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A Word, Only a Word — Complete
A Word, Only a Word — Complete

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of A Word, Only a Word — Complete is here in full — 117 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Two years had passed.
A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.
The rippling waves of the placid sea, which here washed the sunny shores of Hellas, yonder the shady coasts of the Peloponnesus, glittered like fresh blooming blue-bottles.
Bare, parched rocks rise in naked beauty at the north of the bay, and the rays of the young day-star shot golden threads through the light white mists, that floated around them.
The coast of Morea faces the north; so dense shadows still rested on the stony olive-groves and the dark foliage of the pink laurel and oleander bushes, whose dense clumps followed the course of the stream and filled the ravines.
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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.

A Word, Only a Word — Complete

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of A Word, Only a Word — Complete is here in full — 117 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Two years had passed.
/tuː jɪrz hæd pæst/
Line 2
A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.
Line 3
The rippling waves of the placid sea, which here washed the sunny shores of Hellas, yonder the shady coasts of the Peloponnesus, glittered like fresh blooming blue-bottles.
Line 4
Bare, parched rocks rise in naked beauty at the north of the bay, and the rays of the young day-star shot golden threads through the light white mists, that floated around them.
Line 5
The coast of Morea faces the north; so dense shadows still rested on the stony olive-groves and the dark foliage of the pink laurel and oleander bushes, whose dense clumps followed the course of the stream and filled the ravines.

Learner Dictionary

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.

clumps noun US /klʌmps/

plural of “clump” — a grouping of a number of similar things

From this reading “The coast of Morea faces the north; so dense shadows still rested on the stony olive-groves and the dark foliage of the pink laurel and oleander bushes, whose dense clumps followed the course of the stream and filled the ravines.”

coasts noun US /koʊsts/

plural of “coast” — the shore of a sea or ocean

From this reading “The rippling waves of the placid sea, which here washed the sunny shores of Hellas, yonder the shady coasts of the Peloponnesus, glittered like fresh blooming blue-bottles.”

Corinth noun US /ˈkɔːrənθ/

the modern Greek port near the site of the ancient city that was second only to Athens

From this reading “A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.”

dimmed adjective US /dɪmd/

made dim or less bright

From this reading “A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.”

disk noun US /dɪsk/

something with a round shape resembling a flat circular plate

From this reading “A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.”

oleander noun US /ˈoʊliændər/

an ornamental but poisonous flowering shrub having narrow evergreen leaves and clusters of fragrant white to pink or red flowers: native to East Indies but widely cultivated in warm regions

From this reading “The coast of Morea faces the north; so dense shadows still rested on the stony olive-groves and the dark foliage of the pink laurel and oleander bushes, whose dense clumps followed the course of the stream and filled the ravines.”

ravines noun US /rəˈviːnz/

plural of “ravine” — a deep narrow steep-sided valley (especially one formed by running water)

From this reading “The coast of Morea faces the north; so dense shadows still rested on the stony olive-groves and the dark foliage of the pink laurel and oleander bushes, whose dense clumps followed the course of the stream and filled the ravines.”

sun's noun US /sʌnz/

possessive form of “sun” — the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading “A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.”

All words in this reading · 98

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.

affordedverbUS /əˈfɔːrdəd/

past form of “afford” — be able to spare or give up

From this reading A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading Bare, parched rocks rise in naked beauty at the north of the bay, and the rays of the young day-star shot golden threads through the light white mists, that floated around them.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Bare, parched rocks rise in naked beauty at the north of the bay, and the rays of the young day-star shot golden threads through the light white mists, that floated around them.

azurenounUS /ˈæʒər/

a light shade of blue

From this reading A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.

BareadjectiveUS /ber/

completely unclothed

From this reading Bare, parched rocks rise in naked beauty at the north of the bay, and the rays of the young day-star shot golden threads through the light white mists, that floated around them.

baynounUS /beɪ/

an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf

From this reading Bare, parched rocks rise in naked beauty at the north of the bay, and the rays of the young day-star shot golden threads through the light white mists, that floated around them.

beautifuladjectiveUS /ˈbjuːtəfəl/

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.

beautynounUS /ˈbjuːti/

the qualities that give pleasure to the senses

From this reading Bare, parched rocks rise in naked beauty at the north of the bay, and the rays of the young day-star shot golden threads through the light white mists, that floated around them.

behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.

bloomingnounUS /ˈbluːmɪŋ/

the organic process of bearing flowers

From this reading The rippling waves of the placid sea, which here washed the sunny shores of Hellas, yonder the shady coasts of the Peloponnesus, glittered like fresh blooming blue-bottles.

blue-bottles

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

From this reading The rippling waves of the placid sea, which here washed the sunny shores of Hellas, yonder the shady coasts of the Peloponnesus, glittered like fresh blooming blue-bottles.

bushesnounUS /ˈbʊʃəz/

plural of “bush” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems

From this reading The coast of Morea faces the north; so dense shadows still rested on the stony olive-groves and the dark foliage of the pink laurel and oleander bushes, whose dense clumps followed the course of the stream and filled the ravines.

cloudverbUS /klaʊd/

make overcast or cloudy

From this reading A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.

clumpsnounUS /klʌmps/

plural of “clump” — a grouping of a number of similar things

From this reading The coast of Morea faces the north; so dense shadows still rested on the stony olive-groves and the dark foliage of the pink laurel and oleander bushes, whose dense clumps followed the course of the stream and filled the ravines.

coastnounUS /koʊst/

the shore of a sea or ocean

From this reading The coast of Morea faces the north; so dense shadows still rested on the stony olive-groves and the dark foliage of the pink laurel and oleander bushes, whose dense clumps followed the course of the stream and filled the ravines.

coastsnounUS /koʊsts/

plural of “coast” — the shore of a sea or ocean

From this reading The rippling waves of the placid sea, which here washed the sunny shores of Hellas, yonder the shady coasts of the Peloponnesus, glittered like fresh blooming blue-bottles.

CorinthnounUS /ˈkɔːrənθ/

the modern Greek port near the site of the ancient city that was second only to Athens

From this reading A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading The coast of Morea faces the north; so dense shadows still rested on the stony olive-groves and the dark foliage of the pink laurel and oleander bushes, whose dense clumps followed the course of the stream and filled the ravines.

crimsonadjectiveUS /ˈkrɪmzən/

of a color at the end of the color spectrum (next to orange); resembling the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies

From this reading A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading The coast of Morea faces the north; so dense shadows still rested on the stony olive-groves and the dark foliage of the pink laurel and oleander bushes, whose dense clumps followed the course of the stream and filled the ravines.

dawningnounUS /ˈdɔːnɪŋ/

the first light of day

From this reading A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.

day-star

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

From this reading Bare, parched rocks rise in naked beauty at the north of the bay, and the rays of the young day-star shot golden threads through the light white mists, that floated around them.

denseadjectiveUS /dens/

permitting little if any light to pass through because of denseness of matter

From this reading The coast of Morea faces the north; so dense shadows still rested on the stony olive-groves and the dark foliage of the pink laurel and oleander bushes, whose dense clumps followed the course of the stream and filled the ravines.

dimmedadjectiveUS /dɪmd/

made dim or less bright

From this reading A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.

disknounUS /dɪsk/

something with a round shape resembling a flat circular plate

From this reading A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.

facesnounUS /ˈfeɪsəz/

plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading The coast of Morea faces the north; so dense shadows still rested on the stony olive-groves and the dark foliage of the pink laurel and oleander bushes, whose dense clumps followed the course of the stream and filled the ravines.

filledadjectiveUS /fɪld/

(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with

From this reading The coast of Morea faces the north; so dense shadows still rested on the stony olive-groves and the dark foliage of the pink laurel and oleander bushes, whose dense clumps followed the course of the stream and filled the ravines.

floatedverbUS /ˈfloʊtəd/

past form of “float” — be in motion due to some air or water current

From this reading Bare, parched rocks rise in naked beauty at the north of the bay, and the rays of the young day-star shot golden threads through the light white mists, that floated around them.

foliagenounUS /ˈfoʊlɪdʒ/

the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants

From this reading The coast of Morea faces the north; so dense shadows still rested on the stony olive-groves and the dark foliage of the pink laurel and oleander bushes, whose dense clumps followed the course of the stream and filled the ravines.

followedverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊd/

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading The coast of Morea faces the north; so dense shadows still rested on the stony olive-groves and the dark foliage of the pink laurel and oleander bushes, whose dense clumps followed the course of the stream and filled the ravines.

