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At Fault
At Fault

Chapter VII

Cover illustration for At Fault
Context Illustration Reading 1/88 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
“Shut up!” cried Hosmer maddened with sudden fury, and rising violently from his chair.
“I won’t shut up,” Fanny cried excitedly back at him; rising also.
“And what’s more I won’t stay here and have you making love under my very eyes to a woman that’s no better than she ought to be.”
She meant to say more, but Hosmer grasped her arm with such a grasp, that had it been her throat she would never have spoken more.
The other hand went to his pocket, with fingers clutching the clasp knife there.
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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.

At Fault

Chapter VII

Reading 1/88 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
“Shut up!” cried Hosmer maddened with sudden fury, and rising violently from his chair.
Line 2
“I won’t shut up,” Fanny cried excitedly back at him; rising also.
Line 3
“And what’s more I won’t stay here and have you making love under my very eyes to a woman that’s no better than she ought to be.”
Line 4
She meant to say more, but Hosmer grasped her arm with such a grasp, that had it been her throat she would never have spoken more.
Line 5
The other hand went to his pocket, with fingers clutching the clasp knife there.

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 “She meant to say more, but Hosmer grasped her arm with such a grasp, that had it been her throat she would never have spoken more.”

Cried noun US /cried/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading ““Shut up!” cried Hosmer maddened with sudden fury, and rising violently from his chair.”

Grasp noun US /ɡræsp/

a firm hold in a specific situation in this story

From this reading “She meant to say more, but Hosmer grasped her arm with such a grasp, that had it been her throat she would never have spoken more.”

Hand noun US /hand/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The other hand went to his pocket, with fingers clutching the clasp knife there.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading ““And what’s more I won’t stay here and have you making love under my very eyes to a woman that’s no better than she ought to be.””

Here noun US /here/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading ““And what’s more I won’t stay here and have you making love under my very eyes to a woman that’s no better than she ought to be.””

Never noun US /never/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “She meant to say more, but Hosmer grasped her arm with such a grasp, that had it been her throat she would never have spoken more.”

Ought modal verb US /ɔːt/

used with “to” to say what is right or advisable

From this reading ““And what’s more I won’t stay here and have you making love under my very eyes to a woman that’s no better than she ought to be.””

Sudden noun US /sudden/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading ““Shut up!” cried Hosmer maddened with sudden fury, and rising violently from his chair.”

Throat noun US /θroʊt/

The passage at the back of the mouth.

From this reading “She meant to say more, but Hosmer grasped her arm with such a grasp, that had it been her throat she would never have spoken more.”

Under preposition US /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading ““And what’s more I won’t stay here and have you making love under my very eyes to a woman that’s no better than she ought to be.””

Went noun US /went/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The other hand went to his pocket, with fingers clutching the clasp knife there.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading “She meant to say more, but Hosmer grasped her arm with such a grasp, that had it been her throat she would never have spoken more.”

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 “And what’s more I won’t stay here and have you making love under my very eyes to a woman that’s no better than she ought to be.”

also

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

From this reading “I won’t shut up,” Fanny cried excitedly back at him; rising also.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading “Shut up!” cried Hosmer maddened with sudden fury, and rising violently from his chair.

arm

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

From this reading She meant to say more, but Hosmer grasped her arm with such a grasp, that had it been her throat she would never have spoken more.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading “I won’t shut up,” Fanny cried excitedly back at him; rising also.

back

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

From this reading “I won’t shut up,” Fanny cried excitedly back at him; rising also.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading “And what’s more I won’t stay here and have you making love under my very eyes to a woman that’s no better than she ought to be.”

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading She meant to say more, but Hosmer grasped her arm with such a grasp, that had it been her throat she would never have spoken more.

better

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

From this reading “And what’s more I won’t stay here and have you making love under my very eyes to a woman that’s no better than she ought to be.”

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading She meant to say more, but Hosmer grasped her arm with such a grasp, that had it been her throat she would never have spoken more.

chair

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

From this reading “Shut up!” cried Hosmer maddened with sudden fury, and rising violently from his chair.

clasp

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

From this reading The other hand went to his pocket, with fingers clutching the clasp knife there.

clutching

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

From this reading The other hand went to his pocket, with fingers clutching the clasp knife there.

criednounUS /cried/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Shut up!” cried Hosmer maddened with sudden fury, and rising violently from his chair.

excitedly

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

From this reading “I won’t shut up,” Fanny cried excitedly back at him; rising also.

eyes

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

From this reading “And what’s more I won’t stay here and have you making love under my very eyes to a woman that’s no better than she ought to be.”

Fanny

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

From this reading “I won’t shut up,” Fanny cried excitedly back at him; rising also.

fingers

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

From this reading The other hand went to his pocket, with fingers clutching the clasp knife there.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading “Shut up!” cried Hosmer maddened with sudden fury, and rising violently from his chair.

fury

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

From this reading “Shut up!” cried Hosmer maddened with sudden fury, and rising violently from his chair.

graspnounUS /ɡræsp/

a firm hold in a specific situation in this story

From this reading She meant to say more, but Hosmer grasped her arm with such a grasp, that had it been her throat she would never have spoken more.

grasped

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

From this reading She meant to say more, but Hosmer grasped her arm with such a grasp, that had it been her throat she would never have spoken more.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading She meant to say more, but Hosmer grasped her arm with such a grasp, that had it been her throat she would never have spoken more.

hand

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

From this reading The other hand went to his pocket, with fingers clutching the clasp knife there.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “And what’s more I won’t stay here and have you making love under my very eyes to a woman that’s no better than she ought to be.”

