Chapter 1 of Officer 666 is here in full — 5 sentences across 1 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Officer 666 is here in full — 5 sentences across 1 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
His gaze had wandered to the great chest, the lid of which was distinctly rising. Frontispiece "Now here's a cunning little line", he pursued. "That shows something too." 110 "Give me me uniform an' let me git out of here." 164 "He's almost as madly in love with her as I am." 282 OFFICER 666
Chapter 1 of Officer 666 is here in full — 5 sentences across 1 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/1 · 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.
attractive especially by means of smallness or prettiness or quaintness
From this reading “Frontispiece "Now here's a cunning little line", he pursued.”
clear to the mind; with distinct mental discernment
From this reading “His gaze had wandered to the great chest, the lid of which was distinctly rising.”
a person who is deemed to be despicable or contemptible
From this reading “110 "Give me me uniform an' let me git out of here."”
either of two folds of skin that can be moved to cover or open the eye
From this reading “His gaze had wandered to the great chest, the lid of which was distinctly rising.”
in an uncontrolled manner
From this reading “164 "He's almost as madly in love with her as I am." 282 OFFICER 666”
a person who is being chased
From this reading “Frontispiece "Now here's a cunning little line", he pursued.”
always the same; showing a single form or character in all occurrences
From this reading “110 "Give me me uniform an' let me git out of here."”
past form of “wander” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading “His gaze had wandered to the great chest, the lid of which was distinctly rising.”
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 110 "Give me me uniform an' let me git out of here."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 164 "He's almost as madly in love with her as I am." 282 OFFICER 666
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 164 "He's almost as madly in love with her as I am." 282 OFFICER 666
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 164 "He's almost as madly in love with her as I am." 282 OFFICER 666
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Frontispiece "Now here's a cunning little line", he pursued.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading 164 "He's almost as madly in love with her as I am." 282 OFFICER 666
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading 164 "He's almost as madly in love with her as I am." 282 OFFICER 666
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading 110 "Give me me uniform an' let me git out of here."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading 164 "He's almost as madly in love with her as I am." 282 OFFICER 666
the part of the human torso between the neck and the diaphragm or the corresponding part in other vertebrates
From this reading His gaze had wandered to the great chest, the lid of which was distinctly rising.
attractive especially by means of smallness or prettiness or quaintness
From this reading Frontispiece "Now here's a cunning little line", he pursued.
clear to the mind; with distinct mental discernment
From this reading His gaze had wandered to the great chest, the lid of which was distinctly rising.
an ornamental facade
From this reading Frontispiece "Now here's a cunning little line", he pursued.
a long fixed look
From this reading His gaze had wandered to the great chest, the lid of which was distinctly rising.
a person who is deemed to be despicable or contemptible
From this reading 110 "Give me me uniform an' let me git out of here."
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading 110 "Give me me uniform an' let me git out of here."
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading His gaze had wandered to the great chest, the lid of which was distinctly rising.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading His gaze had wandered to the great chest, the lid of which was distinctly rising.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Frontispiece "Now here's a cunning little line", he pursued.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 164 "He's almost as madly in love with her as I am." 282 OFFICER 666
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading 164 "He's almost as madly in love with her as I am." 282 OFFICER 666
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading 110 "Give me me uniform an' let me git out of here."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Frontispiece "Now here's a cunning little line", he pursued.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His gaze had wandered to the great chest, the lid of which was distinctly rising.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading 164 "He's almost as madly in love with her as I am." 282 OFFICER 666
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading 164 "He's almost as madly in love with her as I am." 282 OFFICER 666
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading 110 "Give me me uniform an' let me git out of here."
either of two folds of skin that can be moved to cover or open the eye
From this reading His gaze had wandered to the great chest, the lid of which was distinctly rising.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading Frontispiece "Now here's a cunning little line", he pursued.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Frontispiece "Now here's a cunning little line", he pursued.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading 164 "He's almost as madly in love with her as I am." 282 OFFICER 666
in an uncontrolled manner
From this reading 164 "He's almost as madly in love with her as I am." 282 OFFICER 666
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading 110 "Give me me uniform an' let me git out of here."
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Frontispiece "Now here's a cunning little line", he pursued.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading His gaze had wandered to the great chest, the lid of which was distinctly rising.
any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command
From this reading 164 "He's almost as madly in love with her as I am." 282 OFFICER 666
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading 110 "Give me me uniform an' let me git out of here."
a person who is being chased
From this reading Frontispiece "Now here's a cunning little line", he pursued.
advancing or becoming higher or greater in degree or value or status
From this reading His gaze had wandered to the great chest, the lid of which was distinctly rising.
plural of “show” — the act of publicly exhibiting or entertaining
From this reading "That shows something too."
a thing, without saying which
From this reading "That shows something too."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "That shows something too."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading His gaze had wandered to the great chest, the lid of which was distinctly rising.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading His gaze had wandered to the great chest, the lid of which was distinctly rising.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading "That shows something too."
always the same; showing a single form or character in all occurrences
From this reading 110 "Give me me uniform an' let me git out of here."
past form of “wander” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading His gaze had wandered to the great chest, the lid of which was distinctly rising.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading His gaze had wandered to the great chest, the lid of which was distinctly rising.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading His gaze had wandered to the great chest, the lid of which was distinctly rising.
in the company of; together with
From this reading 164 "He's almost as madly in love with her as I am." 282 OFFICER 666
Chapter 1 of Officer 666 by Barton Wood Currie holds 5 sentences, grouped into 1 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 5 sentences of Officer 666, unabridged, divided into 1 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Officer 666 by Barton Wood Currie exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 5 sentences, grouped into 1 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 1 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 1 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 Officer 666 by Barton Wood Currie on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4438 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #30228 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #30228, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 369 minutes of reading across 888 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Officer 666 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Officer 666 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 Officer 666, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
