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Billy Topsail, M.D.
Billy Topsail, M.D.

Chapter XVII · 251

Chapter XVII of Billy Topsail, M.D., “251,” is here in full — 262 sentences across 53 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Norman Duncan • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Billy Topsail, M.D.
Context Illustration Reading 1/52 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
_In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.
The signs of a woman were like print--little tracks in the snow--a woman's little foot; and the snow was brushed by a skirt.
What woman?
A girl?
It was a romantic suggestion.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Billy Topsail, M.D.

Chapter XVII · 251

Chapter XVII of Billy Topsail, M.D., “251,” is here in full — 262 sentences across 53 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/52 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
_In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.
Line 2
The signs of a woman were like print--little tracks in the snow--a woman's little foot; and the snow was brushed by a skirt.
Line 3
What woman?
/wʌt ˈwʊmən/
Line 4
A girl?
/ə ɡɜːrl/
Line 5
It was a romantic suggestion.
/ɪt wɑːz ə roʊˈmæntɪk səˈdʒestʃən/

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.

brushed adjective US /brʌʃt/

touched lightly in passing; grazed against

From this reading “The signs of a woman were like print--little tracks in the snow--a woman's little foot; and the snow was brushed by a skirt.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Conclude verb US /kənˈkluːd/

decide by reasoning; draw or come to a conclusion

From this reading “_In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Confronted verb US /kənˈfrʌntəd/

past form of “confront” — oppose, as in hostility or a competition

From this reading “_In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Exercised verb US /ˈeksərsaɪzd/

past form of “exercise” — put to use

From this reading “_In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
print noun US /prɪnt/

the text appearing in a book, newspaper, or other printed publication

From this reading “The signs of a woman were like print--little tracks in the snow--a woman's little foot; and the snow was brushed by a skirt.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
skirt noun US /skɜːrt/

cloth covering that forms the part of a garment below the waist

From this reading “The signs of a woman were like print--little tracks in the snow--a woman's little foot; and the snow was brushed by a skirt.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tracks noun US /træks/

plural of “track” — a line or route along which something travels or moves

From this reading “The signs of a woman were like print--little tracks in the snow--a woman's little foot; and the snow was brushed by a skirt.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Wits noun US /wɪts/

the basic human power of intelligent thought and perception

From this reading “_In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

Confronted by verb + particle counted as “confront by”

In this reading “_In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.”

2,270 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 43

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 _In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading _In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Archie

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

From this reading _In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.

Pending verification
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading _In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BillynounUS /ˈbɪli/

a short stout club used primarily by policemen

From this reading _In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
brushedadjectiveUS /brʌʃt/

touched lightly in passing; grazed against

From this reading The signs of a woman were like print--little tracks in the snow--a woman's little foot; and the snow was brushed by a skirt.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading _In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ConcludeverbUS /kənˈkluːd/

decide by reasoning; draw or come to a conclusion

From this reading _In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ConfrontedverbUS /kənˈfrʌntəd/

past form of “confront” — oppose, as in hostility or a competition

From this reading _In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Cryptogramnoun

a piece of writing in code or cipher

From this reading _In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DesperateadjectiveUS /ˈdesprɪt/

arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope

From this reading _In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doingverbUS /ˈduːɪŋ/

-ing form of “do” — engage in

From this reading _In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ExercisedverbUS /ˈeksərsaɪzd/

past form of “exercise” — put to use

From this reading _In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
footnounUS /fʊt/

the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading The signs of a woman were like print--little tracks in the snow--a woman's little foot; and the snow was brushed by a skirt.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading A girl?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading _In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading _In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading _In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading _In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
LetternounUS /ˈletər/

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading _In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading The signs of a woman were like print--little tracks in the snow--a woman's little foot; and the snow was brushed by a skirt.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading The signs of a woman were like print--little tracks in the snow--a woman's little foot; and the snow was brushed by a skirt.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The signs of a woman were like print--little tracks in the snow--a woman's little foot; and the snow was brushed by a skirt.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OpenedadjectiveUS /ˈoʊpənd/

used of mouth or eyes

From this reading _In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
printnounUS /prɪnt/

the text appearing in a book, newspaper, or other printed publication

From this reading The signs of a woman were like print--little tracks in the snow--a woman's little foot; and the snow was brushed by a skirt.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
romanticadjectiveUS /roʊˈmæntɪk/

belonging to or characteristic of Romanticism or the Romantic Movement in the arts

From this reading It was a romantic suggestion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
signsnounUS /saɪnz/

plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)

From this reading The signs of a woman were like print--little tracks in the snow--a woman's little foot; and the snow was brushed by a skirt.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
skirtnounUS /skɜːrt/

cloth covering that forms the part of a garment below the waist

From this reading The signs of a woman were like print--little tracks in the snow--a woman's little foot; and the snow was brushed by a skirt.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
snownounUS /snoʊ/

precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals

From this reading The signs of a woman were like print--little tracks in the snow--a woman's little foot; and the snow was brushed by a skirt.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SomebodypronounUS /ˈsʌmbɑːdi/

a person, without saying who

From this reading _In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
suggestionnounUS /səˈdʒestʃən/

an idea that is suggested

From this reading It was a romantic suggestion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading _In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading _In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TheirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading _In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
tracksnounUS /træks/

plural of “track” — a line or route along which something travels or moves

From this reading The signs of a woman were like print--little tracks in the snow--a woman's little foot; and the snow was brushed by a skirt.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
TroublenounUS /ˈtrʌbəl/

a source of difficulty

From this reading _In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading _In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading The signs of a woman were like print--little tracks in the snow--a woman's little foot; and the snow was brushed by a skirt.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What woman?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WhichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading _In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WitsnounUS /wɪts/

the basic human power of intelligent thought and perception

From this reading _In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading The signs of a woman were like print--little tracks in the snow--a woman's little foot; and the snow was brushed by a skirt.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
woman'snounUS /ˈwʊmənz/

possessive form of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading _In Which the Letter is Opened, Billy and Archie are Confronted by a Cryptogram, and, Having Exercised Their Wits, Conclude that Somebody is in Desperate Trouble_ It was a woman's doing.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 17 of Billy Topsail, M.D. by Norman Duncan holds 262 sentences, grouped into 53 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 17 of Billy Topsail, M.D. contain?

Chapter 17 holds 262 sentences of Billy Topsail, M.D., unabridged, divided into 53 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of Billy Topsail, M.D. by Norman Duncan exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 262 sentences, grouped into 53 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 17 of Billy Topsail, M.D.?

Work through the 53 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 53 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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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 Billy Topsail, M.D.

Common questions about reading Billy Topsail, M.D. by Norman Duncan on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Billy Topsail, M.D.?

Yes. All 4201 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #47128 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Billy Topsail, M.D. is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #47128, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Billy Topsail, M.D. take to read?

About 350 minutes of reading across 841 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Billy Topsail, M.D. section by section

How to work through Billy Topsail, M.D. section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 20 chapters of Billy Topsail, M.D. 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 Billy Topsail, M.D.

Words and structures a reader meets early in Billy Topsail, M.D., each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Billy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Billy Topsail, M.D.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Topsail
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Billy Topsail, M.D.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Illustrated
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Billy Topsail, M.D.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cloth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Billy Topsail, M.D.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.