Chapter 20 of Over the Teacups is here in full — 150 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of Over the Teacups is here in full — 150 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“'You let that are scoop-shovel alone,' said Hiram. “I stepped to his side. The Knights were combative, as their noble predecessors with the same title always were, and it was necessary to come to a voie de fait. My straight blow from the shoulder did for Sir Michael. Hiram treated Sir Hans to what is technically known as a cross-buttock.
Chapter 20 of Over the Teacups is here in full — 150 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/30 · 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.
inclined or showing an inclination to dispute or disagree, even to engage in law suits
From this reading “The Knights were combative, as their noble predecessors with the same title always were, and it was necessary to come to a voie de fait.”
plural of “han” — imperial dynasty that ruled China (most of the time from 206 BC to AD 220) and expanded its boundaries and developed its bureaucracy; remembered as one of the great eras of Chinese civilization
From this reading “Hiram treated Sir Hans to what is technically known as a cross-buttock.”
plural of “knight” — originally a person of noble birth trained to arms and chivalry; today in Great Britain a person honored by the sovereign for personal merit
From this reading “The Knights were combative, as their noble predecessors with the same title always were, and it was necessary to come to a voie de fait.”
(Old Testament) the guardian archangel of the Jews
From this reading “My straight blow from the shoulder did for Sir Michael.”
plural of “predecessor” — one who precedes you in time (as in holding a position or office)
From this reading “The Knights were combative, as their noble predecessors with the same title always were, and it was necessary to come to a voie de fait.”
with regard to technique
From this reading “Hiram treated Sir Hans to what is technically known as a cross-buttock.”
a heading that names a statute or legislative bill; may give a brief summary of the matters it deals with
From this reading “The Knights were combative, as their noble predecessors with the same title always were, and it was necessary to come to a voie de fait.”
subjected to a physical (or chemical) treatment or action or agent
From this reading “Hiram treated Sir Hans to what is technically known as a cross-buttock.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The Knights were combative, as their noble predecessors with the same title always were, and it was necessary to come to a voie de fait.
Having no one else present.
From this reading “'You let that are scoop-shovel alone,' said Hiram.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading The Knights were combative, as their noble predecessors with the same title always were, and it was necessary to come to a voie de fait.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Knights were combative, as their noble predecessors with the same title always were, and it was necessary to come to a voie de fait.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “'You let that are scoop-shovel alone,' said Hiram.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The Knights were combative, as their noble predecessors with the same title always were, and it was necessary to come to a voie de fait.
exhale hard
From this reading My straight blow from the shoulder did for Sir Michael.
inclined or showing an inclination to dispute or disagree, even to engage in law suits
From this reading The Knights were combative, as their noble predecessors with the same title always were, and it was necessary to come to a voie de fait.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The Knights were combative, as their noble predecessors with the same title always were, and it was necessary to come to a voie de fait.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hiram treated Sir Hans to what is technically known as a cross-buttock.
a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading The Knights were combative, as their noble predecessors with the same title always were, and it was necessary to come to a voie de fait.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading My straight blow from the shoulder did for Sir Michael.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Knights were combative, as their noble predecessors with the same title always were, and it was necessary to come to a voie de fait.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading My straight blow from the shoulder did for Sir Michael.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading My straight blow from the shoulder did for Sir Michael.
plural of “han” — imperial dynasty that ruled China (most of the time from 206 BC to AD 220) and expanded its boundaries and developed its bureaucracy; remembered as one of the great eras of Chinese civilization
From this reading Hiram treated Sir Hans to what is technically known as a cross-buttock.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “'You let that are scoop-shovel alone,' said Hiram.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “I stepped to his side.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I stepped to his side.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Hiram treated Sir Hans to what is technically known as a cross-buttock.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The Knights were combative, as their noble predecessors with the same title always were, and it was necessary to come to a voie de fait.
plural of “knight” — originally a person of noble birth trained to arms and chivalry; today in Great Britain a person honored by the sovereign for personal merit
From this reading The Knights were combative, as their noble predecessors with the same title always were, and it was necessary to come to a voie de fait.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading Hiram treated Sir Hans to what is technically known as a cross-buttock.
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading “'You let that are scoop-shovel alone,' said Hiram.
(Old Testament) the guardian archangel of the Jews
From this reading My straight blow from the shoulder did for Sir Michael.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading My straight blow from the shoulder did for Sir Michael.
absolutely essential
From this reading The Knights were combative, as their noble predecessors with the same title always were, and it was necessary to come to a voie de fait.
impressive in appearance
From this reading The Knights were combative, as their noble predecessors with the same title always were, and it was necessary to come to a voie de fait.
plural of “predecessor” — one who precedes you in time (as in holding a position or office)
From this reading The Knights were combative, as their noble predecessors with the same title always were, and it was necessary to come to a voie de fait.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “'You let that are scoop-shovel alone,' said Hiram.
Identical; not different.
From this reading The Knights were combative, as their noble predecessors with the same title always were, and it was necessary to come to a voie de fait.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “'You let that are scoop-shovel alone,' said Hiram.
lift onto one's shoulders
From this reading My straight blow from the shoulder did for Sir Michael.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading “I stepped to his side.
term of address for a man
From this reading My straight blow from the shoulder did for Sir Michael.
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading “I stepped to his side.
successive (without a break)
From this reading My straight blow from the shoulder did for Sir Michael.
with regard to technique
From this reading Hiram treated Sir Hans to what is technically known as a cross-buttock.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “'You let that are scoop-shovel alone,' said Hiram.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Knights were combative, as their noble predecessors with the same title always were, and it was necessary to come to a voie de fait.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The Knights were combative, as their noble predecessors with the same title always were, and it was necessary to come to a voie de fait.
a heading that names a statute or legislative bill; may give a brief summary of the matters it deals with
From this reading The Knights were combative, as their noble predecessors with the same title always were, and it was necessary to come to a voie de fait.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “I stepped to his side.
subjected to a physical (or chemical) treatment or action or agent
From this reading Hiram treated Sir Hans to what is technically known as a cross-buttock.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Knights were combative, as their noble predecessors with the same title always were, and it was necessary to come to a voie de fait.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The Knights were combative, as their noble predecessors with the same title always were, and it was necessary to come to a voie de fait.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The Knights were combative, as their noble predecessors with the same title always were, and it was necessary to come to a voie de fait.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Hiram treated Sir Hans to what is technically known as a cross-buttock.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The Knights were combative, as their noble predecessors with the same title always were, and it was necessary to come to a voie de fait.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “'You let that are scoop-shovel alone,' said Hiram.
Chapter 20 of Over the Teacups by Oliver Wendell Holmes holds 150 sentences, grouped into 30 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.
Chapter 20 holds 150 sentences of Over the Teacups, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of Over the Teacups by Oliver Wendell Holmes exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 150 sentences, grouped into 30 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 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 30 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 20 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 Over the Teacups by Oliver Wendell Holmes on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4042 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2689 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2689, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 336 minutes of reading across 809 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Over the Teacups section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 27 chapters of Over the Teacups 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 Over the Teacups, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
