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Ida Nicolari
Ida Nicolari

Chapter XXI

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Context Illustration Reading 1/22 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
ANTONIO GOES AWAY TO FULFIL HIS DESTINY.
HALF of the month of November was gone, and it wanted but three weeks to the day which had been fixed for Ida’s wedding.
The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.
The sudden inclemency of the weather produced a marked change for the worse in the old sculptor, though Ida and Marie took care to keep his room as warm as possible and to shield him from draught or chill.
On the third day of that spell of cold, Antonio did not attempt to leave his bed.
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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.

Ida Nicolari

Chapter XXI

Reading 1/22 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
ANTONIO GOES AWAY TO FULFIL HIS DESTINY.
Line 2
HALF of the month of November was gone, and it wanted but three weeks to the day which had been fixed for Ida’s wedding.
Line 3
The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.
Line 4
The sudden inclemency of the weather produced a marked change for the worse in the old sculptor, though Ida and Marie took care to keep his room as warm as possible and to shield him from draught or chill.
Line 5
On the third day of that spell of cold, Antonio did not attempt to leave his bed.

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 “HALF of the month of November was gone, and it wanted but three weeks to the day which had been fixed for Ida’s wedding.”

Cruel adjective US /ˈkruːəl/

causing pain or showing no kindness

From this reading “The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.”

Even noun US /even/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.”

HALF noun US /half/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “HALF of the month of November was gone, and it wanted but three weeks to the day which had been fixed for Ida’s wedding.”

Itself pronoun US /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading “The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.”

Life noun US /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.”

Powers noun US /powers/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.”

Sudden noun US /sudden/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The sudden inclemency of the weather produced a marked change for the worse in the old sculptor, though Ida and Marie took care to keep his room as warm as possible and to shield him from draught or chill.”

Third noun US /third/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “On the third day of that spell of cold, Antonio did not attempt to leave his bed.”

Though conjunction US /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading “The sudden inclemency of the weather produced a marked change for the worse in the old sculptor, though Ida and Marie took care to keep his room as warm as possible and to shield him from draught or chill.”

Took noun US /took/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The sudden inclemency of the weather produced a marked change for the worse in the old sculptor, though Ida and Marie took care to keep his room as warm as possible and to shield him from draught or chill.”

All words in this reading · 90

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 weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.

all

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

From this reading The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading HALF of the month of November was gone, and it wanted but three weeks to the day which had been fixed for Ida’s wedding.

ANTONIO

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

From this reading ANTONIO GOES AWAY TO FULFIL HIS DESTINY.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The sudden inclemency of the weather produced a marked change for the worse in the old sculptor, though Ida and Marie took care to keep his room as warm as possible and to shield him from draught or chill.

asserted

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

From this reading The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.

attempt

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

From this reading On the third day of that spell of cold, Antonio did not attempt to leave his bed.

AWAY

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

From this reading ANTONIO GOES AWAY TO FULFIL HIS DESTINY.

bed

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

From this reading On the third day of that spell of cold, Antonio did not attempt to leave his bed.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading HALF of the month of November was gone, and it wanted but three weeks to the day which had been fixed for Ida’s wedding.

bitter

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

From this reading The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading HALF of the month of November was gone, and it wanted but three weeks to the day which had been fixed for Ida’s wedding.

care

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

From this reading The sudden inclemency of the weather produced a marked change for the worse in the old sculptor, though Ida and Marie took care to keep his room as warm as possible and to shield him from draught or chill.

change

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

From this reading The sudden inclemency of the weather produced a marked change for the worse in the old sculptor, though Ida and Marie took care to keep his room as warm as possible and to shield him from draught or chill.

chill

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

From this reading The sudden inclemency of the weather produced a marked change for the worse in the old sculptor, though Ida and Marie took care to keep his room as warm as possible and to shield him from draught or chill.

cold

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

From this reading On the third day of that spell of cold, Antonio did not attempt to leave his bed.

crueladjectiveUS /ˈkruːəl/

causing pain or showing no kindness

From this reading The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.

damp

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

From this reading The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.

day

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

From this reading HALF of the month of November was gone, and it wanted but three weeks to the day which had been fixed for Ida’s wedding.

