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Definition
Definition

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Definition is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Definition
Context Illustration Reading 1/83 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Man, _n._ A pentagonal, dipolar, monoplane dominant, of intelligence 96, native of District 10039817.
Unabsorbed.
It is a truism that a human being can get used to very nearly everything.
The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.
And Charles Samson, seven hundred years later, looked past his long nose at a scene of equal majesty--our galaxy, viewed from a ship in mid-arc--in a similar frame of mind.
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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.

Definition

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Definition is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Man, _n._ A pentagonal, dipolar, monoplane dominant, of intelligence 96, native of District 10039817.
Line 2
Unabsorbed.
Line 3
It is a truism that a human being can get used to very nearly everything.
/ɪt ɪz ə ˈtruːɪzəm ðæt ə ˈhjuːmən ˈbiːɪŋ kæn ɡet juːzd tuː ˈveri ˈnɪrli ˈevriθɪŋ/
Line 4
The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.
Line 5
And Charles Samson, seven hundred years later, looked past his long nose at a scene of equal majesty--our galaxy, viewed from a ship in mid-arc--in a similar frame of mind.

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.

dominant adjective US /ˈdɑːmənənt/

exercising influence or control

From this reading “Man, _n._ A pentagonal, dipolar, monoplane dominant, of intelligence 96, native of District 10039817.”

Eskimo noun US /ˈeskəmoʊ/

a member of a people inhabiting the Arctic (northern Canada or Greenland or Alaska or eastern Siberia); the Algonquians called them Eskimo (“eaters of raw flesh”) but they call themselves the Inuit (“the people”)

From this reading “The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.”

galaxy noun US /ˈɡæləksi/

a splendid assemblage (especially of famous people)

From this reading “And Charles Samson, seven hundred years later, looked past his long nose at a scene of equal majesty--our galaxy, viewed from a ship in mid-arc--in a similar frame of mind.”

meditating verb US /ˈmedəteɪtɪŋ/

-ing form of “meditate” — reflect deeply on a subject

From this reading “The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.”

monoplane noun US /ˈmɑːnəpleɪn/

an airplane with a single wing

From this reading “Man, _n._ A pentagonal, dipolar, monoplane dominant, of intelligence 96, native of District 10039817.”

Samson noun US /ˈsæmsən/

(Old Testament) a judge of Israel who performed herculean feats of strength against the Philistines until he was betrayed to them by his mistress Delilah

From this reading “And Charles Samson, seven hundred years later, looked past his long nose at a scene of equal majesty--our galaxy, viewed from a ship in mid-arc--in a similar frame of mind.”

truism noun US /ˈtruːɪzəm/

an obvious truth

From this reading “It is a truism that a human being can get used to very nearly everything.”

vastness noun US /ˈvæstnəs/

unusual largeness in size or extent or number

From this reading “The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.”

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.

seven hundred noun + noun

In this reading “And Charles Samson, seven hundred years later, looked past his long nose at a scene of equal majesty--our galaxy, viewed from a ship in mid-arc--in a similar frame of mind.”

hundred years noun + noun

In this reading “And Charles Samson, seven hundred years later, looked past his long nose at a scene of equal majesty--our galaxy, viewed from a ship in mid-arc--in a similar frame of mind.”

meditating upon verb + particle counted as “meditate upon”

In this reading “The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.”

get used verb + adjective

In this reading “It is a truism that a human being can get used to very nearly everything.”

frame of verb + particle

In this reading “And Charles Samson, seven hundred years later, looked past his long nose at a scene of equal majesty--our galaxy, viewed from a ship in mid-arc--in a similar frame of mind.”

All words in this reading · 77

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.

10039817

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

From this reading Man, _n._ A pentagonal, dipolar, monoplane dominant, of intelligence 96, native of District 10039817.

96

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

From this reading Man, _n._ A pentagonal, dipolar, monoplane dominant, of intelligence 96, native of District 10039817.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Man, _n._ A pentagonal, dipolar, monoplane dominant, of intelligence 96, native of District 10039817.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading And Charles Samson, seven hundred years later, looked past his long nose at a scene of equal majesty--our galaxy, viewed from a ship in mid-arc--in a similar frame of mind.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading It is a truism that a human being can get used to very nearly everything.

belly-down

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

From this reading The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading It is a truism that a human being can get used to very nearly everything.

CharlesnounUS /tʃɑːrlz/

King of France from 1560 to 1574 whose reign was dominated by his mother Catherine de Medicis (1550-1574)

From this reading And Charles Samson, seven hundred years later, looked past his long nose at a scene of equal majesty--our galaxy, viewed from a ship in mid-arc--in a similar frame of mind.

dinnernounUS /ˈdɪnər/

the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday

From this reading The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.

dipolaradjective

having equal and opposite electric charges or magnetic poles having opposite signs and separated by a small distance

From this reading Man, _n._ A pentagonal, dipolar, monoplane dominant, of intelligence 96, native of District 10039817.

