Chapter 8 of Roast Beef, Medium is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Roast Beef, Medium is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure. “Why, look at that!” he exclaimed, and pointed with one eager finger. “Mercy!” screamed Emma McChesney. “What is it? Quick!
Chapter 8 of Roast Beef, Medium is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
make right or correct
From this reading “Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.”
firmly closed or secured
From this reading “Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.”
a long, loose outer garment
From this reading “Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.”
a long fixed look
From this reading “Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.”
(music) the speed at which a composition is to be played
From this reading “Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.”
past form of “scream” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading ““Mercy!” screamed Emma McChesney.”
cloth covering that forms the part of a garment below the waist
From this reading “Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.”
remove the edges from and cut down to the desired size
From this reading “Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.”
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 Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “Why, look at that!” he exclaimed, and pointed with one eager finger.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
make right or correct
From this reading Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
having or showing keen interest or intense desire or impatient expectancy
From this reading “Why, look at that!” he exclaimed, and pointed with one eager finger.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading “Why, look at that!” he exclaimed, and pointed with one eager finger.
firmly closed or secured
From this reading Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
feel or handle with the fingers
From this reading “Why, look at that!” he exclaimed, and pointed with one eager finger.
a long, loose outer garment
From this reading Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
a long fixed look
From this reading Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Why, look at that!” he exclaimed, and pointed with one eager finger.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
having or showing interest; especially curiosity or fascination or concern
From this reading Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “What is it?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “What is it?
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading “Why, look at that!” he exclaimed, and pointed with one eager finger.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Mercy!” screamed Emma McChesney.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice
From this reading “Mercy!” screamed Emma McChesney.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “Why, look at that!” he exclaimed, and pointed with one eager finger.
(music) the speed at which a composition is to be played
From this reading Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
having a point
From this reading “Why, look at that!” he exclaimed, and pointed with one eager finger.
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
accomplished rapidly and without delay
From this reading Quick!
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
past form of “scream” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading “Mercy!” screamed Emma McChesney.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
cloth covering that forms the part of a garment below the waist
From this reading Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment
From this reading Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
a base found in DNA (but not in RNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine
From this reading Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
remove the edges from and cut down to the desired size
From this reading Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading Suddenly T. A. stopped short in his pacing and fastened his surprised and interested gaze on the skirt of the trim and correct little business frock that sat so well upon Emma McChesney's pretty figure.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What is it?
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading “Why, look at that!” he exclaimed, and pointed with one eager finger.
in the company of; together with
From this reading “Why, look at that!” he exclaimed, and pointed with one eager finger.
Chapter 8 of Roast Beef, Medium by Edna Ferber holds 404 sentences, grouped into 81 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 404 sentences of Roast Beef, Medium, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Roast Beef, Medium by Edna Ferber exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 404 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 Roast Beef, Medium by Edna Ferber on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3585 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6016 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #6016, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 298 minutes of reading across 717 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Roast Beef, Medium section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of Roast Beef, Medium 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 Roast Beef, Medium, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
