Chapter 1 of Punch is here in full — 544 sentences across 109 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Punch is here in full — 544 sentences across 109 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI. Christmas Number 1890. CHRISTMAS NUMBER 1890. INTRODUCTION. The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.
Chapter 1 of Punch is here in full — 544 sentences across 109 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/108 · 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.
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading “Christmas Number 1890.”
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading “The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.”
the act of beginning something new
From this reading “INTRODUCTION.”
-ing form of “near” — move towards
From this reading “The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.”
a building designed and equipped to observe astronomical phenomena
From this reading “The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.”
abounding with or resembling stars
From this reading “The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.”
the upper part of anything
From this reading “The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.”
a structure taller than its diameter; can stand alone or be attached to a larger building
From this reading “The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.”
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 Christmas Number 1890.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.
a noisy mock serenade (made by banging pans and kettles) to a newly married couple
From this reading OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading Christmas Number 1890.
rid of obstructions
From this reading The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.
the act of beginning something new
From this reading INTRODUCTION.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.
immediately past
From this reading The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.
-ing form of “near” — move towards
From this reading The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading Christmas Number 1890.
a building designed and equipped to observe astronomical phenomena
From this reading The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.
abounding with or resembling stars
From this reading The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.
the upper part of anything
From this reading The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.
a structure taller than its diameter; can stand alone or be attached to a larger building
From this reading The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading The Old Year was fast nearing its close, the night was clear and starry, and Father Time, from the top of his observatory tower, was taking a last look round.
Chapter 1 of Punch by Various holds 544 sentences, grouped into 109 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 544 sentences of Punch, unabridged, divided into 109 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Punch by Various exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 544 sentences, grouped into 109 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 109 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 109 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.
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Yes. All 1093 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #13244 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #13244, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 91 minutes of reading across 219 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Punch section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 2 chapters of Punch 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 Punch, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
