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Rodney Stone
Rodney Stone

Chapter VIII · The Brighton Road

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Context Illustration Reading 1/43 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
MY uncle and I were up betimes next morning, but he was much out of temper, for no news had been heard of his valet Ambrose.
He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.
It was only by the aid of a man whom the landlord procured, and of Fox’s valet, who had been sent expressly across, that his toilet was at last performed.
“I must win this race, nephew,” said he, when he had finished breakfast; “I can’t afford to be beat.
Look out of the window and see if the Lades are there.”
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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.

Rodney Stone

Chapter VIII · The Brighton Road

Reading 1/43 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
MY uncle and I were up betimes next morning, but he was much out of temper, for no news had been heard of his valet Ambrose.
Line 2
He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.
Line 3
It was only by the aid of a man whom the landlord procured, and of Fox’s valet, who had been sent expressly across, that his toilet was at last performed.
Line 4
“I must win this race, nephew,” said he, when he had finished breakfast; “I can’t afford to be beat.
Line 5
Look out of the window and see if the Lades are there.”

Learner Dictionary

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

Across preposition US /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading “It was only by the aid of a man whom the landlord procured, and of Fox’s valet, who had been sent expressly across, that his toilet was at last performed.”

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “MY uncle and I were up betimes next morning, but he was much out of temper, for no news had been heard of his valet Ambrose.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.”

Last noun US /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It was only by the aid of a man whom the landlord procured, and of Fox’s valet, who had been sent expressly across, that his toilet was at last performed.”

Left noun US /left/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.”

Look noun US /look/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Look out of the window and see if the Lades are there.””

Morning noun US /morning/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “MY uncle and I were up betimes next morning, but he was much out of temper, for no news had been heard of his valet Ambrose.”

Must modal verb US /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading ““I must win this race, nephew,” said he, when he had finished breakfast; “I can’t afford to be beat.”

Next noun US /next/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “MY uncle and I were up betimes next morning, but he was much out of temper, for no news had been heard of his valet Ambrose.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.”

Themselves pronoun US /ðemˈselvz/

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading “He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.”

Those determiner US /ðoʊz/

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

From this reading “He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.”

All words in this reading · 84

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 It was only by the aid of a man whom the landlord procured, and of Fox’s valet, who had been sent expressly across, that his toilet was at last performed.

accustomed

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

From this reading He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading It was only by the aid of a man whom the landlord procured, and of Fox’s valet, who had been sent expressly across, that his toilet was at last performed.

afford

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

From this reading “I must win this race, nephew,” said he, when he had finished breakfast; “I can’t afford to be beat.

aid

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

From this reading It was only by the aid of a man whom the landlord procured, and of Fox’s valet, who had been sent expressly across, that his toilet was at last performed.

Ambrose

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

From this reading MY uncle and I were up betimes next morning, but he was much out of temper, for no news had been heard of his valet Ambrose.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading MY uncle and I were up betimes next morning, but he was much out of temper, for no news had been heard of his valet Ambrose.

ants

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

From this reading He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading It was only by the aid of a man whom the landlord procured, and of Fox’s valet, who had been sent expressly across, that his toilet was at last performed.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.

beat

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

From this reading “I must win this race, nephew,” said he, when he had finished breakfast; “I can’t afford to be beat.

become

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

From this reading He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading MY uncle and I were up betimes next morning, but he was much out of temper, for no news had been heard of his valet Ambrose.

betimes

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

From this reading MY uncle and I were up betimes next morning, but he was much out of temper, for no news had been heard of his valet Ambrose.

breakfast

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

From this reading “I must win this race, nephew,” said he, when he had finished breakfast; “I can’t afford to be beat.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading MY uncle and I were up betimes next morning, but he was much out of temper, for no news had been heard of his valet Ambrose.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.

can't

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

From this reading “I must win this race, nephew,” said he, when he had finished breakfast; “I can’t afford to be beat.

die

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

From this reading He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.

expressly

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

From this reading It was only by the aid of a man whom the landlord procured, and of Fox’s valet, who had been sent expressly across, that his toilet was at last performed.

fed

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

From this reading He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.

finished

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

From this reading “I must win this race, nephew,” said he, when he had finished breakfast; “I can’t afford to be beat.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading MY uncle and I were up betimes next morning, but he was much out of temper, for no news had been heard of his valet Ambrose.

Fox's

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

From this reading It was only by the aid of a man whom the landlord procured, and of Fox’s valet, who had been sent expressly across, that his toilet was at last performed.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading MY uncle and I were up betimes next morning, but he was much out of temper, for no news had been heard of his valet Ambrose.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading MY uncle and I were up betimes next morning, but he was much out of temper, for no news had been heard of his valet Ambrose.

heard

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

From this reading MY uncle and I were up betimes next morning, but he was much out of temper, for no news had been heard of his valet Ambrose.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading MY uncle and I were up betimes next morning, but he was much out of temper, for no news had been heard of his valet Ambrose.

hunger

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

From this reading He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading MY uncle and I were up betimes next morning, but he was much out of temper, for no news had been heard of his valet Ambrose.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Look out of the window and see if the Lades are there.”

indeed

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

From this reading He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was only by the aid of a man whom the landlord procured, and of Fox’s valet, who had been sent expressly across, that his toilet was at last performed.

