Chapter 21 of All Taut is here in full — 443 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXI
Chapter 21 of All Taut is here in full — 443 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
TOM TOPOVER'S RECEPTION. "Sixty dollars!" exclaimed Captain Gildrock, when he had looked over the roll of bills handed him by Bent Fillwing. "Why do you give this money to me?" "Doesn't it belong to you, sir?" asked Bent, who had put on the meekest expression he could find among his resources. "I am not aware that it does.
Chapter 21 of All Taut is here in full — 443 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/88 · 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.
(sometimes followed by “of”) having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception
From this reading “"I am not aware that it does.”
be owned by; be in the possession of
From this reading “"Doesn't it belong to you, sir?" asked Bent, who had put on the meekest expression he could find among his resources.”
plural of “bill” — a statute in draft before it becomes law
From this reading “"Sixty dollars!" exclaimed Captain Gildrock, when he had looked over the roll of bills handed him by Bent Fillwing.”
having or involving the use of hands
From this reading “"Sixty dollars!" exclaimed Captain Gildrock, when he had looked over the roll of bills handed him by Bent Fillwing.”
the manner in which something is greeted
From this reading “TOM TOPOVER'S RECEPTION.”
plural of “resource” — available source of wealth; a new or reserve supply that can be drawn upon when needed
From this reading “"Doesn't it belong to you, sir?" asked Bent, who had put on the meekest expression he could find among his resources.”
move by turning over or rotating
From this reading “"Sixty dollars!" exclaimed Captain Gildrock, when he had looked over the roll of bills handed him by Bent Fillwing.”
being ten more than fifty
From this reading “"Sixty dollars!" exclaimed Captain Gildrock, when he had looked over the roll of bills handed him by Bent Fillwing.”
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 “"Sixty dollars!" exclaimed Captain Gildrock, when he had looked over the roll of bills handed him by Bent Fillwing.”
put clothing on one's body
In this reading “"Doesn't it belong to you, sir?" asked Bent, who had put on the meekest expression he could find among his resources.”
In this reading “"Sixty dollars!" exclaimed Captain Gildrock, when he had looked over the roll of bills handed him by Bent Fillwing.”
In this reading “"Sixty dollars!" exclaimed Captain Gildrock, when he had looked over the roll of bills handed him by Bent Fillwing.”
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.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "I am not aware that it does.
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading "Doesn't it belong to you, sir?" asked Bent, who had put on the meekest expression he could find among his resources.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Doesn't it belong to you, sir?" asked Bent, who had put on the meekest expression he could find among his resources.
(sometimes followed by “of”) having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception
From this reading "I am not aware that it does.
be owned by; be in the possession of
From this reading "Doesn't it belong to you, sir?" asked Bent, who had put on the meekest expression he could find among his resources.
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading "Sixty dollars!" exclaimed Captain Gildrock, when he had looked over the roll of bills handed him by Bent Fillwing.
plural of “bill” — a statute in draft before it becomes law
From this reading "Sixty dollars!" exclaimed Captain Gildrock, when he had looked over the roll of bills handed him by Bent Fillwing.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "Sixty dollars!" exclaimed Captain Gildrock, when he had looked over the roll of bills handed him by Bent Fillwing.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading "Sixty dollars!" exclaimed Captain Gildrock, when he had looked over the roll of bills handed him by Bent Fillwing.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading "Doesn't it belong to you, sir?" asked Bent, who had put on the meekest expression he could find among his resources.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Why do you give this money to me?"
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I am not aware that it does.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Doesn't it belong to you, sir?" asked Bent, who had put on the meekest expression he could find among his resources.
plural of “dollar” — the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 cents
From this reading "Sixty dollars!" exclaimed Captain Gildrock, when he had looked over the roll of bills handed him by Bent Fillwing.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading "Sixty dollars!" exclaimed Captain Gildrock, when he had looked over the roll of bills handed him by Bent Fillwing.