DESTINY

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

From this reading ANTONIO GOES AWAY TO FULFIL HIS DESTINY.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading On the third day of that spell of cold, Antonio did not attempt to leave his bed.

draught

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

From this reading The sudden inclemency of the weather produced a marked change for the worse in the old sculptor, though Ida and Marie took care to keep his room as warm as possible and to shield him from draught or chill.

endurance

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

From this reading The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.

evennounUS /even/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.

fixed

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

From this reading HALF of the month of November was gone, and it wanted but three weeks to the day which had been fixed for Ida’s wedding.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading HALF of the month of November was gone, and it wanted but three weeks to the day which had been fixed for Ida’s wedding.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The sudden inclemency of the weather produced a marked change for the worse in the old sculptor, though Ida and Marie took care to keep his room as warm as possible and to shield him from draught or chill.

FULFIL

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

From this reading ANTONIO GOES AWAY TO FULFIL HIS DESTINY.

GOES

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

From this reading ANTONIO GOES AWAY TO FULFIL HIS DESTINY.

gone

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

From this reading HALF of the month of November was gone, and it wanted but three weeks to the day which had been fixed for Ida’s wedding.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading HALF of the month of November was gone, and it wanted but three weeks to the day which had been fixed for Ida’s wedding.

HALFnounUS /half/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading HALF of the month of November was gone, and it wanted but three weeks to the day which had been fixed for Ida’s wedding.

haste

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

From this reading The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading The sudden inclemency of the weather produced a marked change for the worse in the old sculptor, though Ida and Marie took care to keep his room as warm as possible and to shield him from draught or chill.

HISdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading ANTONIO GOES AWAY TO FULFIL HIS DESTINY.

Ida

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

From this reading The sudden inclemency of the weather produced a marked change for the worse in the old sculptor, though Ida and Marie took care to keep his room as warm as possible and to shield him from draught or chill.

Ida's

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

From this reading HALF of the month of November was gone, and it wanted but three weeks to the day which had been fixed for Ida’s wedding.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The sudden inclemency of the weather produced a marked change for the worse in the old sculptor, though Ida and Marie took care to keep his room as warm as possible and to shield him from draught or chill.

inclemency

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

From this reading The sudden inclemency of the weather produced a marked change for the worse in the old sculptor, though Ida and Marie took care to keep his room as warm as possible and to shield him from draught or chill.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading HALF of the month of November was gone, and it wanted but three weeks to the day which had been fixed for Ida’s wedding.

itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.

keep

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

From this reading The sudden inclemency of the weather produced a marked change for the worse in the old sculptor, though Ida and Marie took care to keep his room as warm as possible and to shield him from draught or chill.

leave

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

From this reading On the third day of that spell of cold, Antonio did not attempt to leave his bed.

lifenounUS /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.

made

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

From this reading The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.

Marie

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

From this reading The sudden inclemency of the weather produced a marked change for the worse in the old sculptor, though Ida and Marie took care to keep his room as warm as possible and to shield him from draught or chill.

marked

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

From this reading The sudden inclemency of the weather produced a marked change for the worse in the old sculptor, though Ida and Marie took care to keep his room as warm as possible and to shield him from draught or chill.

mild

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

From this reading The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.

misery

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

From this reading The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.

month

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

From this reading HALF of the month of November was gone, and it wanted but three weeks to the day which had been fixed for Ida’s wedding.

most

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

From this reading The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.

north-easterly

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

From this reading The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading On the third day of that spell of cold, Antonio did not attempt to leave his bed.

