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Mudfog and Other Sketches
Mudfog and Other Sketches

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Mudfog and Other Sketches is here in full — 141 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/28 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.
SECTION B.—ANATOMY AND MEDICINE.
COACH-HOUSE, PIG AND TINDER-BOX.
_President_—Dr. Toorell.
_Vice-Presidents_—Professors Muff and Nogo.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Mudfog and Other Sketches

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Mudfog and Other Sketches is here in full — 141 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/28 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.
Line 2
SECTION B.—ANATOMY AND MEDICINE.
Line 3
COACH-HOUSE, PIG AND TINDER-BOX.
Line 4
_President_—Dr. Toorell.
Line 5
_Vice-Presidents_—Professors Muff and Nogo.

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.

anatomy noun US /əˈnætəmi/

the branch of morphology that deals with the structure of animals

From this reading “‘SECTION B.—ANATOMY AND MEDICINE.”

answering adjective US /ˈænsərɪŋ/

replying

From this reading “‘The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.”

decline verb US /dɪˈklaɪn/

grow worse

From this reading “‘The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.”

involve verb US /ˌɪnˈvɑːlv/

connect closely and often incriminatingly

From this reading “‘The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.”

Muff noun US /mʌf/

a warm tubular covering for the hands

From this reading “_Vice-Presidents_—Professors Muff and Nogo.”

pig noun US /pɪɡ/

domestic swine

From this reading “‘The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.”

Professors noun US /prəˈfesərz/

plural of “professor” — someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university

From this reading “_Vice-Presidents_—Professors Muff and Nogo.”

section noun US /ˈsekʃən/

a self-contained part of a larger composition (written or musical)

From this reading “‘SECTION B.—ANATOMY AND MEDICINE.”

All words in this reading · 40

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 ‘The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.

ANATOMYnounUS /əˈnætəmi/

the branch of morphology that deals with the structure of animals

From this reading ‘SECTION B.—ANATOMY AND MEDICINE.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading ‘SECTION B.—ANATOMY AND MEDICINE.

answeringadjectiveUS /ˈænsərɪŋ/

replying

From this reading ‘The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.

appearedverbUS /əˈpɪrd/

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

From this reading ‘The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading ‘The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.

BnounUS /biː/

aerobic rod-shaped spore-producing bacterium; often occurring in chainlike formations; found primarily in soil

From this reading ‘SECTION B.—ANATOMY AND MEDICINE.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading ‘The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.

COACH-HOUSE

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

From this reading COACH-HOUSE, PIG AND TINDER-BOX.

declineverbUS /dɪˈklaɪn/

grow worse

From this reading ‘The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.

Dr

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

From this reading _President_—Dr. Toorell.

half-brothernoun

a brother who has only one parent in common with you

From this reading ‘The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading ‘The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading ‘The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading ‘The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.

involveverbUS /ˌɪnˈvɑːlv/

connect closely and often incriminatingly

From this reading ‘The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading ‘The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.

learnedadjectiveUS /lɜːrnd/

having or showing profound knowledge

From this reading ‘The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.

lowadjectiveUS /loʊ/

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading ‘The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.

MEDICINEnounUS /ˈmedəsən/

the branches of medical science that deal with nonsurgical techniques

From this reading ‘SECTION B.—ANATOMY AND MEDICINE.

MembernounUS /ˈmembər/

one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)

From this reading ‘The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading ‘The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.

MuffnounUS /mʌf/

a warm tubular covering for the hands

From this reading _Vice-Presidents_—Professors Muff and Nogo.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading ‘The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.

Nogo

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

From this reading _Vice-Presidents_—Professors Muff and Nogo.

pignounUS /pɪɡ/

domestic swine

From this reading ‘The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.

PresidentnounUS /ˈprezədent/

an executive officer of a firm or corporation

From this reading _President_—Dr. Toorell.

ProfessorsnounUS /prəˈfesərz/

plural of “professor” — someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university

From this reading _Vice-Presidents_—Professors Muff and Nogo.

questionverbUS /ˈkwestʃən/

challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading ‘The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.

repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “reply” — react verbally

From this reading ‘The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading ‘The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.

SECTIONnounUS /ˈsekʃən/

a self-contained part of a larger composition (written or musical)

From this reading ‘SECTION B.—ANATOMY AND MEDICINE.

suspicionnounUS /səˈspɪʃən/

an impression that something might be the case

From this reading ‘The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading ‘The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading ‘The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.

TINDER-BOX

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

From this reading COACH-HOUSE, PIG AND TINDER-BOX.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading ‘The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.

tonenounUS /toʊn/

the quality of a person's voice

From this reading ‘The Member replied in the same low tone, that, as the question appeared to involve a suspicion that the learned pig might be his half-brother, he must decline answering it.

Toorell

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

From this reading _President_—Dr. Toorell.

Vice-Presidents

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

From this reading _Vice-Presidents_—Professors Muff and Nogo.

Chapter 4 of Mudfog and Other Sketches by Charles Dickens holds 141 sentences, grouped into 29 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 Mudfog and Other Sketches contain?

Chapter 4 holds 141 sentences of Mudfog and Other Sketches, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Mudfog and Other Sketches by Charles Dickens exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 141 sentences, grouped into 29 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 Mudfog and Other Sketches?

Work through the 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 29 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 Mudfog and Other Sketches

Common questions about reading Mudfog and Other Sketches by Charles Dickens on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Mudfog and Other Sketches?

Yes. All 1097 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #912 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Mudfog and Other Sketches is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #912, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Mudfog and Other Sketches take to read?

About 91 minutes of reading across 220 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Mudfog and Other Sketches section by section

How to work through Mudfog and Other Sketches section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 8 chapters of Mudfog and Other Sketches 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 Mudfog and Other Sketches

Words and structures a reader meets early in Mudfog and Other Sketches, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Public
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mudfog and Other Sketches; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tulrumble
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mudfog and Other Sketches; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Report
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mudfog and Other Sketches; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
First
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mudfog and Other Sketches; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.