Lades

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

From this reading Look out of the window and see if the Lades are there.”

landlord

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

From this reading It was only by the aid of a man whom the landlord procured, and of Fox’s valet, who had been sent expressly across, that his toilet was at last performed.

lastnounUS /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It was only by the aid of a man whom the landlord procured, and of Fox’s valet, who had been sent expressly across, that his toilet was at last performed.

leftnounUS /left/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.

like

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

From this reading He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.

LooknounUS /look/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Look out of the window and see if the Lades are there.”

man

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

From this reading It was only by the aid of a man whom the landlord procured, and of Fox’s valet, who had been sent expressly across, that his toilet was at last performed.

morningnounUS /morning/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading MY uncle and I were up betimes next morning, but he was much out of temper, for no news had been heard of his valet Ambrose.

much

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

From this reading MY uncle and I were up betimes next morning, but he was much out of temper, for no news had been heard of his valet Ambrose.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading “I must win this race, nephew,” said he, when he had finished breakfast; “I can’t afford to be beat.

MYdeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading MY uncle and I were up betimes next morning, but he was much out of temper, for no news had been heard of his valet Ambrose.

nephew

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

From this reading “I must win this race, nephew,” said he, when he had finished breakfast; “I can’t afford to be beat.

news

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

From this reading MY uncle and I were up betimes next morning, but he was much out of temper, for no news had been heard of his valet Ambrose.

nextnounUS /next/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading MY uncle and I were up betimes next morning, but he was much out of temper, for no news had been heard of his valet Ambrose.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading MY uncle and I were up betimes next morning, but he was much out of temper, for no news had been heard of his valet Ambrose.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading MY uncle and I were up betimes next morning, but he was much out of temper, for no news had been heard of his valet Ambrose.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.

only

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

From this reading It was only by the aid of a man whom the landlord procured, and of Fox’s valet, who had been sent expressly across, that his toilet was at last performed.

out

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

From this reading MY uncle and I were up betimes next morning, but he was much out of temper, for no news had been heard of his valet Ambrose.

performed

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

From this reading It was only by the aid of a man whom the landlord procured, and of Fox’s valet, who had been sent expressly across, that his toilet was at last performed.

procured

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

From this reading It was only by the aid of a man whom the landlord procured, and of Fox’s valet, who had been sent expressly across, that his toilet was at last performed.

race

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

From this reading “I must win this race, nephew,” said he, when he had finished breakfast; “I can’t afford to be beat.

read

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

From this reading He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.

said

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

From this reading “I must win this race, nephew,” said he, when he had finished breakfast; “I can’t afford to be beat.

see

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

From this reading Look out of the window and see if the Lades are there.”

sent

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

From this reading It was only by the aid of a man whom the landlord procured, and of Fox’s valet, who had been sent expressly across, that his toilet was at last performed.

smaller

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

From this reading He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.

temper

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

From this reading MY uncle and I were up betimes next morning, but he was much out of temper, for no news had been heard of his valet Ambrose.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading It was only by the aid of a man whom the landlord procured, and of Fox’s valet, who had been sent expressly across, that his toilet was at last performed.

themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.

there

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

From this reading Look out of the window and see if the Lades are there.”

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading “I must win this race, nephew,” said he, when he had finished breakfast; “I can’t afford to be beat.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

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

From this reading He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.

toilet

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

From this reading It was only by the aid of a man whom the landlord procured, and of Fox’s valet, who had been sent expressly across, that his toilet was at last performed.

uncle

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

From this reading MY uncle and I were up betimes next morning, but he was much out of temper, for no news had been heard of his valet Ambrose.

up

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

From this reading MY uncle and I were up betimes next morning, but he was much out of temper, for no news had been heard of his valet Ambrose.

valet

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

From this reading MY uncle and I were up betimes next morning, but he was much out of temper, for no news had been heard of his valet Ambrose.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading MY uncle and I were up betimes next morning, but he was much out of temper, for no news had been heard of his valet Ambrose.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading MY uncle and I were up betimes next morning, but he was much out of temper, for no news had been heard of his valet Ambrose.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading He had indeed become like one of those ants of which I have read, who are so accustomed to be fed by smaller ants that when they are left to themselves they die of hunger.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading It was only by the aid of a man whom the landlord procured, and of Fox’s valet, who had been sent expressly across, that his toilet was at last performed.

win

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

From this reading “I must win this race, nephew,” said he, when he had finished breakfast; “I can’t afford to be beat.

window

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

From this reading Look out of the window and see if the Lades are there.”