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Prejudices, fifth series
Prejudices, fifth series

Chapter III

Cover illustration for Prejudices, fifth series
Context Illustration Reading 1/83 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.
In the guttering glare was the preacher, and for a while we could see no one else.
He was an immensely tall and thin mountaineer in blue jeans, his collarless shirt open at the neck and his hair a tousled mop.
As he preached he paced up and down under the smoking flambeaux, and at each turn he thrust his arms into the air and yelled “Glory to God!”
We crept nearer in the shadow of the cornfield, and began to hear more of his discourse.
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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.

Prejudices, fifth series

Chapter III

Reading 1/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.
Line 2
In the guttering glare was the preacher, and for a while we could see no one else.
Line 3
He was an immensely tall and thin mountaineer in blue jeans, his collarless shirt open at the neck and his hair a tousled mop.
Line 4
As he preached he paced up and down under the smoking flambeaux, and at each turn he thrust his arms into the air and yelled “Glory to God!”
Line 5
We crept nearer in the shadow of the cornfield, and began to hear more of his discourse.

Learner Dictionary

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

Began noun US /began/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “We crept nearer in the shadow of the cornfield, and began to hear more of his discourse.”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

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

From this reading “In the guttering glare was the preacher, and for a while we could see no one else.”

Couple noun US /ˈkʌpəl/

two people or things considered together

From this reading “From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.”

Glare noun US /glare/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “In the guttering glare was the preacher, and for a while we could see no one else.”

Great noun US /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.”

Hear noun US /hear/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “We crept nearer in the shadow of the cornfield, and began to hear more of his discourse.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “In the guttering glare was the preacher, and for a while we could see no one else.”

Open verb US /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading “He was an immensely tall and thin mountaineer in blue jeans, his collarless shirt open at the neck and his hair a tousled mop.”

Shadow noun US /ˈʃæd.oʊ/

A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.

From this reading “We crept nearer in the shadow of the cornfield, and began to hear more of his discourse.”

Smoking noun US /ˈsmoking/

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

From this reading “As he preached he paced up and down under the smoking flambeaux, and at each turn he thrust his arms into the air and yelled “Glory to God!””

Thin adjective US /θɪn/

Having little thickness or extent.

From this reading “He was an immensely tall and thin mountaineer in blue jeans, his collarless shirt open at the neck and his hair a tousled mop.”

Under preposition US /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading “From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.”

While conjunction US /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading “In the guttering glare was the preacher, and for a while we could see no one else.”

All words in this reading · 79

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 From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.

air

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

From this reading As he preached he paced up and down under the smoking flambeaux, and at each turn he thrust his arms into the air and yelled “Glory to God!”

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading He was an immensely tall and thin mountaineer in blue jeans, his collarless shirt open at the neck and his hair a tousled mop.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading In the guttering glare was the preacher, and for a while we could see no one else.

arms

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

From this reading As he preached he paced up and down under the smoking flambeaux, and at each turn he thrust his arms into the air and yelled “Glory to God!”

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading As he preached he paced up and down under the smoking flambeaux, and at each turn he thrust his arms into the air and yelled “Glory to God!”

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.

begannounUS /began/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading We crept nearer in the shadow of the cornfield, and began to hear more of his discourse.

blue

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

From this reading He was an immensely tall and thin mountaineer in blue jeans, his collarless shirt open at the neck and his hair a tousled mop.

car

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

From this reading From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.

cars

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

From this reading From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.

collarless

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

From this reading He was an immensely tall and thin mountaineer in blue jeans, his collarless shirt open at the neck and his hair a tousled mop.

cornfield

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

From this reading We crept nearer in the shadow of the cornfield, and began to hear more of his discourse.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading In the guttering glare was the preacher, and for a while we could see no one else.

couplenounUS /ˈkʌpəl/

two people or things considered together

From this reading From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.

crept

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

From this reading We crept nearer in the shadow of the cornfield, and began to hear more of his discourse.

crude

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

From this reading From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.

discourse

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

From this reading We crept nearer in the shadow of the cornfield, and began to hear more of his discourse.

down

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

From this reading As he preached he paced up and down under the smoking flambeaux, and at each turn he thrust his arms into the air and yelled “Glory to God!”

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading As he preached he paced up and down under the smoking flambeaux, and at each turn he thrust his arms into the air and yelled “Glory to God!”

else

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

From this reading In the guttering glare was the preacher, and for a while we could see no one else.

flambeaux

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

From this reading As he preached he paced up and down under the smoking flambeaux, and at each turn he thrust his arms into the air and yelled “Glory to God!”

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading In the guttering glare was the preacher, and for a while we could see no one else.

FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.

glarenounUS /glare/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading In the guttering glare was the preacher, and for a while we could see no one else.

Glory

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

From this reading As he preached he paced up and down under the smoking flambeaux, and at each turn he thrust his arms into the air and yelled “Glory to God!”

