Chapter 1 of Contraband is here in full — 88 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Contraband is here in full — 88 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A Losing Hazard. AUTHOR OF "DIGBY GRAND," "CERISE," "THE WHITE ROSE," ETC. _NEW EDITION._ LONDON: CHAPMAN AND HALL, 193, PICCADILLY. 1871. "In confidence, Mrs. Lascelles, of course.
Chapter 1 of Contraband is here in full — 88 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/17 · 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.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading “AUTHOR OF "DIGBY GRAND," "CERISE," "THE WHITE ROSE," ETC.”
a red the color of ripe cherries
From this reading “AUTHOR OF "DIGBY GRAND," "CERISE," "THE WHITE ROSE," ETC.”
United States pioneer who planted apple trees as he traveled (1774-1845)
From this reading “_NEW EDITION._ LONDON: CHAPMAN AND HALL, 193, PICCADILLY.”
freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities
From this reading “"In confidence, Mrs. Lascelles, of course.”
the form in which a text (especially a printed book) is published
From this reading “_NEW EDITION._ LONDON: CHAPMAN AND HALL, 193, PICCADILLY.”
of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope
From this reading “AUTHOR OF "DIGBY GRAND," "CERISE," "THE WHITE ROSE," ETC.”
a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune
From this reading “A Losing Hazard.”
-ing form of “lose” — fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
From this reading “A Losing Hazard.”
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.
a publication (such as a book) that has been modified or updated and offered again for sale
In this reading “_NEW EDITION._ LONDON: CHAPMAN AND HALL, 193, PICCADILLY.”
as might be expected
In this reading “"In confidence, Mrs. Lascelles, of course.”
In this reading “AUTHOR OF "DIGBY GRAND," "CERISE," "THE WHITE ROSE," ETC.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 1871.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _NEW EDITION._ LONDON: CHAPMAN AND HALL, 193, PICCADILLY.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A Losing Hazard.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _NEW EDITION._ LONDON: CHAPMAN AND HALL, 193, PICCADILLY.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading AUTHOR OF "DIGBY GRAND," "CERISE," "THE WHITE ROSE," ETC.
a red the color of ripe cherries
From this reading AUTHOR OF "DIGBY GRAND," "CERISE," "THE WHITE ROSE," ETC.
United States pioneer who planted apple trees as he traveled (1774-1845)
From this reading _NEW EDITION._ LONDON: CHAPMAN AND HALL, 193, PICCADILLY.
freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities
From this reading "In confidence, Mrs. Lascelles, of course.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading "In confidence, Mrs. Lascelles, of course.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AUTHOR OF "DIGBY GRAND," "CERISE," "THE WHITE ROSE," ETC.
the form in which a text (especially a printed book) is published
From this reading _NEW EDITION._ LONDON: CHAPMAN AND HALL, 193, PICCADILLY.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AUTHOR OF "DIGBY GRAND," "CERISE," "THE WHITE ROSE," ETC.
of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope
From this reading AUTHOR OF "DIGBY GRAND," "CERISE," "THE WHITE ROSE," ETC.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading _NEW EDITION._ LONDON: CHAPMAN AND HALL, 193, PICCADILLY.
a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune
From this reading A Losing Hazard.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "In confidence, Mrs. Lascelles, of course.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "In confidence, Mrs. Lascelles, of course.
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading _NEW EDITION._ LONDON: CHAPMAN AND HALL, 193, PICCADILLY.
-ing form of “lose” — fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
From this reading A Losing Hazard.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading "In confidence, Mrs. Lascelles, of course.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading _NEW EDITION._ LONDON: CHAPMAN AND HALL, 193, PICCADILLY.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading AUTHOR OF "DIGBY GRAND," "CERISE," "THE WHITE ROSE," ETC.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _NEW EDITION._ LONDON: CHAPMAN AND HALL, 193, PICCADILLY.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading AUTHOR OF "DIGBY GRAND," "CERISE," "THE WHITE ROSE," ETC.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading AUTHOR OF "DIGBY GRAND," "CERISE," "THE WHITE ROSE," ETC.
a Caucasian
From this reading AUTHOR OF "DIGBY GRAND," "CERISE," "THE WHITE ROSE," ETC.
Chapter 1 of Contraband by G. J. (George John) Whyte-Melville holds 88 sentences, grouped into 18 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 1 holds 88 sentences of Contraband, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Contraband by G. J. (George John) Whyte-Melville exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 88 sentences, grouped into 18 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 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 18 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 1 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 Contraband by G. J. (George John) Whyte-Melville on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4688 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #41418 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #41418, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 390 minutes of reading across 938 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Contraband section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 32 chapters of Contraband 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 Contraband, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
