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Eric, a waif
Eric, a waif

Chapter VI

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Context Illustration Reading 1/26 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A NEW HOME.
AS soon as Boston Harbour was reached, a boat was seen approaching, to ascertain what cargo the Osprey carried, and whether she had any slaves for sale.
By this messenger, notice was sent to the town-crier, that any one wanting male or female servants could get their wants supplied at the Osprey.
All would be sold by private tender, unless any objection were made against the proposed purchaser.
This last condition was simply a formality, as a rule; but Sister Martin had decided that it need not be thus, where a man was known to be harsh in his treatment of his slaves.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Eric, a waif

Chapter VI

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A NEW HOME.
Line 2
AS soon as Boston Harbour was reached, a boat was seen approaching, to ascertain what cargo the Osprey carried, and whether she had any slaves for sale.
Line 3
By this messenger, notice was sent to the town-crier, that any one wanting male or female servants could get their wants supplied at the Osprey.
Line 4
All would be sold by private tender, unless any objection were made against the proposed purchaser.
Line 5
This last condition was simply a formality, as a rule; but Sister Martin had decided that it need not be thus, where a man was known to be harsh in his treatment of his slaves.

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 “All would be sold by private tender, unless any objection were made against the proposed purchaser.”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading “By this messenger, notice was sent to the town-crier, that any one wanting male or female servants could get their wants supplied at the Osprey.”

Last noun US /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “This last condition was simply a formality, as a rule; but Sister Martin had decided that it need not be thus, where a man was known to be harsh in his treatment of his slaves.”

Need noun US /need/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “This last condition was simply a formality, as a rule; but Sister Martin had decided that it need not be thus, where a man was known to be harsh in his treatment of his slaves.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “By this messenger, notice was sent to the town-crier, that any one wanting male or female servants could get their wants supplied at the Osprey.”

Soon noun US /soon/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “AS soon as Boston Harbour was reached, a boat was seen approaching, to ascertain what cargo the Osprey carried, and whether she had any slaves for sale.”

Unless conjunction US /ənˈles/

except if; if not

From this reading “All would be sold by private tender, unless any objection were made against the proposed purchaser.”

Whether conjunction US /ˈweðər/

used to introduce two or more possibilities

From this reading “AS soon as Boston Harbour was reached, a boat was seen approaching, to ascertain what cargo the Osprey carried, and whether she had any slaves for sale.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

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

From this reading “All would be sold by private tender, unless any objection were made against the proposed purchaser.”

All words in this reading · 80

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 NEW HOME.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading All would be sold by private tender, unless any objection were made against the proposed purchaser.

All

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

From this reading All would be sold by private tender, unless any objection were made against the proposed purchaser.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading AS soon as Boston Harbour was reached, a boat was seen approaching, to ascertain what cargo the Osprey carried, and whether she had any slaves for sale.

any

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

From this reading AS soon as Boston Harbour was reached, a boat was seen approaching, to ascertain what cargo the Osprey carried, and whether she had any slaves for sale.

approaching

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

From this reading AS soon as Boston Harbour was reached, a boat was seen approaching, to ascertain what cargo the Osprey carried, and whether she had any slaves for sale.

ASconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading AS soon as Boston Harbour was reached, a boat was seen approaching, to ascertain what cargo the Osprey carried, and whether she had any slaves for sale.

ascertain

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

From this reading AS soon as Boston Harbour was reached, a boat was seen approaching, to ascertain what cargo the Osprey carried, and whether she had any slaves for sale.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading By this messenger, notice was sent to the town-crier, that any one wanting male or female servants could get their wants supplied at the Osprey.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading All would be sold by private tender, unless any objection were made against the proposed purchaser.

boat

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

From this reading AS soon as Boston Harbour was reached, a boat was seen approaching, to ascertain what cargo the Osprey carried, and whether she had any slaves for sale.

Boston

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

From this reading AS soon as Boston Harbour was reached, a boat was seen approaching, to ascertain what cargo the Osprey carried, and whether she had any slaves for sale.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading This last condition was simply a formality, as a rule; but Sister Martin had decided that it need not be thus, where a man was known to be harsh in his treatment of his slaves.

ByprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading By this messenger, notice was sent to the town-crier, that any one wanting male or female servants could get their wants supplied at the Osprey.

cargo

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

From this reading AS soon as Boston Harbour was reached, a boat was seen approaching, to ascertain what cargo the Osprey carried, and whether she had any slaves for sale.

carried

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

From this reading AS soon as Boston Harbour was reached, a boat was seen approaching, to ascertain what cargo the Osprey carried, and whether she had any slaves for sale.

condition

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

From this reading This last condition was simply a formality, as a rule; but Sister Martin had decided that it need not be thus, where a man was known to be harsh in his treatment of his slaves.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading By this messenger, notice was sent to the town-crier, that any one wanting male or female servants could get their wants supplied at the Osprey.

decided

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

From this reading This last condition was simply a formality, as a rule; but Sister Martin had decided that it need not be thus, where a man was known to be harsh in his treatment of his slaves.

female

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

From this reading By this messenger, notice was sent to the town-crier, that any one wanting male or female servants could get their wants supplied at the Osprey.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading AS soon as Boston Harbour was reached, a boat was seen approaching, to ascertain what cargo the Osprey carried, and whether she had any slaves for sale.

formality

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

From this reading This last condition was simply a formality, as a rule; but Sister Martin had decided that it need not be thus, where a man was known to be harsh in his treatment of his slaves.

get

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

From this reading By this messenger, notice was sent to the town-crier, that any one wanting male or female servants could get their wants supplied at the Osprey.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading AS soon as Boston Harbour was reached, a boat was seen approaching, to ascertain what cargo the Osprey carried, and whether she had any slaves for sale.

Harbour

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

From this reading AS soon as Boston Harbour was reached, a boat was seen approaching, to ascertain what cargo the Osprey carried, and whether she had any slaves for sale.

harsh

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

From this reading This last condition was simply a formality, as a rule; but Sister Martin had decided that it need not be thus, where a man was known to be harsh in his treatment of his slaves.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading This last condition was simply a formality, as a rule; but Sister Martin had decided that it need not be thus, where a man was known to be harsh in his treatment of his slaves.

HOME

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

From this reading A NEW HOME.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading This last condition was simply a formality, as a rule; but Sister Martin had decided that it need not be thus, where a man was known to be harsh in his treatment of his slaves.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading This last condition was simply a formality, as a rule; but Sister Martin had decided that it need not be thus, where a man was known to be harsh in his treatment of his slaves.

known

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

From this reading This last condition was simply a formality, as a rule; but Sister Martin had decided that it need not be thus, where a man was known to be harsh in his treatment of his slaves.

lastnounUS /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading This last condition was simply a formality, as a rule; but Sister Martin had decided that it need not be thus, where a man was known to be harsh in his treatment of his slaves.

made

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

From this reading All would be sold by private tender, unless any objection were made against the proposed purchaser.

male

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

From this reading By this messenger, notice was sent to the town-crier, that any one wanting male or female servants could get their wants supplied at the Osprey.

man

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

From this reading This last condition was simply a formality, as a rule; but Sister Martin had decided that it need not be thus, where a man was known to be harsh in his treatment of his slaves.

Martin

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

From this reading This last condition was simply a formality, as a rule; but Sister Martin had decided that it need not be thus, where a man was known to be harsh in his treatment of his slaves.

messenger

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

From this reading By this messenger, notice was sent to the town-crier, that any one wanting male or female servants could get their wants supplied at the Osprey.

neednounUS /need/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading This last condition was simply a formality, as a rule; but Sister Martin had decided that it need not be thus, where a man was known to be harsh in his treatment of his slaves.

NEW

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

From this reading A NEW HOME.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading This last condition was simply a formality, as a rule; but Sister Martin had decided that it need not be thus, where a man was known to be harsh in his treatment of his slaves.

notice

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

From this reading By this messenger, notice was sent to the town-crier, that any one wanting male or female servants could get their wants supplied at the Osprey.

objection

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

From this reading All would be sold by private tender, unless any objection were made against the proposed purchaser.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading This last condition was simply a formality, as a rule; but Sister Martin had decided that it need not be thus, where a man was known to be harsh in his treatment of his slaves.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading By this messenger, notice was sent to the town-crier, that any one wanting male or female servants could get their wants supplied at the Osprey.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading By this messenger, notice was sent to the town-crier, that any one wanting male or female servants could get their wants supplied at the Osprey.

