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The Fortunes of Garin
The Fortunes of Garin

Chapter XIX

Cover illustration for The Fortunes of Garin
Context Illustration Reading 1/33 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE SIEGE MONTMAURE had wooden towers drawn even with the walls of Roche-de-Frêne.
From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.
Elsewhere, under cover of huge shielding structures, Montmaure mined, burrowing in the earth beneath the opposed defences, striving to bring stone and mortar down in ruin, make a breach whereby to enter.
Montmaure had Greek fire, and engines of power to cast the flaming stuff into the town.
He had great catapults which sent stones with something of the force of cannon-balls, and battering rams which shook the city gates.
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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 Fortunes of Garin

Chapter XIX

Reading 1/33 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE SIEGE MONTMAURE had wooden towers drawn even with the walls of Roche-de-Frêne.
Line 2
From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.
Line 3
Elsewhere, under cover of huge shielding structures, Montmaure mined, burrowing in the earth beneath the opposed defences, striving to bring stone and mortar down in ruin, make a breach whereby to enter.
Line 4
Montmaure had Greek fire, and engines of power to cast the flaming stuff into the town.
Line 5
He had great catapults which sent stones with something of the force of cannon-balls, and battering rams which shook the city gates.

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 “From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.”

Beneath preposition US /bɪˈniːθ/

Directly under; in or to a lower position than.

From this reading “Elsewhere, under cover of huge shielding structures, Montmaure mined, burrowing in the earth beneath the opposed defences, striving to bring stone and mortar down in ruin, make a breach whereby to enter.”

Even noun US /even/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “THE SIEGE MONTMAURE had wooden towers drawn even with the walls of Roche-de-Frêne.”

Great noun US /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He had great catapults which sent stones with something of the force of cannon-balls, and battering rams which shook the city gates.”

Itself pronoun US /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading “From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.”

Leaping noun US /ˈleaping/

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

From this reading “From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.”

Make noun US /make/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Elsewhere, under cover of huge shielding structures, Montmaure mined, burrowing in the earth beneath the opposed defences, striving to bring stone and mortar down in ruin, make a breach whereby to enter.”

Over preposition US /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading “From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.”

Something pronoun US /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading “He had great catapults which sent stones with something of the force of cannon-balls, and battering rams which shook the city gates.”

Under preposition US /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading “Elsewhere, under cover of huge shielding structures, Montmaure mined, burrowing in the earth beneath the opposed defences, striving to bring stone and mortar down in ruin, make a breach whereby to enter.”

All words in this reading · 82

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 tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Elsewhere, under cover of huge shielding structures, Montmaure mined, burrowing in the earth beneath the opposed defences, striving to bring stone and mortar down in ruin, make a breach whereby to enter.

battering

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

From this reading He had great catapults which sent stones with something of the force of cannon-balls, and battering rams which shook the city gates.

battlements

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

From this reading From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.

beat

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

From this reading From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.

beneathprepositionUS /bɪˈniːθ/

Directly under; in or to a lower position than.

From this reading Elsewhere, under cover of huge shielding structures, Montmaure mined, burrowing in the earth beneath the opposed defences, striving to bring stone and mortar down in ruin, make a breach whereby to enter.

breach

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

From this reading Elsewhere, under cover of huge shielding structures, Montmaure mined, burrowing in the earth beneath the opposed defences, striving to bring stone and mortar down in ruin, make a breach whereby to enter.

bridges

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

From this reading From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.

bring

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

From this reading Elsewhere, under cover of huge shielding structures, Montmaure mined, burrowing in the earth beneath the opposed defences, striving to bring stone and mortar down in ruin, make a breach whereby to enter.

burrowing

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

From this reading Elsewhere, under cover of huge shielding structures, Montmaure mined, burrowing in the earth beneath the opposed defences, striving to bring stone and mortar down in ruin, make a breach whereby to enter.

cannon-balls

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

From this reading He had great catapults which sent stones with something of the force of cannon-balls, and battering rams which shook the city gates.

