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Toppleton's Client
Toppleton's Client

Chapter XV

Cover illustration for Toppleton's Client
Context Illustration Reading 1/43 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
BARNCASTLE CONFIDES IN HOPKINS.
TOPPLETON had not long to wait.
His nerves had hardly resumed their normal condition when he heard a tottering step in the hall outside, followed by a soft tapping at the door.
"Who's there?" he cried.
"It is I, Toppleton--Barncastle.
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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.

Toppleton's Client

Chapter XV

Reading 1/43 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
BARNCASTLE CONFIDES IN HOPKINS.
Line 2
TOPPLETON had not long to wait.
Line 3
His nerves had hardly resumed their normal condition when he heard a tottering step in the hall outside, followed by a soft tapping at the door.
Line 4
"Who's there?" he cried.
Line 5
"It is I, Toppleton--Barncastle.

Learner Dictionary

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

Cried noun US /cried/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"Who's there?" he cried.”

Long noun US /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “TOPPLETON had not long to wait.”

Outside noun US /ˈoutside/

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

From this reading “His nerves had hardly resumed their normal condition when he heard a tottering step in the hall outside, followed by a soft tapping at the door.”

Resumed noun US /ˈresumed/

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

From this reading “His nerves had hardly resumed their normal condition when he heard a tottering step in the hall outside, followed by a soft tapping at the door.”

Step noun US /step/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “His nerves had hardly resumed their normal condition when he heard a tottering step in the hall outside, followed by a soft tapping at the door.”

All words in this reading · 38

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 His nerves had hardly resumed their normal condition when he heard a tottering step in the hall outside, followed by a soft tapping at the door.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading His nerves had hardly resumed their normal condition when he heard a tottering step in the hall outside, followed by a soft tapping at the door.

BARNCASTLE

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

From this reading BARNCASTLE CONFIDES IN HOPKINS.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading His nerves had hardly resumed their normal condition when he heard a tottering step in the hall outside, followed by a soft tapping at the door.

condition

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

From this reading His nerves had hardly resumed their normal condition when he heard a tottering step in the hall outside, followed by a soft tapping at the door.

CONFIDES

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

From this reading BARNCASTLE CONFIDES IN HOPKINS.

criednounUS /cried/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading "Who's there?" he cried.

door

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

From this reading His nerves had hardly resumed their normal condition when he heard a tottering step in the hall outside, followed by a soft tapping at the door.

followed

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

From this reading His nerves had hardly resumed their normal condition when he heard a tottering step in the hall outside, followed by a soft tapping at the door.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading TOPPLETON had not long to wait.

hall

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

From this reading His nerves had hardly resumed their normal condition when he heard a tottering step in the hall outside, followed by a soft tapping at the door.

hardly

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

From this reading His nerves had hardly resumed their normal condition when he heard a tottering step in the hall outside, followed by a soft tapping at the door.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading His nerves had hardly resumed their normal condition when he heard a tottering step in the hall outside, followed by a soft tapping at the door.

heard

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

From this reading His nerves had hardly resumed their normal condition when he heard a tottering step in the hall outside, followed by a soft tapping at the door.

HisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading His nerves had hardly resumed their normal condition when he heard a tottering step in the hall outside, followed by a soft tapping at the door.

HOPKINS

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

From this reading BARNCASTLE CONFIDES IN HOPKINS.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "It is I, Toppleton--Barncastle.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading BARNCASTLE CONFIDES IN HOPKINS.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "It is I, Toppleton--Barncastle.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "It is I, Toppleton--Barncastle.

longnounUS /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading TOPPLETON had not long to wait.

nerves

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

From this reading His nerves had hardly resumed their normal condition when he heard a tottering step in the hall outside, followed by a soft tapping at the door.

normal

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

From this reading His nerves had hardly resumed their normal condition when he heard a tottering step in the hall outside, followed by a soft tapping at the door.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading TOPPLETON had not long to wait.

outsidenounUS /ˈoutside/

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

From this reading His nerves had hardly resumed their normal condition when he heard a tottering step in the hall outside, followed by a soft tapping at the door.

resumednounUS /ˈresumed/

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

From this reading His nerves had hardly resumed their normal condition when he heard a tottering step in the hall outside, followed by a soft tapping at the door.

soft

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

From this reading His nerves had hardly resumed their normal condition when he heard a tottering step in the hall outside, followed by a soft tapping at the door.

stepnounUS /step/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading His nerves had hardly resumed their normal condition when he heard a tottering step in the hall outside, followed by a soft tapping at the door.

tapping

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

From this reading His nerves had hardly resumed their normal condition when he heard a tottering step in the hall outside, followed by a soft tapping at the door.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading His nerves had hardly resumed their normal condition when he heard a tottering step in the hall outside, followed by a soft tapping at the door.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading His nerves had hardly resumed their normal condition when he heard a tottering step in the hall outside, followed by a soft tapping at the door.

there

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

From this reading "Who's there?" he cried.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading TOPPLETON had not long to wait.

TOPPLETON

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

From this reading TOPPLETON had not long to wait.

tottering

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

From this reading His nerves had hardly resumed their normal condition when he heard a tottering step in the hall outside, followed by a soft tapping at the door.

wait

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

From this reading TOPPLETON had not long to wait.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading His nerves had hardly resumed their normal condition when he heard a tottering step in the hall outside, followed by a soft tapping at the door.

Who's

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

From this reading "Who's there?" he cried.