Osprey

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

From this reading AS soon as Boston Harbour was reached, a boat was seen approaching, to ascertain what cargo the Osprey carried, and whether she had any slaves for sale.

private

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

From this reading All would be sold by private tender, unless any objection were made against the proposed purchaser.

proposed

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

From this reading All would be sold by private tender, unless any objection were made against the proposed purchaser.

purchaser

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

From this reading All would be sold by private tender, unless any objection were made against the proposed purchaser.

reached

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

From this reading AS soon as Boston Harbour was reached, a boat was seen approaching, to ascertain what cargo the Osprey carried, and whether she had any slaves for sale.

rule

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

From this reading This last condition was simply a formality, as a rule; but Sister Martin had decided that it need not be thus, where a man was known to be harsh in his treatment of his slaves.

sale

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

From this reading AS soon as Boston Harbour was reached, a boat was seen approaching, to ascertain what cargo the Osprey carried, and whether she had any slaves for sale.

seen

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

From this reading AS soon as Boston Harbour was reached, a boat was seen approaching, to ascertain what cargo the Osprey carried, and whether she had any slaves for sale.

sent

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

From this reading By this messenger, notice was sent to the town-crier, that any one wanting male or female servants could get their wants supplied at the Osprey.

servants

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

From this reading By this messenger, notice was sent to the town-crier, that any one wanting male or female servants could get their wants supplied at the Osprey.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading AS soon as Boston Harbour was reached, a boat was seen approaching, to ascertain what cargo the Osprey carried, and whether she had any slaves for sale.

simply

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

From this reading This last condition was simply a formality, as a rule; but Sister Martin had decided that it need not be thus, where a man was known to be harsh in his treatment of his slaves.

Sister

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

From this reading This last condition was simply a formality, as a rule; but Sister Martin had decided that it need not be thus, where a man was known to be harsh in his treatment of his slaves.

slaves

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

From this reading AS soon as Boston Harbour was reached, a boat was seen approaching, to ascertain what cargo the Osprey carried, and whether she had any slaves for sale.

sold

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

From this reading All would be sold by private tender, unless any objection were made against the proposed purchaser.

soon

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

From this reading AS soon as Boston Harbour was reached, a boat was seen approaching, to ascertain what cargo the Osprey carried, and whether she had any slaves for sale.

supplied

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

From this reading By this messenger, notice was sent to the town-crier, that any one wanting male or female servants could get their wants supplied at the Osprey.

tender

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

From this reading All would be sold by private tender, unless any objection were made against the proposed purchaser.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading By this messenger, notice was sent to the town-crier, that any one wanting male or female servants could get their wants supplied at the Osprey.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading AS soon as Boston Harbour was reached, a boat was seen approaching, to ascertain what cargo the Osprey carried, and whether she had any slaves for sale.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading By this messenger, notice was sent to the town-crier, that any one wanting male or female servants could get their wants supplied at the Osprey.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading By this messenger, notice was sent to the town-crier, that any one wanting male or female servants could get their wants supplied at the Osprey.

thus

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

From this reading This last condition was simply a formality, as a rule; but Sister Martin had decided that it need not be thus, where a man was known to be harsh in his treatment of his slaves.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading AS soon as Boston Harbour was reached, a boat was seen approaching, to ascertain what cargo the Osprey carried, and whether she had any slaves for sale.

town-crier

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

From this reading By this messenger, notice was sent to the town-crier, that any one wanting male or female servants could get their wants supplied at the Osprey.

treatment

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

From this reading This last condition was simply a formality, as a rule; but Sister Martin had decided that it need not be thus, where a man was known to be harsh in his treatment of his slaves.

unlessconjunctionUS /ənˈles/

except if; if not

From this reading All would be sold by private tender, unless any objection were made against the proposed purchaser.

wanting

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

From this reading By this messenger, notice was sent to the town-crier, that any one wanting male or female servants could get their wants supplied at the Osprey.

wants

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

From this reading By this messenger, notice was sent to the town-crier, that any one wanting male or female servants could get their wants supplied at the Osprey.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading AS soon as Boston Harbour was reached, a boat was seen approaching, to ascertain what cargo the Osprey carried, and whether she had any slaves for sale.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading All would be sold by private tender, unless any objection were made against the proposed purchaser.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading AS soon as Boston Harbour was reached, a boat was seen approaching, to ascertain what cargo the Osprey carried, and whether she had any slaves for sale.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading This last condition was simply a formality, as a rule; but Sister Martin had decided that it need not be thus, where a man was known to be harsh in his treatment of his slaves.

whetherconjunctionUS /ˈweðər/

used to introduce two or more possibilities

From this reading AS soon as Boston Harbour was reached, a boat was seen approaching, to ascertain what cargo the Osprey carried, and whether she had any slaves for sale.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading All would be sold by private tender, unless any objection were made against the proposed purchaser.