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Twenty Years After
Twenty Years After

Chapter X · The Abbé Scarron

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Context Illustration Reading 1/71 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.
There was neither dining, nor playing at cards, nor dancing in that house.
Nevertheless, it was the rendezvous of the great world and all Paris went there.
It was the abode of the little Abbé Scarron.
In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.
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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.

Twenty Years After

Chapter X · The Abbé Scarron

Reading 1/71 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.
Line 2
There was neither dining, nor playing at cards, nor dancing in that house.
Line 3
Nevertheless, it was the rendezvous of the great world and all Paris went there.
Line 4
It was the abode of the little Abbé Scarron.
Line 5
In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

Learner Dictionary

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

Every determiner US /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading “In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.”

Great noun US /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.”

Little noun US /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It was the abode of the little Abbé Scarron.”

Neither determiner US /ˈniːðər/

not one and not the other of two

From this reading “There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.”

Nevertheless adverb US /ˌnevərðəˈles/

in spite of what has just been said

From this reading “There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.”

Once noun US /once/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.”

Went noun US /went/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Nevertheless, it was the rendezvous of the great world and all Paris went there.”

Yet conjunction US /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading “There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.”

All words in this reading · 76

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 There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.

Abbé

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

From this reading It was the abode of the little Abbé Scarron.

abode

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

From this reading It was the abode of the little Abbé Scarron.

all

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

From this reading There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.

anxious

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

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading There was neither dining, nor playing at cards, nor dancing in that house.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.

cards

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

From this reading There was neither dining, nor playing at cards, nor dancing in that house.

chairmen

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

From this reading There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.

dancing

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

From this reading There was neither dining, nor playing at cards, nor dancing in that house.

day

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

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

des

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

From this reading There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.

dining

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

From this reading There was neither dining, nor playing at cards, nor dancing in that house.

dwelt

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

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

epigrams

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

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

falsehoods

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

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

footmen

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

From this reading There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.

greatnounUS /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

home

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

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

hour

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

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

house

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

From this reading There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.

incessant

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

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Nevertheless, it was the rendezvous of the great world and all Paris went there.

items

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

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

known

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

From this reading There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.

laughter

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

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

listening

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

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

littlenounUS /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It was the abode of the little Abbé Scarron.

lord

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

From this reading There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.

man

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

From this reading There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.

metamorphosed

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

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

misrepresented

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

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

neitherdeterminerUS /ˈniːðər/

not one and not the other of two

From this reading There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.

neverthelessadverbUS /ˌnevərðəˈles/

in spite of what has just been said

From this reading There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.

once

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

From this reading There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

others

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

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

Paris

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

From this reading There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.

pass

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

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

playing

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

From this reading There was neither dining, nor playing at cards, nor dancing in that house.

quickly

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

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

rendezvous

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

From this reading Nevertheless, it was the rendezvous of the great world and all Paris went there.

reporting

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

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

rich

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

From this reading There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.

Rue

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

From this reading There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.

said

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

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

Scarron

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

From this reading It was the abode of the little Abbé Scarron.

sedan

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

From this reading There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

some

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

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

source

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

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

There

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

From this reading There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

Tournelles

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

From this reading There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.

transformed

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

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.

wentnounUS /went/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Nevertheless, it was the rendezvous of the great world and all Paris went there.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

witty

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

From this reading In the home of the witty abbé dwelt incessant laughter; there all the items of the day had their source and were so quickly transformed, misrepresented, metamorphosed, some into epigrams, some into falsehoods, that every one was anxious to pass an hour with little Scarron, listening to what he said, reporting it to others.

world

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

From this reading Nevertheless, it was the rendezvous of the great world and all Paris went there.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading There was once in the Rue des Tournelles a house known by all the sedan chairmen and footmen of Paris, and yet, nevertheless, this house was neither that of a great lord nor of a rich man.