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In Kedar's Tents
In Kedar's Tents

Chapter XVII · In Toledo

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Context Illustration Reading 1/29 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
‘Meddle not with many matters; for if thou meddle much thou shalt not be innocent.’
THE Café of the Ambassadeurs in the Calle de la Montera was at this time the fashionable resort of visitors to the city of Madrid.
Its tone was neither political nor urban, but savoured rather of the cosmopolitan.
The waiters at the first-class hotels recommended the Café of the Ambassadeurs, and stepped round to the manager’s office at the time of the New Year to mention the fact.
Sir John Pleydell had been rather nonplussed by his encounter with Conyngham, and, being a man of the world as well as a lawyer, sat down, as it were, to think.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

In Kedar's Tents

Chapter XVII · In Toledo

Reading 1/29 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
‘Meddle not with many matters; for if thou meddle much thou shalt not be innocent.’
Line 2
THE Café of the Ambassadeurs in the Calle de la Montera was at this time the fashionable resort of visitors to the city of Madrid.
Line 3
Its tone was neither political nor urban, but savoured rather of the cosmopolitan.
Line 4
The waiters at the first-class hotels recommended the Café of the Ambassadeurs, and stepped round to the manager’s office at the time of the New Year to mention the fact.
Line 5
Sir John Pleydell had been rather nonplussed by his encounter with Conyngham, and, being a man of the world as well as a lawyer, sat down, as it were, to think.

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 “Sir John Pleydell had been rather nonplussed by his encounter with Conyngham, and, being a man of the world as well as a lawyer, sat down, as it were, to think.”

Being auxiliary verb US /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading “Sir John Pleydell had been rather nonplussed by his encounter with Conyngham, and, being a man of the world as well as a lawyer, sat down, as it were, to think.”

John noun US /john/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Sir John Pleydell had been rather nonplussed by his encounter with Conyngham, and, being a man of the world as well as a lawyer, sat down, as it were, to think.”

Neither determiner US /ˈniːðər/

not one and not the other of two

From this reading “Its tone was neither political nor urban, but savoured rather of the cosmopolitan.”

Shalt modal verb US /ʃælt/

an old form of “shall”, used with “thou”

From this reading “‘Meddle not with many matters; for if thou meddle much thou shalt not be innocent.’”

Think noun US /think/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Sir John Pleydell had been rather nonplussed by his encounter with Conyngham, and, being a man of the world as well as a lawyer, sat down, as it were, to think.”

Thou pronoun US /ðaʊ/

an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person

From this reading “‘Meddle not with many matters; for if thou meddle much thou shalt not be innocent.’”

Time noun US /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “THE Café of the Ambassadeurs in the Calle de la Montera was at this time the fashionable resort of visitors to the city of Madrid.”

Well noun US /well/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Sir John Pleydell had been rather nonplussed by his encounter with Conyngham, and, being a man of the world as well as a lawyer, sat down, as it were, to think.”

All words in this reading · 76

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 Sir John Pleydell had been rather nonplussed by his encounter with Conyngham, and, being a man of the world as well as a lawyer, sat down, as it were, to think.

Ambassadeurs

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

From this reading THE Café of the Ambassadeurs in the Calle de la Montera was at this time the fashionable resort of visitors to the city of Madrid.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The waiters at the first-class hotels recommended the Café of the Ambassadeurs, and stepped round to the manager’s office at the time of the New Year to mention the fact.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Sir John Pleydell had been rather nonplussed by his encounter with Conyngham, and, being a man of the world as well as a lawyer, sat down, as it were, to think.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading THE Café of the Ambassadeurs in the Calle de la Montera was at this time the fashionable resort of visitors to the city of Madrid.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading ‘Meddle not with many matters; for if thou meddle much thou shalt not be innocent.’

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Sir John Pleydell had been rather nonplussed by his encounter with Conyngham, and, being a man of the world as well as a lawyer, sat down, as it were, to think.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading Sir John Pleydell had been rather nonplussed by his encounter with Conyngham, and, being a man of the world as well as a lawyer, sat down, as it were, to think.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Its tone was neither political nor urban, but savoured rather of the cosmopolitan.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Sir John Pleydell had been rather nonplussed by his encounter with Conyngham, and, being a man of the world as well as a lawyer, sat down, as it were, to think.

Café

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

From this reading THE Café of the Ambassadeurs in the Calle de la Montera was at this time the fashionable resort of visitors to the city of Madrid.

