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Possession
Possession

Chapter X

Cover illustration for Possession
Context Illustration Reading 1/79 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
“We are dining alone, the four of us,” said Mrs. Callendar abruptly.
It was clear that she meant to keep Ellen forever in ignorance of what she had said.
* * * * * The dining room was done in the grand manner of the Second Empire, a room copied at the behest of young Callendar’s grandfather from a house built by the Duc de Morny for one of his mistresses.
It was grandiose, with columns of white and gilt, centering upon a massive table and a group of chairs with backs which ended a foot or two sooner than they should have ended.
On the four panels of the walls there hung pictures of Venice in the dry, hard manner of Canaletto ...
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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.

Possession

Chapter X

Reading 1/79 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
“We are dining alone, the four of us,” said Mrs. Callendar abruptly.
Line 2
It was clear that she meant to keep Ellen forever in ignorance of what she had said.
Line 3
* * * * * The dining room was done in the grand manner of the Second Empire, a room copied at the behest of young Callendar’s grandfather from a house built by the Duc de Morny for one of his mistresses.
Line 4
It was grandiose, with columns of white and gilt, centering upon a massive table and a group of chairs with backs which ended a foot or two sooner than they should have ended.
Line 5
On the four panels of the walls there hung pictures of Venice in the dry, hard manner of Canaletto ...

Learner Dictionary

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

Alone noun US /alone/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading ““We are dining alone, the four of us,” said Mrs. Callendar abruptly.”

Done noun US /done/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “* * * * * The dining room was done in the grand manner of the Second Empire, a room copied at the behest of young Callendar’s grandfather from a house built by the Duc de Morny for one of his mistresses.”

Foot noun US /foot/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It was grandiose, with columns of white and gilt, centering upon a massive table and a group of chairs with backs which ended a foot or two sooner than they should have ended.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “It was grandiose, with columns of white and gilt, centering upon a massive table and a group of chairs with backs which ended a foot or two sooner than they should have ended.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “* * * * * The dining room was done in the grand manner of the Second Empire, a room copied at the behest of young Callendar’s grandfather from a house built by the Duc de Morny for one of his mistresses.”

Second noun US /second/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “* * * * * The dining room was done in the grand manner of the Second Empire, a room copied at the behest of young Callendar’s grandfather from a house built by the Duc de Morny for one of his mistresses.”

Upon preposition US /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading “It was grandiose, with columns of white and gilt, centering upon a massive table and a group of chairs with backs which ended a foot or two sooner than they should have ended.”

All words in this reading · 83

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 dining room was done in the grand manner of the Second Empire, a room copied at the behest of young Callendar’s grandfather from a house built by the Duc de Morny for one of his mistresses.

abruptly

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

From this reading “We are dining alone, the four of us,” said Mrs. Callendar abruptly.

alonenounUS /alone/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “We are dining alone, the four of us,” said Mrs. Callendar abruptly.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It was grandiose, with columns of white and gilt, centering upon a massive table and a group of chairs with backs which ended a foot or two sooner than they should have ended.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading “We are dining alone, the four of us,” said Mrs. Callendar abruptly.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading * * * * * The dining room was done in the grand manner of the Second Empire, a room copied at the behest of young Callendar’s grandfather from a house built by the Duc de Morny for one of his mistresses.

backs

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

From this reading It was grandiose, with columns of white and gilt, centering upon a massive table and a group of chairs with backs which ended a foot or two sooner than they should have ended.

behest

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

From this reading * * * * * The dining room was done in the grand manner of the Second Empire, a room copied at the behest of young Callendar’s grandfather from a house built by the Duc de Morny for one of his mistresses.

built

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

From this reading * * * * * The dining room was done in the grand manner of the Second Empire, a room copied at the behest of young Callendar’s grandfather from a house built by the Duc de Morny for one of his mistresses.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading * * * * * The dining room was done in the grand manner of the Second Empire, a room copied at the behest of young Callendar’s grandfather from a house built by the Duc de Morny for one of his mistresses.

Callendar

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

From this reading “We are dining alone, the four of us,” said Mrs. Callendar abruptly.

Callendar's

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

From this reading * * * * * The dining room was done in the grand manner of the Second Empire, a room copied at the behest of young Callendar’s grandfather from a house built by the Duc de Morny for one of his mistresses.

