Chapter 3 of Cobwebs from an Empty Skull is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Cobwebs from an Empty Skull is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"A bad case of _cancer_," was the complacent reply. "Good!" returned the doctor; "I'll _cure_ you, my friend." So saying, he conducted his facetious patient into the kitchen, and potted him in pickle. It cured him--of practical jocularity. May the fable heal _you_, if you are afflicted with that form of evil.
Chapter 3 of Cobwebs from an Empty Skull is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
grievously affected especially by disease
From this reading “May the fable heal _you_, if you are afflicted with that form of evil.”
any malignant growth or tumor caused by abnormal and uncontrolled cell division; it may spread to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system or the blood stream
contented to a fault with oneself or one's actions
From this reading “"A bad case of _cancer_," was the complacent reply.”
a deliberately false or improbable account
From this reading “May the fable heal _you_, if you are afflicted with that form of evil.”
cleverly amusing in tone
From this reading “So saying, he conducted his facetious patient into the kitchen, and potted him in pickle.”
heal or recover
From this reading “May the fable heal _you_, if you are afflicted with that form of evil.”
vegetables (especially cucumbers) preserved in brine or vinegar
From this reading “So saying, he conducted his facetious patient into the kitchen, and potted him in pickle.”
of plants; planted or grown in a pot
From this reading “So saying, he conducted his facetious patient into the kitchen, and potted him in pickle.”
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 "A bad case of _cancer_," was the complacent reply.
grievously affected especially by disease
From this reading May the fable heal _you_, if you are afflicted with that form of evil.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading So saying, he conducted his facetious patient into the kitchen, and potted him in pickle.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading May the fable heal _you_, if you are afflicted with that form of evil.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading "A bad case of _cancer_," was the complacent reply.
any malignant growth or tumor caused by abnormal and uncontrolled cell division; it may spread to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system or the blood stream
From this reading "A bad case of _cancer_," was the complacent reply.
an occurrence of something
From this reading "A bad case of _cancer_," was the complacent reply.
contented to a fault with oneself or one's actions
From this reading "A bad case of _cancer_," was the complacent reply.
past form of “conduct” — direct the course of; manage or control
From this reading So saying, he conducted his facetious patient into the kitchen, and potted him in pickle.
provide a cure for, make healthy again
From this reading "Good!" returned the doctor; "I'll _cure_ you, my friend."
freed from illness or injury
From this reading It cured him--of practical jocularity.
a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading "Good!" returned the doctor; "I'll _cure_ you, my friend."
morally objectionable behavior
From this reading May the fable heal _you_, if you are afflicted with that form of evil.
a deliberately false or improbable account
From this reading May the fable heal _you_, if you are afflicted with that form of evil.
cleverly amusing in tone
From this reading So saying, he conducted his facetious patient into the kitchen, and potted him in pickle.
the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading May the fable heal _you_, if you are afflicted with that form of evil.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading "Good!" returned the doctor; "I'll _cure_ you, my friend."
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading "Good!" returned the doctor; "I'll _cure_ you, my friend."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading So saying, he conducted his facetious patient into the kitchen, and potted him in pickle.
heal or recover
From this reading May the fable heal _you_, if you are afflicted with that form of evil.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading So saying, he conducted his facetious patient into the kitchen, and potted him in pickle.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading So saying, he conducted his facetious patient into the kitchen, and potted him in pickle.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Good!" returned the doctor; "I'll _cure_ you, my friend."
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading May the fable heal _you_, if you are afflicted with that form of evil.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading So saying, he conducted his facetious patient into the kitchen, and potted him in pickle.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading So saying, he conducted his facetious patient into the kitchen, and potted him in pickle.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It cured him--of practical jocularity.
a feeling facetious merriment
From this reading It cured him--of practical jocularity.
a room equipped for preparing meals
From this reading So saying, he conducted his facetious patient into the kitchen, and potted him in pickle.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading May the fable heal _you_, if you are afflicted with that form of evil.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Good!" returned the doctor; "I'll _cure_ you, my friend."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "A bad case of _cancer_," was the complacent reply.
a person who requires medical care
From this reading So saying, he conducted his facetious patient into the kitchen, and potted him in pickle.
vegetables (especially cucumbers) preserved in brine or vinegar
From this reading So saying, he conducted his facetious patient into the kitchen, and potted him in pickle.
of plants; planted or grown in a pot
From this reading So saying, he conducted his facetious patient into the kitchen, and potted him in pickle.
concerned with actual use or practice
From this reading It cured him--of practical jocularity.
a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading "A bad case of _cancer_," was the complacent reply.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading "Good!" returned the doctor; "I'll _cure_ you, my friend."
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading So saying, he conducted his facetious patient into the kitchen, and potted him in pickle.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So saying, he conducted his facetious patient into the kitchen, and potted him in pickle.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading May the fable heal _you_, if you are afflicted with that form of evil.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "A bad case of _cancer_," was the complacent reply.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "A bad case of _cancer_," was the complacent reply.
in the company of; together with
From this reading May the fable heal _you_, if you are afflicted with that form of evil.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Good!" returned the doctor; "I'll _cure_ you, my friend."
Chapter 3 of Cobwebs from an Empty Skull by Ambrose Bierce holds 402 sentences, grouped into 81 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 3 holds 402 sentences of Cobwebs from an Empty Skull, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Cobwebs from an Empty Skull by Ambrose Bierce exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 402 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 3 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 Cobwebs from an Empty Skull by Ambrose Bierce on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2914 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12793 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #12793, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 242 minutes of reading across 583 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Cobwebs from an Empty Skull section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 7 chapters of Cobwebs from an Empty Skull 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 Cobwebs from an Empty Skull, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
