Chapter 1 of In Silk Attire: A Novel is here in full — 140 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of In Silk Attire: A Novel is here in full — 140 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
IN SILK ATTIRE. AUTHOR OF "A DAUGHTER OF HETH," "THREE FEATHERS," ETC. SEVENTH EDITION. LONDON: SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE & RIVINGTON, CROWN BUILDINGS, 188, FLEET STREET. 1879.
Chapter 1 of In Silk Attire: A Novel is here in full — 140 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/28 · 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.
clothing of a distinctive style or for a particular occasion
From this reading “IN SILK ATTIRE.”
plural of “building” — a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading “LONDON: SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE & RIVINGTON, CROWN BUILDINGS, 188, FLEET STREET.”
the form in which a text (especially a printed book) is published
From this reading “SEVENTH EDITION.”
plural of “feather” — the light horny waterproof structure forming the external covering of birds
From this reading “AUTHOR OF "A DAUGHTER OF HETH," "THREE FEATHERS," ETC.”
group of aircraft operating together under the same ownership
From this reading “LONDON: SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE & RIVINGTON, CROWN BUILDINGS, 188, FLEET STREET.”
the 8th letter of the Hebrew alphabet
From this reading “AUTHOR OF "A DAUGHTER OF HETH," "THREE FEATHERS," ETC.”
coming next after the sixth and just before the eighth in position
From this reading “SEVENTH EDITION.”
a fabric made from the fine threads produced by certain insect larvae
From this reading “IN SILK ATTIRE.”
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.
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 1879.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading LONDON: SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE & RIVINGTON, CROWN BUILDINGS, 188, FLEET STREET.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading AUTHOR OF "A DAUGHTER OF HETH," "THREE FEATHERS," ETC.
clothing of a distinctive style or for a particular occasion
From this reading IN SILK ATTIRE.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading AUTHOR OF "A DAUGHTER OF HETH," "THREE FEATHERS," ETC.
plural of “building” — a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading LONDON: SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE & RIVINGTON, CROWN BUILDINGS, 188, FLEET STREET.
the Crown (or the reigning monarch) as the symbol of the power and authority of a monarchy
From this reading LONDON: SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE & RIVINGTON, CROWN BUILDINGS, 188, FLEET STREET.
a female human offspring
From this reading AUTHOR OF "A DAUGHTER OF HETH," "THREE FEATHERS," ETC.
the form in which a text (especially a printed book) is published
From this reading SEVENTH EDITION.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AUTHOR OF "A DAUGHTER OF HETH," "THREE FEATHERS," ETC.
plural of “feather” — the light horny waterproof structure forming the external covering of birds
From this reading AUTHOR OF "A DAUGHTER OF HETH," "THREE FEATHERS," ETC.
group of aircraft operating together under the same ownership
From this reading LONDON: SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE & RIVINGTON, CROWN BUILDINGS, 188, FLEET STREET.
the 8th letter of the Hebrew alphabet
From this reading AUTHOR OF "A DAUGHTER OF HETH," "THREE FEATHERS," ETC.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN SILK ATTIRE.
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading LONDON: SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE & RIVINGTON, CROWN BUILDINGS, 188, FLEET STREET.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading LONDON: SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE & RIVINGTON, CROWN BUILDINGS, 188, FLEET STREET.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading LONDON: SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE & RIVINGTON, CROWN BUILDINGS, 188, FLEET STREET.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading AUTHOR OF "A DAUGHTER OF HETH," "THREE FEATHERS," ETC.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading LONDON: SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE & RIVINGTON, CROWN BUILDINGS, 188, FLEET STREET.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading LONDON: SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE & RIVINGTON, CROWN BUILDINGS, 188, FLEET STREET.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading LONDON: SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE & RIVINGTON, CROWN BUILDINGS, 188, FLEET STREET.
coming next after the sixth and just before the eighth in position
From this reading SEVENTH EDITION.
a fabric made from the fine threads produced by certain insect larvae
From this reading IN SILK ATTIRE.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading LONDON: SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE & RIVINGTON, CROWN BUILDINGS, 188, FLEET STREET.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading AUTHOR OF "A DAUGHTER OF HETH," "THREE FEATHERS," ETC.
Chapter 1 of In Silk Attire: A Novel by William Black holds 140 sentences, grouped into 28 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 140 sentences of In Silk Attire: A Novel, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of In Silk Attire: A Novel by William Black exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 140 sentences, grouped into 28 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 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 28 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 In Silk Attire: A Novel by William Black on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5806 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40111 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #40111, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 483 minutes of reading across 1162 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through In Silk Attire: A Novel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of In Silk Attire: A Novel 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 Silk Attire: A Novel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
