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Chapter XVIII

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Context Illustration Reading 1/86 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
When spring came, my Chinese “tillicum,” which is Chinook for friend, and I were the only felony prisoners in the “skookum house,” or jail.
The two half-breeds had finished their time and a couple of others had been brought in to take their places, four prisoners in all.
The Indians watched us and we watched them.
The tough end of our job was not to beat the jail or the drunken jailer, but the watchful trusties, our fellow prisoners.
I decided to cut the bars in the daytime and have my cellmate keep a lookout at the door against the appearance of our jailer or the Indians.
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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.

You can't win

Chapter XVIII

Reading 1/86 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
When spring came, my Chinese “tillicum,” which is Chinook for friend, and I were the only felony prisoners in the “skookum house,” or jail.
Line 2
The two half-breeds had finished their time and a couple of others had been brought in to take their places, four prisoners in all.
Line 3
The Indians watched us and we watched them.
Line 4
The tough end of our job was not to beat the jail or the drunken jailer, but the watchful trusties, our fellow prisoners.
Line 5
I decided to cut the bars in the daytime and have my cellmate keep a lookout at the door against the appearance of our jailer or the Indians.

Learner Dictionary

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

Against preposition US /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading “I decided to cut the bars in the daytime and have my cellmate keep a lookout at the door against the appearance of our jailer or the Indians.”

Appearance noun US /ˈappearance/

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

From this reading “I decided to cut the bars in the daytime and have my cellmate keep a lookout at the door against the appearance of our jailer or the Indians.”

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “The two half-breeds had finished their time and a couple of others had been brought in to take their places, four prisoners in all.”

Brought noun US /ˈbrought/

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

From this reading “The two half-breeds had finished their time and a couple of others had been brought in to take their places, four prisoners in all.”

Couple noun US /ˈkʌpəl/

two people or things considered together

From this reading “The two half-breeds had finished their time and a couple of others had been brought in to take their places, four prisoners in all.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “I decided to cut the bars in the daytime and have my cellmate keep a lookout at the door against the appearance of our jailer or the Indians.”

Take noun US /take/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The two half-breeds had finished their time and a couple of others had been brought in to take their places, four prisoners in all.”

Time noun US /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The two half-breeds had finished their time and a couple of others had been brought in to take their places, four prisoners in all.”

All words in this reading · 70

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 The two half-breeds had finished their time and a couple of others had been brought in to take their places, four prisoners in all.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading I decided to cut the bars in the daytime and have my cellmate keep a lookout at the door against the appearance of our jailer or the Indians.

all

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

From this reading The two half-breeds had finished their time and a couple of others had been brought in to take their places, four prisoners in all.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading When spring came, my Chinese “tillicum,” which is Chinook for friend, and I were the only felony prisoners in the “skookum house,” or jail.

appearancenounUS /ˈappearance/

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

From this reading I decided to cut the bars in the daytime and have my cellmate keep a lookout at the door against the appearance of our jailer or the Indians.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading I decided to cut the bars in the daytime and have my cellmate keep a lookout at the door against the appearance of our jailer or the Indians.

bars

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

From this reading I decided to cut the bars in the daytime and have my cellmate keep a lookout at the door against the appearance of our jailer or the Indians.

beat

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

From this reading The tough end of our job was not to beat the jail or the drunken jailer, but the watchful trusties, our fellow prisoners.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The two half-breeds had finished their time and a couple of others had been brought in to take their places, four prisoners in all.

broughtnounUS /ˈbrought/

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

From this reading The two half-breeds had finished their time and a couple of others had been brought in to take their places, four prisoners in all.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The tough end of our job was not to beat the jail or the drunken jailer, but the watchful trusties, our fellow prisoners.

came

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

From this reading When spring came, my Chinese “tillicum,” which is Chinook for friend, and I were the only felony prisoners in the “skookum house,” or jail.

cellmate

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

From this reading I decided to cut the bars in the daytime and have my cellmate keep a lookout at the door against the appearance of our jailer or the Indians.

Chinese

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

From this reading When spring came, my Chinese “tillicum,” which is Chinook for friend, and I were the only felony prisoners in the “skookum house,” or jail.

Chinook

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

From this reading When spring came, my Chinese “tillicum,” which is Chinook for friend, and I were the only felony prisoners in the “skookum house,” or jail.

couplenounUS /ˈkʌpəl/

two people or things considered together

From this reading The two half-breeds had finished their time and a couple of others had been brought in to take their places, four prisoners in all.

cut

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

From this reading I decided to cut the bars in the daytime and have my cellmate keep a lookout at the door against the appearance of our jailer or the Indians.

daytime

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

From this reading I decided to cut the bars in the daytime and have my cellmate keep a lookout at the door against the appearance of our jailer or the Indians.

decided

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

From this reading I decided to cut the bars in the daytime and have my cellmate keep a lookout at the door against the appearance of our jailer or the Indians.

door

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

From this reading I decided to cut the bars in the daytime and have my cellmate keep a lookout at the door against the appearance of our jailer or the Indians.

drunken

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

From this reading The tough end of our job was not to beat the jail or the drunken jailer, but the watchful trusties, our fellow prisoners.

end

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

From this reading The tough end of our job was not to beat the jail or the drunken jailer, but the watchful trusties, our fellow prisoners.

fellow

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

From this reading The tough end of our job was not to beat the jail or the drunken jailer, but the watchful trusties, our fellow prisoners.

felony

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

From this reading When spring came, my Chinese “tillicum,” which is Chinook for friend, and I were the only felony prisoners in the “skookum house,” or jail.