God

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

From this reading As he preached he paced up and down under the smoking flambeaux, and at each turn he thrust his arms into the air and yelled “Glory to God!”

greatnounUS /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.

guttering

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

From this reading In the guttering glare was the preacher, and for a while we could see no one else.

hair

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

From this reading He was an immensely tall and thin mountaineer in blue jeans, his collarless shirt open at the neck and his hair a tousled mop.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He was an immensely tall and thin mountaineer in blue jeans, his collarless shirt open at the neck and his hair a tousled mop.

hearnounUS /hear/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading We crept nearer in the shadow of the cornfield, and began to hear more of his discourse.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading He was an immensely tall and thin mountaineer in blue jeans, his collarless shirt open at the neck and his hair a tousled mop.

hung

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

From this reading From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.

immensely

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

From this reading He was an immensely tall and thin mountaineer in blue jeans, his collarless shirt open at the neck and his hair a tousled mop.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.

inspectors

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

From this reading From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading As he preached he paced up and down under the smoking flambeaux, and at each turn he thrust his arms into the air and yelled “Glory to God!”

jeans

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

From this reading He was an immensely tall and thin mountaineer in blue jeans, his collarless shirt open at the neck and his hair a tousled mop.

limb

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

From this reading From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.

mighty

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

From this reading From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.

mop

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

From this reading He was an immensely tall and thin mountaineer in blue jeans, his collarless shirt open at the neck and his hair a tousled mop.

more

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

From this reading We crept nearer in the shadow of the cornfield, and began to hear more of his discourse.

mountaineer

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

From this reading He was an immensely tall and thin mountaineer in blue jeans, his collarless shirt open at the neck and his hair a tousled mop.

nearer

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

From this reading We crept nearer in the shadow of the cornfield, and began to hear more of his discourse.

neck

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

From this reading He was an immensely tall and thin mountaineer in blue jeans, his collarless shirt open at the neck and his hair a tousled mop.

night

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

From this reading From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading In the guttering glare was the preacher, and for a while we could see no one else.

oak

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

From this reading From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading In the guttering glare was the preacher, and for a while we could see no one else.

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading He was an immensely tall and thin mountaineer in blue jeans, his collarless shirt open at the neck and his hair a tousled mop.

paced

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

From this reading As he preached he paced up and down under the smoking flambeaux, and at each turn he thrust his arms into the air and yelled “Glory to God!”

preached

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

From this reading As he preached he paced up and down under the smoking flambeaux, and at each turn he thrust his arms into the air and yelled “Glory to God!”

preacher

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

From this reading In the guttering glare was the preacher, and for a while we could see no one else.

Pullman

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

From this reading From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.

pulls

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

From this reading From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.

see

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

From this reading In the guttering glare was the preacher, and for a while we could see no one else.

shadownounUS /ˈʃæd.oʊ/

A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.

From this reading We crept nearer in the shadow of the cornfield, and began to hear more of his discourse.

shirt

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

From this reading He was an immensely tall and thin mountaineer in blue jeans, his collarless shirt open at the neck and his hair a tousled mop.

smokingnounUS /ˈsmoking/

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

From this reading As he preached he paced up and down under the smoking flambeaux, and at each turn he thrust his arms into the air and yelled “Glory to God!”

sort

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

From this reading From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.

tall

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

From this reading He was an immensely tall and thin mountaineer in blue jeans, his collarless shirt open at the neck and his hair a tousled mop.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.

thinadjectiveUS /θɪn/

Having little thickness or extent.

From this reading He was an immensely tall and thin mountaineer in blue jeans, his collarless shirt open at the neck and his hair a tousled mop.

thrust

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

From this reading From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading As he preached he paced up and down under the smoking flambeaux, and at each turn he thrust his arms into the air and yelled “Glory to God!”

torches

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

From this reading From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.

tousled

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

From this reading He was an immensely tall and thin mountaineer in blue jeans, his collarless shirt open at the neck and his hair a tousled mop.

train

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

From this reading From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.

turn

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

From this reading As he preached he paced up and down under the smoking flambeaux, and at each turn he thrust his arms into the air and yelled “Glory to God!”

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.

up

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

From this reading As he preached he paced up and down under the smoking flambeaux, and at each turn he thrust his arms into the air and yelled “Glory to God!”

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading In the guttering glare was the preacher, and for a while we could see no one else.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading In the guttering glare was the preacher, and for a while we could see no one else.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading From the great limb of a mighty oak hung a couple of crude torches of the sort that car inspectors thrust under Pullman cars when a train pulls in at night.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading In the guttering glare was the preacher, and for a while we could see no one else.

yelled

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

From this reading As he preached he paced up and down under the smoking flambeaux, and at each turn he thrust his arms into the air and yelled “Glory to God!”