Chapter XXV
THE LAST RESOURCE. There was a hole in the keel. A leak had been sprung. When it happened no one could have said. Was it when they touched the Caskets?
The Man Who Laughs
Chapter XXV
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THE
LAST
RESOURCE.
There
was
a
hole
in
the
keel.
A
leak
had
been
sprung.
When
it
happened
no
one
could
have
said.
Was
it
when
they
touched
the
Caskets?
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Line 1
THE
LAST
RESOURCE.
Line 2
There
was
a
hole
in
the
keel.
Line 3
A
leak
had
been
sprung.
Line 4
When
it
happened
no
one
could
have
said.
Line 5
Was
it
when
they
touched
the
Caskets?
Learner Dictionary
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
Been
auxiliary verb
US /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “A leak had been sprung.”
Could
modal verb
US /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading “When it happened no one could have said.”
Have
auxiliary verb
US /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “When it happened no one could have said.”
LAST
noun
US /last/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “THE LAST RESOURCE.”
One
pronoun
US /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “When it happened no one could have said.”
All words in this reading · 24
Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There was a hole in the keel.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading A leak had been sprung.
Caskets
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Was it when they touched the Caskets?
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading When it happened no one could have said.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A leak had been sprung.
happened
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When it happened no one could have said.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading When it happened no one could have said.
hole
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a hole in the keel.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There was a hole in the keel.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading When it happened no one could have said.
keel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a hole in the keel.
LASTnounUS /last/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading THE LAST RESOURCE.
leak
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A leak had been sprung.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading When it happened no one could have said.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading When it happened no one could have said.
RESOURCE
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE LAST RESOURCE.
said
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When it happened no one could have said.
sprung
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A leak had been sprung.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE LAST RESOURCE.
There
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a hole in the keel.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Was it when they touched the Caskets?
touched
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Was it when they touched the Caskets?
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was a hole in the keel.
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading When it happened no one could have said.