Chapter 2 of A Woman of No Importance is here in full — 318 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter II
Chapter 2 of A Woman of No Importance is here in full — 318 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
LADY HUNSTANTON. What is that, dear? Ah, yes, an iron Exhibition, is it not, at that place that has the curious name? HESTER. [_Standing by table_.] We are trying to build up life, Lady Hunstanton, on a better, truer, purer basis than life rests on here.
Chapter 2 of A Woman of No Importance is here in full — 318 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/63 · 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.
a relation that provides the foundation for something
From this reading “[_Standing by table_.] We are trying to build up life, Lady Hunstanton, on a better, truer, purer basis than life rests on here.”
make by combining materials and parts
From this reading “[_Standing by table_.] We are trying to build up life, Lady Hunstanton, on a better, truer, purer basis than life rests on here.”
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading “Ah, yes, an iron Exhibition, is it not, at that place that has the curious name?”
the act of exhibiting
From this reading “Ah, yes, an iron Exhibition, is it not, at that place that has the curious name?”
a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood
From this reading “Ah, yes, an iron Exhibition, is it not, at that place that has the curious name?”
comparative of “pure” — free of extraneous elements of any kind
From this reading “[_Standing by table_.] We are trying to build up life, Lady Hunstanton, on a better, truer, purer basis than life rests on here.”
plural of “rest” — something left after other parts have been taken away
From this reading “[_Standing by table_.] We are trying to build up life, Lady Hunstanton, on a better, truer, purer basis than life rests on here.”
comparative of “true” — consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading “[_Standing by table_.] We are trying to build up life, Lady Hunstanton, on a better, truer, purer basis than life rests on here.”
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 [_Standing by table_.] We are trying to build up life, Lady Hunstanton, on a better, truer, purer basis than life rests on here.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ah, yes, an iron Exhibition, is it not, at that place that has the curious name?
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Ah, yes, an iron Exhibition, is it not, at that place that has the curious name?
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading [_Standing by table_.] We are trying to build up life, Lady Hunstanton, on a better, truer, purer basis than life rests on here.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Ah, yes, an iron Exhibition, is it not, at that place that has the curious name?
a relation that provides the foundation for something
From this reading [_Standing by table_.] We are trying to build up life, Lady Hunstanton, on a better, truer, purer basis than life rests on here.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading [_Standing by table_.] We are trying to build up life, Lady Hunstanton, on a better, truer, purer basis than life rests on here.
make by combining materials and parts
From this reading [_Standing by table_.] We are trying to build up life, Lady Hunstanton, on a better, truer, purer basis than life rests on here.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading [_Standing by table_.] We are trying to build up life, Lady Hunstanton, on a better, truer, purer basis than life rests on here.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading Ah, yes, an iron Exhibition, is it not, at that place that has the curious name?
dearly loved
From this reading What is that, dear?
the act of exhibiting
From this reading Ah, yes, an iron Exhibition, is it not, at that place that has the curious name?
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Ah, yes, an iron Exhibition, is it not, at that place that has the curious name?
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading [_Standing by table_.] We are trying to build up life, Lady Hunstanton, on a better, truer, purer basis than life rests on here.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HESTER.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading LADY HUNSTANTON.
a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood
From this reading Ah, yes, an iron Exhibition, is it not, at that place that has the curious name?
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading What is that, dear?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Ah, yes, an iron Exhibition, is it not, at that place that has the curious name?
a polite name for any woman
From this reading LADY HUNSTANTON.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading [_Standing by table_.] We are trying to build up life, Lady Hunstanton, on a better, truer, purer basis than life rests on here.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Ah, yes, an iron Exhibition, is it not, at that place that has the curious name?
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Ah, yes, an iron Exhibition, is it not, at that place that has the curious name?
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading [_Standing by table_.] We are trying to build up life, Lady Hunstanton, on a better, truer, purer basis than life rests on here.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Ah, yes, an iron Exhibition, is it not, at that place that has the curious name?
comparative of “pure” — free of extraneous elements of any kind
From this reading [_Standing by table_.] We are trying to build up life, Lady Hunstanton, on a better, truer, purer basis than life rests on here.
plural of “rest” — something left after other parts have been taken away
From this reading [_Standing by table_.] We are trying to build up life, Lady Hunstanton, on a better, truer, purer basis than life rests on here.
having a supporting base
From this reading [_Standing by table_.] We are trying to build up life, Lady Hunstanton, on a better, truer, purer basis than life rests on here.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading [_Standing by table_.] We are trying to build up life, Lady Hunstanton, on a better, truer, purer basis than life rests on here.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading [_Standing by table_.] We are trying to build up life, Lady Hunstanton, on a better, truer, purer basis than life rests on here.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading What is that, dear?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Ah, yes, an iron Exhibition, is it not, at that place that has the curious name?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading [_Standing by table_.] We are trying to build up life, Lady Hunstanton, on a better, truer, purer basis than life rests on here.
comparative of “true” — consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading [_Standing by table_.] We are trying to build up life, Lady Hunstanton, on a better, truer, purer basis than life rests on here.
hard to endure
From this reading [_Standing by table_.] We are trying to build up life, Lady Hunstanton, on a better, truer, purer basis than life rests on here.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading [_Standing by table_.] We are trying to build up life, Lady Hunstanton, on a better, truer, purer basis than life rests on here.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading [_Standing by table_.] We are trying to build up life, Lady Hunstanton, on a better, truer, purer basis than life rests on here.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What is that, dear?
an affirmative
From this reading Ah, yes, an iron Exhibition, is it not, at that place that has the curious name?
Chapter 2 of A Woman of No Importance by Oscar Wilde holds 318 sentences, grouped into 64 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 2 holds 318 sentences of A Woman of No Importance, unabridged, divided into 64 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of A Woman of No Importance by Oscar Wilde exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 318 sentences, grouped into 64 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 64 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 64 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 2 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 Woman of No Importance by Oscar Wilde on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1566 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #854 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #854, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 130 minutes of reading across 314 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Woman of No Importance section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 5 chapters of A Woman of No Importance 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 Woman of No Importance, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
