Chapter 5 of Frank Merriwell's Nobility is here in full — 220 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Frank Merriwell's Nobility is here in full — 220 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE SUPERSTITIOUS MAN. A little man hesitated outside the door when it was opened. He had a sad, uncertain, mournful drab face, puckered into a peculiar expression about the mouth. He was dressed in black, but his clothes were not a very good fit or in the latest style. He fingered his hat nervously.
Chapter 5 of Frank Merriwell's Nobility is here in full — 220 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/44 · 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.
lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise
From this reading “He had a sad, uncertain, mournful drab face, puckered into a peculiar expression about the mouth.”
having or resembling a finger or fingers; often used in combination
From this reading “He fingered his hat nervously.”
past form of “hesitate” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading “A little man hesitated outside the door when it was opened.”
up to the immediate present; most recent or most up-to-date
From this reading “He was dressed in black, but his clothes were not a very good fit or in the latest style.”
expressing sorrow
From this reading “He had a sad, uncertain, mournful drab face, puckered into a peculiar expression about the mouth.”
in an anxiously nervous manner
From this reading “He fingered his hat nervously.”
showing ignorance of the laws of nature and faith in magic or chance
From this reading “THE SUPERSTITIOUS MAN.”
lacking or indicating lack of confidence or assurance
From this reading “He had a sad, uncertain, mournful drab face, puckered into a peculiar expression about the mouth.”
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 little man hesitated outside the door when it was opened.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He had a sad, uncertain, mournful drab face, puckered into a peculiar expression about the mouth.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading He was dressed in black, but his clothes were not a very good fit or in the latest style.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He was dressed in black, but his clothes were not a very good fit or in the latest style.
clothing in general
From this reading He was dressed in black, but his clothes were not a very good fit or in the latest style.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading A little man hesitated outside the door when it was opened.
lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise
From this reading He had a sad, uncertain, mournful drab face, puckered into a peculiar expression about the mouth.
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading He was dressed in black, but his clothes were not a very good fit or in the latest style.
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading He had a sad, uncertain, mournful drab face, puckered into a peculiar expression about the mouth.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading He had a sad, uncertain, mournful drab face, puckered into a peculiar expression about the mouth.
having or resembling a finger or fingers; often used in combination
From this reading He fingered his hat nervously.
be agreeable or acceptable to
From this reading He was dressed in black, but his clothes were not a very good fit or in the latest style.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading He was dressed in black, but his clothes were not a very good fit or in the latest style.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had a sad, uncertain, mournful drab face, puckered into a peculiar expression about the mouth.
headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim
From this reading He fingered his hat nervously.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had a sad, uncertain, mournful drab face, puckered into a peculiar expression about the mouth.
past form of “hesitate” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading A little man hesitated outside the door when it was opened.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He was dressed in black, but his clothes were not a very good fit or in the latest style.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He was dressed in black, but his clothes were not a very good fit or in the latest style.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading He had a sad, uncertain, mournful drab face, puckered into a peculiar expression about the mouth.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading A little man hesitated outside the door when it was opened.
up to the immediate present; most recent or most up-to-date
From this reading He was dressed in black, but his clothes were not a very good fit or in the latest style.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading A little man hesitated outside the door when it was opened.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading THE SUPERSTITIOUS MAN.
expressing sorrow
From this reading He had a sad, uncertain, mournful drab face, puckered into a peculiar expression about the mouth.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading He had a sad, uncertain, mournful drab face, puckered into a peculiar expression about the mouth.
in an anxiously nervous manner
From this reading He fingered his hat nervously.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He was dressed in black, but his clothes were not a very good fit or in the latest style.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading A little man hesitated outside the door when it was opened.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading He was dressed in black, but his clothes were not a very good fit or in the latest style.
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading A little man hesitated outside the door when it was opened.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading He had a sad, uncertain, mournful drab face, puckered into a peculiar expression about the mouth.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had a sad, uncertain, mournful drab face, puckered into a peculiar expression about the mouth.
experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness
From this reading He had a sad, uncertain, mournful drab face, puckered into a peculiar expression about the mouth.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading He was dressed in black, but his clothes were not a very good fit or in the latest style.
showing ignorance of the laws of nature and faith in magic or chance
From this reading THE SUPERSTITIOUS MAN.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE SUPERSTITIOUS MAN.
lacking or indicating lack of confidence or assurance
From this reading He had a sad, uncertain, mournful drab face, puckered into a peculiar expression about the mouth.
precisely as stated
From this reading He was dressed in black, but his clothes were not a very good fit or in the latest style.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A little man hesitated outside the door when it was opened.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He was dressed in black, but his clothes were not a very good fit or in the latest style.
at the time that
From this reading A little man hesitated outside the door when it was opened.
Chapter 5 of Frank Merriwell's Nobility by Burt L. Standish holds 220 sentences, grouped into 44 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 5 holds 220 sentences of Frank Merriwell's Nobility, unabridged, divided into 44 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Frank Merriwell's Nobility by Burt L. Standish exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 220 sentences, grouped into 44 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 44 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 44 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 5 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 Frank Merriwell's Nobility by Burt L. Standish on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1669 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #10904 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #10904, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 139 minutes of reading across 334 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Frank Merriwell's Nobility section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 15 chapters of Frank Merriwell's Nobility 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 Frank Merriwell's Nobility, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
