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Before Adam
Before Adam

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of Before Adam is here in full — 105 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Before Adam
Context Illustration Reading 1/21 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Of our wanderings in the great swamp I have no clear knowledge.
When I strive to remember, I have a riot of unrelated impressions and a loss of time-value.
I have no idea of how long we were in that vast everglade, but it must have been for weeks.
My memories of what occurred invariably take the form of nightmare.
For untold ages, oppressed by protean fear, I am aware of wandering, endlessly wandering, through a dank and soggy wilderness, where poisonous snakes struck at us, and animals roared around us, and the mud quaked under us and sucked at our heels.
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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.

Before Adam

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of Before Adam is here in full — 105 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/21 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Of our wanderings in the great swamp I have no clear knowledge.
Line 2
When I strive to remember, I have a riot of unrelated impressions and a loss of time-value.
Line 3
I have no idea of how long we were in that vast everglade, but it must have been for weeks.
Line 4
My memories of what occurred invariably take the form of nightmare.
Line 5
For untold ages, oppressed by protean fear, I am aware of wandering, endlessly wandering, through a dank and soggy wilderness, where poisonous snakes struck at us, and animals roared around us, and the mud quaked under us and sucked at our heels.

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.

Memories noun US /ˈmɛm.ə.riz/

Recollections of past events.

From this reading “My memories of what occurred invariably take the form of nightmare.”

Nightmare noun US /ˈnaɪt.mɛr/

A terrifying or distressing dream.

From this reading “My memories of what occurred invariably take the form of nightmare.”

Remember verb US /rɪˈmɛm.bər/

To recall to mind.

From this reading “When I strive to remember, I have a riot of unrelated impressions and a loss of time-value.”

All words in this reading · 73

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.

a

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

From this reading When I strive to remember, I have a riot of unrelated impressions and a loss of time-value.

ages

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

From this reading For untold ages, oppressed by protean fear, I am aware of wandering, endlessly wandering, through a dank and soggy wilderness, where poisonous snakes struck at us, and animals roared around us, and the mud quaked under us and sucked at our heels.

am

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

From this reading For untold ages, oppressed by protean fear, I am aware of wandering, endlessly wandering, through a dank and soggy wilderness, where poisonous snakes struck at us, and animals roared around us, and the mud quaked under us and sucked at our heels.

and

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

From this reading When I strive to remember, I have a riot of unrelated impressions and a loss of time-value.

animals

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

From this reading For untold ages, oppressed by protean fear, I am aware of wandering, endlessly wandering, through a dank and soggy wilderness, where poisonous snakes struck at us, and animals roared around us, and the mud quaked under us and sucked at our heels.

around

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

From this reading For untold ages, oppressed by protean fear, I am aware of wandering, endlessly wandering, through a dank and soggy wilderness, where poisonous snakes struck at us, and animals roared around us, and the mud quaked under us and sucked at our heels.

at

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

From this reading For untold ages, oppressed by protean fear, I am aware of wandering, endlessly wandering, through a dank and soggy wilderness, where poisonous snakes struck at us, and animals roared around us, and the mud quaked under us and sucked at our heels.

aware

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

From this reading For untold ages, oppressed by protean fear, I am aware of wandering, endlessly wandering, through a dank and soggy wilderness, where poisonous snakes struck at us, and animals roared around us, and the mud quaked under us and sucked at our heels.

been

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

From this reading I have no idea of how long we were in that vast everglade, but it must have been for weeks.

but

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

From this reading I have no idea of how long we were in that vast everglade, but it must have been for weeks.

by

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

From this reading For untold ages, oppressed by protean fear, I am aware of wandering, endlessly wandering, through a dank and soggy wilderness, where poisonous snakes struck at us, and animals roared around us, and the mud quaked under us and sucked at our heels.

clear

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

From this reading Of our wanderings in the great swamp I have no clear knowledge.

dank

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

From this reading For untold ages, oppressed by protean fear, I am aware of wandering, endlessly wandering, through a dank and soggy wilderness, where poisonous snakes struck at us, and animals roared around us, and the mud quaked under us and sucked at our heels.

endlessly

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

From this reading For untold ages, oppressed by protean fear, I am aware of wandering, endlessly wandering, through a dank and soggy wilderness, where poisonous snakes struck at us, and animals roared around us, and the mud quaked under us and sucked at our heels.

everglade

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

From this reading I have no idea of how long we were in that vast everglade, but it must have been for weeks.

