Chapter 3 of Ragged Dick is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Ragged Dick is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
DICK’S NEW SUIT “Now,” said Mr. Whitney to Dick, “my nephew here is on his way to a boarding-school. He has a suit of clothes in his trunk about half worn. He is willing to give them to you. I think they will look better than those you have on.” Dick was so astonished that he hardly knew what to say.
Chapter 3 of Ragged Dick is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/26 · 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.
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading “Dick was so astonished that he hardly knew what to say.”
possessive form of “dick” — someone who is a detective
a son of your brother or sister
From this reading “DICK’S NEW SUIT “Now,” said Mr. Whitney to Dick, “my nephew here is on his way to a boarding-school.”
be agreeable or acceptable to
From this reading “DICK’S NEW SUIT “Now,” said Mr. Whitney to Dick, “my nephew here is on his way to a boarding-school.”
the main stem of a tree; usually covered with bark; the bole is usually the part that is commercially useful for lumber
From this reading “He has a suit of clothes in his trunk about half worn.”
United States inventor of the mechanical cotton gin (1765-1825)
From this reading “DICK’S NEW SUIT “Now,” said Mr. Whitney to Dick, “my nephew here is on his way to a boarding-school.”
disposed or inclined toward
From this reading “He is willing to give them to you.”
Damaged or thinned by continuous use.
From this reading “He has a suit of clothes in his trunk about half worn.”
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 DICK’S NEW SUIT “Now,” said Mr. Whitney to Dick, “my nephew here is on his way to a boarding-school.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He has a suit of clothes in his trunk about half worn.
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading Dick was so astonished that he hardly knew what to say.
(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 I think they will look better than those you have on.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading DICK’S NEW SUIT “Now,” said Mr. Whitney to Dick, “my nephew here is on his way to a boarding-school.
clothing in general
From this reading He has a suit of clothes in his trunk about half worn.
someone who is a detective
From this reading DICK’S NEW SUIT “Now,” said Mr. Whitney to Dick, “my nephew here is on his way to a boarding-school.
possessive form of “dick” — someone who is a detective
From this reading DICK’S NEW SUIT “Now,” said Mr. Whitney to Dick, “my nephew here is on his way to a boarding-school.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading He is willing to give them to you.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading He has a suit of clothes in his trunk about half worn.
only a very short time before
From this reading Dick was so astonished that he hardly knew what to say.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He has a suit of clothes in his trunk about half worn.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I think they will look better than those you have on.”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He has a suit of clothes in his trunk about half worn.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading DICK’S NEW SUIT “Now,” said Mr. Whitney to Dick, “my nephew here is on his way to a boarding-school.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading DICK’S NEW SUIT “Now,” said Mr. Whitney to Dick, “my nephew here is on his way to a boarding-school.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I think they will look better than those you have on.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He has a suit of clothes in his trunk about half worn.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading DICK’S NEW SUIT “Now,” said Mr. Whitney to Dick, “my nephew here is on his way to a boarding-school.
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 Dick was so astonished that he hardly knew what to say.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading I think they will look better than those you have on.”
a form of address for a man
From this reading DICK’S NEW SUIT “Now,” said Mr. Whitney to Dick, “my nephew here is on his way to a boarding-school.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading DICK’S NEW SUIT “Now,” said Mr. Whitney to Dick, “my nephew here is on his way to a boarding-school.
a son of your brother or sister
From this reading DICK’S NEW SUIT “Now,” said Mr. Whitney to Dick, “my nephew here is on his way to a boarding-school.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading DICK’S NEW SUIT “Now,” said Mr. Whitney to Dick, “my nephew here is on his way to a boarding-school.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading DICK’S NEW SUIT “Now,” said Mr. Whitney to Dick, “my nephew here is on his way to a boarding-school.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He has a suit of clothes in his trunk about half worn.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading DICK’S NEW SUIT “Now,” said Mr. Whitney to Dick, “my nephew here is on his way to a boarding-school.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading DICK’S NEW SUIT “Now,” said Mr. Whitney to Dick, “my nephew here is on his way to a boarding-school.
express in words
From this reading Dick was so astonished that he hardly knew what to say.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Dick was so astonished that he hardly knew what to say.
be agreeable or acceptable to
From this reading DICK’S NEW SUIT “Now,” said Mr. Whitney to Dick, “my nephew here is on his way to a boarding-school.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading I think they will look better than those you have on.”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Dick was so astonished that he hardly knew what to say.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading He is willing to give them to you.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I think they will look better than those you have on.”
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading I think they will look better than those you have on.”
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading I think they will look better than those you have on.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading DICK’S NEW SUIT “Now,” said Mr. Whitney to Dick, “my nephew here is on his way to a boarding-school.
the main stem of a tree; usually covered with bark; the bole is usually the part that is commercially useful for lumber
From this reading He has a suit of clothes in his trunk about half worn.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Dick was so astonished that he hardly knew what to say.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading DICK’S NEW SUIT “Now,” said Mr. Whitney to Dick, “my nephew here is on his way to a boarding-school.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Dick was so astonished that he hardly knew what to say.
United States inventor of the mechanical cotton gin (1765-1825)
From this reading DICK’S NEW SUIT “Now,” said Mr. Whitney to Dick, “my nephew here is on his way to a boarding-school.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading I think they will look better than those you have on.”
disposed or inclined toward
From this reading He is willing to give them to you.
Damaged or thinned by continuous use.
From this reading He has a suit of clothes in his trunk about half worn.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading He is willing to give them to you.
Chapter 3 of Ragged Dick by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 132 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.
Chapter 3 holds 132 sentences of Ragged Dick, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Ragged Dick by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 132 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.
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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 Ragged Dick by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3503 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5348 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #5348, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 291 minutes of reading across 701 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Ragged Dick section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 26 chapters of Ragged Dick 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 Ragged Dick, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
