Chapter 1 of My friend the murderer is here in full — 392 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of My friend the murderer is here in full — 392 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Number 481 is no better, doctor,” said the head-warder, in a slightly reproachful accent, looking in round the corner of my door. “Confound 481” I responded from behind the pages of the _Australian Sketcher_. “And 61 says his tubes are paining him. Couldn’t you do anything for him?” “He is a walking drug-shop,” said I.
Chapter 1 of My friend the murderer is here in full — 392 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/78 · 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.
distinctive manner of oral expression
From this reading ““Number 481 is no better, doctor,” said the head-warder, in a slightly reproachful accent, looking in round the corner of my door.”
a native or inhabitant of Australia
be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly
From this reading ““Confound 481” I responded from behind the pages of the _Australian Sketcher_.”
plural of “page” — one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains
From this reading ““Confound 481” I responded from behind the pages of the _Australian Sketcher_.”
past form of “respond” — show a response or a reaction to something
From this reading ““Confound 481” I responded from behind the pages of the _Australian Sketcher_.”
to a small degree or extent
From this reading ““Number 481 is no better, doctor,” said the head-warder, in a slightly reproachful accent, looking in round the corner of my door.”
plural of “tube” — conduit consisting of a long hollow object (usually cylindrical) used to hold and conduct objects or liquids or gases
From this reading ““And 61 says his tubes are paining him.”
close enough to be walked to
From this reading ““He is a walking drug-shop,” said I.”
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 “Number 481 is no better, doctor,” said the head-warder, in a slightly reproachful accent, looking in round the corner of my door.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “And 61 says his tubes are paining him.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “Number 481 is no better, doctor,” said the head-warder, in a slightly reproachful accent, looking in round the corner of my door.
distinctive manner of oral expression
From this reading “Number 481 is no better, doctor,” said the head-warder, in a slightly reproachful accent, looking in round the corner of my door.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “And 61 says his tubes are paining him.
any thing at all
From this reading Couldn’t you do anything for him?”
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “And 61 says his tubes are paining him.
a native or inhabitant of Australia
From this reading “Confound 481” I responded from behind the pages of the _Australian Sketcher_.
at or toward the back of something
From this reading “Confound 481” I responded from behind the pages of the _Australian Sketcher_.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading “Number 481 is no better, doctor,” said the head-warder, in a slightly reproachful accent, looking in round the corner of my door.
be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly
From this reading “Confound 481” I responded from behind the pages of the _Australian Sketcher_.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading “Number 481 is no better, doctor,” said the head-warder, in a slightly reproachful accent, looking in round the corner of my door.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Couldn’t you do anything for him?”
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Couldn’t you do anything for him?”
a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading “Number 481 is no better, doctor,” said the head-warder, in a slightly reproachful accent, looking in round the corner of my door.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading “Number 481 is no better, doctor,” said the head-warder, in a slightly reproachful accent, looking in round the corner of my door.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “He is a walking drug-shop,” said I.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Couldn’t you do anything for him?”
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading “Confound 481” I responded from behind the pages of the _Australian Sketcher_.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “He is a walking drug-shop,” said I.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Number 481 is no better, doctor,” said the head-warder, in a slightly reproachful accent, looking in round the corner of my door.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “And 61 says his tubes are paining him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “And 61 says his tubes are paining him.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Confound 481” I responded from behind the pages of the _Australian Sketcher_.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “Number 481 is no better, doctor,” said the head-warder, in a slightly reproachful accent, looking in round the corner of my door.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Number 481 is no better, doctor,” said the head-warder, in a slightly reproachful accent, looking in round the corner of my door.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading “Number 481 is no better, doctor,” said the head-warder, in a slightly reproachful accent, looking in round the corner of my door.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “Number 481 is no better, doctor,” said the head-warder, in a slightly reproachful accent, looking in round the corner of my door.
not any; not one
From this reading “Number 481 is no better, doctor,” said the head-warder, in a slightly reproachful accent, looking in round the corner of my door.
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading “Number 481 is no better, doctor,” said the head-warder, in a slightly reproachful accent, looking in round the corner of my door.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Number 481 is no better, doctor,” said the head-warder, in a slightly reproachful accent, looking in round the corner of my door.
plural of “page” — one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains
From this reading “Confound 481” I responded from behind the pages of the _Australian Sketcher_.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “And 61 says his tubes are paining him.
expressing reproof or reproach especially as a corrective
From this reading “Number 481 is no better, doctor,” said the head-warder, in a slightly reproachful accent, looking in round the corner of my door.
past form of “respond” — show a response or a reaction to something
From this reading “Confound 481” I responded from behind the pages of the _Australian Sketcher_.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading “Number 481 is no better, doctor,” said the head-warder, in a slightly reproachful accent, looking in round the corner of my door.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Number 481 is no better, doctor,” said the head-warder, in a slightly reproachful accent, looking in round the corner of my door.
plural of “say” — the chance to speak
From this reading “And 61 says his tubes are paining him.
someone who draws sketches
From this reading “Confound 481” I responded from behind the pages of the _Australian Sketcher_.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading “Number 481 is no better, doctor,” said the head-warder, in a slightly reproachful accent, looking in round the corner of my door.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Number 481 is no better, doctor,” said the head-warder, in a slightly reproachful accent, looking in round the corner of my door.
plural of “tube” — conduit consisting of a long hollow object (usually cylindrical) used to hold and conduct objects or liquids or gases
From this reading “And 61 says his tubes are paining him.
close enough to be walked to
From this reading “He is a walking drug-shop,” said I.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Couldn’t you do anything for him?”
Chapter 1 of My friend the murderer by Arthur Conan Doyle holds 392 sentences, grouped into 79 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 392 sentences of My friend the murderer, unabridged, divided into 79 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of My friend the murderer by Arthur Conan Doyle exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 392 sentences, grouped into 79 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 79 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 79 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 My friend the murderer by Arthur Conan Doyle on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 392 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #23059 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #23059, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 32 minutes of reading across 79 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through My friend the murderer section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of My friend the murderer 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 My friend the murderer, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
