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The Attack on the Mill, and Other Sketches
The Attack on the Mill, and Other Sketches

Chapter II

Cover illustration for The Attack on the Mill, and Other Sketches
Context Illustration Reading 1/90 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
“Half-past two.
Come, we must hold out for four hours yet.”
He caused the great gate of the courtyard to be tightly secured, and everything was made ready for an energetic defence.
The Prussians were on the other side of the Morelle, consequently there was no reason to fear an assault at the moment.
There was a bridge, indeed, a mile and a quarter away, but they were probably unaware of its existence, and it was hardly to be supposed that they would attempt to cross the stream by fording.
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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.

The Attack on the Mill, and Other Sketches

Chapter II

Reading 1/90 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
“Half-past two.
Line 2
Come, we must hold out for four hours yet.”
Line 3
He caused the great gate of the courtyard to be tightly secured, and everything was made ready for an energetic defence.
Line 4
The Prussians were on the other side of the Morelle, consequently there was no reason to fear an assault at the moment.
Line 5
There was a bridge, indeed, a mile and a quarter away, but they were probably unaware of its existence, and it was hardly to be supposed that they would attempt to cross the stream by fording.

Learner Dictionary

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

Come noun US /come/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Come, we must hold out for four hours yet.””

Courtyard noun US /ˈkɔːrtjɑːrd/

an open area surrounded by the walls of a building

From this reading “He caused the great gate of the courtyard to be tightly secured, and everything was made ready for an energetic defence.”

Everything pronoun US /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading “He caused the great gate of the courtyard to be tightly secured, and everything was made ready for an energetic defence.”

Great noun US /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He caused the great gate of the courtyard to be tightly secured, and everything was made ready for an energetic defence.”

Must modal verb US /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading “Come, we must hold out for four hours yet.””

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading “There was a bridge, indeed, a mile and a quarter away, but they were probably unaware of its existence, and it was hardly to be supposed that they would attempt to cross the stream by fording.”

Yet conjunction US /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading “Come, we must hold out for four hours yet.””

All words in this reading · 66

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 There was a bridge, indeed, a mile and a quarter away, but they were probably unaware of its existence, and it was hardly to be supposed that they would attempt to cross the stream by fording.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading He caused the great gate of the courtyard to be tightly secured, and everything was made ready for an energetic defence.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He caused the great gate of the courtyard to be tightly secured, and everything was made ready for an energetic defence.

assault

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

From this reading The Prussians were on the other side of the Morelle, consequently there was no reason to fear an assault at the moment.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The Prussians were on the other side of the Morelle, consequently there was no reason to fear an assault at the moment.

attempt

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

From this reading There was a bridge, indeed, a mile and a quarter away, but they were probably unaware of its existence, and it was hardly to be supposed that they would attempt to cross the stream by fording.

away

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

From this reading There was a bridge, indeed, a mile and a quarter away, but they were probably unaware of its existence, and it was hardly to be supposed that they would attempt to cross the stream by fording.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading He caused the great gate of the courtyard to be tightly secured, and everything was made ready for an energetic defence.

bridge

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

From this reading There was a bridge, indeed, a mile and a quarter away, but they were probably unaware of its existence, and it was hardly to be supposed that they would attempt to cross the stream by fording.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading There was a bridge, indeed, a mile and a quarter away, but they were probably unaware of its existence, and it was hardly to be supposed that they would attempt to cross the stream by fording.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading There was a bridge, indeed, a mile and a quarter away, but they were probably unaware of its existence, and it was hardly to be supposed that they would attempt to cross the stream by fording.

caused

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

From this reading He caused the great gate of the courtyard to be tightly secured, and everything was made ready for an energetic defence.

ComenounUS /come/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Come, we must hold out for four hours yet.”

consequently

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

From this reading The Prussians were on the other side of the Morelle, consequently there was no reason to fear an assault at the moment.

courtyardnounUS /ˈkɔːrtjɑːrd/

an open area surrounded by the walls of a building

From this reading He caused the great gate of the courtyard to be tightly secured, and everything was made ready for an energetic defence.

cross

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

From this reading There was a bridge, indeed, a mile and a quarter away, but they were probably unaware of its existence, and it was hardly to be supposed that they would attempt to cross the stream by fording.

defence

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

From this reading He caused the great gate of the courtyard to be tightly secured, and everything was made ready for an energetic defence.

energetic

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

From this reading He caused the great gate of the courtyard to be tightly secured, and everything was made ready for an energetic defence.

everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading He caused the great gate of the courtyard to be tightly secured, and everything was made ready for an energetic defence.

existence

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

From this reading There was a bridge, indeed, a mile and a quarter away, but they were probably unaware of its existence, and it was hardly to be supposed that they would attempt to cross the stream by fording.

fear

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

From this reading The Prussians were on the other side of the Morelle, consequently there was no reason to fear an assault at the moment.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Come, we must hold out for four hours yet.”

fording

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

From this reading There was a bridge, indeed, a mile and a quarter away, but they were probably unaware of its existence, and it was hardly to be supposed that they would attempt to cross the stream by fording.

four

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

From this reading Come, we must hold out for four hours yet.”

gate

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

From this reading He caused the great gate of the courtyard to be tightly secured, and everything was made ready for an energetic defence.

greatnounUS /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He caused the great gate of the courtyard to be tightly secured, and everything was made ready for an energetic defence.