cast

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

From this reading Montmaure had Greek fire, and engines of power to cast the flaming stuff into the town.

catapults

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

From this reading He had great catapults which sent stones with something of the force of cannon-balls, and battering rams which shook the city gates.

city

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

From this reading He had great catapults which sent stones with something of the force of cannon-balls, and battering rams which shook the city gates.

continuing

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

From this reading From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.

cover

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

From this reading Elsewhere, under cover of huge shielding structures, Montmaure mined, burrowing in the earth beneath the opposed defences, striving to bring stone and mortar down in ruin, make a breach whereby to enter.

defences

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

From this reading Elsewhere, under cover of huge shielding structures, Montmaure mined, burrowing in the earth beneath the opposed defences, striving to bring stone and mortar down in ruin, make a breach whereby to enter.

defenders

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

From this reading From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.

down

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

From this reading From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.

drawn

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

From this reading THE SIEGE MONTMAURE had wooden towers drawn even with the walls of Roche-de-Frêne.

earth

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

From this reading Elsewhere, under cover of huge shielding structures, Montmaure mined, burrowing in the earth beneath the opposed defences, striving to bring stone and mortar down in ruin, make a breach whereby to enter.

Elsewhere

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

From this reading Elsewhere, under cover of huge shielding structures, Montmaure mined, burrowing in the earth beneath the opposed defences, striving to bring stone and mortar down in ruin, make a breach whereby to enter.

engines

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

From this reading Montmaure had Greek fire, and engines of power to cast the flaming stuff into the town.

enter

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

From this reading Elsewhere, under cover of huge shielding structures, Montmaure mined, burrowing in the earth beneath the opposed defences, striving to bring stone and mortar down in ruin, make a breach whereby to enter.

evennounUS /even/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading THE SIEGE MONTMAURE had wooden towers drawn even with the walls of Roche-de-Frêne.

fighters

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

From this reading From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.

fire

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

From this reading Montmaure had Greek fire, and engines of power to cast the flaming stuff into the town.

flaming

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

From this reading Montmaure had Greek fire, and engines of power to cast the flaming stuff into the town.

force

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

From this reading He had great catapults which sent stones with something of the force of cannon-balls, and battering rams which shook the city gates.

FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.

gates

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

From this reading He had great catapults which sent stones with something of the force of cannon-balls, and battering rams which shook the city gates.

grapple

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

From this reading From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.

greatnounUS /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He had great catapults which sent stones with something of the force of cannon-balls, and battering rams which shook the city gates.

Greek

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

From this reading Montmaure had Greek fire, and engines of power to cast the flaming stuff into the town.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading THE SIEGE MONTMAURE had wooden towers drawn even with the walls of Roche-de-Frêne.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He had great catapults which sent stones with something of the force of cannon-balls, and battering rams which shook the city gates.

huge

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

From this reading Elsewhere, under cover of huge shielding structures, Montmaure mined, burrowing in the earth beneath the opposed defences, striving to bring stone and mortar down in ruin, make a breach whereby to enter.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Elsewhere, under cover of huge shielding structures, Montmaure mined, burrowing in the earth beneath the opposed defences, striving to bring stone and mortar down in ruin, make a breach whereby to enter.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.

itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.

leapingnounUS /ˈleaping/

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

From this reading From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.

makenounUS /make/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Elsewhere, under cover of huge shielding structures, Montmaure mined, burrowing in the earth beneath the opposed defences, striving to bring stone and mortar down in ruin, make a breach whereby to enter.

mined

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

From this reading Elsewhere, under cover of huge shielding structures, Montmaure mined, burrowing in the earth beneath the opposed defences, striving to bring stone and mortar down in ruin, make a breach whereby to enter.