fear

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

From this reading For untold ages, oppressed by protean fear, I am aware of wandering, endlessly wandering, through a dank and soggy wilderness, where poisonous snakes struck at us, and animals roared around us, and the mud quaked under us and sucked at our heels.

for

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

From this reading I have no idea of how long we were in that vast everglade, but it must have been for weeks.

form

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

From this reading My memories of what occurred invariably take the form of nightmare.

great

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

From this reading Of our wanderings in the great swamp I have no clear knowledge.

have

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

From this reading Of our wanderings in the great swamp I have no clear knowledge.

heels

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

From this reading For untold ages, oppressed by protean fear, I am aware of wandering, endlessly wandering, through a dank and soggy wilderness, where poisonous snakes struck at us, and animals roared around us, and the mud quaked under us and sucked at our heels.

how

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

From this reading I have no idea of how long we were in that vast everglade, but it must have been for weeks.

I

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

From this reading Of our wanderings in the great swamp I have no clear knowledge.

idea

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

From this reading I have no idea of how long we were in that vast everglade, but it must have been for weeks.

impressions

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

From this reading When I strive to remember, I have a riot of unrelated impressions and a loss of time-value.

in

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

From this reading Of our wanderings in the great swamp I have no clear knowledge.

invariably

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

From this reading My memories of what occurred invariably take the form of nightmare.

it

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

From this reading I have no idea of how long we were in that vast everglade, but it must have been for weeks.

knowledge

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

From this reading Of our wanderings in the great swamp I have no clear knowledge.

long

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

From this reading I have no idea of how long we were in that vast everglade, but it must have been for weeks.

loss

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

From this reading When I strive to remember, I have a riot of unrelated impressions and a loss of time-value.

memoriesnounUS /ˈmɛm.ə.riz/

Recollections of past events.

From this reading My memories of what occurred invariably take the form of nightmare.

mud

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

From this reading For untold ages, oppressed by protean fear, I am aware of wandering, endlessly wandering, through a dank and soggy wilderness, where poisonous snakes struck at us, and animals roared around us, and the mud quaked under us and sucked at our heels.

must

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

From this reading I have no idea of how long we were in that vast everglade, but it must have been for weeks.

My

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

From this reading My memories of what occurred invariably take the form of nightmare.

nightmarenounUS /ˈnaɪt.mɛr/

A terrifying or distressing dream.

From this reading My memories of what occurred invariably take the form of nightmare.

no

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

From this reading Of our wanderings in the great swamp I have no clear knowledge.

occurred

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

From this reading My memories of what occurred invariably take the form of nightmare.

Of

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

From this reading Of our wanderings in the great swamp I have no clear knowledge.

oppressed

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

From this reading For untold ages, oppressed by protean fear, I am aware of wandering, endlessly wandering, through a dank and soggy wilderness, where poisonous snakes struck at us, and animals roared around us, and the mud quaked under us and sucked at our heels.

our

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

From this reading Of our wanderings in the great swamp I have no clear knowledge.

poisonous

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

From this reading For untold ages, oppressed by protean fear, I am aware of wandering, endlessly wandering, through a dank and soggy wilderness, where poisonous snakes struck at us, and animals roared around us, and the mud quaked under us and sucked at our heels.

protean

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

From this reading For untold ages, oppressed by protean fear, I am aware of wandering, endlessly wandering, through a dank and soggy wilderness, where poisonous snakes struck at us, and animals roared around us, and the mud quaked under us and sucked at our heels.

quaked

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

From this reading For untold ages, oppressed by protean fear, I am aware of wandering, endlessly wandering, through a dank and soggy wilderness, where poisonous snakes struck at us, and animals roared around us, and the mud quaked under us and sucked at our heels.

rememberverbUS /rɪˈmɛm.bər/

To recall to mind.

From this reading When I strive to remember, I have a riot of unrelated impressions and a loss of time-value.

riot

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

From this reading When I strive to remember, I have a riot of unrelated impressions and a loss of time-value.

roared

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

From this reading For untold ages, oppressed by protean fear, I am aware of wandering, endlessly wandering, through a dank and soggy wilderness, where poisonous snakes struck at us, and animals roared around us, and the mud quaked under us and sucked at our heels.

snakes

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

From this reading For untold ages, oppressed by protean fear, I am aware of wandering, endlessly wandering, through a dank and soggy wilderness, where poisonous snakes struck at us, and animals roared around us, and the mud quaked under us and sucked at our heels.

