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Maid Marian
Maid Marian

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Maid Marian is here in full — 118 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Maid Marian
Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Are you mad, or what are you, that you squeak out your catches without mitigation or remorse of voice?
--Twelfth Night.
Matilda, not dreaming of visitors, tripped into the apartment in a dress of forest green, with a small quiver by her side, and a bow and arrow in her hand.
Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.
Her black eyes sparkled like sunbeams on a river: a clear, deep, liquid radiance, the reflection of ethereal fire,--tempered, not subdued, in the medium of its living and gentle mirror.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Maid Marian

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Maid Marian is here in full — 118 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Are you mad, or what are you, that you squeak out your catches without mitigation or remorse of voice?
/ɑːr juː mæd ɔːr wʌt ɑːr juː ðæt juː skwiːk aʊt jɔːr ˈkætʃəz wɪˈθaʊt ˌmɪtɪˈɡeɪʃən ɔːr rɪˈmɔːrs ʌv vɔɪs/
Line 2
--Twelfth Night.
/twelfθ naɪt/
Line 3
Matilda, not dreaming of visitors, tripped into the apartment in a dress of forest green, with a small quiver by her side, and a bow and arrow in her hand.
Line 4
Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.
Line 5
Her black eyes sparkled like sunbeams on a river: a clear, deep, liquid radiance, the reflection of ethereal fire,--tempered, not subdued, in the medium of its living and gentle mirror.

Learner Dictionary

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.

clusters noun US /ˈklʌstərz/

plural of “cluster” — a grouping of a number of similar things

From this reading “Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.”

ethereal adjective US /ɪˈθɪriəl/

characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; as impalpable or intangible as air

From this reading “Her black eyes sparkled like sunbeams on a river: a clear, deep, liquid radiance, the reflection of ethereal fire,--tempered, not subdued, in the medium of its living and gentle mirror.”

horizontal adjective US /ˌhɔːrəˈzɑːntəl/

parallel to or in the plane of the horizon or a base line

From this reading “Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.”

mitigation noun US /ˌmɪtɪˈɡeɪʃən/

to act in such a way as to cause an offense to seem less serious

From this reading “Are you mad, or what are you, that you squeak out your catches without mitigation or remorse of voice?”

negligently adverb US /ˈneɡlɪdʒəntli/

in a negligent manner

From this reading “Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.”

plume verb US /pluːm/

rip off; ask an unreasonable price

From this reading “Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.”

squeak noun US /skwiːk/

a short high-pitched noise

From this reading “Are you mad, or what are you, that you squeak out your catches without mitigation or remorse of voice?”

Twelfth adjective US /twelfθ/

coming next after the eleventh and just before the thirteenth in position

From this reading “--Twelfth Night.”

All words in this reading · 94

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Matilda, not dreaming of visitors, tripped into the apartment in a dress of forest green, with a small quiver by her side, and a bow and arrow in her hand.

aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Matilda, not dreaming of visitors, tripped into the apartment in a dress of forest green, with a small quiver by her side, and a bow and arrow in her hand.

apartmentnounUS /əˈpɑːrtmənt/

a suite of rooms usually on one floor of an apartment house

From this reading Matilda, not dreaming of visitors, tripped into the apartment in a dress of forest green, with a small quiver by her side, and a bow and arrow in her hand.

Areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Are you mad, or what are you, that you squeak out your catches without mitigation or remorse of voice?

arrownounUS /ˈæroʊ/

a mark to indicate a direction or relation

From this reading Matilda, not dreaming of visitors, tripped into the apartment in a dress of forest green, with a small quiver by her side, and a bow and arrow in her hand.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

blackadjectiveUS /blæk/

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

bonnetnounUS /ˈbɑːnət/

a hat tied under the chin

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

bownounUS /baʊ/

a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces

From this reading Matilda, not dreaming of visitors, tripped into the apartment in a dress of forest green, with a small quiver by her side, and a bow and arrow in her hand.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Matilda, not dreaming of visitors, tripped into the apartment in a dress of forest green, with a small quiver by her side, and a bow and arrow in her hand.

