Chapter 1 of Sir Tom is here in full — 85 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Sir Tom is here in full — 85 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AUTHOR OF "THE WIZARD'S SON," "HESTER," ETC. MACMILLAN AND CO. _First Edition (3 Vols. Crown 8vo) Sept. 1884_ _Second Edition (1 Vol. Crown 8vo) 1884_ Sir Thomas Randolph had lived a somewhat stormy life during the earliest half of his career.
Chapter 1 of Sir Tom is here in full — 85 sentences across 17 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.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading “AUTHOR OF "THE WIZARD'S SON," "HESTER," ETC.”
the particular occupation for which you are trained
From this reading “1884_ _Second Edition (1 Vol. Crown 8vo) 1884_ Sir Thomas Randolph had lived a somewhat stormy life during the earliest half of his career.”
the Crown (or the reigning monarch) as the symbol of the power and authority of a monarchy
From this reading “Crown 8vo) Sept.”
(comparative and superlative of “early”) more early than; most early
From this reading “1884_ _Second Edition (1 Vol. Crown 8vo) 1884_ Sir Thomas Randolph had lived a somewhat stormy life during the earliest half of his career.”
the form in which a text (especially a printed book) is published
From this reading “_First Edition (3 Vols.”
the month following August and preceding October
From this reading “Crown 8vo) Sept.”
(especially of weather) affected or characterized by storms or commotion
From this reading “1884_ _Second Edition (1 Vol. Crown 8vo) 1884_ Sir Thomas Randolph had lived a somewhat stormy life during the earliest half of his career.”
United States clockmaker who introduced mass production (1785-1859)
From this reading “1884_ _Second Edition (1 Vol. Crown 8vo) 1884_ Sir Thomas Randolph had lived a somewhat stormy life during the earliest half of his career.”
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 “1884_ _Second Edition (1 Vol. Crown 8vo) 1884_ Sir Thomas Randolph had lived a somewhat stormy life during the earliest half of his career.”
In this reading “_First Edition (3 Vols.”
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 1884_ _Second Edition (1 Vol. Crown 8vo) 1884_ Sir Thomas Randolph had lived a somewhat stormy life during the earliest half of his career.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 1884_ _Second Edition (1 Vol. Crown 8vo) 1884_ Sir Thomas Randolph had lived a somewhat stormy life during the earliest half of his career.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _First Edition (3 Vols.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Crown 8vo) Sept.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading 1884_ _Second Edition (1 Vol. Crown 8vo) 1884_ Sir Thomas Randolph had lived a somewhat stormy life during the earliest half of his career.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading MACMILLAN AND CO.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE WIZARD'S SON," "HESTER," ETC.
the particular occupation for which you are trained
From this reading 1884_ _Second Edition (1 Vol. Crown 8vo) 1884_ Sir Thomas Randolph had lived a somewhat stormy life during the earliest half of his career.
an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon
From this reading MACMILLAN AND CO.
the Crown (or the reigning monarch) as the symbol of the power and authority of a monarchy
From this reading Crown 8vo) Sept.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading 1884_ _Second Edition (1 Vol. Crown 8vo) 1884_ Sir Thomas Randolph had lived a somewhat stormy life during the earliest half of his career.
(comparative and superlative of “early”) more early than; most early
From this reading 1884_ _Second Edition (1 Vol. Crown 8vo) 1884_ Sir Thomas Randolph had lived a somewhat stormy life during the earliest half of his career.
the form in which a text (especially a printed book) is published
From this reading _First Edition (3 Vols.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE WIZARD'S SON," "HESTER," ETC.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading _First Edition (3 Vols.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading 1884_ _Second Edition (1 Vol. Crown 8vo) 1884_ Sir Thomas Randolph had lived a somewhat stormy life during the earliest half of his career.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading 1884_ _Second Edition (1 Vol. Crown 8vo) 1884_ Sir Thomas Randolph had lived a somewhat stormy life during the earliest half of his career.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE WIZARD'S SON," "HESTER," ETC.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading 1884_ _Second Edition (1 Vol. Crown 8vo) 1884_ Sir Thomas Randolph had lived a somewhat stormy life during the earliest half of his career.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading 1884_ _Second Edition (1 Vol. Crown 8vo) 1884_ Sir Thomas Randolph had lived a somewhat stormy life during the earliest half of his career.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading 1884_ _Second Edition (1 Vol. Crown 8vo) 1884_ Sir Thomas Randolph had lived a somewhat stormy life during the earliest half of his career.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading MACMILLAN AND CO.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE WIZARD'S SON," "HESTER," ETC.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 1884_ _Second Edition (1 Vol. Crown 8vo) 1884_ Sir Thomas Randolph had lived a somewhat stormy life during the earliest half of his career.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading 1884_ _Second Edition (1 Vol. Crown 8vo) 1884_ Sir Thomas Randolph had lived a somewhat stormy life during the earliest half of his career.
the month following August and preceding October
From this reading Crown 8vo) Sept.
term of address for a man
From this reading 1884_ _Second Edition (1 Vol. Crown 8vo) 1884_ Sir Thomas Randolph had lived a somewhat stormy life during the earliest half of his career.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading 1884_ _Second Edition (1 Vol. Crown 8vo) 1884_ Sir Thomas Randolph had lived a somewhat stormy life during the earliest half of his career.
a male human offspring
From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE WIZARD'S SON," "HESTER," ETC.
(especially of weather) affected or characterized by storms or commotion
From this reading 1884_ _Second Edition (1 Vol. Crown 8vo) 1884_ Sir Thomas Randolph had lived a somewhat stormy life during the earliest half of his career.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE WIZARD'S SON," "HESTER," ETC.
United States clockmaker who introduced mass production (1785-1859)
From this reading 1884_ _Second Edition (1 Vol. Crown 8vo) 1884_ Sir Thomas Randolph had lived a somewhat stormy life during the earliest half of his career.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Crown 8vo) Sept.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 1884_ _Second Edition (1 Vol. Crown 8vo) 1884_ Sir Thomas Randolph had lived a somewhat stormy life during the earliest half of his career.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _First Edition (3 Vols.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AUTHOR OF "THE WIZARD'S SON," "HESTER," ETC.
Chapter 1 of Sir Tom by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant holds 85 sentences, grouped into 17 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 85 sentences of Sir Tom, unabridged, divided into 17 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Sir Tom by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 85 sentences, grouped into 17 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 17 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 17 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.
Common questions about reading Sir Tom by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9204 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #30692 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #30692, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1841 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Sir Tom section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Sir Tom 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 Sir Tom, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
