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Miss Meredith
Miss Meredith

Chapter XIII

Cover illustration for Miss Meredith
Context Illustration Reading 1/16 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A SKILFUL DIPLOMATIST.
"Miss Meredith," said the Marchesa, taking the chair I mechanically offered her, and waving her hand towards another, "pray be seated."
I obeyed, feeling secretly much in awe of the rigid little figure sitting very upright opposite me.
"What, after all, is the love of a young man but a passing infatuation?"
This was the first gun fired into the enemy's camp, but there was no answering volley.
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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.

Miss Meredith

Chapter XIII

Reading 1/16 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A SKILFUL DIPLOMATIST.
Line 2
"Miss Meredith," said the Marchesa, taking the chair I mechanically offered her, and waving her hand towards another, "pray be seated."
Line 3
I obeyed, feeling secretly much in awe of the rigid little figure sitting very upright opposite me.
Line 4
"What, after all, is the love of a young man but a passing infatuation?"
Line 5
This was the first gun fired into the enemy's camp, but there was no answering volley.

Learner Dictionary

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

After preposition US /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading “"What, after all, is the love of a young man but a passing infatuation?"”

Another noun US /ˈanother/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “"Miss Meredith," said the Marchesa, taking the chair I mechanically offered her, and waving her hand towards another, "pray be seated."”

Camp noun US /camp/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “This was the first gun fired into the enemy's camp, but there was no answering volley.”

Feeling noun US /ˈfeeling/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “I obeyed, feeling secretly much in awe of the rigid little figure sitting very upright opposite me.”

First noun US /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “This was the first gun fired into the enemy's camp, but there was no answering volley.”

Hand noun US /hand/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"Miss Meredith," said the Marchesa, taking the chair I mechanically offered her, and waving her hand towards another, "pray be seated."”

Little noun US /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “I obeyed, feeling secretly much in awe of the rigid little figure sitting very upright opposite me.”

Mechanically noun US /ˈmechanically/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “"Miss Meredith," said the Marchesa, taking the chair I mechanically offered her, and waving her hand towards another, "pray be seated."”

Towards preposition US /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading “"Miss Meredith," said the Marchesa, taking the chair I mechanically offered her, and waving her hand towards another, "pray be seated."”

All words in this reading · 59

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 SKILFUL DIPLOMATIST.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading "What, after all, is the love of a young man but a passing infatuation?"

all

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

From this reading "What, after all, is the love of a young man but a passing infatuation?"

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "Miss Meredith," said the Marchesa, taking the chair I mechanically offered her, and waving her hand towards another, "pray be seated."

anothernounUS /ˈanother/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading "Miss Meredith," said the Marchesa, taking the chair I mechanically offered her, and waving her hand towards another, "pray be seated."

answering

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

From this reading This was the first gun fired into the enemy's camp, but there was no answering volley.

awe

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

From this reading I obeyed, feeling secretly much in awe of the rigid little figure sitting very upright opposite me.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading "Miss Meredith," said the Marchesa, taking the chair I mechanically offered her, and waving her hand towards another, "pray be seated."

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "What, after all, is the love of a young man but a passing infatuation?"

camp

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

From this reading This was the first gun fired into the enemy's camp, but there was no answering volley.

chair

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

From this reading "Miss Meredith," said the Marchesa, taking the chair I mechanically offered her, and waving her hand towards another, "pray be seated."

DIPLOMATIST

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

From this reading A SKILFUL DIPLOMATIST.

enemy's

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

From this reading This was the first gun fired into the enemy's camp, but there was no answering volley.

feelingnounUS /ˈfeeling/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading I obeyed, feeling secretly much in awe of the rigid little figure sitting very upright opposite me.

figure

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

From this reading I obeyed, feeling secretly much in awe of the rigid little figure sitting very upright opposite me.

fired

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

From this reading This was the first gun fired into the enemy's camp, but there was no answering volley.

firstnounUS /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading This was the first gun fired into the enemy's camp, but there was no answering volley.

gun

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

From this reading This was the first gun fired into the enemy's camp, but there was no answering volley.

hand

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

From this reading "Miss Meredith," said the Marchesa, taking the chair I mechanically offered her, and waving her hand towards another, "pray be seated."

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading "Miss Meredith," said the Marchesa, taking the chair I mechanically offered her, and waving her hand towards another, "pray be seated."