catchesnounUS /ˈkætʃəz/

plural of “catch” — a drawback or difficulty that is not readily evident

From this reading Are you mad, or what are you, that you squeak out your catches without mitigation or remorse of voice?

clearverbUS /klɪr/

rid of obstructions

From this reading Her black eyes sparkled like sunbeams on a river: a clear, deep, liquid radiance, the reflection of ethereal fire,--tempered, not subdued, in the medium of its living and gentle mirror.

clustersnounUS /ˈklʌstərz/

plural of “cluster” — a grouping of a number of similar things

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

curledadjectiveUS /kɜːrld/

(of hair) making curls or having been made to curl

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

deepadjectiveUS /diːp/

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading Her black eyes sparkled like sunbeams on a river: a clear, deep, liquid radiance, the reflection of ethereal fire,--tempered, not subdued, in the medium of its living and gentle mirror.

dreamingnounUS /ˈdriːmɪŋ/

imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake

From this reading Matilda, not dreaming of visitors, tripped into the apartment in a dress of forest green, with a small quiver by her side, and a bow and arrow in her hand.

dressverbUS /dres/

put on clothes

From this reading Matilda, not dreaming of visitors, tripped into the apartment in a dress of forest green, with a small quiver by her side, and a bow and arrow in her hand.

edgenounUS /edʒ/

the boundary of a surface

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

effectnounUS /ɪˈfekt/

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

etherealadjectiveUS /ɪˈθɪriəl/

characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; as impalpable or intangible as air

From this reading Her black eyes sparkled like sunbeams on a river: a clear, deep, liquid radiance, the reflection of ethereal fire,--tempered, not subdued, in the medium of its living and gentle mirror.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading Her black eyes sparkled like sunbeams on a river: a clear, deep, liquid radiance, the reflection of ethereal fire,--tempered, not subdued, in the medium of its living and gentle mirror.

feathersnounUS /ˈfeðərz/

plural of “feather” — the light horny waterproof structure forming the external covering of birds

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

fellverbUS /fel/

cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading Her black eyes sparkled like sunbeams on a river: a clear, deep, liquid radiance, the reflection of ethereal fire,--tempered, not subdued, in the medium of its living and gentle mirror.

forestnounUS /ˈfɔːrəst/

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading Matilda, not dreaming of visitors, tripped into the apartment in a dress of forest green, with a small quiver by her side, and a bow and arrow in her hand.

gentleadjectiveUS /ˈdʒentəl/

soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe

From this reading Her black eyes sparkled like sunbeams on a river: a clear, deep, liquid radiance, the reflection of ethereal fire,--tempered, not subdued, in the medium of its living and gentle mirror.

glossyadjectiveUS /ˈɡlɔːsi/

based on pretense; deceptively pleasing

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

grapesnounUS /ɡreɪps/

plural of “grape” — any of various juicy fruit of the genus Vitis with green or purple skins; grow in clusters

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

greennounUS /ɡriːn/

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading Matilda, not dreaming of visitors, tripped into the apartment in a dress of forest green, with a small quiver by her side, and a bow and arrow in her hand.

habitualadjectiveUS /həˈbɪtʃuːəl/

commonly used or practiced; usual

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

hairnounUS /her/

a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading Matilda, not dreaming of visitors, tripped into the apartment in a dress of forest green, with a small quiver by her side, and a bow and arrow in her hand.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Matilda, not dreaming of visitors, tripped into the apartment in a dress of forest green, with a small quiver by her side, and a bow and arrow in her hand.

horizontaladjectiveUS /ˌhɔːrəˈzɑːntəl/

parallel to or in the plane of the horizon or a base line

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Matilda, not dreaming of visitors, tripped into the apartment in a dress of forest green, with a small quiver by her side, and a bow and arrow in her hand.

inclinationnounUS /ˌɪnkləˈneɪʃən/

an attitude of mind especially one that favors one alternative over others

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Matilda, not dreaming of visitors, tripped into the apartment in a dress of forest green, with a small quiver by her side, and a bow and arrow in her hand.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Her black eyes sparkled like sunbeams on a river: a clear, deep, liquid radiance, the reflection of ethereal fire,--tempered, not subdued, in the medium of its living and gentle mirror.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

liquidadjectiveUS /ˈlɪkwəd/

existing as or having characteristics of a liquid; especially tending to flow

From this reading Her black eyes sparkled like sunbeams on a river: a clear, deep, liquid radiance, the reflection of ethereal fire,--tempered, not subdued, in the medium of its living and gentle mirror.