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading She meant to say more, but Hosmer grasped her arm with such a grasp, that had it been her throat she would never have spoken more.

herenounUS /here/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “And what’s more I won’t stay here and have you making love under my very eyes to a woman that’s no better than she ought to be.”

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading “I won’t shut up,” Fanny cried excitedly back at him; rising also.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading “Shut up!” cried Hosmer maddened with sudden fury, and rising violently from his chair.

Hosmer

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

From this reading “Shut up!” cried Hosmer maddened with sudden fury, and rising violently from his chair.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “I won’t shut up,” Fanny cried excitedly back at him; rising also.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading She meant to say more, but Hosmer grasped her arm with such a grasp, that had it been her throat she would never have spoken more.

knife

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

From this reading The other hand went to his pocket, with fingers clutching the clasp knife there.

love

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

From this reading “And what’s more I won’t stay here and have you making love under my very eyes to a woman that’s no better than she ought to be.”

maddened

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

From this reading “Shut up!” cried Hosmer maddened with sudden fury, and rising violently from his chair.

making

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

From this reading “And what’s more I won’t stay here and have you making love under my very eyes to a woman that’s no better than she ought to be.”

meant

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

From this reading She meant to say more, but Hosmer grasped her arm with such a grasp, that had it been her throat she would never have spoken more.

more

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

From this reading “And what’s more I won’t stay here and have you making love under my very eyes to a woman that’s no better than she ought to be.”

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading “And what’s more I won’t stay here and have you making love under my very eyes to a woman that’s no better than she ought to be.”

nevernounUS /never/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading She meant to say more, but Hosmer grasped her arm with such a grasp, that had it been her throat she would never have spoken more.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading “And what’s more I won’t stay here and have you making love under my very eyes to a woman that’s no better than she ought to be.”

other

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

From this reading The other hand went to his pocket, with fingers clutching the clasp knife there.

oughtmodal verbUS /ɔːt/

used with “to” to say what is right or advisable

From this reading “And what’s more I won’t stay here and have you making love under my very eyes to a woman that’s no better than she ought to be.”

pocket

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

From this reading The other hand went to his pocket, with fingers clutching the clasp knife there.

rising

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

From this reading “Shut up!” cried Hosmer maddened with sudden fury, and rising violently from his chair.

say

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

From this reading She meant to say more, but Hosmer grasped her arm with such a grasp, that had it been her throat she would never have spoken more.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading “And what’s more I won’t stay here and have you making love under my very eyes to a woman that’s no better than she ought to be.”

Shut

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

From this reading “Shut up!” cried Hosmer maddened with sudden fury, and rising violently from his chair.

spoken

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

From this reading She meant to say more, but Hosmer grasped her arm with such a grasp, that had it been her throat she would never have spoken more.

stay

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

From this reading “And what’s more I won’t stay here and have you making love under my very eyes to a woman that’s no better than she ought to be.”

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading She meant to say more, but Hosmer grasped her arm with such a grasp, that had it been her throat she would never have spoken more.

suddennounUS /sudden/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Shut up!” cried Hosmer maddened with sudden fury, and rising violently from his chair.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading “And what’s more I won’t stay here and have you making love under my very eyes to a woman that’s no better than she ought to be.”

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading She meant to say more, but Hosmer grasped her arm with such a grasp, that had it been her throat she would never have spoken more.

that's

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

From this reading “And what’s more I won’t stay here and have you making love under my very eyes to a woman that’s no better than she ought to be.”

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The other hand went to his pocket, with fingers clutching the clasp knife there.

there

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

From this reading The other hand went to his pocket, with fingers clutching the clasp knife there.

throatnounUS /θroʊt/

The passage at the back of the mouth.

From this reading She meant to say more, but Hosmer grasped her arm with such a grasp, that had it been her throat she would never have spoken more.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “And what’s more I won’t stay here and have you making love under my very eyes to a woman that’s no better than she ought to be.”

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading “And what’s more I won’t stay here and have you making love under my very eyes to a woman that’s no better than she ought to be.”

up

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

From this reading “Shut up!” cried Hosmer maddened with sudden fury, and rising violently from his chair.

very

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

From this reading “And what’s more I won’t stay here and have you making love under my very eyes to a woman that’s no better than she ought to be.”

violently

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

From this reading “Shut up!” cried Hosmer maddened with sudden fury, and rising violently from his chair.

wentnounUS /went/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The other hand went to his pocket, with fingers clutching the clasp knife there.

what's

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

From this reading “And what’s more I won’t stay here and have you making love under my very eyes to a woman that’s no better than she ought to be.”

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading “Shut up!” cried Hosmer maddened with sudden fury, and rising violently from his chair.

woman

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

From this reading “And what’s more I won’t stay here and have you making love under my very eyes to a woman that’s no better than she ought to be.”

won't

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

From this reading “I won’t shut up,” Fanny cried excitedly back at him; rising also.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading She meant to say more, but Hosmer grasped her arm with such a grasp, that had it been her throat she would never have spoken more.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “And what’s more I won’t stay here and have you making love under my very eyes to a woman that’s no better than she ought to be.”