Chapter 17 of A Colony of Girls is here in full — 267 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of A Colony of Girls is here in full — 267 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE "VORTEX" DEPARTS. "Let fall! Give way!" Two oars struck the water with a splash, and the dingey shot out from the gang steps of the _Sylph_ the steady strokes of two sturdy sailors sending the little craft swiftly on its way. The owner lounged lazily in the cushioned stern, one leg swung over the other, the tiller-ropes held loosely in his hands.
Chapter 17 of A Colony of Girls is here in full — 267 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/53 · 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.
softened by the addition of cushions or padding
From this reading “The owner lounged lazily in the cushioned stern, one leg swung over the other, the tiller-ropes held loosely in his hands.”
third-person singular of “depart” — move away from a place into another direction
From this reading “THE "VORTEX" DEPARTS.”
in a slow and lazy manner
From this reading “The owner lounged lazily in the cushioned stern, one leg swung over the other, the tiller-ropes held loosely in his hands.”
in a relaxed manner; not rigid
From this reading “The owner lounged lazily in the cushioned stern, one leg swung over the other, the tiller-ropes held loosely in his hands.”
cause (a liquid) to spatter about, especially with force
From this reading “Two oars struck the water with a splash, and the dingey shot out from the gang steps of the _Sylph_ the steady strokes of two sturdy sailors sending the little craft swiftly on its way.”
plural of “stroke” — (sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand
From this reading “Two oars struck the water with a splash, and the dingey shot out from the gang steps of the _Sylph_ the steady strokes of two sturdy sailors sending the little craft swiftly on its way.”
a slender graceful young woman
the shape of something rotating rapidly
From this reading “THE "VORTEX" DEPARTS.”
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 “Two oars struck the water with a splash, and the dingey shot out from the gang steps of the _Sylph_ the steady strokes of two sturdy sailors sending the little craft swiftly on its way.”
move in order to make room for someone for something
In this reading “Give way!"”
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 Two oars struck the water with a splash, and the dingey shot out from the gang steps of the _Sylph_ the steady strokes of two sturdy sailors sending the little craft swiftly on its way.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Two oars struck the water with a splash, and the dingey shot out from the gang steps of the _Sylph_ the steady strokes of two sturdy sailors sending the little craft swiftly on its way.
the skilled practice of a practical occupation
From this reading Two oars struck the water with a splash, and the dingey shot out from the gang steps of the _Sylph_ the steady strokes of two sturdy sailors sending the little craft swiftly on its way.
softened by the addition of cushions or padding
From this reading The owner lounged lazily in the cushioned stern, one leg swung over the other, the tiller-ropes held loosely in his hands.
third-person singular of “depart” — move away from a place into another direction
From this reading THE "VORTEX" DEPARTS.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Two oars struck the water with a splash, and the dingey shot out from the gang steps of the _Sylph_ the steady strokes of two sturdy sailors sending the little craft swiftly on its way.
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
From this reading "Let fall!
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Two oars struck the water with a splash, and the dingey shot out from the gang steps of the _Sylph_ the steady strokes of two sturdy sailors sending the little craft swiftly on its way.
an association of criminals
From this reading Two oars struck the water with a splash, and the dingey shot out from the gang steps of the _Sylph_ the steady strokes of two sturdy sailors sending the little craft swiftly on its way.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Give way!"
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading The owner lounged lazily in the cushioned stern, one leg swung over the other, the tiller-ropes held loosely in his hands.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading The owner lounged lazily in the cushioned stern, one leg swung over the other, the tiller-ropes held loosely in his hands.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The owner lounged lazily in the cushioned stern, one leg swung over the other, the tiller-ropes held loosely in his hands.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The owner lounged lazily in the cushioned stern, one leg swung over the other, the tiller-ropes held loosely in his hands.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Two oars struck the water with a splash, and the dingey shot out from the gang steps of the _Sylph_ the steady strokes of two sturdy sailors sending the little craft swiftly on its way.
in a slow and lazy manner
From this reading The owner lounged lazily in the cushioned stern, one leg swung over the other, the tiller-ropes held loosely in his hands.
a human limb; commonly used to refer to a whole limb but technically only the part of the limb between the knee and ankle
From this reading The owner lounged lazily in the cushioned stern, one leg swung over the other, the tiller-ropes held loosely in his hands.
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading "Let fall!