livingnounUS /ˈlɪvɪŋ/

the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities

From this reading Her black eyes sparkled like sunbeams on a river: a clear, deep, liquid radiance, the reflection of ethereal fire,--tempered, not subdued, in the medium of its living and gentle mirror.

madadjectiveUS /mæd/

roused to anger

From this reading Are you mad, or what are you, that you squeak out your catches without mitigation or remorse of voice?

Matilda

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Matilda, not dreaming of visitors, tripped into the apartment in a dress of forest green, with a small quiver by her side, and a bow and arrow in her hand.

mediumnounUS /ˈmiːdiəm/

a means or instrumentality for storing or communicating information

From this reading Her black eyes sparkled like sunbeams on a river: a clear, deep, liquid radiance, the reflection of ethereal fire,--tempered, not subdued, in the medium of its living and gentle mirror.

mirrornounUS /ˈmɪrər/

polished surface that forms images by reflecting light

From this reading Her black eyes sparkled like sunbeams on a river: a clear, deep, liquid radiance, the reflection of ethereal fire,--tempered, not subdued, in the medium of its living and gentle mirror.

mitigationnounUS /ˌmɪtɪˈɡeɪʃən/

to act in such a way as to cause an offense to seem less serious

From this reading Are you mad, or what are you, that you squeak out your catches without mitigation or remorse of voice?

motionnounUS /ˈmoʊʃən/

the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

negligentlyadverbUS /ˈneɡlɪdʒəntli/

in a negligent manner

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

NightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading --Twelfth Night.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Matilda, not dreaming of visitors, tripped into the apartment in a dress of forest green, with a small quiver by her side, and a bow and arrow in her hand.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Are you mad, or what are you, that you squeak out your catches without mitigation or remorse of voice?

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Her black eyes sparkled like sunbeams on a river: a clear, deep, liquid radiance, the reflection of ethereal fire,--tempered, not subdued, in the medium of its living and gentle mirror.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Are you mad, or what are you, that you squeak out your catches without mitigation or remorse of voice?

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Are you mad, or what are you, that you squeak out your catches without mitigation or remorse of voice?

plumeverbUS /pluːm/

rip off; ask an unreasonable price

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

quiververbUS /ˈkwɪvər/

shake with fast, tremulous movements

From this reading Matilda, not dreaming of visitors, tripped into the apartment in a dress of forest green, with a small quiver by her side, and a bow and arrow in her hand.

radiancenounUS /ˈreɪdiːəns/

the amount of electromagnetic radiation leaving or arriving at a point on a surface

From this reading Her black eyes sparkled like sunbeams on a river: a clear, deep, liquid radiance, the reflection of ethereal fire,--tempered, not subdued, in the medium of its living and gentle mirror.

rapidadjectiveUS /ˈræpəd/

done or occurring in a brief period of time

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

raven's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

reflectionnounUS /rɪˈflekʃən/

a calm, lengthy, intent consideration

From this reading Her black eyes sparkled like sunbeams on a river: a clear, deep, liquid radiance, the reflection of ethereal fire,--tempered, not subdued, in the medium of its living and gentle mirror.

remorsenounUS /rɪˈmɔːrs/

a feeling of deep regret (usually for some misdeed)

From this reading Are you mad, or what are you, that you squeak out your catches without mitigation or remorse of voice?

ripeadjectiveUS /raɪp/

fully developed or matured and ready to be eaten or used

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

rivernounUS /ˈrɪvər/

a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading Her black eyes sparkled like sunbeams on a river: a clear, deep, liquid radiance, the reflection of ethereal fire,--tempered, not subdued, in the medium of its living and gentle mirror.

roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading Matilda, not dreaming of visitors, tripped into the apartment in a dress of forest green, with a small quiver by her side, and a bow and arrow in her hand.

