Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Nick Carter Stories No. 134, April 3, 1915
Nick Carter Stories No. 134, April 3, 1915

Chapter VIII

Cover illustration for Nick Carter Stories No. 134, April 3, 1915
Context Illustration Reading 1/27 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
WHAT THE DEATH STICK DID.
There was a grin on the face of the priest that even the full gray beard could not conceal.
He believed he had set an impossible task for this strange white man.
He did not want him to win.
What purpose he had in case of failure was locked in his own bosom.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Nick Carter Stories No. 134, April 3, 1915

Chapter VIII

Reading 1/27 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
WHAT THE DEATH STICK DID.
Line 2
There was a grin on the face of the priest that even the full gray beard could not conceal.
Line 3
He believed he had set an impossible task for this strange white man.
Line 4
He did not want him to win.
Line 5
What purpose he had in case of failure was locked in his own bosom.

Learner Dictionary

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

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

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

From this reading “There was a grin on the face of the priest that even the full gray beard could not conceal.”

Even noun US /even/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “There was a grin on the face of the priest that even the full gray beard could not conceal.”

All words in this reading · 45

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 There was a grin on the face of the priest that even the full gray beard could not conceal.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading He believed he had set an impossible task for this strange white man.

beard

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

From this reading There was a grin on the face of the priest that even the full gray beard could not conceal.

believed

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

From this reading He believed he had set an impossible task for this strange white man.

bosom

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

From this reading What purpose he had in case of failure was locked in his own bosom.

case

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

From this reading What purpose he had in case of failure was locked in his own bosom.

conceal

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

From this reading There was a grin on the face of the priest that even the full gray beard could not conceal.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading There was a grin on the face of the priest that even the full gray beard could not conceal.

DEATH

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

From this reading WHAT THE DEATH STICK DID.

DIDauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading WHAT THE DEATH STICK DID.

evennounUS /even/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading There was a grin on the face of the priest that even the full gray beard could not conceal.

face

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

From this reading There was a grin on the face of the priest that even the full gray beard could not conceal.

failure

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

From this reading What purpose he had in case of failure was locked in his own bosom.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He believed he had set an impossible task for this strange white man.

full

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

From this reading There was a grin on the face of the priest that even the full gray beard could not conceal.

gray

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

From this reading There was a grin on the face of the priest that even the full gray beard could not conceal.

grin

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

From this reading There was a grin on the face of the priest that even the full gray beard could not conceal.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He believed he had set an impossible task for this strange white man.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He believed he had set an impossible task for this strange white man.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading He did not want him to win.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading What purpose he had in case of failure was locked in his own bosom.

impossible

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

From this reading He believed he had set an impossible task for this strange white man.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading What purpose he had in case of failure was locked in his own bosom.

locked

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

From this reading What purpose he had in case of failure was locked in his own bosom.

man

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

From this reading He believed he had set an impossible task for this strange white man.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading There was a grin on the face of the priest that even the full gray beard could not conceal.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading There was a grin on the face of the priest that even the full gray beard could not conceal.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading There was a grin on the face of the priest that even the full gray beard could not conceal.

own

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

From this reading What purpose he had in case of failure was locked in his own bosom.

priest

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

From this reading There was a grin on the face of the priest that even the full gray beard could not conceal.

purpose

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

From this reading What purpose he had in case of failure was locked in his own bosom.

set

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

From this reading He believed he had set an impossible task for this strange white man.

STICK

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

From this reading WHAT THE DEATH STICK DID.

strange

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

From this reading He believed he had set an impossible task for this strange white man.

task

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

From this reading He believed he had set an impossible task for this strange white man.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading There was a grin on the face of the priest that even the full gray beard could not conceal.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading WHAT THE DEATH STICK DID.

There

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

From this reading There was a grin on the face of the priest that even the full gray beard could not conceal.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading He believed he had set an impossible task for this strange white man.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He did not want him to win.

want

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

From this reading He did not want him to win.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading There was a grin on the face of the priest that even the full gray beard could not conceal.

WHATpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading WHAT THE DEATH STICK DID.

white

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

From this reading He believed he had set an impossible task for this strange white man.

win

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

From this reading He did not want him to win.