Chapter 14 of "1914" is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XIV
Chapter 14 of "1914" is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“They’re ours right enough. That’s their fighting-face. They’re splendid.” More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day. “Are they going?” gasped Honor, and turned to follow.
Chapter 14 of "1914" is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
plural of “four” — the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading “More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.”
past form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading ““Are they going?” gasped Honor, and turned to follow.”
the month following October and preceding December
From this reading “More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.”
the one or ones belonging to us
From this reading ““They’re ours right enough.”
plural of “pipe” — a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco
From this reading “More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.”
inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading “More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.”
put down or press the foot, place the foot
From this reading “More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.”
a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
From this reading “More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.”
pass out from weakness, physical or emotional distress due to a loss of blood supply to the brain
In this reading “More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Are they going?” gasped Honor, and turned to follow.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
an authoritative direction or instruction to do something
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
plural of “door” — a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading “They’re ours right enough.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That’s their fighting-face.
to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading “Are they going?” gasped Honor, and turned to follow.
having or given a form or shape
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
plural of “four” — the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
past form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading “Are they going?” gasped Honor, and turned to follow.
the act of departing
From this reading “Are they going?” gasped Honor, and turned to follow.
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction
From this reading “Are they going?” gasped Honor, and turned to follow.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
full of or showing high-spirited merriment
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
the month following October and preceding December
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
having a systematic arrangement; especially having elements succeeding in order according to rule
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
the one or ones belonging to us
From this reading “They’re ours right enough.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
plural of “pipe” — a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
precisely, exactly
From this reading “They’re ours right enough.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
having great beauty and splendor
From this reading They’re splendid.”
inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That’s their fighting-face.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading That’s their fighting-face.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “They’re ours right enough.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Are they going?” gasped Honor, and turned to follow.
put down or press the foot, place the foot
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading “Are they going?” gasped Honor, and turned to follow.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
in the company of; together with
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
the words that are spoken
From this reading More words of command, they formed up in fours, the big doors swung open, the pipes shrilled a merry tune, and with heavy tread of ordered feet they passed out into the gray November day.
Chapter 14 of "1914" by John Oxenham holds 418 sentences, grouped into 84 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 14 holds 418 sentences of "1914", unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 14 of "1914" by John Oxenham exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 418 sentences, grouped into 84 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 14 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading "1914" by John Oxenham on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6275 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #66846 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #66846, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 522 minutes of reading across 1255 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through "1914" section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 15 chapters of "1914" to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in "1914", each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
