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Septimus
Septimus

Chapter XVII

Cover illustration for Septimus
Context Illustration Reading 1/64 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The days that followed were darkened by overwhelming anxieties, so that he speculated little as to the Ultimately Desired.
A chartered accountant sat in the office at Moorgate Street and shed around him the gloom of statistics.
Unless a miracle happened the Cure was doomed.
It is all very well to seat a little nigger on the safety-valve if the end of the journey is in sight.
The boiler may just last out the strain.
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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.

Septimus

Chapter XVII

Reading 1/64 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The days that followed were darkened by overwhelming anxieties, so that he speculated little as to the Ultimately Desired.
Line 2
A chartered accountant sat in the office at Moorgate Street and shed around him the gloom of statistics.
Line 3
Unless a miracle happened the Cure was doomed.
Line 4
It is all very well to seat a little nigger on the safety-valve if the end of the journey is in sight.
Line 5
The boiler may just last out the strain.

Learner Dictionary

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

Around preposition US /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading “A chartered accountant sat in the office at Moorgate Street and shed around him the gloom of statistics.”

Journey noun US /ˈjourney/

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

From this reading “It is all very well to seat a little nigger on the safety-valve if the end of the journey is in sight.”

Last noun US /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The boiler may just last out the strain.”

Little noun US /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The days that followed were darkened by overwhelming anxieties, so that he speculated little as to the Ultimately Desired.”

May modal verb US /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading “The boiler may just last out the strain.”

Unless conjunction US /ənˈles/

except if; if not

From this reading “Unless a miracle happened the Cure was doomed.”

Well noun US /well/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It is all very well to seat a little nigger on the safety-valve if the end of the journey is in sight.”

All words in this reading · 58

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 chartered accountant sat in the office at Moorgate Street and shed around him the gloom of statistics.

accountant

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

From this reading A chartered accountant sat in the office at Moorgate Street and shed around him the gloom of statistics.

all

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

From this reading It is all very well to seat a little nigger on the safety-valve if the end of the journey is in sight.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading A chartered accountant sat in the office at Moorgate Street and shed around him the gloom of statistics.

anxieties

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

From this reading The days that followed were darkened by overwhelming anxieties, so that he speculated little as to the Ultimately Desired.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading A chartered accountant sat in the office at Moorgate Street and shed around him the gloom of statistics.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The days that followed were darkened by overwhelming anxieties, so that he speculated little as to the Ultimately Desired.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading A chartered accountant sat in the office at Moorgate Street and shed around him the gloom of statistics.

boiler

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

From this reading The boiler may just last out the strain.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The days that followed were darkened by overwhelming anxieties, so that he speculated little as to the Ultimately Desired.

chartered

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

From this reading A chartered accountant sat in the office at Moorgate Street and shed around him the gloom of statistics.

Cure

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

From this reading Unless a miracle happened the Cure was doomed.

darkened

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

From this reading The days that followed were darkened by overwhelming anxieties, so that he speculated little as to the Ultimately Desired.

days

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

From this reading The days that followed were darkened by overwhelming anxieties, so that he speculated little as to the Ultimately Desired.

Desired

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

From this reading The days that followed were darkened by overwhelming anxieties, so that he speculated little as to the Ultimately Desired.

doomed

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

From this reading Unless a miracle happened the Cure was doomed.

end

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

From this reading It is all very well to seat a little nigger on the safety-valve if the end of the journey is in sight.

followed

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

From this reading The days that followed were darkened by overwhelming anxieties, so that he speculated little as to the Ultimately Desired.

gloom

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

From this reading A chartered accountant sat in the office at Moorgate Street and shed around him the gloom of statistics.

happened

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

From this reading Unless a miracle happened the Cure was doomed.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading The days that followed were darkened by overwhelming anxieties, so that he speculated little as to the Ultimately Desired.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading A chartered accountant sat in the office at Moorgate Street and shed around him the gloom of statistics.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading It is all very well to seat a little nigger on the safety-valve if the end of the journey is in sight.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading A chartered accountant sat in the office at Moorgate Street and shed around him the gloom of statistics.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It is all very well to seat a little nigger on the safety-valve if the end of the journey is in sight.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is all very well to seat a little nigger on the safety-valve if the end of the journey is in sight.

journeynounUS /ˈjourney/

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

From this reading It is all very well to seat a little nigger on the safety-valve if the end of the journey is in sight.

just

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

From this reading The boiler may just last out the strain.

lastnounUS /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The boiler may just last out the strain.

littlenounUS /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The days that followed were darkened by overwhelming anxieties, so that he speculated little as to the Ultimately Desired.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading The boiler may just last out the strain.

miracle

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

From this reading Unless a miracle happened the Cure was doomed.

Moorgate

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

From this reading A chartered accountant sat in the office at Moorgate Street and shed around him the gloom of statistics.

nigger

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

From this reading It is all very well to seat a little nigger on the safety-valve if the end of the journey is in sight.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A chartered accountant sat in the office at Moorgate Street and shed around him the gloom of statistics.

office

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

From this reading A chartered accountant sat in the office at Moorgate Street and shed around him the gloom of statistics.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading It is all very well to seat a little nigger on the safety-valve if the end of the journey is in sight.

out

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

From this reading The boiler may just last out the strain.

overwhelming

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

From this reading The days that followed were darkened by overwhelming anxieties, so that he speculated little as to the Ultimately Desired.

safety-valve

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

From this reading It is all very well to seat a little nigger on the safety-valve if the end of the journey is in sight.

sat

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

From this reading A chartered accountant sat in the office at Moorgate Street and shed around him the gloom of statistics.

seat

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

From this reading It is all very well to seat a little nigger on the safety-valve if the end of the journey is in sight.

shed

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

From this reading A chartered accountant sat in the office at Moorgate Street and shed around him the gloom of statistics.

sight

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

From this reading It is all very well to seat a little nigger on the safety-valve if the end of the journey is in sight.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The days that followed were darkened by overwhelming anxieties, so that he speculated little as to the Ultimately Desired.

speculated

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

From this reading The days that followed were darkened by overwhelming anxieties, so that he speculated little as to the Ultimately Desired.

statistics

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

From this reading A chartered accountant sat in the office at Moorgate Street and shed around him the gloom of statistics.

strain

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

From this reading The boiler may just last out the strain.

Street

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

From this reading A chartered accountant sat in the office at Moorgate Street and shed around him the gloom of statistics.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The days that followed were darkened by overwhelming anxieties, so that he speculated little as to the Ultimately Desired.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The days that followed were darkened by overwhelming anxieties, so that he speculated little as to the Ultimately Desired.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The days that followed were darkened by overwhelming anxieties, so that he speculated little as to the Ultimately Desired.

Ultimately

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

From this reading The days that followed were darkened by overwhelming anxieties, so that he speculated little as to the Ultimately Desired.

UnlessconjunctionUS /ənˈles/

except if; if not

From this reading Unless a miracle happened the Cure was doomed.

very

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

From this reading It is all very well to seat a little nigger on the safety-valve if the end of the journey is in sight.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Unless a miracle happened the Cure was doomed.

well

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

From this reading It is all very well to seat a little nigger on the safety-valve if the end of the journey is in sight.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The days that followed were darkened by overwhelming anxieties, so that he speculated little as to the Ultimately Desired.