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Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair

Chapter XXIII

Cover illustration for Vanity Fair
Context Illustration Reading 1/76 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.
How is Mrs. Amelia after the storm of Waterloo?
Is she living and thriving?
What has come of Major Dobbin, whose cab was always hankering about her premises?
And is there any news of the Collector of Boggley Wollah?
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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.

Vanity Fair

Chapter XXIII

Reading 1/76 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.
Line 2
How is Mrs. Amelia after the storm of Waterloo?
Line 3
Is she living and thriving?
Line 4
What has come of Major Dobbin, whose cab was always hankering about her premises?
Line 5
And is there any news of the Collector of Boggley Wollah?

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

About preposition US /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading “What has come of Major Dobbin, whose cab was always hankering about her premises?”

After preposition US /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading “How is Mrs. Amelia after the storm of Waterloo?”

Come noun US /come/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “What has come of Major Dobbin, whose cab was always hankering about her premises?”

Has auxiliary verb US /hæz/

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

From this reading “A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.”

Left noun US /left/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.”

Little noun US /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.”

Make noun US /make/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.”

Must modal verb US /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading “A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.”

Suppose noun US /ˈsuppose/

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

From this reading “A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.”

Towards preposition US /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading “A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.”

Whose determiner US /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading “What has come of Major Dobbin, whose cab was always hankering about her premises?”

All words in this reading · 62

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 A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading What has come of Major Dobbin, whose cab was always hankering about her premises?

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading How is Mrs. Amelia after the storm of Waterloo?

always

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

From this reading What has come of Major Dobbin, whose cab was always hankering about her premises?

Amelia

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

From this reading How is Mrs. Amelia after the storm of Waterloo?

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

any

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

From this reading And is there any news of the Collector of Boggley Wollah?

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

Boggley

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

From this reading And is there any news of the Collector of Boggley Wollah?

cab

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

From this reading What has come of Major Dobbin, whose cab was always hankering about her premises?

Collector

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

From this reading And is there any news of the Collector of Boggley Wollah?

comenounUS /come/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading What has come of Major Dobbin, whose cab was always hankering about her premises?

Dobbin

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

From this reading What has come of Major Dobbin, whose cab was always hankering about her premises?

Family

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

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

friends

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

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

Fulham

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

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

George

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

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

hankering

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

From this reading What has come of Major Dobbin, whose cab was always hankering about her premises?

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading What has come of Major Dobbin, whose cab was always hankering about her premises?

How

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

From this reading How is Mrs. Amelia after the storm of Waterloo?

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

inquiries

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

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading How is Mrs. Amelia after the storm of Waterloo?

Knightsbridge

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

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

leftnounUS /left/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

littlenounUS /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

living

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

From this reading Is she living and thriving?

Major

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

From this reading What has come of Major Dobbin, whose cab was always hankering about her premises?

makenounUS /make/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

Mrs

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

From this reading How is Mrs. Amelia after the storm of Waterloo?

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

news

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

From this reading And is there any news of the Collector of Boggley Wollah?

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading How is Mrs. Amelia after the storm of Waterloo?

Osborne

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

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

premises

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

From this reading What has come of Major Dobbin, whose cab was always hankering about her premises?

regarding

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

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

ridden

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

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Is she living and thriving?

Small

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

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

some

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

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

stop

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

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

storm

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

From this reading How is Mrs. Amelia after the storm of Waterloo?

supposenounUS /ˈsuppose/

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

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading How is Mrs. Amelia after the storm of Waterloo?

there

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

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

thriving

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

From this reading Is she living and thriving?

towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

Very

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

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

village

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

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading What has come of Major Dobbin, whose cab was always hankering about her premises?

Waterloo

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

From this reading How is Mrs. Amelia after the storm of Waterloo?

Way

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

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What has come of Major Dobbin, whose cab was always hankering about her premises?

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading What has come of Major Dobbin, whose cab was always hankering about her premises?

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading A Family in a Very Small Way We must suppose little George Osborne has ridden from Knightsbridge towards Fulham, and will stop and make inquiries at that village regarding some friends whom we have left there.

Wollah

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

From this reading And is there any news of the Collector of Boggley Wollah?