MONTMAURE

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

From this reading THE SIEGE MONTMAURE had wooden towers drawn even with the walls of Roche-de-Frêne.

mortar

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

From this reading Elsewhere, under cover of huge shielding structures, Montmaure mined, burrowing in the earth beneath the opposed defences, striving to bring stone and mortar down in ruin, make a breach whereby to enter.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE SIEGE MONTMAURE had wooden towers drawn even with the walls of Roche-de-Frêne.

opposed

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

From this reading Elsewhere, under cover of huge shielding structures, Montmaure mined, burrowing in the earth beneath the opposed defences, striving to bring stone and mortar down in ruin, make a breach whereby to enter.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.

power

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

From this reading Montmaure had Greek fire, and engines of power to cast the flaming stuff into the town.

rams

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

From this reading He had great catapults which sent stones with something of the force of cannon-balls, and battering rams which shook the city gates.

Roche-de-Frêne

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

From this reading THE SIEGE MONTMAURE had wooden towers drawn even with the walls of Roche-de-Frêne.

ruin

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

From this reading Elsewhere, under cover of huge shielding structures, Montmaure mined, burrowing in the earth beneath the opposed defences, striving to bring stone and mortar down in ruin, make a breach whereby to enter.

send

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

From this reading From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.

sent

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

From this reading He had great catapults which sent stones with something of the force of cannon-balls, and battering rams which shook the city gates.

shielding

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

From this reading Elsewhere, under cover of huge shielding structures, Montmaure mined, burrowing in the earth beneath the opposed defences, striving to bring stone and mortar down in ruin, make a breach whereby to enter.

shook

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

From this reading He had great catapults which sent stones with something of the force of cannon-balls, and battering rams which shook the city gates.

SIEGE

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

From this reading THE SIEGE MONTMAURE had wooden towers drawn even with the walls of Roche-de-Frêne.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading He had great catapults which sent stones with something of the force of cannon-balls, and battering rams which shook the city gates.

starkest

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

From this reading From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.

stone

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

From this reading Elsewhere, under cover of huge shielding structures, Montmaure mined, burrowing in the earth beneath the opposed defences, striving to bring stone and mortar down in ruin, make a breach whereby to enter.

stones

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

From this reading He had great catapults which sent stones with something of the force of cannon-balls, and battering rams which shook the city gates.

stream

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

From this reading From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.

striving

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

From this reading Elsewhere, under cover of huge shielding structures, Montmaure mined, burrowing in the earth beneath the opposed defences, striving to bring stone and mortar down in ruin, make a breach whereby to enter.

strove

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

From this reading From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.

structures

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

From this reading Elsewhere, under cover of huge shielding structures, Montmaure mined, burrowing in the earth beneath the opposed defences, striving to bring stone and mortar down in ruin, make a breach whereby to enter.

stuff

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

From this reading Montmaure had Greek fire, and engines of power to cast the flaming stuff into the town.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE SIEGE MONTMAURE had wooden towers drawn even with the walls of Roche-de-Frêne.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.

throw

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

From this reading From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.

tower-heads

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

From this reading From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.

towers

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

From this reading THE SIEGE MONTMAURE had wooden towers drawn even with the walls of Roche-de-Frêne.

town

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

From this reading From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading Elsewhere, under cover of huge shielding structures, Montmaure mined, burrowing in the earth beneath the opposed defences, striving to bring stone and mortar down in ruin, make a breach whereby to enter.

wall's

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

From this reading From the tower-heads they strove to throw bridges across, grapple them to the battlements, send over them—a continuing stream—the starkest fighters, beat down the wall’s defenders, send the stream leaping down into the town itself.

walls

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

From this reading THE SIEGE MONTMAURE had wooden towers drawn even with the walls of Roche-de-Frêne.

whereby

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

From this reading Elsewhere, under cover of huge shielding structures, Montmaure mined, burrowing in the earth beneath the opposed defences, striving to bring stone and mortar down in ruin, make a breach whereby to enter.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading He had great catapults which sent stones with something of the force of cannon-balls, and battering rams which shook the city gates.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading THE SIEGE MONTMAURE had wooden towers drawn even with the walls of Roche-de-Frêne.

wooden

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

From this reading THE SIEGE MONTMAURE had wooden towers drawn even with the walls of Roche-de-Frêne.