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Black Jack
Black Jack

Chapter XXXI

Cover illustration for Black Jack
Context Illustration Reading 1/33 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
It was as if a gate which had hitherto been closed against him in the Pollard house were now opened.
They no longer held back from Terry, but admitted him freely to their counsels.
But the first person to whom he spoke was Slim Dugan.
There was a certain nervousness about Slim this evening, and a certain shame.
For he felt that in the morning, to an extent, he had backed down from the quarrel with young Black Jack.
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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.

Black Jack

Chapter XXXI

Reading 1/33 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
It was as if a gate which had hitherto been closed against him in the Pollard house were now opened.
Line 2
They no longer held back from Terry, but admitted him freely to their counsels.
Line 3
But the first person to whom he spoke was Slim Dugan.
Line 4
There was a certain nervousness about Slim this evening, and a certain shame.
Line 5
For he felt that in the morning, to an extent, he had backed down from the quarrel with young Black Jack.

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 “There was a certain nervousness about Slim this evening, and a certain shame.”

Against preposition US /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading “It was as if a gate which had hitherto been closed against him in the Pollard house were now opened.”

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “It was as if a gate which had hitherto been closed against him in the Pollard house were now opened.”

First noun US /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “But the first person to whom he spoke was Slim Dugan.”

Morning noun US /morning/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “For he felt that in the morning, to an extent, he had backed down from the quarrel with young Black Jack.”

Quarrel noun US /ˈkwɔːrəl/

an angry argument or disagreement

From this reading “For he felt that in the morning, to an extent, he had backed down from the quarrel with young Black Jack.”

All words in this reading · 61

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 It was as if a gate which had hitherto been closed against him in the Pollard house were now opened.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading There was a certain nervousness about Slim this evening, and a certain shame.

admitted

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

From this reading They no longer held back from Terry, but admitted him freely to their counsels.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading It was as if a gate which had hitherto been closed against him in the Pollard house were now opened.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading For he felt that in the morning, to an extent, he had backed down from the quarrel with young Black Jack.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading There was a certain nervousness about Slim this evening, and a certain shame.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading It was as if a gate which had hitherto been closed against him in the Pollard house were now opened.

back

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

From this reading They no longer held back from Terry, but admitted him freely to their counsels.

backed

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

From this reading For he felt that in the morning, to an extent, he had backed down from the quarrel with young Black Jack.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading It was as if a gate which had hitherto been closed against him in the Pollard house were now opened.

Black

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

From this reading For he felt that in the morning, to an extent, he had backed down from the quarrel with young Black Jack.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading They no longer held back from Terry, but admitted him freely to their counsels.

certain

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

From this reading There was a certain nervousness about Slim this evening, and a certain shame.

closed

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

From this reading It was as if a gate which had hitherto been closed against him in the Pollard house were now opened.

counsels

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

From this reading They no longer held back from Terry, but admitted him freely to their counsels.

down

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

From this reading For he felt that in the morning, to an extent, he had backed down from the quarrel with young Black Jack.

Dugan

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

From this reading But the first person to whom he spoke was Slim Dugan.

evening

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

From this reading There was a certain nervousness about Slim this evening, and a certain shame.

extent

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

From this reading For he felt that in the morning, to an extent, he had backed down from the quarrel with young Black Jack.

felt

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

From this reading For he felt that in the morning, to an extent, he had backed down from the quarrel with young Black Jack.

firstnounUS /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading But the first person to whom he spoke was Slim Dugan.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For he felt that in the morning, to an extent, he had backed down from the quarrel with young Black Jack.

freely

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

From this reading They no longer held back from Terry, but admitted him freely to their counsels.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading They no longer held back from Terry, but admitted him freely to their counsels.

gate

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

From this reading It was as if a gate which had hitherto been closed against him in the Pollard house were now opened.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading It was as if a gate which had hitherto been closed against him in the Pollard house were now opened.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading But the first person to whom he spoke was Slim Dugan.

held

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

From this reading They no longer held back from Terry, but admitted him freely to their counsels.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading It was as if a gate which had hitherto been closed against him in the Pollard house were now opened.

hitherto

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

From this reading It was as if a gate which had hitherto been closed against him in the Pollard house were now opened.

house

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

From this reading It was as if a gate which had hitherto been closed against him in the Pollard house were now opened.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading It was as if a gate which had hitherto been closed against him in the Pollard house were now opened.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It was as if a gate which had hitherto been closed against him in the Pollard house were now opened.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was as if a gate which had hitherto been closed against him in the Pollard house were now opened.

Jack

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

From this reading For he felt that in the morning, to an extent, he had backed down from the quarrel with young Black Jack.

longer

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

From this reading They no longer held back from Terry, but admitted him freely to their counsels.

morningnounUS /morning/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading For he felt that in the morning, to an extent, he had backed down from the quarrel with young Black Jack.

nervousness

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

From this reading There was a certain nervousness about Slim this evening, and a certain shame.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading They no longer held back from Terry, but admitted him freely to their counsels.

now

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

From this reading It was as if a gate which had hitherto been closed against him in the Pollard house were now opened.

opened

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

From this reading It was as if a gate which had hitherto been closed against him in the Pollard house were now opened.

person

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

From this reading But the first person to whom he spoke was Slim Dugan.

Pollard

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

From this reading It was as if a gate which had hitherto been closed against him in the Pollard house were now opened.

quarrelnounUS /ˈkwɔːrəl/

an angry argument or disagreement

From this reading For he felt that in the morning, to an extent, he had backed down from the quarrel with young Black Jack.

shame

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

From this reading There was a certain nervousness about Slim this evening, and a certain shame.

Slim

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

From this reading But the first person to whom he spoke was Slim Dugan.

spoke

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

From this reading But the first person to whom he spoke was Slim Dugan.

Terry

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

From this reading They no longer held back from Terry, but admitted him freely to their counsels.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading For he felt that in the morning, to an extent, he had backed down from the quarrel with young Black Jack.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading It was as if a gate which had hitherto been closed against him in the Pollard house were now opened.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading They no longer held back from Terry, but admitted him freely to their counsels.

There

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

From this reading There was a certain nervousness about Slim this evening, and a certain shame.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading They no longer held back from Terry, but admitted him freely to their counsels.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading There was a certain nervousness about Slim this evening, and a certain shame.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading They no longer held back from Terry, but admitted him freely to their counsels.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was as if a gate which had hitherto been closed against him in the Pollard house were now opened.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading It was as if a gate which had hitherto been closed against him in the Pollard house were now opened.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading It was as if a gate which had hitherto been closed against him in the Pollard house were now opened.

whompronounUS /huːm/

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

From this reading But the first person to whom he spoke was Slim Dugan.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading For he felt that in the morning, to an extent, he had backed down from the quarrel with young Black Jack.

young

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

From this reading For he felt that in the morning, to an extent, he had backed down from the quarrel with young Black Jack.