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The Mutiny of the Elsinore
The Mutiny of the Elsinore

Chapter XL

Cover illustration for The Mutiny of the Elsinore
Context Illustration Reading 1/79 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
In the past twenty-four hours many things have happened.
To begin with, we nearly lost the steward in the second dog-watch last evening.
Through the slits in the ventilator some man thrust a knife into the sacks of flour and cut them wide open from top to bottom.
In the dark the flour poured to the deck unobserved.
Of course, the man behind could not see through the screen of empty sacks, but he took a blind pot-shot at point-blank range when the steward went by, slip-sloppily dragging the heels of his slippers.
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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.

The Mutiny of the Elsinore

Chapter XL

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

Line 1
In the past twenty-four hours many things have happened.
Line 2
To begin with, we nearly lost the steward in the second dog-watch last evening.
Line 3
Through the slits in the ventilator some man thrust a knife into the sacks of flour and cut them wide open from top to bottom.
Line 4
In the dark the flour poured to the deck unobserved.
Line 5
Of course, the man behind could not see through the screen of empty sacks, but he took a blind pot-shot at point-blank range when the steward went by, slip-sloppily dragging the heels of his slippers.

Learner Dictionary

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

Behind preposition US /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading “Of course, the man behind could not see through the screen of empty sacks, but he took a blind pot-shot at point-blank range when the steward went by, slip-sloppily dragging the heels of his slippers.”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

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

From this reading “Of course, the man behind could not see through the screen of empty sacks, but he took a blind pot-shot at point-blank range when the steward went by, slip-sloppily dragging the heels of his slippers.”

Course noun US /course/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Of course, the man behind could not see through the screen of empty sacks, but he took a blind pot-shot at point-blank range when the steward went by, slip-sloppily dragging the heels of his slippers.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “In the past twenty-four hours many things have happened.”

Last noun US /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “To begin with, we nearly lost the steward in the second dog-watch last evening.”

Open verb US /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading “Through the slits in the ventilator some man thrust a knife into the sacks of flour and cut them wide open from top to bottom.”

Second noun US /second/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “To begin with, we nearly lost the steward in the second dog-watch last evening.”

Through noun US /ˈthrough/

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

From this reading “Through the slits in the ventilator some man thrust a knife into the sacks of flour and cut them wide open from top to bottom.”

Took noun US /took/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Of course, the man behind could not see through the screen of empty sacks, but he took a blind pot-shot at point-blank range when the steward went by, slip-sloppily dragging the heels of his slippers.”

Went noun US /went/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Of course, the man behind could not see through the screen of empty sacks, but he took a blind pot-shot at point-blank range when the steward went by, slip-sloppily dragging the heels of his slippers.”

All words in this reading · 67

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 Through the slits in the ventilator some man thrust a knife into the sacks of flour and cut them wide open from top to bottom.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Through the slits in the ventilator some man thrust a knife into the sacks of flour and cut them wide open from top to bottom.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Of course, the man behind could not see through the screen of empty sacks, but he took a blind pot-shot at point-blank range when the steward went by, slip-sloppily dragging the heels of his slippers.

begin

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

From this reading To begin with, we nearly lost the steward in the second dog-watch last evening.

behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading Of course, the man behind could not see through the screen of empty sacks, but he took a blind pot-shot at point-blank range when the steward went by, slip-sloppily dragging the heels of his slippers.

blind

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

From this reading Of course, the man behind could not see through the screen of empty sacks, but he took a blind pot-shot at point-blank range when the steward went by, slip-sloppily dragging the heels of his slippers.

bottom

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

From this reading Through the slits in the ventilator some man thrust a knife into the sacks of flour and cut them wide open from top to bottom.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Of course, the man behind could not see through the screen of empty sacks, but he took a blind pot-shot at point-blank range when the steward went by, slip-sloppily dragging the heels of his slippers.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Of course, the man behind could not see through the screen of empty sacks, but he took a blind pot-shot at point-blank range when the steward went by, slip-sloppily dragging the heels of his slippers.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading Of course, the man behind could not see through the screen of empty sacks, but he took a blind pot-shot at point-blank range when the steward went by, slip-sloppily dragging the heels of his slippers.

coursenounUS /course/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Of course, the man behind could not see through the screen of empty sacks, but he took a blind pot-shot at point-blank range when the steward went by, slip-sloppily dragging the heels of his slippers.

cut

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

From this reading Through the slits in the ventilator some man thrust a knife into the sacks of flour and cut them wide open from top to bottom.

dark

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

From this reading In the dark the flour poured to the deck unobserved.

deck

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

From this reading In the dark the flour poured to the deck unobserved.

dog-watch

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

From this reading To begin with, we nearly lost the steward in the second dog-watch last evening.

dragging

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

From this reading Of course, the man behind could not see through the screen of empty sacks, but he took a blind pot-shot at point-blank range when the steward went by, slip-sloppily dragging the heels of his slippers.

empty

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

From this reading Of course, the man behind could not see through the screen of empty sacks, but he took a blind pot-shot at point-blank range when the steward went by, slip-sloppily dragging the heels of his slippers.

evening

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

From this reading To begin with, we nearly lost the steward in the second dog-watch last evening.

flour

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

From this reading Through the slits in the ventilator some man thrust a knife into the sacks of flour and cut them wide open from top to bottom.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Through the slits in the ventilator some man thrust a knife into the sacks of flour and cut them wide open from top to bottom.

