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The Country of the Blind, and Other Stories
The Country of the Blind, and Other Stories

Chapter X

Cover illustration for The Country of the Blind, and Other Stories
Context Illustration Reading 1/82 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
They are practically unanimous in their account of Plattner's proceedings.
He poured a little of the green powder into a test-tube, and tried the substance with water, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and sulphuric acid in succession.
Getting no result, he emptied out a little heap--nearly half the bottleful, in fact--upon a slate and tried a match.
He held the medicine bottle in his left hand.
The stuff began to smoke and melt, and then exploded with deafening violence and a blinding flash.
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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 Country of the Blind, and Other Stories

Chapter X

Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
They are practically unanimous in their account of Plattner's proceedings.
Line 2
He poured a little of the green powder into a test-tube, and tried the substance with water, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and sulphuric acid in succession.
Line 3
Getting no result, he emptied out a little heap--nearly half the bottleful, in fact--upon a slate and tried a match.
Line 4
He held the medicine bottle in his left hand.
Line 5
The stuff began to smoke and melt, and then exploded with deafening violence and a blinding flash.

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 “The stuff began to smoke and melt, and then exploded with deafening violence and a blinding flash.”

Half noun US /half/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Getting no result, he emptied out a little heap--nearly half the bottleful, in fact--upon a slate and tried a match.”

Hand noun US /hand/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He held the medicine bottle in his left hand.”

Left noun US /left/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He held the medicine bottle in his left hand.”

Little noun US /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He poured a little of the green powder into a test-tube, and tried the substance with water, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and sulphuric acid in succession.”

Substance noun US /ˈsʌbstəns/

wealth or financial means

From this reading “He poured a little of the green powder into a test-tube, and tried the substance with water, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and sulphuric acid in succession.”

Upon preposition US /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading “Getting no result, he emptied out a little heap--nearly half the bottleful, in fact--upon a slate and tried a match.”

All words in this reading · 59

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 He poured a little of the green powder into a test-tube, and tried the substance with water, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and sulphuric acid in succession.

account

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

From this reading They are practically unanimous in their account of Plattner's proceedings.

acid

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

From this reading He poured a little of the green powder into a test-tube, and tried the substance with water, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and sulphuric acid in succession.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He poured a little of the green powder into a test-tube, and tried the substance with water, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and sulphuric acid in succession.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading They are practically unanimous in their account of Plattner's proceedings.

begannounUS /began/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The stuff began to smoke and melt, and then exploded with deafening violence and a blinding flash.

blinding

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

From this reading The stuff began to smoke and melt, and then exploded with deafening violence and a blinding flash.

bottle

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

From this reading He held the medicine bottle in his left hand.

bottleful

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

From this reading Getting no result, he emptied out a little heap--nearly half the bottleful, in fact--upon a slate and tried a match.

deafening

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

From this reading The stuff began to smoke and melt, and then exploded with deafening violence and a blinding flash.

emptied

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

From this reading Getting no result, he emptied out a little heap--nearly half the bottleful, in fact--upon a slate and tried a match.

exploded

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

From this reading The stuff began to smoke and melt, and then exploded with deafening violence and a blinding flash.

fact

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

From this reading Getting no result, he emptied out a little heap--nearly half the bottleful, in fact--upon a slate and tried a match.

flash

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

From this reading The stuff began to smoke and melt, and then exploded with deafening violence and a blinding flash.

Getting

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

From this reading Getting no result, he emptied out a little heap--nearly half the bottleful, in fact--upon a slate and tried a match.

green

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

From this reading He poured a little of the green powder into a test-tube, and tried the substance with water, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and sulphuric acid in succession.

halfnounUS /half/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Getting no result, he emptied out a little heap--nearly half the bottleful, in fact--upon a slate and tried a match.

hand

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

From this reading He held the medicine bottle in his left hand.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He poured a little of the green powder into a test-tube, and tried the substance with water, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and sulphuric acid in succession.

heap

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

From this reading Getting no result, he emptied out a little heap--nearly half the bottleful, in fact--upon a slate and tried a match.