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "Miss Meredith," said the Marchesa, taking the chair I mechanically offered her, and waving her hand towards another, "pray be seated."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading I obeyed, feeling secretly much in awe of the rigid little figure sitting very upright opposite me.

infatuation

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

From this reading "What, after all, is the love of a young man but a passing infatuation?"

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading This was the first gun fired into the enemy's camp, but there was no answering volley.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "What, after all, is the love of a young man but a passing infatuation?"

littlenounUS /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading I obeyed, feeling secretly much in awe of the rigid little figure sitting very upright opposite me.

love

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

From this reading "What, after all, is the love of a young man but a passing infatuation?"

man

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

From this reading "What, after all, is the love of a young man but a passing infatuation?"

Marchesa

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

From this reading "Miss Meredith," said the Marchesa, taking the chair I mechanically offered her, and waving her hand towards another, "pray be seated."

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading I obeyed, feeling secretly much in awe of the rigid little figure sitting very upright opposite me.

mechanically

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

From this reading "Miss Meredith," said the Marchesa, taking the chair I mechanically offered her, and waving her hand towards another, "pray be seated."

Meredith

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

From this reading "Miss Meredith," said the Marchesa, taking the chair I mechanically offered her, and waving her hand towards another, "pray be seated."

Miss

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

From this reading "Miss Meredith," said the Marchesa, taking the chair I mechanically offered her, and waving her hand towards another, "pray be seated."

much

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

From this reading I obeyed, feeling secretly much in awe of the rigid little figure sitting very upright opposite me.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading This was the first gun fired into the enemy's camp, but there was no answering volley.

obeyed

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

From this reading I obeyed, feeling secretly much in awe of the rigid little figure sitting very upright opposite me.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I obeyed, feeling secretly much in awe of the rigid little figure sitting very upright opposite me.

offered

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

From this reading "Miss Meredith," said the Marchesa, taking the chair I mechanically offered her, and waving her hand towards another, "pray be seated."

opposite

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

From this reading I obeyed, feeling secretly much in awe of the rigid little figure sitting very upright opposite me.

passing

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

From this reading "What, after all, is the love of a young man but a passing infatuation?"

pray

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

From this reading "Miss Meredith," said the Marchesa, taking the chair I mechanically offered her, and waving her hand towards another, "pray be seated."

rigid

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

From this reading I obeyed, feeling secretly much in awe of the rigid little figure sitting very upright opposite me.

said

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

From this reading "Miss Meredith," said the Marchesa, taking the chair I mechanically offered her, and waving her hand towards another, "pray be seated."

seated

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

From this reading "Miss Meredith," said the Marchesa, taking the chair I mechanically offered her, and waving her hand towards another, "pray be seated."

secretly

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

From this reading I obeyed, feeling secretly much in awe of the rigid little figure sitting very upright opposite me.

sitting

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

From this reading I obeyed, feeling secretly much in awe of the rigid little figure sitting very upright opposite me.

SKILFUL

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

From this reading A SKILFUL DIPLOMATIST.

taking

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

From this reading "Miss Meredith," said the Marchesa, taking the chair I mechanically offered her, and waving her hand towards another, "pray be seated."

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "Miss Meredith," said the Marchesa, taking the chair I mechanically offered her, and waving her hand towards another, "pray be seated."

there

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

From this reading This was the first gun fired into the enemy's camp, but there was no answering volley.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading This was the first gun fired into the enemy's camp, but there was no answering volley.

towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading "Miss Meredith," said the Marchesa, taking the chair I mechanically offered her, and waving her hand towards another, "pray be seated."

upright

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

From this reading I obeyed, feeling secretly much in awe of the rigid little figure sitting very upright opposite me.

very

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

From this reading I obeyed, feeling secretly much in awe of the rigid little figure sitting very upright opposite me.

volley

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

From this reading This was the first gun fired into the enemy's camp, but there was no answering volley.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading This was the first gun fired into the enemy's camp, but there was no answering volley.

waving

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

From this reading "Miss Meredith," said the Marchesa, taking the chair I mechanically offered her, and waving her hand towards another, "pray be seated."

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "What, after all, is the love of a young man but a passing infatuation?"

young

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

From this reading "What, after all, is the love of a young man but a passing infatuation?"