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Merton of the Movies
Merton of the Movies

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of Merton of the Movies is here in full — 218 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Merton of the Movies
Context Illustration Reading 1/43 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Early he was up to bathe and shave.
He shaved close to make it last longer, until his tender face reddened under the scraping.
Probably he would not find another cabin in which a miner would part with his beard for an Eastern trip.
Probably he would have to go to the barber the next time.
He also succeeded, with soap and water, in removing a stain from his collar.
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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.

Merton of the Movies

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of Merton of the Movies is here in full — 218 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/43 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Early he was up to bathe and shave.
/ˈɜːrli hiː wɑːz ʌp tuː beɪð ənd ʃeɪv/
Line 2
He shaved close to make it last longer, until his tender face reddened under the scraping.
Line 3
Probably he would not find another cabin in which a miner would part with his beard for an Eastern trip.
/ˈprɑːbəbliː hiː wʊd nɑːt faɪnd əˈnʌðər ˈkæbən ɪn wɪtʃ ə ˈmaɪnər wʊd pɑːrt wɪð hɪz bɪrd fɔːr æn ˈiːstərn trɪp/
Line 4
Probably he would have to go to the barber the next time.
/ˈprɑːbəbliː hiː wʊd hæv tuː ɡoʊ tuː ðə ˈbɑːrbər ðə nekst taɪm/
Line 5
He also succeeded, with soap and water, in removing a stain from his collar.
/hiː ˈɔːlsoʊ səkˈsiːdɪd wɪð soʊp ənd ˈwɔːtər ɪn riˈmuːvɪŋ ə steɪn frʌm hɪz ˈkɑːlər/

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.

barber noun US /ˈbɑːrbər/

United States composer (1910-1981)

From this reading “Probably he would have to go to the barber the next time.”

bathe verb US /beɪð/

cleanse the entire body

From this reading “Early he was up to bathe and shave.”

miner noun US /ˈmaɪnər/

laborer who works in a mine

From this reading “Probably he would not find another cabin in which a miner would part with his beard for an Eastern trip.”

removing verb US /riˈmuːvɪŋ/

-ing form of “remove” — remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract

From this reading “He also succeeded, with soap and water, in removing a stain from his collar.”

scraping noun US /ˈskreɪpɪŋ/

(usually plural) a fragment scraped off of something and collected

From this reading “He shaved close to make it last longer, until his tender face reddened under the scraping.”

shave verb US /ʃeɪv/

remove body hair with a razor

From this reading “Early he was up to bathe and shave.”

shaved adjective US /ʃeɪvd/

having the beard or hair cut off close to the skin

From this reading “He shaved close to make it last longer, until his tender face reddened under the scraping.”

soap noun US /soʊp/

a cleansing agent made from the salts of vegetable or animal fats

From this reading “He also succeeded, with soap and water, in removing a stain from his collar.”

All words in this reading · 52

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 Probably he would not find another cabin in which a miner would part with his beard for an Eastern trip.

alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading He also succeeded, with soap and water, in removing a stain from his collar.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading Probably he would not find another cabin in which a miner would part with his beard for an Eastern trip.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Early he was up to bathe and shave.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading Probably he would not find another cabin in which a miner would part with his beard for an Eastern trip.

barbernounUS /ˈbɑːrbər/

United States composer (1910-1981)

From this reading Probably he would have to go to the barber the next time.

batheverbUS /beɪð/

cleanse the entire body

From this reading Early he was up to bathe and shave.

beardnounUS /bɪrd/

the hair growing on the lower part of a man's face

From this reading Probably he would not find another cabin in which a miner would part with his beard for an Eastern trip.

cabinnounUS /ˈkæbən/

small room on a ship or boat where people sleep

From this reading Probably he would not find another cabin in which a miner would part with his beard for an Eastern trip.

closeadjectiveUS /kloʊs/

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading He shaved close to make it last longer, until his tender face reddened under the scraping.

collarnounUS /ˈkɑːlər/

a band that fits around the neck and is usually folded over

From this reading He also succeeded, with soap and water, in removing a stain from his collar.

EarlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading Early he was up to bathe and shave.

