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Second String
Second String

Chapter X

Cover illustration for Second String
Context Illustration Reading 1/79 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
FRIENDS IN NEED.
Old Jack Rock was, in his own phrase, "fair tickled to death" at the whole thing.
The messenger boy reached him soon after five, just as he was having his tea.
It was not long before the boy was having tea too--such a tea as seldom came his way.
Butter and jam together--why, jam on cake, if he liked--and cream in his tea!
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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.

Second String

Chapter X

Reading 1/79 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
FRIENDS IN NEED.
Line 2
Old Jack Rock was, in his own phrase, "fair tickled to death" at the whole thing.
Line 3
The messenger boy reached him soon after five, just as he was having his tea.
Line 4
It was not long before the boy was having tea too--such a tea as seldom came his way.
Line 5
Butter and jam together--why, jam on cake, if he liked--and cream in his tea!

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 “The messenger boy reached him soon after five, just as he was having his tea.”

Before preposition US /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading “It was not long before the boy was having tea too--such a tea as seldom came his way.”

Fair noun US /fair/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Old Jack Rock was, in his own phrase, "fair tickled to death" at the whole thing.”

Having auxiliary verb US /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading “The messenger boy reached him soon after five, just as he was having his tea.”

Long noun US /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It was not long before the boy was having tea too--such a tea as seldom came his way.”

NEED noun US /need/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “FRIENDS IN NEED.”

Soon noun US /soon/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The messenger boy reached him soon after five, just as he was having his tea.”

Thing noun US /thing/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Old Jack Rock was, in his own phrase, "fair tickled to death" at the whole thing.”

All words in this reading · 50

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 It was not long before the boy was having tea too--such a tea as seldom came his way.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading The messenger boy reached him soon after five, just as he was having his tea.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Butter and jam together--why, jam on cake, if he liked--and cream in his tea!

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The messenger boy reached him soon after five, just as he was having his tea.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Old Jack Rock was, in his own phrase, "fair tickled to death" at the whole thing.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading It was not long before the boy was having tea too--such a tea as seldom came his way.

boy

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

From this reading The messenger boy reached him soon after five, just as he was having his tea.

Butter

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

From this reading Butter and jam together--why, jam on cake, if he liked--and cream in his tea!

cake

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

From this reading Butter and jam together--why, jam on cake, if he liked--and cream in his tea!

came

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

From this reading It was not long before the boy was having tea too--such a tea as seldom came his way.

cream

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

From this reading Butter and jam together--why, jam on cake, if he liked--and cream in his tea!

death

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

From this reading Old Jack Rock was, in his own phrase, "fair tickled to death" at the whole thing.

fairnounUS /fair/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Old Jack Rock was, in his own phrase, "fair tickled to death" at the whole thing.

five

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

From this reading The messenger boy reached him soon after five, just as he was having his tea.

FRIENDS

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

From this reading FRIENDS IN NEED.

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading The messenger boy reached him soon after five, just as he was having his tea.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading The messenger boy reached him soon after five, just as he was having his tea.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading The messenger boy reached him soon after five, just as he was having his tea.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Old Jack Rock was, in his own phrase, "fair tickled to death" at the whole thing.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Butter and jam together--why, jam on cake, if he liked--and cream in his tea!

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading FRIENDS IN NEED.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was not long before the boy was having tea too--such a tea as seldom came his way.

Jack

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

From this reading Old Jack Rock was, in his own phrase, "fair tickled to death" at the whole thing.

jam

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

From this reading Butter and jam together--why, jam on cake, if he liked--and cream in his tea!

just

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

From this reading The messenger boy reached him soon after five, just as he was having his tea.

liked

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

From this reading Butter and jam together--why, jam on cake, if he liked--and cream in his tea!

longnounUS /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It was not long before the boy was having tea too--such a tea as seldom came his way.

messenger

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

From this reading The messenger boy reached him soon after five, just as he was having his tea.

NEEDnounUS /need/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading FRIENDS IN NEED.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It was not long before the boy was having tea too--such a tea as seldom came his way.

Old

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

From this reading Old Jack Rock was, in his own phrase, "fair tickled to death" at the whole thing.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Butter and jam together--why, jam on cake, if he liked--and cream in his tea!

own

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

From this reading Old Jack Rock was, in his own phrase, "fair tickled to death" at the whole thing.

phrase

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

From this reading Old Jack Rock was, in his own phrase, "fair tickled to death" at the whole thing.

reached

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

From this reading The messenger boy reached him soon after five, just as he was having his tea.

Rock

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

From this reading Old Jack Rock was, in his own phrase, "fair tickled to death" at the whole thing.

seldom

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

From this reading It was not long before the boy was having tea too--such a tea as seldom came his way.

soon

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

From this reading The messenger boy reached him soon after five, just as he was having his tea.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading It was not long before the boy was having tea too--such a tea as seldom came his way.

tea

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

From this reading The messenger boy reached him soon after five, just as he was having his tea.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Old Jack Rock was, in his own phrase, "fair tickled to death" at the whole thing.

thingnounUS /thing/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Old Jack Rock was, in his own phrase, "fair tickled to death" at the whole thing.

tickled

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

From this reading Old Jack Rock was, in his own phrase, "fair tickled to death" at the whole thing.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Old Jack Rock was, in his own phrase, "fair tickled to death" at the whole thing.

together

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

From this reading Butter and jam together--why, jam on cake, if he liked--and cream in his tea!

too

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

From this reading It was not long before the boy was having tea too--such a tea as seldom came his way.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Old Jack Rock was, in his own phrase, "fair tickled to death" at the whole thing.

way

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

From this reading It was not long before the boy was having tea too--such a tea as seldom came his way.

whole

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

From this reading Old Jack Rock was, in his own phrase, "fair tickled to death" at the whole thing.

why

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

From this reading Butter and jam together--why, jam on cake, if he liked--and cream in his tea!