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Mr. Grex of Monte Carlo
Mr. Grex of Monte Carlo

Chapter II

Cover illustration for Mr. Grex of Monte Carlo
Context Illustration Reading 1/61 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN The newcomer, who had presented himself now before Hunterleys and his wife, was a man of somewhat unusual appearance.
He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.
He had the air of a foreigner, although his tone, when he spoke, was without accent.
He held out his hand a little tentatively, an action, however, which Hunterleys appeared to ignore.
"My dear Sir Henry!" he exclaimed.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Mr. Grex of Monte Carlo

Chapter II

Reading 1/61 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN The newcomer, who had presented himself now before Hunterleys and his wife, was a man of somewhat unusual appearance.
Line 2
He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.
Line 3
He had the air of a foreigner, although his tone, when he spoke, was without accent.
Line 4
He held out his hand a little tentatively, an action, however, which Hunterleys appeared to ignore.
Line 5
"My dear Sir Henry!" he exclaimed.

Learner Dictionary

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

Although noun US /ˈalthough/

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

From this reading “He had the air of a foreigner, although his tone, when he spoke, was without accent.”

Appearance noun US /ˈappearance/

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

From this reading “BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN The newcomer, who had presented himself now before Hunterleys and his wife, was a man of somewhat unusual appearance.”

Before preposition US /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading “BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN The newcomer, who had presented himself now before Hunterleys and his wife, was a man of somewhat unusual appearance.”

Even noun US /even/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.”

Forward noun US /forward/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.”

Hand noun US /hand/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He held out his hand a little tentatively, an action, however, which Hunterleys appeared to ignore.”

Himself pronoun US /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading “BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN The newcomer, who had presented himself now before Hunterleys and his wife, was a man of somewhat unusual appearance.”

However adverb US /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading “He held out his hand a little tentatively, an action, however, which Hunterleys appeared to ignore.”

Little noun US /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.”

Still noun US /still/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.”

Though conjunction US /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading “He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.”

Without preposition US /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading “He had the air of a foreigner, although his tone, when he spoke, was without accent.”

All words in this reading · 73

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 BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN The newcomer, who had presented himself now before Hunterleys and his wife, was a man of somewhat unusual appearance.

accent

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

From this reading He had the air of a foreigner, although his tone, when he spoke, was without accent.

ACCIDENT

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

From this reading BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN The newcomer, who had presented himself now before Hunterleys and his wife, was a man of somewhat unusual appearance.

action

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

From this reading He held out his hand a little tentatively, an action, however, which Hunterleys appeared to ignore.

aid

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

From this reading He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.

air

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

From this reading He had the air of a foreigner, although his tone, when he spoke, was without accent.

althoughnounUS /ˈalthough/

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

From this reading He had the air of a foreigner, although his tone, when he spoke, was without accent.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading He held out his hand a little tentatively, an action, however, which Hunterleys appeared to ignore.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN The newcomer, who had presented himself now before Hunterleys and his wife, was a man of somewhat unusual appearance.

appearancenounUS /ˈappearance/

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

From this reading BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN The newcomer, who had presented himself now before Hunterleys and his wife, was a man of somewhat unusual appearance.

appeared

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

From this reading He held out his hand a little tentatively, an action, however, which Hunterleys appeared to ignore.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.

beard

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

From this reading He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN The newcomer, who had presented himself now before Hunterleys and his wife, was a man of somewhat unusual appearance.

black

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

From this reading He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.

BYprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN The newcomer, who had presented himself now before Hunterleys and his wife, was a man of somewhat unusual appearance.

carried

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

From this reading He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.

closely-cropped

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

From this reading He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.

dear

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

From this reading "My dear Sir Henry!" he exclaimed.