finished

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

From this reading The two half-breeds had finished their time and a couple of others had been brought in to take their places, four prisoners in all.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading When spring came, my Chinese “tillicum,” which is Chinook for friend, and I were the only felony prisoners in the “skookum house,” or jail.

four

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

From this reading The two half-breeds had finished their time and a couple of others had been brought in to take their places, four prisoners in all.

friend

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

From this reading When spring came, my Chinese “tillicum,” which is Chinook for friend, and I were the only felony prisoners in the “skookum house,” or jail.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The two half-breeds had finished their time and a couple of others had been brought in to take their places, four prisoners in all.

half-breeds

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

From this reading The two half-breeds had finished their time and a couple of others had been brought in to take their places, four prisoners in all.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I decided to cut the bars in the daytime and have my cellmate keep a lookout at the door against the appearance of our jailer or the Indians.

house

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

From this reading When spring came, my Chinese “tillicum,” which is Chinook for friend, and I were the only felony prisoners in the “skookum house,” or jail.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading When spring came, my Chinese “tillicum,” which is Chinook for friend, and I were the only felony prisoners in the “skookum house,” or jail.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading When spring came, my Chinese “tillicum,” which is Chinook for friend, and I were the only felony prisoners in the “skookum house,” or jail.

Indians

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

From this reading The Indians watched us and we watched them.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading When spring came, my Chinese “tillicum,” which is Chinook for friend, and I were the only felony prisoners in the “skookum house,” or jail.

jail

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

From this reading When spring came, my Chinese “tillicum,” which is Chinook for friend, and I were the only felony prisoners in the “skookum house,” or jail.

jailer

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

From this reading The tough end of our job was not to beat the jail or the drunken jailer, but the watchful trusties, our fellow prisoners.

job

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

From this reading The tough end of our job was not to beat the jail or the drunken jailer, but the watchful trusties, our fellow prisoners.

keep

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

From this reading I decided to cut the bars in the daytime and have my cellmate keep a lookout at the door against the appearance of our jailer or the Indians.

lookout

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

From this reading I decided to cut the bars in the daytime and have my cellmate keep a lookout at the door against the appearance of our jailer or the Indians.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading When spring came, my Chinese “tillicum,” which is Chinook for friend, and I were the only felony prisoners in the “skookum house,” or jail.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The tough end of our job was not to beat the jail or the drunken jailer, but the watchful trusties, our fellow prisoners.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The two half-breeds had finished their time and a couple of others had been brought in to take their places, four prisoners in all.

only

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

From this reading When spring came, my Chinese “tillicum,” which is Chinook for friend, and I were the only felony prisoners in the “skookum house,” or jail.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading When spring came, my Chinese “tillicum,” which is Chinook for friend, and I were the only felony prisoners in the “skookum house,” or jail.

others

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

From this reading The two half-breeds had finished their time and a couple of others had been brought in to take their places, four prisoners in all.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading The tough end of our job was not to beat the jail or the drunken jailer, but the watchful trusties, our fellow prisoners.

places

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

From this reading The two half-breeds had finished their time and a couple of others had been brought in to take their places, four prisoners in all.

prisoners

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

From this reading When spring came, my Chinese “tillicum,” which is Chinook for friend, and I were the only felony prisoners in the “skookum house,” or jail.

skookum

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

From this reading When spring came, my Chinese “tillicum,” which is Chinook for friend, and I were the only felony prisoners in the “skookum house,” or jail.

spring

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

From this reading When spring came, my Chinese “tillicum,” which is Chinook for friend, and I were the only felony prisoners in the “skookum house,” or jail.

takenounUS /take/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The two half-breeds had finished their time and a couple of others had been brought in to take their places, four prisoners in all.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading When spring came, my Chinese “tillicum,” which is Chinook for friend, and I were the only felony prisoners in the “skookum house,” or jail.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The two half-breeds had finished their time and a couple of others had been brought in to take their places, four prisoners in all.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The Indians watched us and we watched them.

tillicum

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

From this reading When spring came, my Chinese “tillicum,” which is Chinook for friend, and I were the only felony prisoners in the “skookum house,” or jail.

timenounUS /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The two half-breeds had finished their time and a couple of others had been brought in to take their places, four prisoners in all.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The two half-breeds had finished their time and a couple of others had been brought in to take their places, four prisoners in all.

tough

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

From this reading The tough end of our job was not to beat the jail or the drunken jailer, but the watchful trusties, our fellow prisoners.

trusties

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

From this reading The tough end of our job was not to beat the jail or the drunken jailer, but the watchful trusties, our fellow prisoners.

two

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

From this reading The two half-breeds had finished their time and a couple of others had been brought in to take their places, four prisoners in all.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The Indians watched us and we watched them.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The tough end of our job was not to beat the jail or the drunken jailer, but the watchful trusties, our fellow prisoners.

watched

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

From this reading The Indians watched us and we watched them.

watchful

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

From this reading The tough end of our job was not to beat the jail or the drunken jailer, but the watchful trusties, our fellow prisoners.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading The Indians watched us and we watched them.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading When spring came, my Chinese “tillicum,” which is Chinook for friend, and I were the only felony prisoners in the “skookum house,” or jail.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When spring came, my Chinese “tillicum,” which is Chinook for friend, and I were the only felony prisoners in the “skookum house,” or jail.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading When spring came, my Chinese “tillicum,” which is Chinook for friend, and I were the only felony prisoners in the “skookum house,” or jail.