly hot; the fumes of rank tobacco, of rancid butter, and of raw spirits hung like a vapour in mid-air.

ultra-sansculotte

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

From this reading The principal room in the "Auberge du Cheval Borgne" had been used for the past five years now as the chief meeting-place of the ultra-sansculotte party of the Republic.

up

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

From this reading The house itself was squalid and dirty, up one of those mean streets which, by their narrow way and shelving buildings, shut out sun, air, and light from their miserable inhabitants.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading It was close upon midnight.

used

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

From this reading The principal room in the "Auberge du Cheval Borgne" had been used for the past five years now as the chief meeting-place of the ultra-sansculotte party of the Republic.

vapour

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

From this reading The place had become suffocatingly hot; the fumes of rank tobacco, of rancid butter, and of raw spirits hung like a vapour in mid-air.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was close upon midnight.

way

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

From this reading The house itself was squalid and dirty, up one of those mean streets which, by their narrow way and shelving buildings, shut out sun, air, and light from their miserable inhabitants.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading The house itself was squalid and dirty, up one of those mean streets which, by their narrow way and shelving buildings, shut out sun, air, and light from their miserable inhabitants.

years

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

From this reading The principal room in the "Auberge du Cheval Borgne" had been used for the past five years now as the chief meeting-place of the ultra-sansculotte party of the Republic.