Chapter 1 of A Rough Diamond: A Comic Drama in One Act is here in full — 730 sentences across 146 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of A Rough Diamond: A Comic Drama in One Act is here in full — 730 sentences across 146 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A ROUGH DIAMOND. A Comic Drama, IN ONE ACT. BY JOHN B. BUCKSTONE, MEMBER OF THE DRAMATIC AUTHORS' SOCIETY. THOMAS HAILES LACY, 89, STRAND, _(Opposite Southampton Street, Covent Garden Market.)_ LONDON. _First Performed at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, on Monday, November 8th, 1847._ Characters.
Chapter 1 of A Rough Diamond: A Comic Drama in One Act is here in full — 730 sentences across 146 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/146 · 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 “author” — writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading “BY JOHN B. BUCKSTONE, MEMBER OF THE DRAMATIC AUTHORS' SOCIETY.”
arousing or provoking laughter
From this reading “A Comic Drama, IN ONE ACT.”
a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage
From this reading “A Comic Drama, IN ONE ACT.”
suitable to or characteristic of drama
From this reading “BY JOHN B. BUCKSTONE, MEMBER OF THE DRAMATIC AUTHORS' SOCIETY.”
third-person singular of “hail” — praise vociferously
From this reading “THOMAS HAILES LACY, 89, STRAND, _(Opposite Southampton Street, Covent Garden Market.)_ LONDON.”
made of or resembling lace
From this reading “THOMAS HAILES LACY, 89, STRAND, _(Opposite Southampton Street, Covent Garden Market.)_ LONDON.”
the month following October and preceding December
From this reading “_First Performed at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, on Monday, November 8th, 1847._ Characters.”
a pattern forming a unity within a larger structural whole
From this reading “THOMAS HAILES LACY, 89, STRAND, _(Opposite Southampton Street, Covent Garden Market.)_ LONDON.”
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 “BY JOHN B. BUCKSTONE, MEMBER OF THE DRAMATIC AUTHORS' SOCIETY.”
In this reading “A ROUGH DIAMOND.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _First Performed at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, on Monday, November 8th, 1847._ Characters.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THOMAS HAILES LACY, 89, STRAND, _(Opposite Southampton Street, Covent Garden Market.)_ LONDON.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _First Performed at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, on Monday, November 8th, 1847._ Characters.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A ROUGH DIAMOND.
perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading A Comic Drama, IN ONE ACT.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading _First Performed at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, on Monday, November 8th, 1847._ Characters.
plural of “author” — writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading BY JOHN B. BUCKSTONE, MEMBER OF THE DRAMATIC AUTHORS' SOCIETY.
aerobic rod-shaped spore-producing bacterium; often occurring in chainlike formations; found primarily in soil
From this reading BY JOHN B. BUCKSTONE, MEMBER OF THE DRAMATIC AUTHORS' SOCIETY.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BY JOHN B. BUCKSTONE, MEMBER OF THE DRAMATIC AUTHORS' SOCIETY.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading BY JOHN B. BUCKSTONE, MEMBER OF THE DRAMATIC AUTHORS' SOCIETY.
plural of “character” — an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading _First Performed at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, on Monday, November 8th, 1847._ Characters.
arousing or provoking laughter
From this reading A Comic Drama, IN ONE ACT.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THOMAS HAILES LACY, 89, STRAND, _(Opposite Southampton Street, Covent Garden Market.)_ LONDON.
a transparent piece of diamond that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem
From this reading A ROUGH DIAMOND.
a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage
From this reading A Comic Drama, IN ONE ACT.
suitable to or characteristic of drama
From this reading BY JOHN B. BUCKSTONE, MEMBER OF THE DRAMATIC AUTHORS' SOCIETY.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading _First Performed at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, on Monday, November 8th, 1847._ Characters.
a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading THOMAS HAILES LACY, 89, STRAND, _(Opposite Southampton Street, Covent Garden Market.)_ LONDON.
third-person singular of “hail” — praise vociferously
From this reading THOMAS HAILES LACY, 89, STRAND, _(Opposite Southampton Street, Covent Garden Market.)_ LONDON.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A Comic Drama, IN ONE ACT.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading BY JOHN B. BUCKSTONE, MEMBER OF THE DRAMATIC AUTHORS' SOCIETY.
made of or resembling lace
From this reading THOMAS HAILES LACY, 89, STRAND, _(Opposite Southampton Street, Covent Garden Market.)_ LONDON.