Half-past

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

From this reading “Half-past two.

hardly

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

From this reading There was a bridge, indeed, a mile and a quarter away, but they were probably unaware of its existence, and it was hardly to be supposed that they would attempt to cross the stream by fording.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He caused the great gate of the courtyard to be tightly secured, and everything was made ready for an energetic defence.

hold

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

From this reading Come, we must hold out for four hours yet.”

hours

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

From this reading Come, we must hold out for four hours yet.”

indeed

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

From this reading There was a bridge, indeed, a mile and a quarter away, but they were probably unaware of its existence, and it was hardly to be supposed that they would attempt to cross the stream by fording.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading There was a bridge, indeed, a mile and a quarter away, but they were probably unaware of its existence, and it was hardly to be supposed that they would attempt to cross the stream by fording.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading There was a bridge, indeed, a mile and a quarter away, but they were probably unaware of its existence, and it was hardly to be supposed that they would attempt to cross the stream by fording.

made

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

From this reading He caused the great gate of the courtyard to be tightly secured, and everything was made ready for an energetic defence.

mile

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

From this reading There was a bridge, indeed, a mile and a quarter away, but they were probably unaware of its existence, and it was hardly to be supposed that they would attempt to cross the stream by fording.

moment

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

From this reading The Prussians were on the other side of the Morelle, consequently there was no reason to fear an assault at the moment.

Morelle

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

From this reading The Prussians were on the other side of the Morelle, consequently there was no reason to fear an assault at the moment.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading Come, we must hold out for four hours yet.”

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading The Prussians were on the other side of the Morelle, consequently there was no reason to fear an assault at the moment.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He caused the great gate of the courtyard to be tightly secured, and everything was made ready for an energetic defence.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The Prussians were on the other side of the Morelle, consequently there was no reason to fear an assault at the moment.

other

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

From this reading The Prussians were on the other side of the Morelle, consequently there was no reason to fear an assault at the moment.

out

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

From this reading Come, we must hold out for four hours yet.”

probably

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

From this reading There was a bridge, indeed, a mile and a quarter away, but they were probably unaware of its existence, and it was hardly to be supposed that they would attempt to cross the stream by fording.

Prussians

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

From this reading The Prussians were on the other side of the Morelle, consequently there was no reason to fear an assault at the moment.

quarter

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

From this reading There was a bridge, indeed, a mile and a quarter away, but they were probably unaware of its existence, and it was hardly to be supposed that they would attempt to cross the stream by fording.

ready

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

From this reading He caused the great gate of the courtyard to be tightly secured, and everything was made ready for an energetic defence.

reason

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

From this reading The Prussians were on the other side of the Morelle, consequently there was no reason to fear an assault at the moment.

secured

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

From this reading He caused the great gate of the courtyard to be tightly secured, and everything was made ready for an energetic defence.

side

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

From this reading The Prussians were on the other side of the Morelle, consequently there was no reason to fear an assault at the moment.

stream

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

From this reading There was a bridge, indeed, a mile and a quarter away, but they were probably unaware of its existence, and it was hardly to be supposed that they would attempt to cross the stream by fording.

supposed

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

From this reading There was a bridge, indeed, a mile and a quarter away, but they were probably unaware of its existence, and it was hardly to be supposed that they would attempt to cross the stream by fording.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading There was a bridge, indeed, a mile and a quarter away, but they were probably unaware of its existence, and it was hardly to be supposed that they would attempt to cross the stream by fording.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading He caused the great gate of the courtyard to be tightly secured, and everything was made ready for an energetic defence.

there

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

From this reading The Prussians were on the other side of the Morelle, consequently there was no reason to fear an assault at the moment.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading There was a bridge, indeed, a mile and a quarter away, but they were probably unaware of its existence, and it was hardly to be supposed that they would attempt to cross the stream by fording.

tightly

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

From this reading He caused the great gate of the courtyard to be tightly secured, and everything was made ready for an energetic defence.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He caused the great gate of the courtyard to be tightly secured, and everything was made ready for an energetic defence.

two

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

From this reading “Half-past two.

unaware

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

From this reading There was a bridge, indeed, a mile and a quarter away, but they were probably unaware of its existence, and it was hardly to be supposed that they would attempt to cross the stream by fording.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He caused the great gate of the courtyard to be tightly secured, and everything was made ready for an energetic defence.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading Come, we must hold out for four hours yet.”

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The Prussians were on the other side of the Morelle, consequently there was no reason to fear an assault at the moment.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading There was a bridge, indeed, a mile and a quarter away, but they were probably unaware of its existence, and it was hardly to be supposed that they would attempt to cross the stream by fording.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Come, we must hold out for four hours yet.”