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The Green Flag, and Other Stories of War and Sport
The Green Flag, and Other Stories of War and Sport

Chapter II

Cover illustration for The Green Flag, and Other Stories of War and Sport
Context Illustration Reading 1/81 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.
At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.
“And what figure did Sharkey cut in the dock?” asked the captain.
“He is a man of some presence,” said the Governor.
“I had always understood that he was an ugly, sneering devil,” remarked the mate.
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Speed 0.75x
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 Green Flag, and Other Stories of War and Sport

Chapter II

Reading 1/81 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.
Line 2
At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.
Line 3
“And what figure did Sharkey cut in the dock?” asked the captain.
Line 4
“He is a man of some presence,” said the Governor.
Line 5
“I had always understood that he was an ugly, sneering devil,” remarked the mate.

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 a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.”

Asked noun US /asked/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading ““And what figure did Sharkey cut in the dock?” asked the captain.”

Captain noun US /ˈcaptain/

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

From this reading “At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.”

Comrades noun US /ˈkɑːmrædz/

people who share difficult work or danger, especially soldiers

From this reading “At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.”

Found noun US /found/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.”

Good noun US /good/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.”

Himself pronoun US /hɪmˈself/

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

From this reading “It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.”

Long noun US /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.”

Might modal verb US /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading “It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.”

Start noun US /start/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.”

Upon preposition US /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading “It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.”

All words in this reading · 92

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 a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

adapting

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

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

affable

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

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

always

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

From this reading “I had always understood that he was an ugly, sneering devil,” remarked the mate.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

anecdotes

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

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

askednounUS /asked/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “And what figure did Sharkey cut in the dock?” asked the captain.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

board

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

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

captainnounUS /ˈcaptain/

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

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

Charles

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

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

cheering

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

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

claret

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

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

comradesnounUS /ˈkɑːmrædz/

people who share difficult work or danger, especially soldiers

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

conversation

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

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

cut

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

From this reading “And what figure did Sharkey cut in the dock?” asked the captain.

day

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

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

deceased

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

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

degree

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

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

devil

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

From this reading “I had always understood that he was an ugly, sneering devil,” remarked the mate.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading “And what figure did Sharkey cut in the dock?” asked the captain.

dinner

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

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

dock

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

From this reading “And what figure did Sharkey cut in the dock?” asked the captain.

drank

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

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

escaped

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

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

figure

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

From this reading “And what figure did Sharkey cut in the dock?” asked the captain.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

foundnounUS /found/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

gave

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

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

generally

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

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

goodnounUS /good/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

Governor

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

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading “I had always understood that he was an ugly, sneering devil,” remarked the mate.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

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

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “I had always understood that he was an ugly, sneering devil,” remarked the mate.

immediate

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

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

insistence

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

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

invalid

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

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading “He is a man of some presence,” said the Governor.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

judge

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

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

longnounUS /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

lower

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

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

man

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

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

many

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

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

mate

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

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

men

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

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

more

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

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

Ocean

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

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

omen

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

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

pipes

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

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

pirate

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

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

played

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

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

popular

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

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

presence

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

From this reading “He is a man of some presence,” said the Governor.

remarked

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

From this reading “I had always understood that he was an ugly, sneering devil,” remarked the mate.

said

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

From this reading “He is a man of some presence,” said the Governor.

sentence

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

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

Sharkey

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

From this reading “And what figure did Sharkey cut in the dock?” asked the captain.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

Sir

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

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

skilful

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

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

smoked

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

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

sneering

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

From this reading “I had always understood that he was an ugly, sneering devil,” remarked the mate.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

some

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

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

startnounUS /start/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

three

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

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading At dinner that day Sir Charles gave many anecdotes of the deceased pirate; and so affable was he, and so skilful in adapting his conversation to men of lower degree, that captain, mate, and Governor smoked their long pipes, and drank their claret as three good comrades should.

trial

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

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

ugly

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

From this reading “I had always understood that he was an ugly, sneering devil,” remarked the mate.

understood

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

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

venal

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

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

villain

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

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

Western

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

From this reading It was a cheering omen for their start across the Western Ocean, and the invalid Governor found himself a popular man on board, for it was generally understood that but for his insistence upon an immediate trial and sentence, the villain might have played upon some more venal judge and so escaped.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading “And what figure did Sharkey cut in the dock?” asked the captain.