DistrictnounUS /ˈdɪstrɪkt/

a region marked off for administrative or other purposes

From this reading Man, _n._ A pentagonal, dipolar, monoplane dominant, of intelligence 96, native of District 10039817.

dominantadjectiveUS /ˈdɑːmənənt/

exercising influence or control

From this reading Man, _n._ A pentagonal, dipolar, monoplane dominant, of intelligence 96, native of District 10039817.

equalverbUS /ˈiːkwəl/

be identical or equivalent to

From this reading And Charles Samson, seven hundred years later, looked past his long nose at a scene of equal majesty--our galaxy, viewed from a ship in mid-arc--in a similar frame of mind.

EskimonounUS /ˈeskəmoʊ/

a member of a people inhabiting the Arctic (northern Canada or Greenland or Alaska or eastern Siberia); the Algonquians called them Eskimo (“eaters of raw flesh”) but they call themselves the Inuit (“the people”)

From this reading The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.

everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading It is a truism that a human being can get used to very nearly everything.

frameverbUS /freɪm/

enclose in or as if in a frame

From this reading And Charles Samson, seven hundred years later, looked past his long nose at a scene of equal majesty--our galaxy, viewed from a ship in mid-arc--in a similar frame of mind.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading And Charles Samson, seven hundred years later, looked past his long nose at a scene of equal majesty--our galaxy, viewed from a ship in mid-arc--in a similar frame of mind.

galaxynounUS /ˈɡæləksi/

a splendid assemblage (especially of famous people)

From this reading And Charles Samson, seven hundred years later, looked past his long nose at a scene of equal majesty--our galaxy, viewed from a ship in mid-arc--in a similar frame of mind.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading It is a truism that a human being can get used to very nearly everything.

hardyadjectiveUS /ˈhɑːrdi/

having rugged physical strength; inured to fatigue or hardships

From this reading The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.

humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/

characteristic of humanity

From this reading It is a truism that a human being can get used to very nearly everything.

hundrednounUS /ˈhʌndrəd/

ten 10s

From this reading And Charles Samson, seven hundred years later, looked past his long nose at a scene of equal majesty--our galaxy, viewed from a ship in mid-arc--in a similar frame of mind.

icenounUS /aɪs/

water frozen in the solid state

From this reading The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.

inscrutabilitynoun

the quality of being impossible to investigate

From this reading The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.

intelligencenounUS /ˌɪnˈtelədʒəns/

the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience

From this reading Man, _n._ A pentagonal, dipolar, monoplane dominant, of intelligence 96, native of District 10039817.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It is a truism that a human being can get used to very nearly everything.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is a truism that a human being can get used to very nearly everything.

lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading And Charles Samson, seven hundred years later, looked past his long nose at a scene of equal majesty--our galaxy, viewed from a ship in mid-arc--in a similar frame of mind.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading And Charles Samson, seven hundred years later, looked past his long nose at a scene of equal majesty--our galaxy, viewed from a ship in mid-arc--in a similar frame of mind.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading And Charles Samson, seven hundred years later, looked past his long nose at a scene of equal majesty--our galaxy, viewed from a ship in mid-arc--in a similar frame of mind.

lyingnounUS /ˈlaɪɪŋ/

the deliberate act of deviating from the truth

From this reading The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.

majestynounUS /ˈmædʒəsti/

impressiveness in scale or proportion

From this reading And Charles Samson, seven hundred years later, looked past his long nose at a scene of equal majesty--our galaxy, viewed from a ship in mid-arc--in a similar frame of mind.

MannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Man, _n._ A pentagonal, dipolar, monoplane dominant, of intelligence 96, native of District 10039817.

meditatingverbUS /ˈmedəteɪtɪŋ/

-ing form of “meditate” — reflect deeply on a subject

From this reading The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.

mid-arc

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

From this reading And Charles Samson, seven hundred years later, looked past his long nose at a scene of equal majesty--our galaxy, viewed from a ship in mid-arc--in a similar frame of mind.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading And Charles Samson, seven hundred years later, looked past his long nose at a scene of equal majesty--our galaxy, viewed from a ship in mid-arc--in a similar frame of mind.

monoplanenounUS /ˈmɑːnəpleɪn/

an airplane with a single wing

From this reading Man, _n._ A pentagonal, dipolar, monoplane dominant, of intelligence 96, native of District 10039817.

nnounUS /en/

a common nonmetallic element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless inert diatomic gas; constitutes 78 percent of the atmosphere by volume; a constituent of all living tissues

From this reading Man, _n._ A pentagonal, dipolar, monoplane dominant, of intelligence 96, native of District 10039817.

nativeadjectiveUS /ˈneɪtɪv/

characteristic of or existing by virtue of geographic origin

From this reading Man, _n._ A pentagonal, dipolar, monoplane dominant, of intelligence 96, native of District 10039817.