soggy

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

From this reading For untold ages, oppressed by protean fear, I am aware of wandering, endlessly wandering, through a dank and soggy wilderness, where poisonous snakes struck at us, and animals roared around us, and the mud quaked under us and sucked at our heels.

strive

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

From this reading When I strive to remember, I have a riot of unrelated impressions and a loss of time-value.

struck

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

From this reading For untold ages, oppressed by protean fear, I am aware of wandering, endlessly wandering, through a dank and soggy wilderness, where poisonous snakes struck at us, and animals roared around us, and the mud quaked under us and sucked at our heels.

sucked

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

From this reading For untold ages, oppressed by protean fear, I am aware of wandering, endlessly wandering, through a dank and soggy wilderness, where poisonous snakes struck at us, and animals roared around us, and the mud quaked under us and sucked at our heels.

swamp

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

From this reading Of our wanderings in the great swamp I have no clear knowledge.

take

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

From this reading My memories of what occurred invariably take the form of nightmare.

that

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

From this reading I have no idea of how long we were in that vast everglade, but it must have been for weeks.

the

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

From this reading Of our wanderings in the great swamp I have no clear knowledge.

through

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

From this reading For untold ages, oppressed by protean fear, I am aware of wandering, endlessly wandering, through a dank and soggy wilderness, where poisonous snakes struck at us, and animals roared around us, and the mud quaked under us and sucked at our heels.

time-value

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

From this reading When I strive to remember, I have a riot of unrelated impressions and a loss of time-value.

to

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

From this reading When I strive to remember, I have a riot of unrelated impressions and a loss of time-value.

under

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

From this reading For untold ages, oppressed by protean fear, I am aware of wandering, endlessly wandering, through a dank and soggy wilderness, where poisonous snakes struck at us, and animals roared around us, and the mud quaked under us and sucked at our heels.

unrelated

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

From this reading When I strive to remember, I have a riot of unrelated impressions and a loss of time-value.

untold

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

From this reading For untold ages, oppressed by protean fear, I am aware of wandering, endlessly wandering, through a dank and soggy wilderness, where poisonous snakes struck at us, and animals roared around us, and the mud quaked under us and sucked at our heels.

us

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

From this reading For untold ages, oppressed by protean fear, I am aware of wandering, endlessly wandering, through a dank and soggy wilderness, where poisonous snakes struck at us, and animals roared around us, and the mud quaked under us and sucked at our heels.

vast

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

From this reading I have no idea of how long we were in that vast everglade, but it must have been for weeks.

wandering

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

From this reading For untold ages, oppressed by protean fear, I am aware of wandering, endlessly wandering, through a dank and soggy wilderness, where poisonous snakes struck at us, and animals roared around us, and the mud quaked under us and sucked at our heels.

wanderings

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

From this reading Of our wanderings in the great swamp I have no clear knowledge.

we

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

From this reading I have no idea of how long we were in that vast everglade, but it must have been for weeks.

weeks

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

From this reading I have no idea of how long we were in that vast everglade, but it must have been for weeks.

were

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

From this reading I have no idea of how long we were in that vast everglade, but it must have been for weeks.

what

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

From this reading My memories of what occurred invariably take the form of nightmare.

When

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

From this reading When I strive to remember, I have a riot of unrelated impressions and a loss of time-value.

where

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

From this reading For untold ages, oppressed by protean fear, I am aware of wandering, endlessly wandering, through a dank and soggy wilderness, where poisonous snakes struck at us, and animals roared around us, and the mud quaked under us and sucked at our heels.

wilderness

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

From this reading For untold ages, oppressed by protean fear, I am aware of wandering, endlessly wandering, through a dank and soggy wilderness, where poisonous snakes struck at us, and animals roared around us, and the mud quaked under us and sucked at our heels.

Chapter 18 of Before Adam by Jack London holds 105 sentences, grouped into 21 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.

What does chapter 18 of Before Adam contain?

Chapter 18 holds 105 sentences of Before Adam, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of Before Adam by Jack London exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 105 sentences, grouped into 21 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 18 of Before Adam?

Work through the 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 21 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 18 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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 Before Adam

Common questions about reading Before Adam by Jack London on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Before Adam?

Yes. All 2488 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #310 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Before Adam is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #310, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Before Adam take to read?

About 207 minutes of reading across 498 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Before Adam section by section

How to work through Before Adam section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 18 chapters of Before Adam 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 Before Adam

Words and structures a reader meets early in Before Adam, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Pictures
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Before Adam; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Often
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Before Adam; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Learned
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Before Adam; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wonder
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Before Adam; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.