Chapter 5 of Peccavi is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Peccavi is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Tom hardly knew. That was old age, _he_ thought. Then the house was that old and small; sometimes she fared to stifle for want of air. And this Tom said doggedly, for a reason. "Ah!" cried Sir Wilton, his fixed eye brightening.
Chapter 5 of Peccavi is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
how long something has existed
From this reading “That was old age, _he_ thought.”
-ing form of “brighten” — make more cheerful through the use of color
From this reading “"Ah!" cried Sir Wilton, his fixed eye brightening.”
with obstinate determination
From this reading “And this Tom said doggedly, for a reason.”
past form of “fare” — proceed or get along
From this reading “Then the house was that old and small; sometimes she fared to stifle for want of air.”
(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value
From this reading “"Ah!" cried Sir Wilton, his fixed eye brightening.”
only a very short time before
From this reading “Tom hardly knew.”
suppress in order to conceal or hide
From this reading “Then the house was that old and small; sometimes she fared to stifle for want of air.”
a carpet woven on a Jacquard loom with loops like a Brussels carpet but having the loops cut to form a close velvety pile
From this reading “"Ah!" cried Sir Wilton, his fixed eye brightening.”
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.
a late time of life
In this reading “That was old age, _he_ thought.”
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 And this Tom said doggedly, for a reason.
how long something has existed
From this reading That was old age, _he_ thought.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Ah!" cried Sir Wilton, his fixed eye brightening.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Then the house was that old and small; sometimes she fared to stifle for want of air.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Then the house was that old and small; sometimes she fared to stifle for want of air.
-ing form of “brighten” — make more cheerful through the use of color
From this reading "Ah!" cried Sir Wilton, his fixed eye brightening.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading "Ah!" cried Sir Wilton, his fixed eye brightening.
with obstinate determination
From this reading And this Tom said doggedly, for a reason.
the organ of sight
From this reading "Ah!" cried Sir Wilton, his fixed eye brightening.
past form of “fare” — proceed or get along
From this reading Then the house was that old and small; sometimes she fared to stifle for want of air.
(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value
From this reading "Ah!" cried Sir Wilton, his fixed eye brightening.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Then the house was that old and small; sometimes she fared to stifle for want of air.
only a very short time before
From this reading Tom hardly knew.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading That was old age, _he_ thought.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Ah!" cried Sir Wilton, his fixed eye brightening.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Then the house was that old and small; sometimes she fared to stifle for want of air.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Tom hardly knew.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Then the house was that old and small; sometimes she fared to stifle for want of air.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading That was old age, _he_ thought.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading And this Tom said doggedly, for a reason.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading And this Tom said doggedly, for a reason.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then the house was that old and small; sometimes she fared to stifle for want of air.
term of address for a man
From this reading "Ah!" cried Sir Wilton, his fixed eye brightening.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Then the house was that old and small; sometimes she fared to stifle for want of air.
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading Then the house was that old and small; sometimes she fared to stifle for want of air.
suppress in order to conceal or hide
From this reading Then the house was that old and small; sometimes she fared to stifle for want of air.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That was old age, _he_ thought.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Then the house was that old and small; sometimes she fared to stifle for want of air.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then the house was that old and small; sometimes she fared to stifle for want of air.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading And this Tom said doggedly, for a reason.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading That was old age, _he_ thought.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Then the house was that old and small; sometimes she fared to stifle for want of air.
male cat
From this reading Tom hardly knew.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading Then the house was that old and small; sometimes she fared to stifle for want of air.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading That was old age, _he_ thought.
a carpet woven on a Jacquard loom with loops like a Brussels carpet but having the loops cut to form a close velvety pile
From this reading "Ah!" cried Sir Wilton, his fixed eye brightening.
Chapter 5 of Peccavi by E. W. (Ernest William) Hornung holds 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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 5 holds 410 sentences of Peccavi, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Peccavi by E. W. (Ernest William) Hornung exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 5 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 Peccavi by E. W. (Ernest William) Hornung on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6372 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36115 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #36115, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 531 minutes of reading across 1275 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Peccavi section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 16 chapters of Peccavi 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 Peccavi, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
