Chapter 14 of Sinclair's luck is here in full — 87 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIV
Chapter 14 of Sinclair's luck is here in full — 87 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
BY VIRTUE OF THE TALISMAN IT was Tiny Desmond who answered the question. "Van der Wyck gave it to Colin for a sort of keepsake, sir." "A rather valuable one," commented the colonel. "Well, you see," pursued Tiny, "Colin saved his life. He----" "Shut up, you ass!" whispered Colin, turning a dusky red.
Chapter 14 of Sinclair's luck is here in full — 87 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/17 · 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 fleshy part of the human body that you sit on
From this reading “He----" "Shut up, you ass!" whispered Colin, turning a dusky red.”
past form of “comment” — make or write a comment on
From this reading “"A rather valuable one," commented the colonel.”
something of sentimental value
From this reading “"Van der Wyck gave it to Colin for a sort of keepsake, sir."”
a person who is being chased
From this reading “"Well, you see," pursued Tiny, "Colin saved his life.”
An object, such as an inscribed ring or stone, thought to have magic powers and to bring good luck.
From this reading “BY VIRTUE OF THE TALISMAN IT was Tiny Desmond who answered the question.”
having great material or monetary value especially for use or exchange
From this reading “"A rather valuable one," commented the colonel.”
any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts)
From this reading “"Van der Wyck gave it to Colin for a sort of keepsake, sir."”
Moral excellence and goodness of character; the highest human attainment in Stoic philosophy.
From this reading “BY VIRTUE OF THE TALISMAN IT was Tiny Desmond who answered the question.”
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 “He----" "Shut up, you ass!" whispered Colin, turning a dusky red.”
refuse to talk or stop talking; fall silent
In this reading “He----" "Shut up, you ass!" whispered Colin, turning a dusky red.”
In this reading “BY VIRTUE OF THE TALISMAN IT was Tiny Desmond who answered the question.”
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 "Van der Wyck gave it to Colin for a sort of keepsake, sir."
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading BY VIRTUE OF THE TALISMAN IT was Tiny Desmond who answered the question.
the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on
From this reading He----" "Shut up, you ass!" whispered Colin, turning a dusky red.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading BY VIRTUE OF THE TALISMAN IT was Tiny Desmond who answered the question.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Van der Wyck gave it to Colin for a sort of keepsake, sir."
a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general
From this reading "A rather valuable one," commented the colonel.
past form of “comment” — make or write a comment on
From this reading "A rather valuable one," commented the colonel.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Van der Wyck gave it to Colin for a sort of keepsake, sir."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BY VIRTUE OF THE TALISMAN IT was Tiny Desmond who answered the question.
lighted by or as if by twilight
From this reading He----" "Shut up, you ass!" whispered Colin, turning a dusky red.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "Van der Wyck gave it to Colin for a sort of keepsake, sir."
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading "Van der Wyck gave it to Colin for a sort of keepsake, sir."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He----" "Shut up, you ass!" whispered Colin, turning a dusky red.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Well, you see," pursued Tiny, "Colin saved his life.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading BY VIRTUE OF THE TALISMAN IT was Tiny Desmond who answered the question.
something of sentimental value
From this reading "Van der Wyck gave it to Colin for a sort of keepsake, sir."
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading "Well, you see," pursued Tiny, "Colin saved his life.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading BY VIRTUE OF THE TALISMAN IT was Tiny Desmond who answered the question.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "A rather valuable one," commented the colonel.
a person who is being chased
From this reading "Well, you see," pursued Tiny, "Colin saved his life.
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading BY VIRTUE OF THE TALISMAN IT was Tiny Desmond who answered the question.
on the contrary
From this reading "A rather valuable one," commented the colonel.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading He----" "Shut up, you ass!" whispered Colin, turning a dusky red.
rescued; especially from the power and consequences of sin
From this reading "Well, you see," pursued Tiny, "Colin saved his life.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "Well, you see," pursued Tiny, "Colin saved his life.
move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
From this reading He----" "Shut up, you ass!" whispered Colin, turning a dusky red.
term of address for a man
From this reading "Van der Wyck gave it to Colin for a sort of keepsake, sir."
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading "Van der Wyck gave it to Colin for a sort of keepsake, sir."
An object, such as an inscribed ring or stone, thought to have magic powers and to bring good luck.
From this reading BY VIRTUE OF THE TALISMAN IT was Tiny Desmond who answered the question.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading BY VIRTUE OF THE TALISMAN IT was Tiny Desmond who answered the question.
very small
From this reading BY VIRTUE OF THE TALISMAN IT was Tiny Desmond who answered the question.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Van der Wyck gave it to Colin for a sort of keepsake, sir."
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading He----" "Shut up, you ass!" whispered Colin, turning a dusky red.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He----" "Shut up, you ass!" whispered Colin, turning a dusky red.
having great material or monetary value especially for use or exchange
From this reading "A rather valuable one," commented the colonel.
any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts)
From this reading "Van der Wyck gave it to Colin for a sort of keepsake, sir."
Moral excellence and goodness of character; the highest human attainment in Stoic philosophy.
From this reading BY VIRTUE OF THE TALISMAN IT was Tiny Desmond who answered the question.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading BY VIRTUE OF THE TALISMAN IT was Tiny Desmond who answered the question.
(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 "Well, you see," pursued Tiny, "Colin saved his life.
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading He----" "Shut up, you ass!" whispered Colin, turning a dusky red.
which person or people
From this reading BY VIRTUE OF THE TALISMAN IT was Tiny Desmond who answered the question.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Van der Wyck gave it to Colin for a sort of keepsake, sir."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Well, you see," pursued Tiny, "Colin saved his life.
Chapter 14 of Sinclair's luck by Percy F. (Percy Francis) Westerman holds 87 sentences, grouped into 18 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 14 holds 87 sentences of Sinclair's luck, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 14 of Sinclair's luck by Percy F. (Percy Francis) Westerman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 87 sentences, grouped into 18 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 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 18 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 14 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 Sinclair's luck by Percy F. (Percy Francis) Westerman on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3536 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #72673 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #72673, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 294 minutes of reading across 708 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Sinclair's luck section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 34 chapters of Sinclair's luck 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 Sinclair's luck, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
