Chapter 10 of In a Yellow Wood is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter X
Chapter 10 of In a Yellow Wood is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
His hips were heavy and feminine. His hands and feet were tiny; he was very proud of them, for he gestured with his hands and pirouetted on the tips of his dainty feet. His breasts were the breasts of a woman. Methodically he danced. With an obscene grace he moved about the stage, moved like a yielding woman exulting in her passivity.
Chapter 10 of In a Yellow Wood is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
plural of “breast” — the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen
From this reading “His breasts were the breasts of a woman.”
joyful and proud especially because of triumph or success
From this reading “With an obscene grace he moved about the stage, moved like a yielding woman exulting in her passivity.”
past form of “gesture” — show, express or direct through movement
From this reading “His hands and feet were tiny; he was very proud of them, for he gestured with his hands and pirouetted on the tips of his dainty feet.”
plural of “hip” — either side of the body below the waist and above the thigh
From this reading “His hips were heavy and feminine.”
in a methodical manner
From this reading “Methodically he danced.”
designed to incite to indecency or lust
From this reading “With an obscene grace he moved about the stage, moved like a yielding woman exulting in her passivity.”
the trait of remaining inactive; a lack of initiative
From this reading “With an obscene grace he moved about the stage, moved like a yielding woman exulting in her passivity.”
plural of “tip” — the extreme end of something; especially something pointed
From this reading “His hands and feet were tiny; he was very proud of them, for he gestured with his hands and pirouetted on the tips of his dainty feet.”
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.
In this reading “His hands and feet were tiny; he was very proud of them, for he gestured with his hands and pirouetted on the tips of his dainty feet.”
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 His breasts were the breasts of a woman.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading With an obscene grace he moved about the stage, moved like a yielding woman exulting in her passivity.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading With an obscene grace he moved about the stage, moved like a yielding woman exulting in her passivity.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading His hips were heavy and feminine.
plural of “breast” — the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen
From this reading His breasts were the breasts of a woman.
delicately beautiful
From this reading His hands and feet were tiny; he was very proud of them, for he gestured with his hands and pirouetted on the tips of his dainty feet.
past form of “dance” — move in a graceful and rhythmical way
From this reading Methodically he danced.
joyful and proud especially because of triumph or success
From this reading With an obscene grace he moved about the stage, moved like a yielding woman exulting in her passivity.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading His hands and feet were tiny; he was very proud of them, for he gestured with his hands and pirouetted on the tips of his dainty feet.
associated with women and not with men
From this reading His hips were heavy and feminine.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading His hands and feet were tiny; he was very proud of them, for he gestured with his hands and pirouetted on the tips of his dainty feet.
past form of “gesture” — show, express or direct through movement
From this reading His hands and feet were tiny; he was very proud of them, for he gestured with his hands and pirouetted on the tips of his dainty feet.
(Christian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who is under such divine influence
From this reading With an obscene grace he moved about the stage, moved like a yielding woman exulting in her passivity.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading His hands and feet were tiny; he was very proud of them, for he gestured with his hands and pirouetted on the tips of his dainty feet.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading His hands and feet were tiny; he was very proud of them, for he gestured with his hands and pirouetted on the tips of his dainty feet.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading His hips were heavy and feminine.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading With an obscene grace he moved about the stage, moved like a yielding woman exulting in her passivity.
plural of “hip” — either side of the body below the waist and above the thigh
From this reading His hips were heavy and feminine.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His hips were heavy and feminine.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading With an obscene grace he moved about the stage, moved like a yielding woman exulting in her passivity.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading With an obscene grace he moved about the stage, moved like a yielding woman exulting in her passivity.
in a methodical manner
From this reading Methodically he danced.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading With an obscene grace he moved about the stage, moved like a yielding woman exulting in her passivity.
designed to incite to indecency or lust
From this reading With an obscene grace he moved about the stage, moved like a yielding woman exulting in her passivity.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading His hands and feet were tiny; he was very proud of them, for he gestured with his hands and pirouetted on the tips of his dainty feet.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading His hands and feet were tiny; he was very proud of them, for he gestured with his hands and pirouetted on the tips of his dainty feet.
the trait of remaining inactive; a lack of initiative
From this reading With an obscene grace he moved about the stage, moved like a yielding woman exulting in her passivity.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His hands and feet were tiny; he was very proud of them, for he gestured with his hands and pirouetted on the tips of his dainty feet.
feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride
From this reading His hands and feet were tiny; he was very proud of them, for he gestured with his hands and pirouetted on the tips of his dainty feet.
any distinct time period in a sequence of events
From this reading With an obscene grace he moved about the stage, moved like a yielding woman exulting in her passivity.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading His hands and feet were tiny; he was very proud of them, for he gestured with his hands and pirouetted on the tips of his dainty feet.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading His hands and feet were tiny; he was very proud of them, for he gestured with his hands and pirouetted on the tips of his dainty feet.
very small
From this reading His hands and feet were tiny; he was very proud of them, for he gestured with his hands and pirouetted on the tips of his dainty feet.
plural of “tip” — the extreme end of something; especially something pointed
From this reading His hands and feet were tiny; he was very proud of them, for he gestured with his hands and pirouetted on the tips of his dainty feet.
precisely as stated
From this reading His hands and feet were tiny; he was very proud of them, for he gestured with his hands and pirouetted on the tips of his dainty feet.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading His hands and feet were tiny; he was very proud of them, for he gestured with his hands and pirouetted on the tips of his dainty feet.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading His hips were heavy and feminine.
in the company of; together with
From this reading His hands and feet were tiny; he was very proud of them, for he gestured with his hands and pirouetted on the tips of his dainty feet.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading His breasts were the breasts of a woman.
inclined to yield to argument or influence or control
From this reading With an obscene grace he moved about the stage, moved like a yielding woman exulting in her passivity.
Chapter 10 of In a Yellow Wood by Gore Vidal holds 423 sentences, grouped into 85 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 10 holds 423 sentences of In a Yellow Wood, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 10 of In a Yellow Wood by Gore Vidal exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 423 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 10 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.
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Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
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Choose one of the 0 chapters of In a Yellow Wood 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 In a Yellow Wood, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