Calle

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

From this reading THE Café of the Ambassadeurs in the Calle de la Montera was at this time the fashionable resort of visitors to the city of Madrid.

city

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

From this reading THE Café of the Ambassadeurs in the Calle de la Montera was at this time the fashionable resort of visitors to the city of Madrid.

Conyngham

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

From this reading Sir John Pleydell had been rather nonplussed by his encounter with Conyngham, and, being a man of the world as well as a lawyer, sat down, as it were, to think.

cosmopolitan

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

From this reading Its tone was neither political nor urban, but savoured rather of the cosmopolitan.

de

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

From this reading THE Café of the Ambassadeurs in the Calle de la Montera was at this time the fashionable resort of visitors to the city of Madrid.

down

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

From this reading Sir John Pleydell had been rather nonplussed by his encounter with Conyngham, and, being a man of the world as well as a lawyer, sat down, as it were, to think.

encounter

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

From this reading Sir John Pleydell had been rather nonplussed by his encounter with Conyngham, and, being a man of the world as well as a lawyer, sat down, as it were, to think.

fact

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

From this reading The waiters at the first-class hotels recommended the Café of the Ambassadeurs, and stepped round to the manager’s office at the time of the New Year to mention the fact.

fashionable

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

From this reading THE Café of the Ambassadeurs in the Calle de la Montera was at this time the fashionable resort of visitors to the city of Madrid.

first-class

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

From this reading The waiters at the first-class hotels recommended the Café of the Ambassadeurs, and stepped round to the manager’s office at the time of the New Year to mention the fact.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading ‘Meddle not with many matters; for if thou meddle much thou shalt not be innocent.’

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Sir John Pleydell had been rather nonplussed by his encounter with Conyngham, and, being a man of the world as well as a lawyer, sat down, as it were, to think.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Sir John Pleydell had been rather nonplussed by his encounter with Conyngham, and, being a man of the world as well as a lawyer, sat down, as it were, to think.

hotels

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

From this reading The waiters at the first-class hotels recommended the Café of the Ambassadeurs, and stepped round to the manager’s office at the time of the New Year to mention the fact.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading ‘Meddle not with many matters; for if thou meddle much thou shalt not be innocent.’

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading THE Café of the Ambassadeurs in the Calle de la Montera was at this time the fashionable resort of visitors to the city of Madrid.

innocent

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

From this reading ‘Meddle not with many matters; for if thou meddle much thou shalt not be innocent.’

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Sir John Pleydell had been rather nonplussed by his encounter with Conyngham, and, being a man of the world as well as a lawyer, sat down, as it were, to think.

ItsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Its tone was neither political nor urban, but savoured rather of the cosmopolitan.

John

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

From this reading Sir John Pleydell had been rather nonplussed by his encounter with Conyngham, and, being a man of the world as well as a lawyer, sat down, as it were, to think.

la

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

From this reading THE Café of the Ambassadeurs in the Calle de la Montera was at this time the fashionable resort of visitors to the city of Madrid.

lawyer

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

From this reading Sir John Pleydell had been rather nonplussed by his encounter with Conyngham, and, being a man of the world as well as a lawyer, sat down, as it were, to think.

Madrid

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

From this reading THE Café of the Ambassadeurs in the Calle de la Montera was at this time the fashionable resort of visitors to the city of Madrid.

man

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

From this reading Sir John Pleydell had been rather nonplussed by his encounter with Conyngham, and, being a man of the world as well as a lawyer, sat down, as it were, to think.

manager's

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

From this reading The waiters at the first-class hotels recommended the Café of the Ambassadeurs, and stepped round to the manager’s office at the time of the New Year to mention the fact.

many

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

From this reading ‘Meddle not with many matters; for if thou meddle much thou shalt not be innocent.’

matters

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

From this reading ‘Meddle not with many matters; for if thou meddle much thou shalt not be innocent.’

Meddle

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

From this reading ‘Meddle not with many matters; for if thou meddle much thou shalt not be innocent.’

mention

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

From this reading The waiters at the first-class hotels recommended the Café of the Ambassadeurs, and stepped round to the manager’s office at the time of the New Year to mention the fact.

Montera

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

From this reading THE Café of the Ambassadeurs in the Calle de la Montera was at this time the fashionable resort of visitors to the city of Madrid.

much

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

From this reading ‘Meddle not with many matters; for if thou meddle much thou shalt not be innocent.’

neitherdeterminerUS /ˈniːðər/

not one and not the other of two

From this reading Its tone was neither political nor urban, but savoured rather of the cosmopolitan.

