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The Divine Fire
The Divine Fire

Chapter XXXIV

Cover illustration for The Divine Fire
Context Illustration Reading 1/69 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
In January, ninety-eight, _Metropolis_ began to pay, and Rickman's hopes were justified.
He was now a solid man, a man of income.
For eighteen months he kept strictly within the limits he had allowed himself.
His nature inclined him to a riotous and absurd expenditure, and for eighteen months he wrestled with and did violence to his nature.
Each sum he saved stood for some triumph of ingenious abnegation, some miracle of self-restraint.
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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 Divine Fire

Chapter XXXIV

Reading 1/69 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
In January, ninety-eight, _Metropolis_ began to pay, and Rickman's hopes were justified.
Line 2
He was now a solid man, a man of income.
Line 3
For eighteen months he kept strictly within the limits he had allowed himself.
Line 4
His nature inclined him to a riotous and absurd expenditure, and for eighteen months he wrestled with and did violence to his nature.
Line 5
Each sum he saved stood for some triumph of ingenious abnegation, some miracle of self-restraint.

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 “In January, ninety-eight, _Metropolis_ began to pay, and Rickman's hopes were justified.”

Himself pronoun US /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading “For eighteen months he kept strictly within the limits he had allowed himself.”

Ingenious adjective US /ɪnˈdʒiː.ni.əs/

Clever, original, and remarkably inventive in design and execution.

From this reading “Each sum he saved stood for some triumph of ingenious abnegation, some miracle of self-restraint.”

Saved noun US /saved/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Each sum he saved stood for some triumph of ingenious abnegation, some miracle of self-restraint.”

Stood noun US /stood/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Each sum he saved stood for some triumph of ingenious abnegation, some miracle of self-restraint.”

Within preposition US /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading “For eighteen months he kept strictly within the limits he had allowed himself.”

All words in this reading · 52

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 was now a solid man, a man of income.

abnegation

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

From this reading Each sum he saved stood for some triumph of ingenious abnegation, some miracle of self-restraint.

absurd

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

From this reading His nature inclined him to a riotous and absurd expenditure, and for eighteen months he wrestled with and did violence to his nature.

allowed

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

From this reading For eighteen months he kept strictly within the limits he had allowed himself.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading In January, ninety-eight, _Metropolis_ began to pay, and Rickman's hopes were justified.

begannounUS /began/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading In January, ninety-eight, _Metropolis_ began to pay, and Rickman's hopes were justified.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading His nature inclined him to a riotous and absurd expenditure, and for eighteen months he wrestled with and did violence to his nature.

EachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

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

From this reading Each sum he saved stood for some triumph of ingenious abnegation, some miracle of self-restraint.

eighteen

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

From this reading For eighteen months he kept strictly within the limits he had allowed himself.

expenditure

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

From this reading His nature inclined him to a riotous and absurd expenditure, and for eighteen months he wrestled with and did violence to his nature.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For eighteen months he kept strictly within the limits he had allowed himself.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading For eighteen months he kept strictly within the limits he had allowed himself.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He was now a solid man, a man of income.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading His nature inclined him to a riotous and absurd expenditure, and for eighteen months he wrestled with and did violence to his nature.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading For eighteen months he kept strictly within the limits he had allowed himself.

HisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading His nature inclined him to a riotous and absurd expenditure, and for eighteen months he wrestled with and did violence to his nature.

hopes

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

From this reading In January, ninety-eight, _Metropolis_ began to pay, and Rickman's hopes were justified.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In January, ninety-eight, _Metropolis_ began to pay, and Rickman's hopes were justified.

inclined

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

From this reading His nature inclined him to a riotous and absurd expenditure, and for eighteen months he wrestled with and did violence to his nature.

income

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

From this reading He was now a solid man, a man of income.

ingeniousadjectiveUS /ɪnˈdʒiː.ni.əs/

Clever, original, and remarkably inventive in design and execution.

From this reading Each sum he saved stood for some triumph of ingenious abnegation, some miracle of self-restraint.

January

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

From this reading In January, ninety-eight, _Metropolis_ began to pay, and Rickman's hopes were justified.

justified

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

From this reading In January, ninety-eight, _Metropolis_ began to pay, and Rickman's hopes were justified.

kept

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

From this reading For eighteen months he kept strictly within the limits he had allowed himself.

limits

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

From this reading For eighteen months he kept strictly within the limits he had allowed himself.

man

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

From this reading He was now a solid man, a man of income.

Metropolis

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

From this reading In January, ninety-eight, _Metropolis_ began to pay, and Rickman's hopes were justified.

miracle

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

From this reading Each sum he saved stood for some triumph of ingenious abnegation, some miracle of self-restraint.

months

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

From this reading For eighteen months he kept strictly within the limits he had allowed himself.

nature

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

From this reading His nature inclined him to a riotous and absurd expenditure, and for eighteen months he wrestled with and did violence to his nature.

ninety-eight

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

From this reading In January, ninety-eight, _Metropolis_ began to pay, and Rickman's hopes were justified.

now

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

From this reading He was now a solid man, a man of income.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He was now a solid man, a man of income.

pay

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

From this reading In January, ninety-eight, _Metropolis_ began to pay, and Rickman's hopes were justified.

Rickman's

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

From this reading In January, ninety-eight, _Metropolis_ began to pay, and Rickman's hopes were justified.

riotous

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

From this reading His nature inclined him to a riotous and absurd expenditure, and for eighteen months he wrestled with and did violence to his nature.

savednounUS /saved/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Each sum he saved stood for some triumph of ingenious abnegation, some miracle of self-restraint.

self-restraint

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

From this reading Each sum he saved stood for some triumph of ingenious abnegation, some miracle of self-restraint.

solid

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

From this reading He was now a solid man, a man of income.

some

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

From this reading Each sum he saved stood for some triumph of ingenious abnegation, some miracle of self-restraint.

stoodnounUS /stood/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Each sum he saved stood for some triumph of ingenious abnegation, some miracle of self-restraint.

strictly

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

From this reading For eighteen months he kept strictly within the limits he had allowed himself.

sum

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

From this reading Each sum he saved stood for some triumph of ingenious abnegation, some miracle of self-restraint.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading For eighteen months he kept strictly within the limits he had allowed himself.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading In January, ninety-eight, _Metropolis_ began to pay, and Rickman's hopes were justified.

triumph

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

From this reading Each sum he saved stood for some triumph of ingenious abnegation, some miracle of self-restraint.

violence

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

From this reading His nature inclined him to a riotous and absurd expenditure, and for eighteen months he wrestled with and did violence to his nature.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He was now a solid man, a man of income.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading In January, ninety-eight, _Metropolis_ began to pay, and Rickman's hopes were justified.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading His nature inclined him to a riotous and absurd expenditure, and for eighteen months he wrestled with and did violence to his nature.

withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading For eighteen months he kept strictly within the limits he had allowed himself.

wrestled

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

From this reading His nature inclined him to a riotous and absurd expenditure, and for eighteen months he wrestled with and did violence to his nature.