Chapter 15 of Gossamer is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XV
Chapter 15 of Gossamer is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Gorman’s play achieved a second success. The Parthenon was crammed every night, and it was the play, not the pretty dresses or the dancing, which filled the house. Gorman made money, considerable sums of money. I know this because he called on me one morning in the middle of July and told me so. He did more.
Chapter 15 of Gossamer is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
past form of “achieve” — to gain with effort
From this reading “Gorman’s play achieved a second success.”
large or relatively large in number or amount or extent or degree
From this reading “Gorman made money, considerable sums of money.”
inflected form of “cram” — crowd or pack to capacity
From this reading “The Parthenon was crammed every night, and it was the play, not the pretty dresses or the dancing, which filled the house.”
taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music
From this reading “The Parthenon was crammed every night, and it was the play, not the pretty dresses or the dancing, which filled the house.”
plural of “dress” — a one-piece garment for a woman; has skirt and bodice
From this reading “The Parthenon was crammed every night, and it was the play, not the pretty dresses or the dancing, which filled the house.”
the month following June and preceding August
From this reading “I know this because he called on me one morning in the middle of July and told me so.”
the main temple of the goddess Athena; built on the acropolis in Athens more than 400 years B.C.; example of Doric architecture
From this reading “The Parthenon was crammed every night, and it was the play, not the pretty dresses or the dancing, which filled the house.”
plural of “sum” — a quantity of money
From this reading “Gorman made money, considerable sums of money.”
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 Gorman’s play achieved a second success.
past form of “achieve” — to gain with effort
From this reading Gorman’s play achieved a second success.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Parthenon was crammed every night, and it was the play, not the pretty dresses or the dancing, which filled the house.
for the reason that
From this reading I know this because he called on me one morning in the middle of July and told me so.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading I know this because he called on me one morning in the middle of July and told me so.
large or relatively large in number or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Gorman made money, considerable sums of money.
inflected form of “cram” — crowd or pack to capacity
From this reading The Parthenon was crammed every night, and it was the play, not the pretty dresses or the dancing, which filled the house.
taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music
From this reading The Parthenon was crammed every night, and it was the play, not the pretty dresses or the dancing, which filled the house.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He did more.
plural of “dress” — a one-piece garment for a woman; has skirt and bodice
From this reading The Parthenon was crammed every night, and it was the play, not the pretty dresses or the dancing, which filled the house.
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading The Parthenon was crammed every night, and it was the play, not the pretty dresses or the dancing, which filled the house.
(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with
From this reading The Parthenon was crammed every night, and it was the play, not the pretty dresses or the dancing, which filled the house.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Gorman made money, considerable sums of money.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Gorman’s play achieved a second success.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I know this because he called on me one morning in the middle of July and told me so.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The Parthenon was crammed every night, and it was the play, not the pretty dresses or the dancing, which filled the house.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I know this because he called on me one morning in the middle of July and told me so.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I know this because he called on me one morning in the middle of July and told me so.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The Parthenon was crammed every night, and it was the play, not the pretty dresses or the dancing, which filled the house.
the month following June and preceding August
From this reading I know this because he called on me one morning in the middle of July and told me so.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I know this because he called on me one morning in the middle of July and told me so.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Gorman made money, considerable sums of money.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I know this because he called on me one morning in the middle of July and told me so.
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading I know this because he called on me one morning in the middle of July and told me so.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading Gorman made money, considerable sums of money.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading He did more.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading I know this because he called on me one morning in the middle of July and told me so.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading The Parthenon was crammed every night, and it was the play, not the pretty dresses or the dancing, which filled the house.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The Parthenon was crammed every night, and it was the play, not the pretty dresses or the dancing, which filled the house.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Gorman made money, considerable sums of money.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I know this because he called on me one morning in the middle of July and told me so.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading I know this because he called on me one morning in the middle of July and told me so.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The Parthenon was crammed every night, and it was the play, not the pretty dresses or the dancing, which filled the house.
the main temple of the goddess Athena; built on the acropolis in Athens more than 400 years B.C.; example of Doric architecture
From this reading The Parthenon was crammed every night, and it was the play, not the pretty dresses or the dancing, which filled the house.
participate in games or sport
From this reading Gorman’s play achieved a second success.
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading The Parthenon was crammed every night, and it was the play, not the pretty dresses or the dancing, which filled the house.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading Gorman’s play achieved a second success.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading I know this because he called on me one morning in the middle of July and told me so.
an event that accomplishes its intended purpose
From this reading Gorman’s play achieved a second success.
plural of “sum” — a quantity of money
From this reading Gorman made money, considerable sums of money.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Parthenon was crammed every night, and it was the play, not the pretty dresses or the dancing, which filled the house.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading I know this because he called on me one morning in the middle of July and told me so.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading I know this because he called on me one morning in the middle of July and told me so.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The Parthenon was crammed every night, and it was the play, not the pretty dresses or the dancing, which filled the house.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The Parthenon was crammed every night, and it was the play, not the pretty dresses or the dancing, which filled the house.
Chapter 15 of Gossamer by George A. Birmingham holds 413 sentences, grouped into 83 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 15 holds 413 sentences of Gossamer, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 15 of Gossamer by George A. Birmingham exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 413 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 15 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 Gossamer by George A. Birmingham on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5373 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24394 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #24394, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 447 minutes of reading across 1075 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Gossamer section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 19 chapters of Gossamer 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 Gossamer, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