New

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

From this reading The waiters at the first-class hotels recommended the Café of the Ambassadeurs, and stepped round to the manager’s office at the time of the New Year to mention the fact.

nonplussed

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

From this reading Sir John Pleydell had been rather nonplussed by his encounter with Conyngham, and, being a man of the world as well as a lawyer, sat down, as it were, to think.

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading Its tone was neither political nor urban, but savoured rather of the cosmopolitan.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading ‘Meddle not with many matters; for if thou meddle much thou shalt not be innocent.’

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE Café of the Ambassadeurs in the Calle de la Montera was at this time the fashionable resort of visitors to the city of Madrid.

office

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

From this reading The waiters at the first-class hotels recommended the Café of the Ambassadeurs, and stepped round to the manager’s office at the time of the New Year to mention the fact.

Pleydell

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

From this reading Sir John Pleydell had been rather nonplussed by his encounter with Conyngham, and, being a man of the world as well as a lawyer, sat down, as it were, to think.

political

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

From this reading Its tone was neither political nor urban, but savoured rather of the cosmopolitan.

rather

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

From this reading Its tone was neither political nor urban, but savoured rather of the cosmopolitan.

recommended

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

From this reading The waiters at the first-class hotels recommended the Café of the Ambassadeurs, and stepped round to the manager’s office at the time of the New Year to mention the fact.

resort

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

From this reading THE Café of the Ambassadeurs in the Calle de la Montera was at this time the fashionable resort of visitors to the city of Madrid.

round

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

From this reading The waiters at the first-class hotels recommended the Café of the Ambassadeurs, and stepped round to the manager’s office at the time of the New Year to mention the fact.

sat

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

From this reading Sir John Pleydell had been rather nonplussed by his encounter with Conyngham, and, being a man of the world as well as a lawyer, sat down, as it were, to think.

savoured

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

From this reading Its tone was neither political nor urban, but savoured rather of the cosmopolitan.

shaltmodal verbUS /ʃælt/

an old form of “shall”, used with “thou”

From this reading ‘Meddle not with many matters; for if thou meddle much thou shalt not be innocent.’

Sir

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

From this reading Sir John Pleydell had been rather nonplussed by his encounter with Conyngham, and, being a man of the world as well as a lawyer, sat down, as it were, to think.

stepped

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

From this reading The waiters at the first-class hotels recommended the Café of the Ambassadeurs, and stepped round to the manager’s office at the time of the New Year to mention the fact.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE Café of the Ambassadeurs in the Calle de la Montera was at this time the fashionable resort of visitors to the city of Madrid.

thinknounUS /think/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Sir John Pleydell had been rather nonplussed by his encounter with Conyngham, and, being a man of the world as well as a lawyer, sat down, as it were, to think.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading THE Café of the Ambassadeurs in the Calle de la Montera was at this time the fashionable resort of visitors to the city of Madrid.

thoupronounUS /ðaʊ/

an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person

From this reading ‘Meddle not with many matters; for if thou meddle much thou shalt not be innocent.’

timenounUS /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading THE Café of the Ambassadeurs in the Calle de la Montera was at this time the fashionable resort of visitors to the city of Madrid.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading THE Café of the Ambassadeurs in the Calle de la Montera was at this time the fashionable resort of visitors to the city of Madrid.

tone

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

From this reading Its tone was neither political nor urban, but savoured rather of the cosmopolitan.

urban

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

From this reading Its tone was neither political nor urban, but savoured rather of the cosmopolitan.

visitors

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

From this reading THE Café of the Ambassadeurs in the Calle de la Montera was at this time the fashionable resort of visitors to the city of Madrid.

waiters

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

From this reading The waiters at the first-class hotels recommended the Café of the Ambassadeurs, and stepped round to the manager’s office at the time of the New Year to mention the fact.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading THE Café of the Ambassadeurs in the Calle de la Montera was at this time the fashionable resort of visitors to the city of Madrid.

well

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

From this reading Sir John Pleydell had been rather nonplussed by his encounter with Conyngham, and, being a man of the world as well as a lawyer, sat down, as it were, to think.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Sir John Pleydell had been rather nonplussed by his encounter with Conyngham, and, being a man of the world as well as a lawyer, sat down, as it were, to think.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading ‘Meddle not with many matters; for if thou meddle much thou shalt not be innocent.’

world

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

From this reading Sir John Pleydell had been rather nonplussed by his encounter with Conyngham, and, being a man of the world as well as a lawyer, sat down, as it were, to think.

Year

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

From this reading The waiters at the first-class hotels recommended the Café of the Ambassadeurs, and stepped round to the manager’s office at the time of the New Year to mention the fact.