DESIGN

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

From this reading BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN The newcomer, who had presented himself now before Hunterleys and his wife, was a man of somewhat unusual appearance.

evennounUS /even/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.

exclaimed

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

From this reading "My dear Sir Henry!" he exclaimed.

foreigner

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

From this reading He had the air of a foreigner, although his tone, when he spoke, was without accent.

forwardnounUS /forward/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.

glasses

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

From this reading He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.

gold-rimmed

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

From this reading He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.

grey

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

From this reading He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN The newcomer, who had presented himself now before Hunterleys and his wife, was a man of somewhat unusual appearance.

hair

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

From this reading He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.

hand

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

From this reading He held out his hand a little tentatively, an action, however, which Hunterleys appeared to ignore.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.

head

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

From this reading He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.

held

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

From this reading He held out his hand a little tentatively, an action, however, which Hunterleys appeared to ignore.

Henry

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

From this reading "My dear Sir Henry!" he exclaimed.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN The newcomer, who had presented himself now before Hunterleys and his wife, was a man of somewhat unusual appearance.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN The newcomer, who had presented himself now before Hunterleys and his wife, was a man of somewhat unusual appearance.

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading He held out his hand a little tentatively, an action, however, which Hunterleys appeared to ignore.

Hunterleys

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

From this reading BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN The newcomer, who had presented himself now before Hunterleys and his wife, was a man of somewhat unusual appearance.

ignore

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

From this reading He held out his hand a little tentatively, an action, however, which Hunterleys appeared to ignore.

littlenounUS /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.

man

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

From this reading BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN The newcomer, who had presented himself now before Hunterleys and his wife, was a man of somewhat unusual appearance.

MydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "My dear Sir Henry!" he exclaimed.

newcomer

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

From this reading BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN The newcomer, who had presented himself now before Hunterleys and his wife, was a man of somewhat unusual appearance.

now

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

From this reading BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN The newcomer, who had presented himself now before Hunterleys and his wife, was a man of somewhat unusual appearance.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN The newcomer, who had presented himself now before Hunterleys and his wife, was a man of somewhat unusual appearance.

ORconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN The newcomer, who had presented himself now before Hunterleys and his wife, was a man of somewhat unusual appearance.

out

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

From this reading He held out his hand a little tentatively, an action, however, which Hunterleys appeared to ignore.

presented

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

From this reading BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN The newcomer, who had presented himself now before Hunterleys and his wife, was a man of somewhat unusual appearance.

short-sighted

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

From this reading He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.

Sir

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

From this reading "My dear Sir Henry!" he exclaimed.

somewhat

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

From this reading BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN The newcomer, who had presented himself now before Hunterleys and his wife, was a man of somewhat unusual appearance.

spectacles

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

From this reading He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.

spoke

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

From this reading He had the air of a foreigner, although his tone, when he spoke, was without accent.

stillnounUS /still/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.

streaked

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

From this reading He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.

tall

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

From this reading He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.

tentatively

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

From this reading He held out his hand a little tentatively, an action, however, which Hunterleys appeared to ignore.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN The newcomer, who had presented himself now before Hunterleys and his wife, was a man of somewhat unusual appearance.

thickly-built

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

From this reading He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.

thrust

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

From this reading He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He held out his hand a little tentatively, an action, however, which Hunterleys appeared to ignore.

tone

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

From this reading He had the air of a foreigner, although his tone, when he spoke, was without accent.

unusual

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

From this reading BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN The newcomer, who had presented himself now before Hunterleys and his wife, was a man of somewhat unusual appearance.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN The newcomer, who had presented himself now before Hunterleys and his wife, was a man of somewhat unusual appearance.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading He had the air of a foreigner, although his tone, when he spoke, was without accent.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading He held out his hand a little tentatively, an action, however, which Hunterleys appeared to ignore.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN The newcomer, who had presented himself now before Hunterleys and his wife, was a man of somewhat unusual appearance.

wife

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

From this reading BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN The newcomer, who had presented himself now before Hunterleys and his wife, was a man of somewhat unusual appearance.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading He had the air of a foreigner, although his tone, when he spoke, was without accent.

wore

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

From this reading He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.