freshadjectiveUS /freʃ/

recently made, produced, or harvested

From this reading The rippling waves of the placid sea, which here washed the sunny shores of Hellas, yonder the shady coasts of the Peloponnesus, glittered like fresh blooming blue-bottles.

glitteredverbUS /ˈɡlɪtərd/

past form of “glitter” — be shiny, as if wet

From this reading The rippling waves of the placid sea, which here washed the sunny shores of Hellas, yonder the shady coasts of the Peloponnesus, glittered like fresh blooming blue-bottles.

glowingadjectiveUS /ˈɡloʊɪŋ/

highly enthusiastic

From this reading A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.

goldenadjectiveUS /ˈɡoʊldən/

having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

From this reading Bare, parched rocks rise in naked beauty at the north of the bay, and the rays of the young day-star shot golden threads through the light white mists, that floated around them.

GulfnounUS /ɡʌlf/

an arm of a sea or ocean partly enclosed by land; larger than a bay

From this reading A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Two years had passed.

Hellas

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

From this reading The rippling waves of the placid sea, which here washed the sunny shores of Hellas, yonder the shady coasts of the Peloponnesus, glittered like fresh blooming blue-bottles.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading The rippling waves of the placid sea, which here washed the sunny shores of Hellas, yonder the shady coasts of the Peloponnesus, glittered like fresh blooming blue-bottles.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Bare, parched rocks rise in naked beauty at the north of the bay, and the rays of the young day-star shot golden threads through the light white mists, that floated around them.

ingressnoun

(astronomy) the disappearance of a celestial body prior to an eclipse

From this reading A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.

laurelnounUS /ˈlɔːrəl/

any of various aromatic trees of the laurel family

From this reading The coast of Morea faces the north; so dense shadows still rested on the stony olive-groves and the dark foliage of the pink laurel and oleander bushes, whose dense clumps followed the course of the stream and filled the ravines.

lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading Bare, parched rocks rise in naked beauty at the north of the bay, and the rays of the young day-star shot golden threads through the light white mists, that floated around them.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading The rippling waves of the placid sea, which here washed the sunny shores of Hellas, yonder the shady coasts of the Peloponnesus, glittered like fresh blooming blue-bottles.

mistsnounUS /mɪsts/

plural of “mist” — a thin fog with condensation near the ground

From this reading Bare, parched rocks rise in naked beauty at the north of the bay, and the rays of the young day-star shot golden threads through the light white mists, that floated around them.

Morea

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

From this reading The coast of Morea faces the north; so dense shadows still rested on the stony olive-groves and the dark foliage of the pink laurel and oleander bushes, whose dense clumps followed the course of the stream and filled the ravines.

nakedadjectiveUS /ˈneɪkəd/

completely unclothed

From this reading Bare, parched rocks rise in naked beauty at the north of the bay, and the rays of the young day-star shot golden threads through the light white mists, that floated around them.

narrowverbUS /ˈneroʊ/

make or become more narrow or restricted

From this reading A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.

northnounUS /nɔːrθ/

the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading Bare, parched rocks rise in naked beauty at the north of the bay, and the rays of the young day-star shot golden threads through the light white mists, that floated around them.

OctobernounUS /ɑːkˈtoʊbər/

the month following September and preceding November

From this reading A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.

oleandernounUS /ˈoʊliændər/

an ornamental but poisonous flowering shrub having narrow evergreen leaves and clusters of fragrant white to pink or red flowers: native to East Indies but widely cultivated in warm regions

From this reading The coast of Morea faces the north; so dense shadows still rested on the stony olive-groves and the dark foliage of the pink laurel and oleander bushes, whose dense clumps followed the course of the stream and filled the ravines.

olive-groves

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

From this reading The coast of Morea faces the north; so dense shadows still rested on the stony olive-groves and the dark foliage of the pink laurel and oleander bushes, whose dense clumps followed the course of the stream and filled the ravines.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The coast of Morea faces the north; so dense shadows still rested on the stony olive-groves and the dark foliage of the pink laurel and oleander bushes, whose dense clumps followed the course of the stream and filled the ravines.

parchedadjectiveUS /pɑːrtʃt/

dried out by heat or excessive exposure to sunlight

From this reading Bare, parched rocks rise in naked beauty at the north of the bay, and the rays of the young day-star shot golden threads through the light white mists, that floated around them.

passedverbUS /pæst/

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading Two years had passed.