held

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

From this reading He held the medicine bottle in his left hand.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading He held the medicine bottle in his left hand.

hydrochloric

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

From this reading He poured a little of the green powder into a test-tube, and tried the substance with water, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and sulphuric acid in succession.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading They are practically unanimous in their account of Plattner's proceedings.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading He poured a little of the green powder into a test-tube, and tried the substance with water, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and sulphuric acid in succession.

leftnounUS /left/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He held the medicine bottle in his left hand.

littlenounUS /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He poured a little of the green powder into a test-tube, and tried the substance with water, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and sulphuric acid in succession.

match

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

From this reading Getting no result, he emptied out a little heap--nearly half the bottleful, in fact--upon a slate and tried a match.

medicine

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

From this reading He held the medicine bottle in his left hand.

melt

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

From this reading The stuff began to smoke and melt, and then exploded with deafening violence and a blinding flash.

nearly

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

From this reading Getting no result, he emptied out a little heap--nearly half the bottleful, in fact--upon a slate and tried a match.

nitric

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

From this reading He poured a little of the green powder into a test-tube, and tried the substance with water, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and sulphuric acid in succession.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Getting no result, he emptied out a little heap--nearly half the bottleful, in fact--upon a slate and tried a match.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading They are practically unanimous in their account of Plattner's proceedings.

out

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

From this reading Getting no result, he emptied out a little heap--nearly half the bottleful, in fact--upon a slate and tried a match.

Plattner's

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

From this reading They are practically unanimous in their account of Plattner's proceedings.

poured

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

From this reading He poured a little of the green powder into a test-tube, and tried the substance with water, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and sulphuric acid in succession.

powder

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

From this reading He poured a little of the green powder into a test-tube, and tried the substance with water, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and sulphuric acid in succession.

practically

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

From this reading They are practically unanimous in their account of Plattner's proceedings.

proceedings

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

From this reading They are practically unanimous in their account of Plattner's proceedings.

result

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

From this reading Getting no result, he emptied out a little heap--nearly half the bottleful, in fact--upon a slate and tried a match.

slate

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

From this reading Getting no result, he emptied out a little heap--nearly half the bottleful, in fact--upon a slate and tried a match.

smoke

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

From this reading The stuff began to smoke and melt, and then exploded with deafening violence and a blinding flash.

stuff

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

From this reading The stuff began to smoke and melt, and then exploded with deafening violence and a blinding flash.

substancenounUS /ˈsʌbstəns/

wealth or financial means

From this reading He poured a little of the green powder into a test-tube, and tried the substance with water, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and sulphuric acid in succession.

succession

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

From this reading He poured a little of the green powder into a test-tube, and tried the substance with water, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and sulphuric acid in succession.

sulphuric

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

From this reading He poured a little of the green powder into a test-tube, and tried the substance with water, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and sulphuric acid in succession.

test-tube

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

From this reading He poured a little of the green powder into a test-tube, and tried the substance with water, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and sulphuric acid in succession.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading He poured a little of the green powder into a test-tube, and tried the substance with water, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and sulphuric acid in succession.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading They are practically unanimous in their account of Plattner's proceedings.

then

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

From this reading The stuff began to smoke and melt, and then exploded with deafening violence and a blinding flash.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading They are practically unanimous in their account of Plattner's proceedings.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The stuff began to smoke and melt, and then exploded with deafening violence and a blinding flash.

tried

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

From this reading He poured a little of the green powder into a test-tube, and tried the substance with water, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and sulphuric acid in succession.

unanimous

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

From this reading They are practically unanimous in their account of Plattner's proceedings.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Getting no result, he emptied out a little heap--nearly half the bottleful, in fact--upon a slate and tried a match.

violence

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

From this reading The stuff began to smoke and melt, and then exploded with deafening violence and a blinding flash.

water

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

From this reading He poured a little of the green powder into a test-tube, and tried the substance with water, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and sulphuric acid in succession.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He poured a little of the green powder into a test-tube, and tried the substance with water, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and sulphuric acid in succession.