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Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat
Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat is here in full — 131 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat
Context Illustration Reading 1/26 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The Restless Sexteen was the record altitude of Butterfly Center.
It was the elect and select of the intellect; it was the whole show--the very Wholly of Whollies.
To belong to it was canonization.
Though some of its members also belonged to the Toddletopsis Club, it meant their leading a double life.
The Restless Sexteen were mostly young married women with their husbands as nonresident members.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat is here in full — 131 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The Restless Sexteen was the record altitude of Butterfly Center.
Line 2
It was the elect and select of the intellect; it was the whole show--the very Wholly of Whollies.
Line 3
To belong to it was canonization.
/tuː bɪˈlɔːŋ tuː ɪt wɑːz ˌkænənəˈzeɪʃən/
Line 4
Though some of its members also belonged to the Toddletopsis Club, it meant their leading a double life.
Line 5
The Restless Sexteen were mostly young married women with their husbands as nonresident members.

Learner Dictionary

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.

altitude noun US /ˈæltətuːd/

elevation especially above sea level or above the earth's surface

From this reading “The Restless Sexteen was the record altitude of Butterfly Center.”

Butterfly verb US /ˈbʌtərflaɪ/

flutter like a butterfly

From this reading “The Restless Sexteen was the record altitude of Butterfly Center.”

canonization noun US /ˌkænənəˈzeɪʃən/

(Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church) the act of admitting a deceased person into the canon of saints

From this reading “To belong to it was canonization.”

Center noun US /ˈsɛn.tər/

The middle point or core of an area.

From this reading “The Restless Sexteen was the record altitude of Butterfly Center.”

elect verb US /ɪˈlekt/

select by a vote for an office or membership

From this reading “It was the elect and select of the intellect; it was the whole show--the very Wholly of Whollies.”

husbands noun US /ˈhʌzbəndz/

plural of “husband” — a married man; a woman's partner in marriage

From this reading “The Restless Sexteen were mostly young married women with their husbands as nonresident members.”

nonresident adjective US /nɑːnˈrezədənt/

not living in a particular place or owned by permanent residents

From this reading “The Restless Sexteen were mostly young married women with their husbands as nonresident members.”

select adjective US /səˈlekt/

of superior grade

From this reading “It was the elect and select of the intellect; it was the whole show--the very Wholly of Whollies.”

All words in this reading · 45

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Though some of its members also belonged to the Toddletopsis Club, it meant their leading a double life.

alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading Though some of its members also belonged to the Toddletopsis Club, it meant their leading a double life.

altitudenounUS /ˈæltətuːd/

elevation especially above sea level or above the earth's surface

From this reading The Restless Sexteen was the record altitude of Butterfly Center.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading It was the elect and select of the intellect; it was the whole show--the very Wholly of Whollies.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading The Restless Sexteen were mostly young married women with their husbands as nonresident members.

belongverbUS /bɪˈlɔːŋ/

be owned by; be in the possession of

From this reading To belong to it was canonization.

belongedverbUS /bɪˈlɔːŋd/

past form of “belong” — be owned by; be in the possession of

From this reading Though some of its members also belonged to the Toddletopsis Club, it meant their leading a double life.

ButterflyverbUS /ˈbʌtərflaɪ/

flutter like a butterfly

From this reading The Restless Sexteen was the record altitude of Butterfly Center.

canonizationnounUS /ˌkænənəˈzeɪʃən/

(Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church) the act of admitting a deceased person into the canon of saints

From this reading To belong to it was canonization.

CenternounUS /ˈsɛn.tər/

The middle point or core of an area.

From this reading The Restless Sexteen was the record altitude of Butterfly Center.