Canaletto

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

From this reading On the four panels of the walls there hung pictures of Venice in the dry, hard manner of Canaletto ...

centering

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

From this reading It was grandiose, with columns of white and gilt, centering upon a massive table and a group of chairs with backs which ended a foot or two sooner than they should have ended.

chairs

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

From this reading It was grandiose, with columns of white and gilt, centering upon a massive table and a group of chairs with backs which ended a foot or two sooner than they should have ended.

clear

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

From this reading It was clear that she meant to keep Ellen forever in ignorance of what she had said.

columns

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

From this reading It was grandiose, with columns of white and gilt, centering upon a massive table and a group of chairs with backs which ended a foot or two sooner than they should have ended.

copied

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

From this reading * * * * * The dining room was done in the grand manner of the Second Empire, a room copied at the behest of young Callendar’s grandfather from a house built by the Duc de Morny for one of his mistresses.

de

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

From this reading * * * * * The dining room was done in the grand manner of the Second Empire, a room copied at the behest of young Callendar’s grandfather from a house built by the Duc de Morny for one of his mistresses.

dining

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

From this reading “We are dining alone, the four of us,” said Mrs. Callendar abruptly.

donenounUS /done/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading * * * * * The dining room was done in the grand manner of the Second Empire, a room copied at the behest of young Callendar’s grandfather from a house built by the Duc de Morny for one of his mistresses.

dry

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

From this reading On the four panels of the walls there hung pictures of Venice in the dry, hard manner of Canaletto ...

Duc

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

From this reading * * * * * The dining room was done in the grand manner of the Second Empire, a room copied at the behest of young Callendar’s grandfather from a house built by the Duc de Morny for one of his mistresses.

Ellen

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

From this reading It was clear that she meant to keep Ellen forever in ignorance of what she had said.

Empire

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

From this reading * * * * * The dining room was done in the grand manner of the Second Empire, a room copied at the behest of young Callendar’s grandfather from a house built by the Duc de Morny for one of his mistresses.

ended

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

From this reading It was grandiose, with columns of white and gilt, centering upon a massive table and a group of chairs with backs which ended a foot or two sooner than they should have ended.

footnounUS /foot/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It was grandiose, with columns of white and gilt, centering upon a massive table and a group of chairs with backs which ended a foot or two sooner than they should have ended.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading * * * * * The dining room was done in the grand manner of the Second Empire, a room copied at the behest of young Callendar’s grandfather from a house built by the Duc de Morny for one of his mistresses.

forever

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

From this reading It was clear that she meant to keep Ellen forever in ignorance of what she had said.

four

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

From this reading “We are dining alone, the four of us,” said Mrs. Callendar abruptly.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading * * * * * The dining room was done in the grand manner of the Second Empire, a room copied at the behest of young Callendar’s grandfather from a house built by the Duc de Morny for one of his mistresses.

gilt

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

From this reading It was grandiose, with columns of white and gilt, centering upon a massive table and a group of chairs with backs which ended a foot or two sooner than they should have ended.

grand

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

From this reading * * * * * The dining room was done in the grand manner of the Second Empire, a room copied at the behest of young Callendar’s grandfather from a house built by the Duc de Morny for one of his mistresses.

grandfather

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

From this reading * * * * * The dining room was done in the grand manner of the Second Empire, a room copied at the behest of young Callendar’s grandfather from a house built by the Duc de Morny for one of his mistresses.

grandiose

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

From this reading It was grandiose, with columns of white and gilt, centering upon a massive table and a group of chairs with backs which ended a foot or two sooner than they should have ended.

group

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

From this reading It was grandiose, with columns of white and gilt, centering upon a massive table and a group of chairs with backs which ended a foot or two sooner than they should have ended.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading It was clear that she meant to keep Ellen forever in ignorance of what she had said.

hard

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

From this reading On the four panels of the walls there hung pictures of Venice in the dry, hard manner of Canaletto ...

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading It was grandiose, with columns of white and gilt, centering upon a massive table and a group of chairs with backs which ended a foot or two sooner than they should have ended.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading * * * * * The dining room was done in the grand manner of the Second Empire, a room copied at the behest of young Callendar’s grandfather from a house built by the Duc de Morny for one of his mistresses.

house

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

From this reading * * * * * The dining room was done in the grand manner of the Second Empire, a room copied at the behest of young Callendar’s grandfather from a house built by the Duc de Morny for one of his mistresses.

hung

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

From this reading On the four panels of the walls there hung pictures of Venice in the dry, hard manner of Canaletto ...

ignorance

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

From this reading It was clear that she meant to keep Ellen forever in ignorance of what she had said.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It was clear that she meant to keep Ellen forever in ignorance of what she had said.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was clear that she meant to keep Ellen forever in ignorance of what she had said.

keep

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

From this reading It was clear that she meant to keep Ellen forever in ignorance of what she had said.

manner

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

From this reading * * * * * The dining room was done in the grand manner of the Second Empire, a room copied at the behest of young Callendar’s grandfather from a house built by the Duc de Morny for one of his mistresses.

massive

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

From this reading It was grandiose, with columns of white and gilt, centering upon a massive table and a group of chairs with backs which ended a foot or two sooner than they should have ended.

meant

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

From this reading It was clear that she meant to keep Ellen forever in ignorance of what she had said.

mistresses

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

From this reading * * * * * The dining room was done in the grand manner of the Second Empire, a room copied at the behest of young Callendar’s grandfather from a house built by the Duc de Morny for one of his mistresses.