Peloponnesusnoun

the southern peninsula of Greece; dominated by Sparta until the 4th century BC

From this reading The rippling waves of the placid sea, which here washed the sunny shores of Hellas, yonder the shady coasts of the Peloponnesus, glittered like fresh blooming blue-bottles.

pinknounUS /pɪŋk/

a light shade of red

From this reading The coast of Morea faces the north; so dense shadows still rested on the stony olive-groves and the dark foliage of the pink laurel and oleander bushes, whose dense clumps followed the course of the stream and filled the ravines.

placidadjectiveUS /ˈplæsəd/

(of a body of water) free from disturbance by heavy waves

From this reading The rippling waves of the placid sea, which here washed the sunny shores of Hellas, yonder the shady coasts of the Peloponnesus, glittered like fresh blooming blue-bottles.

ravinesnounUS /rəˈviːnz/

plural of “ravine” — a deep narrow steep-sided valley (especially one formed by running water)

From this reading The coast of Morea faces the north; so dense shadows still rested on the stony olive-groves and the dark foliage of the pink laurel and oleander bushes, whose dense clumps followed the course of the stream and filled the ravines.

raysnounUS /reɪz/

plural of “ray” — a column of light (as from a beacon)

From this reading Bare, parched rocks rise in naked beauty at the north of the bay, and the rays of the young day-star shot golden threads through the light white mists, that floated around them.

restedadjectiveUS /ˈrestəd/

not tired; refreshed as by sleeping or relaxing

From this reading The coast of Morea faces the north; so dense shadows still rested on the stony olive-groves and the dark foliage of the pink laurel and oleander bushes, whose dense clumps followed the course of the stream and filled the ravines.

ripplingnounUS /ˈrɪpəlɪŋ/

a small wave on the surface of a liquid

From this reading The rippling waves of the placid sea, which here washed the sunny shores of Hellas, yonder the shady coasts of the Peloponnesus, glittered like fresh blooming blue-bottles.

riseverbUS /raɪz/

move upward

From this reading Bare, parched rocks rise in naked beauty at the north of the bay, and the rays of the young day-star shot golden threads through the light white mists, that floated around them.

rocksnounUS /rɑːks/

plural of “rock” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading Bare, parched rocks rise in naked beauty at the north of the bay, and the rays of the young day-star shot golden threads through the light white mists, that floated around them.

rosenounUS /roʊz/

any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

From this reading A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.

seanounUS /siː/

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading The rippling waves of the placid sea, which here washed the sunny shores of Hellas, yonder the shady coasts of the Peloponnesus, glittered like fresh blooming blue-bottles.

shadowsnounUS /ˈʃædoʊz/

plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries

From this reading The coast of Morea faces the north; so dense shadows still rested on the stony olive-groves and the dark foliage of the pink laurel and oleander bushes, whose dense clumps followed the course of the stream and filled the ravines.

shadyadjectiveUS /ˈʃeɪdi/

quiet, dark, or concealed

From this reading The rippling waves of the placid sea, which here washed the sunny shores of Hellas, yonder the shady coasts of the Peloponnesus, glittered like fresh blooming blue-bottles.

shoresnounUS /ʃɔːrz/

plural of “shore” — the land along the edge of a body of water

From this reading The rippling waves of the placid sea, which here washed the sunny shores of Hellas, yonder the shady coasts of the Peloponnesus, glittered like fresh blooming blue-bottles.

shotnounUS /ʃɑːt/

the act of firing a projectile

From this reading Bare, parched rocks rise in naked beauty at the north of the bay, and the rays of the young day-star shot golden threads through the light white mists, that floated around them.

skynounUS /skaɪ/

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The coast of Morea faces the north; so dense shadows still rested on the stony olive-groves and the dark foliage of the pink laurel and oleander bushes, whose dense clumps followed the course of the stream and filled the ravines.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading The coast of Morea faces the north; so dense shadows still rested on the stony olive-groves and the dark foliage of the pink laurel and oleander bushes, whose dense clumps followed the course of the stream and filled the ravines.

