Chapter 2 of Battle Out of Time is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Battle Out of Time is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
There was a guard in the corridor beyond the Queen's Megaron. Wordless, Burke flicked a glance at Ariadne. Her dark eyes flashed a daredevil acceptance of the challenge. Sliding past him, she swung the heavy door back so it hid him, then leaned against it, body arched in practiced coquetry. The spearman outside straightened just a fraction.
Chapter 2 of Battle Out of Time is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
the mental attitude that something is believable and should be accepted as true
From this reading “Her dark eyes flashed a daredevil acceptance of the challenge.”
constructed with or in the form of an arch or arches
From this reading “Sliding past him, she swung the heavy door back so it hid him, then leaned against it, body arched in practiced coquetry.”
beautiful daughter of Minos and Pasiphae; she fell in love with Theseus and gave him the thread with which he found his way out of the Minotaur's labyrinth
From this reading “Wordless, Burke flicked a glance at Ariadne.”
a reckless impetuous irresponsible person
From this reading “Her dark eyes flashed a daredevil acceptance of the challenge.”
a component of a mixture that has been separated by a fractional process
From this reading “The spearman outside straightened just a fraction.”
having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude
From this reading “Sliding past him, she swung the heavy door back so it hid him, then leaned against it, body arched in practiced coquetry.”
being a smooth continuous motion
From this reading “Sliding past him, she swung the heavy door back so it hid him, then leaned against it, body arched in practiced coquetry.”
expressed without speech
From this reading “Wordless, Burke flicked a glance at Ariadne.”
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.
rest on for support
In this reading “Sliding past him, she swung the heavy door back so it hid him, then leaned against it, body arched in practiced coquetry.”
In this reading “Wordless, Burke flicked a glance at Ariadne.”
In this reading “Her dark eyes flashed a daredevil acceptance of the challenge.”
In this reading “There was a guard in the corridor beyond the Queen's Megaron.”
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 There was a guard in the corridor beyond the Queen's Megaron.
the mental attitude that something is believable and should be accepted as true
From this reading Her dark eyes flashed a daredevil acceptance of the challenge.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Sliding past him, she swung the heavy door back so it hid him, then leaned against it, body arched in practiced coquetry.
constructed with or in the form of an arch or arches
From this reading Sliding past him, she swung the heavy door back so it hid him, then leaned against it, body arched in practiced coquetry.
beautiful daughter of Minos and Pasiphae; she fell in love with Theseus and gave him the thread with which he found his way out of the Minotaur's labyrinth
From this reading Wordless, Burke flicked a glance at Ariadne.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Wordless, Burke flicked a glance at Ariadne.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Sliding past him, she swung the heavy door back so it hid him, then leaned against it, body arched in practiced coquetry.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading There was a guard in the corridor beyond the Queen's Megaron.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading Sliding past him, she swung the heavy door back so it hid him, then leaned against it, body arched in practiced coquetry.
British statesman famous for his oratory; pleaded the cause of the American colonists in British Parliament and defended the parliamentary system (1729-1797)
From this reading Wordless, Burke flicked a glance at Ariadne.
take exception to
From this reading Her dark eyes flashed a daredevil acceptance of the challenge.
playful behavior intended to arouse sexual interest
From this reading Sliding past him, she swung the heavy door back so it hid him, then leaned against it, body arched in practiced coquetry.
an enclosed passageway; rooms usually open onto it
From this reading There was a guard in the corridor beyond the Queen's Megaron.
a reckless impetuous irresponsible person
From this reading Her dark eyes flashed a daredevil acceptance of the challenge.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Her dark eyes flashed a daredevil acceptance of the challenge.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Sliding past him, she swung the heavy door back so it hid him, then leaned against it, body arched in practiced coquetry.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Her dark eyes flashed a daredevil acceptance of the challenge.
past form of “flash” — gleam or glow intermittently
From this reading Her dark eyes flashed a daredevil acceptance of the challenge.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Wordless, Burke flicked a glance at Ariadne.
a component of a mixture that has been separated by a fractional process
From this reading The spearman outside straightened just a fraction.
throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading Wordless, Burke flicked a glance at Ariadne.
a person who keeps watch over something or someone
From this reading There was a guard in the corridor beyond the Queen's Megaron.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading Sliding past him, she swung the heavy door back so it hid him, then leaned against it, body arched in practiced coquetry.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Her dark eyes flashed a daredevil acceptance of the challenge.
inflected form of “hide” — prevent from being seen or discovered
From this reading Sliding past him, she swung the heavy door back so it hid him, then leaned against it, body arched in practiced coquetry.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Sliding past him, she swung the heavy door back so it hid him, then leaned against it, body arched in practiced coquetry.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There was a guard in the corridor beyond the Queen's Megaron.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Sliding past him, she swung the heavy door back so it hid him, then leaned against it, body arched in practiced coquetry.
and nothing more
From this reading The spearman outside straightened just a fraction.
past form of “lean” — to incline or bend from a vertical position
From this reading Sliding past him, she swung the heavy door back so it hid him, then leaned against it, body arched in practiced coquetry.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a guard in the corridor beyond the Queen's Megaron.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Her dark eyes flashed a daredevil acceptance of the challenge.
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading The spearman outside straightened just a fraction.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading Sliding past him, she swung the heavy door back so it hid him, then leaned against it, body arched in practiced coquetry.
having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude
From this reading Sliding past him, she swung the heavy door back so it hid him, then leaned against it, body arched in practiced coquetry.
possessive form of “queen” — the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs
From this reading There was a guard in the corridor beyond the Queen's Megaron.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Sliding past him, she swung the heavy door back so it hid him, then leaned against it, body arched in practiced coquetry.
being a smooth continuous motion
From this reading Sliding past him, she swung the heavy door back so it hid him, then leaned against it, body arched in practiced coquetry.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Sliding past him, she swung the heavy door back so it hid him, then leaned against it, body arched in practiced coquetry.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The spearman outside straightened just a fraction.
past form of “straighten” — straighten up or out; make straight
From this reading The spearman outside straightened just a fraction.
inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading Sliding past him, she swung the heavy door back so it hid him, then leaned against it, body arched in practiced coquetry.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There was a guard in the corridor beyond the Queen's Megaron.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Sliding past him, she swung the heavy door back so it hid him, then leaned against it, body arched in practiced coquetry.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was a guard in the corridor beyond the Queen's Megaron.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was a guard in the corridor beyond the Queen's Megaron.
expressed without speech
From this reading Wordless, Burke flicked a glance at Ariadne.
Chapter 2 of Battle Out of Time by Dwight V. Swain holds 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 2 holds 408 sentences of Battle Out of Time, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Battle Out of Time by Dwight V. Swain exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 Battle Out of Time by Dwight V. Swain on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1932 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #65394 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #65394, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 161 minutes of reading across 387 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Battle Out of Time section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 8 chapters of Battle Out of Time 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 Battle Out of Time, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