November

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

From this reading HALF of the month of November was gone, and it wanted but three weeks to the day which had been fixed for Ida’s wedding.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading HALF of the month of November was gone, and it wanted but three weeks to the day which had been fixed for Ida’s wedding.

old

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

From this reading The sudden inclemency of the weather produced a marked change for the worse in the old sculptor, though Ida and Marie took care to keep his room as warm as possible and to shield him from draught or chill.

OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading On the third day of that spell of cold, Antonio did not attempt to leave his bed.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading The sudden inclemency of the weather produced a marked change for the worse in the old sculptor, though Ida and Marie took care to keep his room as warm as possible and to shield him from draught or chill.

possible

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

From this reading The sudden inclemency of the weather produced a marked change for the worse in the old sculptor, though Ida and Marie took care to keep his room as warm as possible and to shield him from draught or chill.

powersnounUS /powers/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.

produced

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

From this reading The sudden inclemency of the weather produced a marked change for the worse in the old sculptor, though Ida and Marie took care to keep his room as warm as possible and to shield him from draught or chill.

robust

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

From this reading The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.

room

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

From this reading The sudden inclemency of the weather produced a marked change for the worse in the old sculptor, though Ida and Marie took care to keep his room as warm as possible and to shield him from draught or chill.

sculptor

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

From this reading The sudden inclemency of the weather produced a marked change for the worse in the old sculptor, though Ida and Marie took care to keep his room as warm as possible and to shield him from draught or chill.

severely

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

From this reading The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.

shield

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

From this reading The sudden inclemency of the weather produced a marked change for the worse in the old sculptor, though Ida and Marie took care to keep his room as warm as possible and to shield him from draught or chill.

spell

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

From this reading On the third day of that spell of cold, Antonio did not attempt to leave his bed.

suddennounUS /sudden/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The sudden inclemency of the weather produced a marked change for the worse in the old sculptor, though Ida and Marie took care to keep his room as warm as possible and to shield him from draught or chill.

taxed

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

From this reading The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading On the third day of that spell of cold, Antonio did not attempt to leave his bed.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading HALF of the month of November was gone, and it wanted but three weeks to the day which had been fixed for Ida’s wedding.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.

thirdnounUS /third/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading On the third day of that spell of cold, Antonio did not attempt to leave his bed.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading The sudden inclemency of the weather produced a marked change for the worse in the old sculptor, though Ida and Marie took care to keep his room as warm as possible and to shield him from draught or chill.

three

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

From this reading HALF of the month of November was gone, and it wanted but three weeks to the day which had been fixed for Ida’s wedding.

TOparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading ANTONIO GOES AWAY TO FULFIL HIS DESTINY.

tooknounUS /took/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The sudden inclemency of the weather produced a marked change for the worse in the old sculptor, though Ida and Marie took care to keep his room as warm as possible and to shield him from draught or chill.

wanted

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

From this reading HALF of the month of November was gone, and it wanted but three weeks to the day which had been fixed for Ida’s wedding.

warm

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

From this reading The sudden inclemency of the weather produced a marked change for the worse in the old sculptor, though Ida and Marie took care to keep his room as warm as possible and to shield him from draught or chill.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading HALF of the month of November was gone, and it wanted but three weeks to the day which had been fixed for Ida’s wedding.

weather

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

From this reading The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.

wedding

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

From this reading HALF of the month of November was gone, and it wanted but three weeks to the day which had been fixed for Ida’s wedding.

weeks

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

From this reading HALF of the month of November was gone, and it wanted but three weeks to the day which had been fixed for Ida’s wedding.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading HALF of the month of November was gone, and it wanted but three weeks to the day which had been fixed for Ida’s wedding.

winds

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

From this reading The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.

Winter

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

From this reading The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The weather had been damp and mild, when with cruel haste Winter asserted itself, and bitter north-easterly winds made life a misery to all but the most robust, and even their powers of endurance were severely taxed.

worse

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

From this reading The sudden inclemency of the weather produced a marked change for the worse in the old sculptor, though Ida and Marie took care to keep his room as warm as possible and to shield him from draught or chill.