Chapter 1 of Ethan Frome is here in full — 441 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Ethan Frome is here in full — 441 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Then a man’s figure approached, coming so close to her that under their formless wrappings they seemed merged in one dim outline. “Gentleman friend gone back on you? Say, Matt, that’s tough! No, I wouldn’t be mean enough to tell the other girls. I ain’t as low-down as that.”
Chapter 1 of Ethan Frome is here in full — 441 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 59/88 · 5 reading units · Lines 291–295
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.
past form of “approach” — move towards
From this reading “Then a man’s figure approached, coming so close to her that under their formless wrappings they seemed merged in one dim outline.”
lacking in light; not bright or harsh
From this reading “Then a man’s figure approached, coming so close to her that under their formless wrappings they seemed merged in one dim outline.”
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading “No, I wouldn’t be mean enough to tell the other girls.”
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
the property of having little or no contrast; lacking highlights or gloss
From this reading “Say, Matt, that’s tough!”
formed or united into a whole
From this reading “Then a man’s figure approached, coming so close to her that under their formless wrappings they seemed merged in one dim outline.”
the line that appears to bound an object
From this reading “Then a man’s figure approached, coming so close to her that under their formless wrappings they seemed merged in one dim outline.”
not given to gentleness or sentimentality
From this reading “Say, Matt, that’s tough!”
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 Then a man’s figure approached, coming so close to her that under their formless wrappings they seemed merged in one dim outline.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I ain’t as low-down as that.”
past form of “approach” — move towards
From this reading Then a man’s figure approached, coming so close to her that under their formless wrappings they seemed merged in one dim outline.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I ain’t as low-down as that.”
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading “Gentleman friend gone back on you?
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading No, I wouldn’t be mean enough to tell the other girls.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading Then a man’s figure approached, coming so close to her that under their formless wrappings they seemed merged in one dim outline.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading Then a man’s figure approached, coming so close to her that under their formless wrappings they seemed merged in one dim outline.
lacking in light; not bright or harsh
From this reading Then a man’s figure approached, coming so close to her that under their formless wrappings they seemed merged in one dim outline.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading No, I wouldn’t be mean enough to tell the other girls.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading Then a man’s figure approached, coming so close to her that under their formless wrappings they seemed merged in one dim outline.
having no definite form or distinct shape
From this reading Then a man’s figure approached, coming so close to her that under their formless wrappings they seemed merged in one dim outline.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading “Gentleman friend gone back on you?
a man of refinement
From this reading “Gentleman friend gone back on you?
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading No, I wouldn’t be mean enough to tell the other girls.
destroyed or killed
From this reading “Gentleman friend gone back on you?
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Then a man’s figure approached, coming so close to her that under their formless wrappings they seemed merged in one dim outline.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading No, I wouldn’t be mean enough to tell the other girls.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Then a man’s figure approached, coming so close to her that under their formless wrappings they seemed merged in one dim outline.
of the most contemptible kind
From this reading I ain’t as low-down as that.”
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Then a man’s figure approached, coming so close to her that under their formless wrappings they seemed merged in one dim outline.
the property of having little or no contrast; lacking highlights or gloss
From this reading Say, Matt, that’s tough!
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading No, I wouldn’t be mean enough to tell the other girls.
formed or united into a whole
From this reading Then a man’s figure approached, coming so close to her that under their formless wrappings they seemed merged in one dim outline.
not any; not one
From this reading No, I wouldn’t be mean enough to tell the other girls.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “Gentleman friend gone back on you?
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Then a man’s figure approached, coming so close to her that under their formless wrappings they seemed merged in one dim outline.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading No, I wouldn’t be mean enough to tell the other girls.
the line that appears to bound an object
From this reading Then a man’s figure approached, coming so close to her that under their formless wrappings they seemed merged in one dim outline.
express in words
From this reading Say, Matt, that’s tough!
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Then a man’s figure approached, coming so close to her that under their formless wrappings they seemed merged in one dim outline.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Then a man’s figure approached, coming so close to her that under their formless wrappings they seemed merged in one dim outline.
express in words
From this reading No, I wouldn’t be mean enough to tell the other girls.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Then a man’s figure approached, coming so close to her that under their formless wrappings they seemed merged in one dim outline.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Say, Matt, that’s tough!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading No, I wouldn’t be mean enough to tell the other girls.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Then a man’s figure approached, coming so close to her that under their formless wrappings they seemed merged in one dim outline.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then a man’s figure approached, coming so close to her that under their formless wrappings they seemed merged in one dim outline.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then a man’s figure approached, coming so close to her that under their formless wrappings they seemed merged in one dim outline.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Then a man’s figure approached, coming so close to her that under their formless wrappings they seemed merged in one dim outline.
not given to gentleness or sentimentality
From this reading Say, Matt, that’s tough!
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Then a man’s figure approached, coming so close to her that under their formless wrappings they seemed merged in one dim outline.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No, I wouldn’t be mean enough to tell the other girls.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then a man’s figure approached, coming so close to her that under their formless wrappings they seemed merged in one dim outline.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Gentleman friend gone back on you?
Chapter 1 of Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton holds 441 sentences, grouped into 89 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 441 sentences of Ethan Frome, unabridged, divided into 89 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 441 sentences, grouped into 89 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 89 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 89 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 Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1758 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4517 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #4517, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 146 minutes of reading across 352 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Ethan Frome section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 4 chapters of Ethan Frome 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 Ethan Frome, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