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading THOMAS HAILES LACY, 89, STRAND, _(Opposite Southampton Street, Covent Garden Market.)_ LONDON.
a school for students intermediate between elementary school and college; usually grades 9 to 12
From this reading _First Performed at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, on Monday, November 8th, 1847._ Characters.
the world of commercial activity where goods and services are bought and sold
From this reading THOMAS HAILES LACY, 89, STRAND, _(Opposite Southampton Street, Covent Garden Market.)_ LONDON.
one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)
From this reading BY JOHN B. BUCKSTONE, MEMBER OF THE DRAMATIC AUTHORS' SOCIETY.
the second day of the week; the first working day
From this reading _First Performed at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, on Monday, November 8th, 1847._ Characters.
the month following October and preceding December
From this reading _First Performed at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, on Monday, November 8th, 1847._ Characters.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading BY JOHN B. BUCKSTONE, MEMBER OF THE DRAMATIC AUTHORS' SOCIETY.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading _First Performed at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, on Monday, November 8th, 1847._ Characters.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading A Comic Drama, IN ONE ACT.
being directly across from each other; facing
From this reading THOMAS HAILES LACY, 89, STRAND, _(Opposite Southampton Street, Covent Garden Market.)_ LONDON.
past form of “perform” — carry out or perform an action
From this reading _First Performed at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, on Monday, November 8th, 1847._ Characters.
having or caused by an irregular surface
From this reading A ROUGH DIAMOND.
of or relating to or indicative of or issued or performed by a king or queen or other monarch
From this reading _First Performed at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, on Monday, November 8th, 1847._ Characters.
an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization
From this reading BY JOHN B. BUCKSTONE, MEMBER OF THE DRAMATIC AUTHORS' SOCIETY.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THOMAS HAILES LACY, 89, STRAND, _(Opposite Southampton Street, Covent Garden Market.)_ LONDON.
a pattern forming a unity within a larger structural whole
From this reading THOMAS HAILES LACY, 89, STRAND, _(Opposite Southampton Street, Covent Garden Market.)_ LONDON.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading THOMAS HAILES LACY, 89, STRAND, _(Opposite Southampton Street, Covent Garden Market.)_ LONDON.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading BY JOHN B. BUCKSTONE, MEMBER OF THE DRAMATIC AUTHORS' SOCIETY.
a building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented
From this reading _First Performed at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, on Monday, November 8th, 1847._ Characters.
United States clockmaker who introduced mass production (1785-1859)
From this reading THOMAS HAILES LACY, 89, STRAND, _(Opposite Southampton Street, Covent Garden Market.)_ LONDON.
Chapter 1 of A Rough Diamond: A Comic Drama in One Act by John Baldwin Buckstone holds 730 sentences, grouped into 146 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 1 holds 730 sentences of A Rough Diamond: A Comic Drama in One Act, unabridged, divided into 146 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of A Rough Diamond: A Comic Drama in One Act by John Baldwin Buckstone exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 730 sentences, grouped into 146 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 146 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 146 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 1 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 A Rough Diamond: A Comic Drama in One Act by John Baldwin Buckstone on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 730 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #46138 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #46138, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 60 minutes of reading across 146 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Rough Diamond: A Comic Drama in One Act section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of A Rough Diamond: A Comic Drama in One Act 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 Rough Diamond: A Comic Drama in One Act, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