nearlyadverbUS /ˈnɪrli/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading It is a truism that a human being can get used to very nearly everything.

nosenounUS /noʊz/

the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals

From this reading And Charles Samson, seven hundred years later, looked past his long nose at a scene of equal majesty--our galaxy, viewed from a ship in mid-arc--in a similar frame of mind.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Man, _n._ A pentagonal, dipolar, monoplane dominant, of intelligence 96, native of District 10039817.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading And Charles Samson, seven hundred years later, looked past his long nose at a scene of equal majesty--our galaxy, viewed from a ship in mid-arc--in a similar frame of mind.

pastnounUS /pæst/

the time that has elapsed

From this reading And Charles Samson, seven hundred years later, looked past his long nose at a scene of equal majesty--our galaxy, viewed from a ship in mid-arc--in a similar frame of mind.

pentagonaladjective

of or relating to or shaped like a pentagon

From this reading Man, _n._ A pentagonal, dipolar, monoplane dominant, of intelligence 96, native of District 10039817.

plainadjectiveUS /pleɪn/

clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

From this reading The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.

probablyadverbUS /ˈprɑːbəbliː/

with considerable certainty; without much doubt

From this reading The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.

SamsonnounUS /ˈsæmsən/

(Old Testament) a judge of Israel who performed herculean feats of strength against the Philistines until he was betrayed to them by his mistress Delilah

From this reading And Charles Samson, seven hundred years later, looked past his long nose at a scene of equal majesty--our galaxy, viewed from a ship in mid-arc--in a similar frame of mind.

scenenounUS /siːn/

the place where some action occurs

From this reading And Charles Samson, seven hundred years later, looked past his long nose at a scene of equal majesty--our galaxy, viewed from a ship in mid-arc--in a similar frame of mind.

sevennounUS /ˈsevən/

the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one

From this reading And Charles Samson, seven hundred years later, looked past his long nose at a scene of equal majesty--our galaxy, viewed from a ship in mid-arc--in a similar frame of mind.

shipverbUS /ʃɪp/

transport commercially

From this reading And Charles Samson, seven hundred years later, looked past his long nose at a scene of equal majesty--our galaxy, viewed from a ship in mid-arc--in a similar frame of mind.

similaradjectiveUS /ˈsɪmələr/

marked by correspondence or resemblance

From this reading And Charles Samson, seven hundred years later, looked past his long nose at a scene of equal majesty--our galaxy, viewed from a ship in mid-arc--in a similar frame of mind.

skynounUS /skaɪ/

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.

spentadjectiveUS /spent/

depleted of energy, force, or strength

From this reading The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.

stretchedadjectiveUS /stretʃt/

(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching

From this reading The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It is a truism that a human being can get used to very nearly everything.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.

thinkingnounUS /ˈθɪŋkɪŋ/

the process of using your mind to consider something carefully

From this reading The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading It is a truism that a human being can get used to very nearly everything.

truismnounUS /ˈtruːɪzəm/

an obvious truth

From this reading It is a truism that a human being can get used to very nearly everything.

Unabsorbed

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

From this reading Unabsorbed.

unbrokenadjectiveUS /ənˈbroʊkən/

marked by continuous or uninterrupted extension in space or time or sequence

From this reading The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.

UniversenounUS /ˈjuːnəvɜːrs/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.

usedadjectiveUS /juːzd/

employed in accomplishing something

From this reading It is a truism that a human being can get used to very nearly everything.

vastnessnounUS /ˈvæstnəs/

unusual largeness in size or extent or number

From this reading The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading It is a truism that a human being can get used to very nearly everything.

viewedverbUS /vjuːd/

past form of “view” — deem to be

From this reading And Charles Samson, seven hundred years later, looked past his long nose at a scene of equal majesty--our galaxy, viewed from a ship in mid-arc--in a similar frame of mind.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The hardy Eskimo, lying belly-down on a plain of ice that stretched unbroken to the sky, probably spent little of his time in meditating upon the vastness and inscrutability of the Universe ... he was thinking of his dinner.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading And Charles Samson, seven hundred years later, looked past his long nose at a scene of equal majesty--our galaxy, viewed from a ship in mid-arc--in a similar frame of mind.

Chapter 1 of Definition by Damon Knight holds 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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 1 of Definition contain?

Chapter 1 holds 418 sentences of Definition, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Definition by Damon Knight exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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 1 of Definition?

Work through the 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 84 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 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Definition

Common questions about reading Definition by Damon Knight on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Definition?

Yes. All 418 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #69009 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Definition is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #69009, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Definition take to read?

About 34 minutes of reading across 84 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Definition section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 1 chapters of Definition 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 Definition

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

Pentagonal
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Definition; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Dipolar
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Definition; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Monoplane
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Definition; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Dominant
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Definition; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.