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A Duel
A Duel

Chapter XXV

Cover illustration for A Duel
Context Illustration Reading 1/35 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
AT THE DOOR Between the trees the darkness was as if you might have cut it.
Where the lantern looked there were momentary revelations as they strode along.
Its rays seemed to cut pieces out of the surrounding gloom.
But the pieces were small.
Its penetrating power was slight; where its penetration ceased the darkness was blacker than before.
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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.

A Duel

Chapter XXV

Reading 1/35 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
AT THE DOOR Between the trees the darkness was as if you might have cut it.
Line 2
Where the lantern looked there were momentary revelations as they strode along.
Line 3
Its rays seemed to cut pieces out of the surrounding gloom.
Line 4
But the pieces were small.
Line 5
Its penetrating power was slight; where its penetration ceased the darkness was blacker than before.

Learner Dictionary

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

Along preposition US /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading “Where the lantern looked there were momentary revelations as they strode along.”

Before preposition US /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading “Its penetrating power was slight; where its penetration ceased the darkness was blacker than before.”

Between preposition US /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading “AT THE DOOR Between the trees the darkness was as if you might have cut it.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “AT THE DOOR Between the trees the darkness was as if you might have cut it.”

Looked noun US /looked/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Where the lantern looked there were momentary revelations as they strode along.”

Might modal verb US /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading “AT THE DOOR Between the trees the darkness was as if you might have cut it.”

Pieces noun US /pieces/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Its rays seemed to cut pieces out of the surrounding gloom.”

Seemed noun US /seemed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Its rays seemed to cut pieces out of the surrounding gloom.”

All words in this reading · 43

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading Where the lantern looked there were momentary revelations as they strode along.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading AT THE DOOR Between the trees the darkness was as if you might have cut it.

ATprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading AT THE DOOR Between the trees the darkness was as if you might have cut it.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Its penetrating power was slight; where its penetration ceased the darkness was blacker than before.

BetweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading AT THE DOOR Between the trees the darkness was as if you might have cut it.

blacker

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

From this reading Its penetrating power was slight; where its penetration ceased the darkness was blacker than before.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But the pieces were small.

ceased

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

From this reading Its penetrating power was slight; where its penetration ceased the darkness was blacker than before.

cut

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

From this reading AT THE DOOR Between the trees the darkness was as if you might have cut it.

darkness

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

From this reading AT THE DOOR Between the trees the darkness was as if you might have cut it.

DOOR

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

From this reading AT THE DOOR Between the trees the darkness was as if you might have cut it.

gloom

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

From this reading Its rays seemed to cut pieces out of the surrounding gloom.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading AT THE DOOR Between the trees the darkness was as if you might have cut it.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading AT THE DOOR Between the trees the darkness was as if you might have cut it.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading AT THE DOOR Between the trees the darkness was as if you might have cut it.

ItsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Its rays seemed to cut pieces out of the surrounding gloom.

lantern

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

From this reading Where the lantern looked there were momentary revelations as they strode along.

lookednounUS /looked/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Where the lantern looked there were momentary revelations as they strode along.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading AT THE DOOR Between the trees the darkness was as if you might have cut it.

momentary

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

From this reading Where the lantern looked there were momentary revelations as they strode along.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Its rays seemed to cut pieces out of the surrounding gloom.

out

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

From this reading Its rays seemed to cut pieces out of the surrounding gloom.

penetrating

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

From this reading Its penetrating power was slight; where its penetration ceased the darkness was blacker than before.

penetration

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

From this reading Its penetrating power was slight; where its penetration ceased the darkness was blacker than before.

pieces

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

From this reading Its rays seemed to cut pieces out of the surrounding gloom.

power

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

From this reading Its penetrating power was slight; where its penetration ceased the darkness was blacker than before.

rays

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

From this reading Its rays seemed to cut pieces out of the surrounding gloom.

revelations

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

From this reading Where the lantern looked there were momentary revelations as they strode along.

seemednounUS /seemed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Its rays seemed to cut pieces out of the surrounding gloom.

slight

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

From this reading Its penetrating power was slight; where its penetration ceased the darkness was blacker than before.

small

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

From this reading But the pieces were small.

strode

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

From this reading Where the lantern looked there were momentary revelations as they strode along.

surrounding

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

From this reading Its rays seemed to cut pieces out of the surrounding gloom.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Its penetrating power was slight; where its penetration ceased the darkness was blacker than before.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading AT THE DOOR Between the trees the darkness was as if you might have cut it.

there

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

From this reading Where the lantern looked there were momentary revelations as they strode along.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading Where the lantern looked there were momentary revelations as they strode along.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Its rays seemed to cut pieces out of the surrounding gloom.

trees

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

From this reading AT THE DOOR Between the trees the darkness was as if you might have cut it.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading AT THE DOOR Between the trees the darkness was as if you might have cut it.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Where the lantern looked there were momentary revelations as they strode along.

WhereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Where the lantern looked there were momentary revelations as they strode along.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading AT THE DOOR Between the trees the darkness was as if you might have cut it.