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Two oars struck the water with a splash, and the dingey shot out from the gang steps of the _Sylph_ the steady strokes of two sturdy sailors sending the little craft swiftly on its way.
in a relaxed manner; not rigid
From this reading The owner lounged lazily in the cushioned stern, one leg swung over the other, the tiller-ropes held loosely in his hands.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The owner lounged lazily in the cushioned stern, one leg swung over the other, the tiller-ropes held loosely in his hands.
plural of “oar” — an implement used to propel or steer a boat
From this reading Two oars struck the water with a splash, and the dingey shot out from the gang steps of the _Sylph_ the steady strokes of two sturdy sailors sending the little craft swiftly on its way.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Two oars struck the water with a splash, and the dingey shot out from the gang steps of the _Sylph_ the steady strokes of two sturdy sailors sending the little craft swiftly on its way.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Two oars struck the water with a splash, and the dingey shot out from the gang steps of the _Sylph_ the steady strokes of two sturdy sailors sending the little craft swiftly on its way.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The owner lounged lazily in the cushioned stern, one leg swung over the other, the tiller-ropes held loosely in his hands.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading The owner lounged lazily in the cushioned stern, one leg swung over the other, the tiller-ropes held loosely in his hands.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Two oars struck the water with a splash, and the dingey shot out from the gang steps of the _Sylph_ the steady strokes of two sturdy sailors sending the little craft swiftly on its way.
above and across; more than
From this reading The owner lounged lazily in the cushioned stern, one leg swung over the other, the tiller-ropes held loosely in his hands.
(law) someone who owns (is legal possessor of) a business
From this reading The owner lounged lazily in the cushioned stern, one leg swung over the other, the tiller-ropes held loosely in his hands.
plural of “sailor” — any member of a ship's crew
From this reading Two oars struck the water with a splash, and the dingey shot out from the gang steps of the _Sylph_ the steady strokes of two sturdy sailors sending the little craft swiftly on its way.
the act of causing something to go (especially messages)
From this reading Two oars struck the water with a splash, and the dingey shot out from the gang steps of the _Sylph_ the steady strokes of two sturdy sailors sending the little craft swiftly on its way.
the act of firing a projectile
From this reading Two oars struck the water with a splash, and the dingey shot out from the gang steps of the _Sylph_ the steady strokes of two sturdy sailors sending the little craft swiftly on its way.
cause (a liquid) to spatter about, especially with force
From this reading Two oars struck the water with a splash, and the dingey shot out from the gang steps of the _Sylph_ the steady strokes of two sturdy sailors sending the little craft swiftly on its way.
make steady
From this reading Two oars struck the water with a splash, and the dingey shot out from the gang steps of the _Sylph_ the steady strokes of two sturdy sailors sending the little craft swiftly on its way.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading Two oars struck the water with a splash, and the dingey shot out from the gang steps of the _Sylph_ the steady strokes of two sturdy sailors sending the little craft swiftly on its way.
of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect
From this reading The owner lounged lazily in the cushioned stern, one leg swung over the other, the tiller-ropes held loosely in his hands.
plural of “stroke” — (sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand
From this reading Two oars struck the water with a splash, and the dingey shot out from the gang steps of the _Sylph_ the steady strokes of two sturdy sailors sending the little craft swiftly on its way.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading Two oars struck the water with a splash, and the dingey shot out from the gang steps of the _Sylph_ the steady strokes of two sturdy sailors sending the little craft swiftly on its way.
having rugged physical strength; inured to fatigue or hardships
From this reading Two oars struck the water with a splash, and the dingey shot out from the gang steps of the _Sylph_ the steady strokes of two sturdy sailors sending the little craft swiftly on its way.
in a swift manner
From this reading Two oars struck the water with a splash, and the dingey shot out from the gang steps of the _Sylph_ the steady strokes of two sturdy sailors sending the little craft swiftly on its way.
inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading The owner lounged lazily in the cushioned stern, one leg swung over the other, the tiller-ropes held loosely in his hands.
a slender graceful young woman
From this reading Two oars struck the water with a splash, and the dingey shot out from the gang steps of the _Sylph_ the steady strokes of two sturdy sailors sending the little craft swiftly on its way.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE "VORTEX" DEPARTS.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The owner lounged lazily in the cushioned stern, one leg swung over the other, the tiller-ropes held loosely in his hands.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Two oars struck the water with a splash, and the dingey shot out from the gang steps of the _Sylph_ the steady strokes of two sturdy sailors sending the little craft swiftly on its way.
the shape of something rotating rapidly
From this reading THE "VORTEX" DEPARTS.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading Two oars struck the water with a splash, and the dingey shot out from the gang steps of the _Sylph_ the steady strokes of two sturdy sailors sending the little craft swiftly on its way.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Give way!"
in the company of; together with
From this reading Two oars struck the water with a splash, and the dingey shot out from the gang steps of the _Sylph_ the steady strokes of two sturdy sailors sending the little craft swiftly on its way.
Chapter 17 of A Colony of Girls by Kate Livingston Willard holds 267 sentences, grouped into 54 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 17 holds 267 sentences of A Colony of Girls, unabridged, divided into 54 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of A Colony of Girls by Kate Livingston Willard exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 267 sentences, grouped into 54 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 54 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 54 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 17 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.
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Yes. All 3885 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #41010 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #41010, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 323 minutes of reading across 777 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Colony of Girls section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of A Colony of Girls 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 A Colony of Girls, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