Morny

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

From this reading * * * * * The dining room was done in the grand manner of the Second Empire, a room copied at the behest of young Callendar’s grandfather from a house built by the Duc de Morny for one of his mistresses.

Mrs

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

From this reading “We are dining alone, the four of us,” said Mrs. Callendar abruptly.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “We are dining alone, the four of us,” said Mrs. Callendar abruptly.

OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading On the four panels of the walls there hung pictures of Venice in the dry, hard manner of Canaletto ...

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading * * * * * The dining room was done in the grand manner of the Second Empire, a room copied at the behest of young Callendar’s grandfather from a house built by the Duc de Morny for one of his mistresses.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading It was grandiose, with columns of white and gilt, centering upon a massive table and a group of chairs with backs which ended a foot or two sooner than they should have ended.

panels

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

From this reading On the four panels of the walls there hung pictures of Venice in the dry, hard manner of Canaletto ...

pictures

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

From this reading On the four panels of the walls there hung pictures of Venice in the dry, hard manner of Canaletto ...

room

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

From this reading * * * * * The dining room was done in the grand manner of the Second Empire, a room copied at the behest of young Callendar’s grandfather from a house built by the Duc de Morny for one of his mistresses.

said

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

From this reading “We are dining alone, the four of us,” said Mrs. Callendar abruptly.

Second

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

From this reading * * * * * The dining room was done in the grand manner of the Second Empire, a room copied at the behest of young Callendar’s grandfather from a house built by the Duc de Morny for one of his mistresses.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading It was clear that she meant to keep Ellen forever in ignorance of what she had said.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading It was grandiose, with columns of white and gilt, centering upon a massive table and a group of chairs with backs which ended a foot or two sooner than they should have ended.

sooner

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

From this reading It was grandiose, with columns of white and gilt, centering upon a massive table and a group of chairs with backs which ended a foot or two sooner than they should have ended.

table

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

From this reading It was grandiose, with columns of white and gilt, centering upon a massive table and a group of chairs with backs which ended a foot or two sooner than they should have ended.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading It was grandiose, with columns of white and gilt, centering upon a massive table and a group of chairs with backs which ended a foot or two sooner than they should have ended.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It was clear that she meant to keep Ellen forever in ignorance of what she had said.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “We are dining alone, the four of us,” said Mrs. Callendar abruptly.

there

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

From this reading On the four panels of the walls there hung pictures of Venice in the dry, hard manner of Canaletto ...

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading It was grandiose, with columns of white and gilt, centering upon a massive table and a group of chairs with backs which ended a foot or two sooner than they should have ended.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It was clear that she meant to keep Ellen forever in ignorance of what she had said.

two

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

From this reading It was grandiose, with columns of white and gilt, centering upon a massive table and a group of chairs with backs which ended a foot or two sooner than they should have ended.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading It was grandiose, with columns of white and gilt, centering upon a massive table and a group of chairs with backs which ended a foot or two sooner than they should have ended.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading “We are dining alone, the four of us,” said Mrs. Callendar abruptly.

Venice

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

From this reading On the four panels of the walls there hung pictures of Venice in the dry, hard manner of Canaletto ...

walls

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

From this reading On the four panels of the walls there hung pictures of Venice in the dry, hard manner of Canaletto ...

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was clear that she meant to keep Ellen forever in ignorance of what she had said.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading “We are dining alone, the four of us,” said Mrs. Callendar abruptly.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading It was clear that she meant to keep Ellen forever in ignorance of what she had said.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading It was grandiose, with columns of white and gilt, centering upon a massive table and a group of chairs with backs which ended a foot or two sooner than they should have ended.

white

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

From this reading It was grandiose, with columns of white and gilt, centering upon a massive table and a group of chairs with backs which ended a foot or two sooner than they should have ended.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading It was grandiose, with columns of white and gilt, centering upon a massive table and a group of chairs with backs which ended a foot or two sooner than they should have ended.

young

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

From this reading * * * * * The dining room was done in the grand manner of the Second Empire, a room copied at the behest of young Callendar’s grandfather from a house built by the Duc de Morny for one of his mistresses.