EasternadjectiveUS /ˈiːstərn/

lying toward or situated in the east

From this reading Probably he would not find another cabin in which a miner would part with his beard for an Eastern trip.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading He shaved close to make it last longer, until his tender face reddened under the scraping.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading Probably he would not find another cabin in which a miner would part with his beard for an Eastern trip.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Probably he would not find another cabin in which a miner would part with his beard for an Eastern trip.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading He also succeeded, with soap and water, in removing a stain from his collar.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Probably he would have to go to the barber the next time.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Probably he would have to go to the barber the next time.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Early he was up to bathe and shave.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading He shaved close to make it last longer, until his tender face reddened under the scraping.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Probably he would not find another cabin in which a miner would part with his beard for an Eastern trip.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading He shaved close to make it last longer, until his tender face reddened under the scraping.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading He shaved close to make it last longer, until his tender face reddened under the scraping.

longeradverbUS /ˈlɔːŋɡər/

for more time

From this reading He shaved close to make it last longer, until his tender face reddened under the scraping.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading He shaved close to make it last longer, until his tender face reddened under the scraping.

minernounUS /ˈmaɪnər/

laborer who works in a mine

From this reading Probably he would not find another cabin in which a miner would part with his beard for an Eastern trip.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading Probably he would have to go to the barber the next time.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Probably he would not find another cabin in which a miner would part with his beard for an Eastern trip.

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading Probably he would not find another cabin in which a miner would part with his beard for an Eastern trip.

ProbablyadverbUS /ˈprɑːbəbliː/

with considerable certainty; without much doubt

From this reading Probably he would not find another cabin in which a miner would part with his beard for an Eastern trip.

reddenedadjective

(especially of the face) reddened or suffused with or as if with blood from emotion or exertion

From this reading He shaved close to make it last longer, until his tender face reddened under the scraping.

removingverbUS /riˈmuːvɪŋ/

-ing form of “remove” — remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract

From this reading He also succeeded, with soap and water, in removing a stain from his collar.

scrapingnounUS /ˈskreɪpɪŋ/

(usually plural) a fragment scraped off of something and collected

From this reading He shaved close to make it last longer, until his tender face reddened under the scraping.

shaveverbUS /ʃeɪv/

remove body hair with a razor

From this reading Early he was up to bathe and shave.

shavedadjectiveUS /ʃeɪvd/

having the beard or hair cut off close to the skin

From this reading He shaved close to make it last longer, until his tender face reddened under the scraping.

soapnounUS /soʊp/

a cleansing agent made from the salts of vegetable or animal fats

From this reading He also succeeded, with soap and water, in removing a stain from his collar.

stainnounUS /steɪn/

a soiled or discolored appearance

From this reading He also succeeded, with soap and water, in removing a stain from his collar.

succeededverbUS /səkˈsiːdɪd/

past form of “succeed” — attain success or reach a desired goal

From this reading He also succeeded, with soap and water, in removing a stain from his collar.

tenderadjectiveUS /ˈtendər/

given to sympathy or gentleness or sentimentality

From this reading He shaved close to make it last longer, until his tender face reddened under the scraping.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading He shaved close to make it last longer, until his tender face reddened under the scraping.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Probably he would have to go to the barber the next time.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Early he was up to bathe and shave.

tripnounUS /trɪp/

a journey for some purpose (usually including the return)

From this reading Probably he would not find another cabin in which a miner would part with his beard for an Eastern trip.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading He shaved close to make it last longer, until his tender face reddened under the scraping.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading He shaved close to make it last longer, until his tender face reddened under the scraping.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Early he was up to bathe and shave.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Early he was up to bathe and shave.

waternounUS /ˈwɔːtər/

binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent

From this reading He also succeeded, with soap and water, in removing a stain from his collar.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Probably he would not find another cabin in which a miner would part with his beard for an Eastern trip.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Probably he would not find another cabin in which a miner would part with his beard for an Eastern trip.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Probably he would not find another cabin in which a miner would part with his beard for an Eastern trip.

Chapter 8 of Merton of the Movies by Harry Leon Wilson holds 218 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.

What does chapter 8 of Merton of the Movies contain?

Chapter 8 holds 218 sentences of Merton of the Movies, unabridged, divided into 44 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of Merton of the Movies by Harry Leon Wilson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 218 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.

How do I study chapter 8 of Merton of the Movies?

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.

Can chapter 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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 Merton of the Movies

Common questions about reading Merton of the Movies by Harry Leon Wilson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Merton of the Movies?

Yes. All 7117 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3472 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Merton of the Movies is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #3472, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Merton of the Movies take to read?

About 593 minutes of reading across 1424 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Merton of the Movies section by section

How to work through Merton of the Movies section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 19 chapters of Merton of the Movies 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 Merton of the Movies

Words and structures a reader meets early in Merton of the Movies, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Merton
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Merton of the Movies; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mealed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Merton of the Movies; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Gashwiler
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Merton of the Movies; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Supper
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Merton of the Movies; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.