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The Water-Babies
The Water-Babies

Chapter III

Cover illustration for The Water-Babies
Context Illustration Reading 1/69 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
“He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”
COLERIDGE.
[Picture: Mermaid] TOM was now quite amphibious.
You do not know what that means?
You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.
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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 Water-Babies

Chapter III

Reading 1/69 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
“He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”
Line 2
COLERIDGE.
Line 3
[Picture: Mermaid] TOM was now quite amphibious.
Line 4
You do not know what that means?
Line 5
You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.

Learner Dictionary

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

Great noun US /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading ““He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.””

Know noun US /know/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “You do not know what that means?”

May modal verb US /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading “You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.”

Quite noun US /quite/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “[Picture: Mermaid] TOM was now quite amphibious.”

Well noun US /well/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading ““He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.””

All words in this reading · 49

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

All

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

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

amphibious

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

From this reading [Picture: Mermaid] TOM was now quite amphibious.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

answer

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

From this reading You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.

ask

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

From this reading You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.

beast

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

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

best

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

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

better

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

From this reading You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.

bird

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

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

BothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

COLERIDGE

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

From this reading COLERIDGE.

dear

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

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading You do not know what that means?

enough

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

From this reading You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

God

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

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

Government

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

From this reading You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.

greatnounUS /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

knownounUS /know/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading You do not know what that means?

loveth

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

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

made

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

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.

means

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

From this reading You do not know what that means?

men

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

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

Mermaid

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

From this reading [Picture: Mermaid] TOM was now quite amphibious.

nearest

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

From this reading You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading You do not know what that means?

now

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

From this reading [Picture: Mermaid] TOM was now quite amphibious.

Picture

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

From this reading [Picture: Mermaid] TOM was now quite amphibious.

possibly

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

From this reading You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.

prayeth

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

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

pupil-teacher

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

From this reading You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.

quitenounUS /quite/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading [Picture: Mermaid] TOM was now quite amphibious.

small

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

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

smartly

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

From this reading You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading You do not know what that means?

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

then

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

From this reading You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.

things

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

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

thus

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

From this reading You had better, then, ask the nearest Government pupil-teacher, who may possibly answer you smartly enough, thus— “Amphibious.

TOM

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

From this reading [Picture: Mermaid] TOM was now quite amphibious.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading [Picture: Mermaid] TOM was now quite amphibious.

well

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

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading You do not know what that means?

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading “He prayeth well who loveth well Both men and bird and beast; He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small: For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.”

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You do not know what that means?