Chapter 27 of Big Laurel is here in full — 73 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVII
Chapter 27 of Big Laurel is here in full — 73 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Allston was facing the door when the two figures came out of the road. He sprang to his feet reaching for his automatic. Wilmer was bending over the fire. “What is it, Ned?” she asked, without turning. “I’m going outside a moment.
Chapter 27 of Big Laurel is here in full — 73 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/14 · 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.
operating with minimal human intervention; independent of external control
From this reading “He sprang to his feet reaching for his automatic.”
movement that causes the formation of a curve
From this reading “Wilmer was bending over the fire.”
a lining applied to the edge of a garment for ornamentation or strengthening
From this reading “Allston was facing the door when the two figures came out of the road.”
plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading “Allston was facing the door when the two figures came out of the road.”
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading ““I’m going outside a moment.”
the act of physically reaching or thrusting out
From this reading “He sprang to his feet reaching for his automatic.”
inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading “He sprang to his feet reaching for his automatic.”
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading ““What is it, Ned?” she asked, without turning.”
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 ““What is it, Ned?” she asked, without turning.”
appear or become visible; make a showing
In this reading “Allston was facing the door when the two figures came out of the road.”
In this reading “Allston was facing the door when the two figures came out of the road.”
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 “I’m going outside a moment.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Allston was facing the door when the two figures came out of the road.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “What is it, Ned?” she asked, without turning.
operating with minimal human intervention; independent of external control
From this reading He sprang to his feet reaching for his automatic.
movement that causes the formation of a curve
From this reading Wilmer was bending over the fire.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Allston was facing the door when the two figures came out of the road.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Allston was facing the door when the two figures came out of the road.
a lining applied to the edge of a garment for ornamentation or strengthening
From this reading Allston was facing the door when the two figures came out of the road.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading He sprang to his feet reaching for his automatic.
plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading Allston was facing the door when the two figures came out of the road.
start firing a weapon
From this reading Wilmer was bending over the fire.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He sprang to his feet reaching for his automatic.
the act of departing
From this reading “I’m going outside a moment.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He sprang to his feet reaching for his automatic.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He sprang to his feet reaching for his automatic.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’m going outside a moment.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “What is it, Ned?” she asked, without turning.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “What is it, Ned?” she asked, without turning.
a particular point in time
From this reading “I’m going outside a moment.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What is it, Ned?” she asked, without turning.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Allston was facing the door when the two figures came out of the road.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Allston was facing the door when the two figures came out of the road.
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading “I’m going outside a moment.
above and across; more than
From this reading Wilmer was bending over the fire.
the act of physically reaching or thrusting out
From this reading He sprang to his feet reaching for his automatic.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading Allston was facing the door when the two figures came out of the road.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “What is it, Ned?” she asked, without turning.
inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading He sprang to his feet reaching for his automatic.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Allston was facing the door when the two figures came out of the road.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He sprang to his feet reaching for his automatic.
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading “What is it, Ned?” she asked, without turning.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Allston was facing the door when the two figures came out of the road.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Allston was facing the door when the two figures came out of the road.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What is it, Ned?” she asked, without turning.
at the time that
From this reading Allston was facing the door when the two figures came out of the road.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Wilmer was bending over the fire.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading “What is it, Ned?” she asked, without turning.
Chapter 27 of Big Laurel by Frederick Orin Bartlett holds 73 sentences, grouped into 15 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 27 holds 73 sentences of Big Laurel, unabridged, divided into 15 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 27 of Big Laurel by Frederick Orin Bartlett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 73 sentences, grouped into 15 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 15 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 15 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 27 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 Big Laurel by Frederick Orin Bartlett on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4545 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #76048 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #76048, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 378 minutes of reading across 909 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Big Laurel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 27 chapters of Big Laurel 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 Big Laurel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