ClubnounUS /klʌb/

a team of professional baseball players who play and travel together

From this reading Though some of its members also belonged to the Toddletopsis Club, it meant their leading a double life.

doubleverbUS /ˈdʌbəl/

increase twofold

From this reading Though some of its members also belonged to the Toddletopsis Club, it meant their leading a double life.

electverbUS /ɪˈlekt/

select by a vote for an office or membership

From this reading It was the elect and select of the intellect; it was the whole show--the very Wholly of Whollies.

husbandsnounUS /ˈhʌzbəndz/

plural of “husband” — a married man; a woman's partner in marriage

From this reading The Restless Sexteen were mostly young married women with their husbands as nonresident members.

intellectnounUS /ˈɪntəlekt/

knowledge and intellectual ability

From this reading It was the elect and select of the intellect; it was the whole show--the very Wholly of Whollies.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was the elect and select of the intellect; it was the whole show--the very Wholly of Whollies.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Though some of its members also belonged to the Toddletopsis Club, it meant their leading a double life.

leadingadjectiveUS /ˈliːdɪŋ/

indicating the most important performer or role

From this reading Though some of its members also belonged to the Toddletopsis Club, it meant their leading a double life.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading Though some of its members also belonged to the Toddletopsis Club, it meant their leading a double life.

marriedadjectiveUS /ˈmerid/

joined in matrimony

From this reading The Restless Sexteen were mostly young married women with their husbands as nonresident members.

meantverbUS /ment/

inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey

From this reading Though some of its members also belonged to the Toddletopsis Club, it meant their leading a double life.

membersnounUS /ˈmembərz/

plural of “member” — one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)

From this reading Though some of its members also belonged to the Toddletopsis Club, it meant their leading a double life.

mostlyadverbUS /ˈmoʊstli/

in large part; mainly or chiefly

From this reading The Restless Sexteen were mostly young married women with their husbands as nonresident members.

nonresidentadjectiveUS /nɑːnˈrezədənt/

not living in a particular place or owned by permanent residents

From this reading The Restless Sexteen were mostly young married women with their husbands as nonresident members.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The Restless Sexteen was the record altitude of Butterfly Center.

recordnounUS /rəˈkɔːrd/

anything (such as a document or a phonograph record or a photograph) providing permanent evidence of or information about past events

From this reading The Restless Sexteen was the record altitude of Butterfly Center.

RestlessadjectiveUS /ˈrestləs/

worried and uneasy

From this reading The Restless Sexteen was the record altitude of Butterfly Center.

selectadjectiveUS /səˈlekt/

of superior grade

From this reading It was the elect and select of the intellect; it was the whole show--the very Wholly of Whollies.

Sexteen

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The Restless Sexteen was the record altitude of Butterfly Center.

showverbUS /ʃoʊ/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading It was the elect and select of the intellect; it was the whole show--the very Wholly of Whollies.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Though some of its members also belonged to the Toddletopsis Club, it meant their leading a double life.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading The Restless Sexteen was the record altitude of Butterfly Center.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Though some of its members also belonged to the Toddletopsis Club, it meant their leading a double life.

ThoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Though some of its members also belonged to the Toddletopsis Club, it meant their leading a double life.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading To belong to it was canonization.

Toddletopsis

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Though some of its members also belonged to the Toddletopsis Club, it meant their leading a double life.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading It was the elect and select of the intellect; it was the whole show--the very Wholly of Whollies.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The Restless Sexteen was the record altitude of Butterfly Center.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading The Restless Sexteen were mostly young married women with their husbands as nonresident members.

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading It was the elect and select of the intellect; it was the whole show--the very Wholly of Whollies.

Whollies

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It was the elect and select of the intellect; it was the whole show--the very Wholly of Whollies.

WhollyadverbUS /ˈhoʊli/

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading It was the elect and select of the intellect; it was the whole show--the very Wholly of Whollies.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The Restless Sexteen were mostly young married women with their husbands as nonresident members.

womennounUS /ˈwɪmən/

plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading The Restless Sexteen were mostly young married women with their husbands as nonresident members.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading The Restless Sexteen were mostly young married women with their husbands as nonresident members.

Chapter 8 of Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat by Carolyn Wells holds 131 sentences, grouped into 27 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.

What does chapter 8 of Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat contain?

Chapter 8 holds 131 sentences of Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat by Carolyn Wells exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 131 sentences, grouped into 27 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.

How do I study chapter 8 of Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat?

Work through the 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 27 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.

Can chapter 8 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat

Common questions about reading Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat by Carolyn Wells on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat?

Yes. All 1812 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #8386 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #8386, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat take to read?

About 151 minutes of reading across 363 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat section by section

How to work through Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 13 chapters of Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat

Words and structures a reader meets early in Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Pittsburgh
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Block
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Where
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Three
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ptomaine Street: The Tale of Warble Petticoat; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.