stonyadjectiveUS /ˈstoʊni/

abounding in rocks or stones

From this reading The coast of Morea faces the north; so dense shadows still rested on the stony olive-groves and the dark foliage of the pink laurel and oleander bushes, whose dense clumps followed the course of the stream and filled the ravines.

straitnounUS /streɪt/

a narrow channel of the sea joining two larger bodies of water

From this reading A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.

streamnounUS /striːm/

a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth

From this reading The coast of Morea faces the north; so dense shadows still rested on the stony olive-groves and the dark foliage of the pink laurel and oleander bushes, whose dense clumps followed the course of the stream and filled the ravines.

sun'snounUS /sʌnz/

possessive form of “sun” — the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.

sunnyadjectiveUS /ˈsʌni/

bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer

From this reading The rippling waves of the placid sea, which here washed the sunny shores of Hellas, yonder the shady coasts of the Peloponnesus, glittered like fresh blooming blue-bottles.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Bare, parched rocks rise in naked beauty at the north of the bay, and the rays of the young day-star shot golden threads through the light white mists, that floated around them.

threadsnounUS /θredz/

informal terms for clothing

From this reading Bare, parched rocks rise in naked beauty at the north of the bay, and the rays of the young day-star shot golden threads through the light white mists, that floated around them.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Bare, parched rocks rise in naked beauty at the north of the bay, and the rays of the young day-star shot golden threads through the light white mists, that floated around them.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.

TwonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Two years had passed.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading A beautiful October day was dawning; no cloud dimmed the azure sky, and the sun's disk rose, glowing crimson, behind the narrow strait, that afforded ingress to the Gulf of Corinth.

washedadjectiveUS /wɑːʃt/

clean by virtue of having been washed in water

From this reading The rippling waves of the placid sea, which here washed the sunny shores of Hellas, yonder the shady coasts of the Peloponnesus, glittered like fresh blooming blue-bottles.

wavesnounUS /weɪvz/

plural of “wave” — one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)

From this reading The rippling waves of the placid sea, which here washed the sunny shores of Hellas, yonder the shady coasts of the Peloponnesus, glittered like fresh blooming blue-bottles.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading The rippling waves of the placid sea, which here washed the sunny shores of Hellas, yonder the shady coasts of the Peloponnesus, glittered like fresh blooming blue-bottles.

whitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading Bare, parched rocks rise in naked beauty at the north of the bay, and the rays of the young day-star shot golden threads through the light white mists, that floated around them.

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading The coast of Morea faces the north; so dense shadows still rested on the stony olive-groves and the dark foliage of the pink laurel and oleander bushes, whose dense clumps followed the course of the stream and filled the ravines.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading Two years had passed.

yonderadjectiveUS /ˈjɑːndər/

distant but within sight (“yon” is dialectal)

From this reading The rippling waves of the placid sea, which here washed the sunny shores of Hellas, yonder the shady coasts of the Peloponnesus, glittered like fresh blooming blue-bottles.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading Bare, parched rocks rise in naked beauty at the north of the bay, and the rays of the young day-star shot golden threads through the light white mists, that floated around them.

Chapter 23 of A Word, Only a Word — Complete by Georg Ebers holds 117 sentences, grouped into 24 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.

What does chapter 23 of A Word, Only a Word — Complete contain?

Chapter 23 holds 117 sentences of A Word, Only a Word — Complete, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 23 of A Word, Only a Word — Complete by Georg Ebers exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 117 sentences, grouped into 24 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.

How do I study chapter 23 of A Word, Only a Word — Complete?

Work through the 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 24 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.

Can chapter 23 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 23 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.

Questions about reading A Word, Only a Word — Complete

Common questions about reading A Word, Only a Word — Complete by Georg Ebers on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Word, Only a Word — Complete?

Yes. All 5123 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5577 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Word, Only a Word — Complete is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #5577, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Word, Only a Word — Complete take to read?

About 426 minutes of reading across 1025 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Word, Only a Word — Complete section by section

How to work through A Word, Only a Word — Complete section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 31 chapters of A Word, Only a Word — Complete to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in A Word, Only a Word — Complete

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Word, Only a Word — Complete, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Cried
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Word, Only a Word — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fresh
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Word, Only a Word — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Boyish
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Word, Only a Word — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Voice
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Word, Only a Word — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.