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Pierrette
Pierrette

Chapter VIII

Cover illustration for Pierrette
Context Illustration Reading 1/34 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
In spite of the poor child’s strength of heart she was henceforth crushed down physically as well as mentally.
Her cousins had less consideration for her than for a servant; she belonged to them!
She was scolded for mere nothings, for an atom of dust left on a glass globe or a marble mantelpiece.
The handsome ornaments she had once admired now became odious to her.
No matter how she strove to do right, her inexorable cousins always found something to reprove in whatever she did.
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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.

Pierrette

Chapter VIII

Reading 1/34 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
In spite of the poor child’s strength of heart she was henceforth crushed down physically as well as mentally.
Line 2
Her cousins had less consideration for her than for a servant; she belonged to them!
Line 3
She was scolded for mere nothings, for an atom of dust left on a glass globe or a marble mantelpiece.
Line 4
The handsome ornaments she had once admired now became odious to her.
Line 5
No matter how she strove to do right, her inexorable cousins always found something to reprove in whatever she did.

Learner Dictionary

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

Found noun US /found/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “No matter how she strove to do right, her inexorable cousins always found something to reprove in whatever she did.”

Handsome noun US /ˈhandsome/

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

From this reading “The handsome ornaments she had once admired now became odious to her.”

Left noun US /left/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “She was scolded for mere nothings, for an atom of dust left on a glass globe or a marble mantelpiece.”

Once noun US /once/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The handsome ornaments she had once admired now became odious to her.”

Poor noun US /poor/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “In spite of the poor child’s strength of heart she was henceforth crushed down physically as well as mentally.”

Right noun US /right/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “No matter how she strove to do right, her inexorable cousins always found something to reprove in whatever she did.”

Something pronoun US /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading “No matter how she strove to do right, her inexorable cousins always found something to reprove in whatever she did.”

Strength noun US /ˈstrength/

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

From this reading “In spite of the poor child’s strength of heart she was henceforth crushed down physically as well as mentally.”

Well noun US /well/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “In spite of the poor child’s strength of heart she was henceforth crushed down physically as well as mentally.”

Whatever determiner US /ˌwʌˈtevər/

any or all of a kind, it does not matter which

From this reading “No matter how she strove to do right, her inexorable cousins always found something to reprove in whatever she did.”

All words in this reading · 62

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 Her cousins had less consideration for her than for a servant; she belonged to them!

admired

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

From this reading The handsome ornaments she had once admired now became odious to her.

always

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

From this reading No matter how she strove to do right, her inexorable cousins always found something to reprove in whatever she did.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading She was scolded for mere nothings, for an atom of dust left on a glass globe or a marble mantelpiece.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading In spite of the poor child’s strength of heart she was henceforth crushed down physically as well as mentally.

atom

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

From this reading She was scolded for mere nothings, for an atom of dust left on a glass globe or a marble mantelpiece.

became

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

From this reading The handsome ornaments she had once admired now became odious to her.

belonged

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

From this reading Her cousins had less consideration for her than for a servant; she belonged to them!

child's

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

From this reading In spite of the poor child’s strength of heart she was henceforth crushed down physically as well as mentally.

consideration

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

From this reading Her cousins had less consideration for her than for a servant; she belonged to them!

cousins

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

From this reading Her cousins had less consideration for her than for a servant; she belonged to them!

crushed

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

From this reading In spite of the poor child’s strength of heart she was henceforth crushed down physically as well as mentally.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading No matter how she strove to do right, her inexorable cousins always found something to reprove in whatever she did.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading No matter how she strove to do right, her inexorable cousins always found something to reprove in whatever she did.

down

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

From this reading In spite of the poor child’s strength of heart she was henceforth crushed down physically as well as mentally.

dust

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

From this reading She was scolded for mere nothings, for an atom of dust left on a glass globe or a marble mantelpiece.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Her cousins had less consideration for her than for a servant; she belonged to them!

foundnounUS /found/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading No matter how she strove to do right, her inexorable cousins always found something to reprove in whatever she did.

glass

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

From this reading She was scolded for mere nothings, for an atom of dust left on a glass globe or a marble mantelpiece.

globe

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

From this reading She was scolded for mere nothings, for an atom of dust left on a glass globe or a marble mantelpiece.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Her cousins had less consideration for her than for a servant; she belonged to them!

handsomenounUS /ˈhandsome/

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

From this reading The handsome ornaments she had once admired now became odious to her.

heart

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

From this reading In spite of the poor child’s strength of heart she was henceforth crushed down physically as well as mentally.

henceforth

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

From this reading In spite of the poor child’s strength of heart she was henceforth crushed down physically as well as mentally.

HerdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Her cousins had less consideration for her than for a servant; she belonged to them!

how

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

From this reading No matter how she strove to do right, her inexorable cousins always found something to reprove in whatever she did.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In spite of the poor child’s strength of heart she was henceforth crushed down physically as well as mentally.

inexorable

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

From this reading No matter how she strove to do right, her inexorable cousins always found something to reprove in whatever she did.

leftnounUS /left/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading She was scolded for mere nothings, for an atom of dust left on a glass globe or a marble mantelpiece.

less

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

From this reading Her cousins had less consideration for her than for a servant; she belonged to them!

mantelpiece

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

From this reading She was scolded for mere nothings, for an atom of dust left on a glass globe or a marble mantelpiece.

marble

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

From this reading She was scolded for mere nothings, for an atom of dust left on a glass globe or a marble mantelpiece.

matter

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

From this reading No matter how she strove to do right, her inexorable cousins always found something to reprove in whatever she did.

mentally

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

From this reading In spite of the poor child’s strength of heart she was henceforth crushed down physically as well as mentally.

mere

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

From this reading She was scolded for mere nothings, for an atom of dust left on a glass globe or a marble mantelpiece.

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading No matter how she strove to do right, her inexorable cousins always found something to reprove in whatever she did.

nothings

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

From this reading She was scolded for mere nothings, for an atom of dust left on a glass globe or a marble mantelpiece.

now

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

From this reading The handsome ornaments she had once admired now became odious to her.

odious

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

From this reading The handsome ornaments she had once admired now became odious to her.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading In spite of the poor child’s strength of heart she was henceforth crushed down physically as well as mentally.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading She was scolded for mere nothings, for an atom of dust left on a glass globe or a marble mantelpiece.

once

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

From this reading The handsome ornaments she had once admired now became odious to her.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading She was scolded for mere nothings, for an atom of dust left on a glass globe or a marble mantelpiece.

ornaments

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

From this reading The handsome ornaments she had once admired now became odious to her.

physically

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

From this reading In spite of the poor child’s strength of heart she was henceforth crushed down physically as well as mentally.

poornounUS /poor/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading In spite of the poor child’s strength of heart she was henceforth crushed down physically as well as mentally.

reprove

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

From this reading No matter how she strove to do right, her inexorable cousins always found something to reprove in whatever she did.

rightnounUS /right/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading No matter how she strove to do right, her inexorable cousins always found something to reprove in whatever she did.

scolded

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

From this reading She was scolded for mere nothings, for an atom of dust left on a glass globe or a marble mantelpiece.

servant

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

From this reading Her cousins had less consideration for her than for a servant; she belonged to them!

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading In spite of the poor child’s strength of heart she was henceforth crushed down physically as well as mentally.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading No matter how she strove to do right, her inexorable cousins always found something to reprove in whatever she did.

spite

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

From this reading In spite of the poor child’s strength of heart she was henceforth crushed down physically as well as mentally.

strengthnounUS /ˈstrength/

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

From this reading In spite of the poor child’s strength of heart she was henceforth crushed down physically as well as mentally.

strove

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

From this reading No matter how she strove to do right, her inexorable cousins always found something to reprove in whatever she did.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Her cousins had less consideration for her than for a servant; she belonged to them!

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading In spite of the poor child’s strength of heart she was henceforth crushed down physically as well as mentally.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Her cousins had less consideration for her than for a servant; she belonged to them!

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Her cousins had less consideration for her than for a servant; she belonged to them!

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading In spite of the poor child’s strength of heart she was henceforth crushed down physically as well as mentally.

well

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

From this reading In spite of the poor child’s strength of heart she was henceforth crushed down physically as well as mentally.

whateverdeterminerUS /ˌwʌˈtevər/

any or all of a kind, it does not matter which

From this reading No matter how she strove to do right, her inexorable cousins always found something to reprove in whatever she did.