happened

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

From this reading In the past twenty-four hours many things have happened.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading In the past twenty-four hours many things have happened.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Of course, the man behind could not see through the screen of empty sacks, but he took a blind pot-shot at point-blank range when the steward went by, slip-sloppily dragging the heels of his slippers.

heels

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

From this reading Of course, the man behind could not see through the screen of empty sacks, but he took a blind pot-shot at point-blank range when the steward went by, slip-sloppily dragging the heels of his slippers.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Of course, the man behind could not see through the screen of empty sacks, but he took a blind pot-shot at point-blank range when the steward went by, slip-sloppily dragging the heels of his slippers.

hours

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

From this reading In the past twenty-four hours many things have happened.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In the past twenty-four hours many things have happened.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Through the slits in the ventilator some man thrust a knife into the sacks of flour and cut them wide open from top to bottom.

knife

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

From this reading Through the slits in the ventilator some man thrust a knife into the sacks of flour and cut them wide open from top to bottom.

lastnounUS /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading To begin with, we nearly lost the steward in the second dog-watch last evening.

lost

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

From this reading To begin with, we nearly lost the steward in the second dog-watch last evening.

man

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

From this reading Through the slits in the ventilator some man thrust a knife into the sacks of flour and cut them wide open from top to bottom.

many

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

From this reading In the past twenty-four hours many things have happened.

nearly

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

From this reading To begin with, we nearly lost the steward in the second dog-watch last evening.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Of course, the man behind could not see through the screen of empty sacks, but he took a blind pot-shot at point-blank range when the steward went by, slip-sloppily dragging the heels of his slippers.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Through the slits in the ventilator some man thrust a knife into the sacks of flour and cut them wide open from top to bottom.

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading Through the slits in the ventilator some man thrust a knife into the sacks of flour and cut them wide open from top to bottom.

past

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

From this reading In the past twenty-four hours many things have happened.

point-blank

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

From this reading Of course, the man behind could not see through the screen of empty sacks, but he took a blind pot-shot at point-blank range when the steward went by, slip-sloppily dragging the heels of his slippers.

pot-shot

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

From this reading Of course, the man behind could not see through the screen of empty sacks, but he took a blind pot-shot at point-blank range when the steward went by, slip-sloppily dragging the heels of his slippers.

poured

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

From this reading In the dark the flour poured to the deck unobserved.

range

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

From this reading Of course, the man behind could not see through the screen of empty sacks, but he took a blind pot-shot at point-blank range when the steward went by, slip-sloppily dragging the heels of his slippers.

sacks

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

From this reading Through the slits in the ventilator some man thrust a knife into the sacks of flour and cut them wide open from top to bottom.

screen

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

From this reading Of course, the man behind could not see through the screen of empty sacks, but he took a blind pot-shot at point-blank range when the steward went by, slip-sloppily dragging the heels of his slippers.

second

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

From this reading To begin with, we nearly lost the steward in the second dog-watch last evening.

see

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

From this reading Of course, the man behind could not see through the screen of empty sacks, but he took a blind pot-shot at point-blank range when the steward went by, slip-sloppily dragging the heels of his slippers.

slip-sloppily

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

From this reading Of course, the man behind could not see through the screen of empty sacks, but he took a blind pot-shot at point-blank range when the steward went by, slip-sloppily dragging the heels of his slippers.

slippers

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

From this reading Of course, the man behind could not see through the screen of empty sacks, but he took a blind pot-shot at point-blank range when the steward went by, slip-sloppily dragging the heels of his slippers.

slits

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

From this reading Through the slits in the ventilator some man thrust a knife into the sacks of flour and cut them wide open from top to bottom.

some

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

From this reading Through the slits in the ventilator some man thrust a knife into the sacks of flour and cut them wide open from top to bottom.

steward

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

From this reading To begin with, we nearly lost the steward in the second dog-watch last evening.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading In the past twenty-four hours many things have happened.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Through the slits in the ventilator some man thrust a knife into the sacks of flour and cut them wide open from top to bottom.

things

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

From this reading In the past twenty-four hours many things have happened.

ThroughnounUS /ˈthrough/

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

From this reading Through the slits in the ventilator some man thrust a knife into the sacks of flour and cut them wide open from top to bottom.

thrust

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

From this reading Through the slits in the ventilator some man thrust a knife into the sacks of flour and cut them wide open from top to bottom.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading To begin with, we nearly lost the steward in the second dog-watch last evening.

tooknounUS /took/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Of course, the man behind could not see through the screen of empty sacks, but he took a blind pot-shot at point-blank range when the steward went by, slip-sloppily dragging the heels of his slippers.

top

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

From this reading Through the slits in the ventilator some man thrust a knife into the sacks of flour and cut them wide open from top to bottom.

twenty-four

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

From this reading In the past twenty-four hours many things have happened.

unobserved

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

From this reading In the dark the flour poured to the deck unobserved.

ventilator

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

From this reading Through the slits in the ventilator some man thrust a knife into the sacks of flour and cut them wide open from top to bottom.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading To begin with, we nearly lost the steward in the second dog-watch last evening.

wentnounUS /went/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Of course, the man behind could not see through the screen of empty sacks, but he took a blind pot-shot at point-blank range when the steward went by, slip-sloppily dragging the heels of his slippers.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Of course, the man behind could not see through the screen of empty sacks, but he took a blind pot-shot at point-blank range when the steward went by, slip-sloppily dragging the heels of his slippers.

wide

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

From this reading Through the slits in the ventilator some man thrust a knife into the sacks of flour and cut them wide open from top to bottom.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading To begin with, we nearly lost the steward in the second dog-watch last evening.