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading "Doesn't it belong to you, sir?" asked Bent, who had put on the meekest expression he could find among his resources.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Sixty dollars!" exclaimed Captain Gildrock, when he had looked over the roll of bills handed him by Bent Fillwing.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading "Doesn't it belong to you, sir?" asked Bent, who had put on the meekest expression he could find among his resources.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Sixty dollars!" exclaimed Captain Gildrock, when he had looked over the roll of bills handed him by Bent Fillwing.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading "Why do you give this money to me?"
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "Sixty dollars!" exclaimed Captain Gildrock, when he had looked over the roll of bills handed him by Bent Fillwing.
having or involving the use of hands
From this reading "Sixty dollars!" exclaimed Captain Gildrock, when he had looked over the roll of bills handed him by Bent Fillwing.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Sixty dollars!" exclaimed Captain Gildrock, when he had looked over the roll of bills handed him by Bent Fillwing.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Sixty dollars!" exclaimed Captain Gildrock, when he had looked over the roll of bills handed him by Bent Fillwing.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Doesn't it belong to you, sir?" asked Bent, who had put on the meekest expression he could find among his resources.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I am not aware that it does.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Doesn't it belong to you, sir?" asked Bent, who had put on the meekest expression he could find among his resources.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading "Sixty dollars!" exclaimed Captain Gildrock, when he had looked over the roll of bills handed him by Bent Fillwing.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Why do you give this money to me?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Doesn't it belong to you, sir?" asked Bent, who had put on the meekest expression he could find among his resources.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading "Why do you give this money to me?"
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "I am not aware that it does.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Sixty dollars!" exclaimed Captain Gildrock, when he had looked over the roll of bills handed him by Bent Fillwing.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "Doesn't it belong to you, sir?" asked Bent, who had put on the meekest expression he could find among his resources.
above and across; more than
From this reading "Sixty dollars!" exclaimed Captain Gildrock, when he had looked over the roll of bills handed him by Bent Fillwing.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading "Doesn't it belong to you, sir?" asked Bent, who had put on the meekest expression he could find among his resources.
the manner in which something is greeted
From this reading TOM TOPOVER'S RECEPTION.
plural of “resource” — available source of wealth; a new or reserve supply that can be drawn upon when needed
From this reading "Doesn't it belong to you, sir?" asked Bent, who had put on the meekest expression he could find among his resources.
move by turning over or rotating
From this reading "Sixty dollars!" exclaimed Captain Gildrock, when he had looked over the roll of bills handed him by Bent Fillwing.
term of address for a man
From this reading "Doesn't it belong to you, sir?" asked Bent, who had put on the meekest expression he could find among his resources.
being ten more than fifty
From this reading "Sixty dollars!" exclaimed Captain Gildrock, when he had looked over the roll of bills handed him by Bent Fillwing.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "I am not aware that it does.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Sixty dollars!" exclaimed Captain Gildrock, when he had looked over the roll of bills handed him by Bent Fillwing.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "Why do you give this money to me?"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Why do you give this money to me?"
male cat
From this reading TOM TOPOVER'S RECEPTION.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading TOM TOPOVER'S RECEPTION.
at the time that
From this reading "Sixty dollars!" exclaimed Captain Gildrock, when he had looked over the roll of bills handed him by Bent Fillwing.
which person or people
From this reading "Doesn't it belong to you, sir?" asked Bent, who had put on the meekest expression he could find among his resources.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why do you give this money to me?"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Why do you give this money to me?"
Chapter 21 of All Taut by Oliver Optic holds 443 sentences, grouped into 89 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 21 holds 443 sentences of All Taut, unabridged, divided into 89 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 21 of All Taut by Oliver Optic exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 443 sentences, grouped into 89 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 89 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 89 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 21 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 All Taut by Oliver Optic on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3619 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54945 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #54945, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 301 minutes of reading across 724 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through All Taut section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 21 chapters of All Taut 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 All Taut, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