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Matilda, not dreaming of visitors, tripped into the apartment in a dress of forest green, with a small quiver by her side, and a bow and arrow in her hand.

sparkledverbUS /ˈspɑːrkəld/

past form of “sparkle” — reflect brightly

From this reading Her black eyes sparkled like sunbeams on a river: a clear, deep, liquid radiance, the reflection of ethereal fire,--tempered, not subdued, in the medium of its living and gentle mirror.

squeaknounUS /skwiːk/

a short high-pitched noise

From this reading Are you mad, or what are you, that you squeak out your catches without mitigation or remorse of voice?

subduedadjectiveUS /səbˈduːd/

in a softened tone

From this reading Her black eyes sparkled like sunbeams on a river: a clear, deep, liquid radiance, the reflection of ethereal fire,--tempered, not subdued, in the medium of its living and gentle mirror.

sunbeams

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Her black eyes sparkled like sunbeams on a river: a clear, deep, liquid radiance, the reflection of ethereal fire,--tempered, not subdued, in the medium of its living and gentle mirror.

temperedadjectiveUS /ˈtempərd/

made hard or flexible or resilient especially by heat treatment

From this reading Her black eyes sparkled like sunbeams on a river: a clear, deep, liquid radiance, the reflection of ethereal fire,--tempered, not subdued, in the medium of its living and gentle mirror.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Are you mad, or what are you, that you squeak out your catches without mitigation or remorse of voice?

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Matilda, not dreaming of visitors, tripped into the apartment in a dress of forest green, with a small quiver by her side, and a bow and arrow in her hand.

trippedverbUS /trɪpt/

inflected form of “trip” — miss a step and fall or nearly fall

From this reading Matilda, not dreaming of visitors, tripped into the apartment in a dress of forest green, with a small quiver by her side, and a bow and arrow in her hand.

TwelfthadjectiveUS /twelfθ/

coming next after the eleventh and just before the thirteenth in position

From this reading --Twelfth Night.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

visitorsnounUS /ˈvɪzɪtərz/

plural of “visitor” — someone who visits

From this reading Matilda, not dreaming of visitors, tripped into the apartment in a dress of forest green, with a small quiver by her side, and a bow and arrow in her hand.

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading Are you mad, or what are you, that you squeak out your catches without mitigation or remorse of voice?

wanderingadjectiveUS /ˈwɑːndərɪŋ/

migratory

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Are you mad, or what are you, that you squeak out your catches without mitigation or remorse of voice?

windnounUS /waɪnd/

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

wingnounUS /wɪŋ/

a movable organ for flying (one of a pair)

From this reading Her hair, black and glossy as the raven’s wing, curled like wandering clusters of dark ripe grapes under the edge of her round bonnet; and a plume of black feathers fell back negligently above it, with an almost horizontal inclination, that seemed the habitual effect of rapid motion against the wind.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Matilda, not dreaming of visitors, tripped into the apartment in a dress of forest green, with a small quiver by her side, and a bow and arrow in her hand.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Are you mad, or what are you, that you squeak out your catches without mitigation or remorse of voice?

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Are you mad, or what are you, that you squeak out your catches without mitigation or remorse of voice?

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Are you mad, or what are you, that you squeak out your catches without mitigation or remorse of voice?

Chapter 4 of Maid Marian by Thomas Love Peacock holds 118 sentences, grouped into 24 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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.

What does chapter 4 of Maid Marian contain?

Chapter 4 holds 118 sentences of Maid Marian, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Maid Marian by Thomas Love Peacock exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 118 sentences, grouped into 24 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.

How do I study chapter 4 of Maid Marian?

Work through the 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 24 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.

Can chapter 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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.

Questions about reading Maid Marian

Common questions about reading Maid Marian by Thomas Love Peacock on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Maid Marian?

Yes. All 1417 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #966 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Maid Marian is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #966, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Maid Marian take to read?

About 118 minutes of reading across 284 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Maid Marian section by section

How to work through Maid Marian section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 18 chapters of Maid Marian to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Maid Marian

Words and structures a reader meets early in Maid Marian, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Peace
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Maid Marian; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Scott
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Maid Marian; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Abbot
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Maid Marian; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Arrayed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Maid Marian; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.