Chapter 8 of Precepts in Practice is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Precepts in Practice is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE GREEN VELVET DRESS. “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.”—PROV. xv. 17. “Wrap your cloak tight round you, my lass; for the wind’s bitter cold this morning: and here—see—you wouldn’t be the worse of my bit of a shawl under it.” “Oh but, mother, remember your rheumatics.”
Chapter 8 of Precepts in Practice is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/25 · 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.
the emotion of intense dislike; a feeling of dislike so strong that it demands action
From this reading ““Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.”—PROV. xv.”
plural of “herb” — a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests
From this reading ““Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.”—PROV. xv.”
a girl or young woman who is unmarried
From this reading ““Wrap your cloak tight round you, my lass; for the wind’s bitter cold this morning: and here—see—you wouldn’t be the worse of my bit of a shawl under it.””
cloak consisting of an oblong piece of cloth used to cover the head and shoulders
From this reading ““Wrap your cloak tight round you, my lass; for the wind’s bitter cold this morning: and here—see—you wouldn’t be the worse of my bit of a shawl under it.””
past form of “stall” — postpone doing what one should be doing
From this reading ““Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.”—PROV. xv.”
a silky densely piled fabric with a plain back
From this reading “THE GREEN VELVET DRESS.”
possessive form of “wind” — air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
arrange or fold as a cover or protection
From this reading ““Wrap your cloak tight round you, my lass; for the wind’s bitter cold this morning: and here—see—you wouldn’t be the worse of my bit of a shawl under it.””
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.
In this reading “THE GREEN VELVET DRESS.”
In this reading ““Wrap your cloak tight round you, my lass; for the wind’s bitter cold this morning: and here—see—you wouldn’t be the worse of my bit of a shawl under it.””
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 17.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.”—PROV. xv.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.”—PROV. xv.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “Wrap your cloak tight round you, my lass; for the wind’s bitter cold this morning: and here—see—you wouldn’t be the worse of my bit of a shawl under it.”
(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 “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.”—PROV. xv.
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading “Wrap your cloak tight round you, my lass; for the wind’s bitter cold this morning: and here—see—you wouldn’t be the worse of my bit of a shawl under it.”
marked by strong resentment or cynicism
From this reading “Wrap your cloak tight round you, my lass; for the wind’s bitter cold this morning: and here—see—you wouldn’t be the worse of my bit of a shawl under it.”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “Oh but, mother, remember your rheumatics.”
anything that covers or conceals
From this reading “Wrap your cloak tight round you, my lass; for the wind’s bitter cold this morning: and here—see—you wouldn’t be the worse of my bit of a shawl under it.”
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading “Wrap your cloak tight round you, my lass; for the wind’s bitter cold this morning: and here—see—you wouldn’t be the worse of my bit of a shawl under it.”
the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
From this reading “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.”—PROV. xv.
put on clothes
From this reading THE GREEN VELVET DRESS.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “Wrap your cloak tight round you, my lass; for the wind’s bitter cold this morning: and here—see—you wouldn’t be the worse of my bit of a shawl under it.”
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading THE GREEN VELVET DRESS.
the emotion of intense dislike; a feeling of dislike so strong that it demands action
From this reading “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.”—PROV. xv.
plural of “herb” — a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests
From this reading “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.”—PROV. xv.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading “Wrap your cloak tight round you, my lass; for the wind’s bitter cold this morning: and here—see—you wouldn’t be the worse of my bit of a shawl under it.”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.”—PROV. xv.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “Wrap your cloak tight round you, my lass; for the wind’s bitter cold this morning: and here—see—you wouldn’t be the worse of my bit of a shawl under it.”
a girl or young woman who is unmarried
From this reading “Wrap your cloak tight round you, my lass; for the wind’s bitter cold this morning: and here—see—you wouldn’t be the worse of my bit of a shawl under it.”
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.”—PROV. xv.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading “Wrap your cloak tight round you, my lass; for the wind’s bitter cold this morning: and here—see—you wouldn’t be the worse of my bit of a shawl under it.”
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading “Oh but, mother, remember your rheumatics.”
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “Wrap your cloak tight round you, my lass; for the wind’s bitter cold this morning: and here—see—you wouldn’t be the worse of my bit of a shawl under it.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.”—PROV. xv.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading “Oh but, mother, remember your rheumatics.”
an adult castrated bull of the genus Bos; especially Bos taurus
From this reading “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.”—PROV. xv.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.”—PROV. xv.
To recall to mind.
From this reading “Oh but, mother, remember your rheumatics.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Oh but, mother, remember your rheumatics.”
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading “Wrap your cloak tight round you, my lass; for the wind’s bitter cold this morning: and here—see—you wouldn’t be the worse of my bit of a shawl under it.”
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading “Wrap your cloak tight round you, my lass; for the wind’s bitter cold this morning: and here—see—you wouldn’t be the worse of my bit of a shawl under it.”
cloak consisting of an oblong piece of cloth used to cover the head and shoulders
From this reading “Wrap your cloak tight round you, my lass; for the wind’s bitter cold this morning: and here—see—you wouldn’t be the worse of my bit of a shawl under it.”
past form of “stall” — postpone doing what one should be doing
From this reading “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.”—PROV. xv.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.”—PROV. xv.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE GREEN VELVET DRESS.
with that or this or it
From this reading “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.”—PROV. xv.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “Wrap your cloak tight round you, my lass; for the wind’s bitter cold this morning: and here—see—you wouldn’t be the worse of my bit of a shawl under it.”
closely constrained or constricted or constricting
From this reading “Wrap your cloak tight round you, my lass; for the wind’s bitter cold this morning: and here—see—you wouldn’t be the worse of my bit of a shawl under it.”
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading “Wrap your cloak tight round you, my lass; for the wind’s bitter cold this morning: and here—see—you wouldn’t be the worse of my bit of a shawl under it.”
a silky densely piled fabric with a plain back
From this reading THE GREEN VELVET DRESS.
in or at the place that
From this reading “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.”—PROV. xv.
possessive form of “wind” — air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading “Wrap your cloak tight round you, my lass; for the wind’s bitter cold this morning: and here—see—you wouldn’t be the worse of my bit of a shawl under it.”
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading “Wrap your cloak tight round you, my lass; for the wind’s bitter cold this morning: and here—see—you wouldn’t be the worse of my bit of a shawl under it.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Wrap your cloak tight round you, my lass; for the wind’s bitter cold this morning: and here—see—you wouldn’t be the worse of my bit of a shawl under it.”
arrange or fold as a cover or protection
From this reading “Wrap your cloak tight round you, my lass; for the wind’s bitter cold this morning: and here—see—you wouldn’t be the worse of my bit of a shawl under it.”
the cardinal number that is the sum of fourteen and one
From this reading “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.”—PROV. xv.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Wrap your cloak tight round you, my lass; for the wind’s bitter cold this morning: and here—see—you wouldn’t be the worse of my bit of a shawl under it.”
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Wrap your cloak tight round you, my lass; for the wind’s bitter cold this morning: and here—see—you wouldn’t be the worse of my bit of a shawl under it.”
Chapter 8 of Precepts in Practice by A. L. O. E. holds 128 sentences, grouped into 26 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 8 holds 128 sentences of Precepts in Practice, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Precepts in Practice by A. L. O. E. exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 128 sentences, grouped into 26 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 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 26 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 8 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 Precepts in Practice by A. L. O. E. on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2035 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #58791 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #58791, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 169 minutes of reading across 407 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Precepts in Practice section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 15 chapters of Precepts in Practice 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 Precepts in Practice, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
