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Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor
Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor

Chapter X · Chapter 10

Chapter 10 of Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor is here in full — 405 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/81 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
3.
That which is digested, but not assimilated, is--Poison.
4.
That which is neither digested nor assimilated is--Mere Obstruction.
As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor

Chapter X · Chapter 10

Chapter 10 of Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor is here in full — 405 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/81 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
3.
Line 2
That which is digested, but not assimilated, is--Poison.
Line 3
4.
Line 4
That which is neither digested nor assimilated is--Mere Obstruction.
Line 5
As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

Learner Dictionary

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.

arsenic noun US /ˈɑːrsənɪk/

a white powdered poisonous trioxide of arsenic; used in manufacturing glass and as a pesticide (rat poison) and weed killer

From this reading “As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.”

assimilated verb US /əˈsɪməleɪtɪd/

past form of “assimilate” — take up mentally

From this reading “That which is digested, but not assimilated, is--Poison.”

digested verb US /ˈdaɪdʒestɪd/

past form of “digest” — convert food into absorbable substances

From this reading “That which is digested, but not assimilated, is--Poison.”

Obstruction noun US /əbˈstrʌkʃən/

any structure that makes progress difficult

From this reading “That which is neither digested nor assimilated is--Mere Obstruction.”

Poison verb US /ˈpɔɪzən/

spoil as if by poison

From this reading “That which is digested, but not assimilated, is--Poison.”

poisoned verb US /ˈpɔɪzənd/

past form of “poison” — spoil as if by poison

From this reading “As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.”

poisons noun US /ˈpɔɪzənz/

plural of “poison” — any substance that causes injury or illness or death of a living organism

From this reading “As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.”

stories noun US /ˈstɔːriz/

plural of “story” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading “As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.”

All words in this reading · 48

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.

3

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading 3.

4

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading 4.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

arsenicnounUS /ˈɑːrsənɪk/

a white powdered poisonous trioxide of arsenic; used in manufacturing glass and as a pesticide (rat poison) and weed killer

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

assimilatedverbUS /əˈsɪməleɪtɪd/

past form of “assimilate” — take up mentally

From this reading That which is digested, but not assimilated, is--Poison.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/

accept as true; take to be true

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading That which is digested, but not assimilated, is--Poison.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

cannot

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

certainlyadverbUS /ˈsɜːrtənli/

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

digestedverbUS /ˈdaɪdʒestɪd/

past form of “digest” — convert food into absorbable substances

From this reading That which is digested, but not assimilated, is--Poison.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading That which is digested, but not assimilated, is--Poison.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

MereadjectiveUS /mɪr/

being nothing more than specified

From this reading That which is neither digested nor assimilated is--Mere Obstruction.

neitherdeterminerUS /ˈniːðər/

not one and not the other of two

From this reading That which is neither digested nor assimilated is--Mere Obstruction.

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading That which is neither digested nor assimilated is--Mere Obstruction.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading That which is digested, but not assimilated, is--Poison.

ObstructionnounUS /əbˈstrʌkʃən/

any structure that makes progress difficult

From this reading That which is neither digested nor assimilated is--Mere Obstruction.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

PoisonverbUS /ˈpɔɪzən/

spoil as if by poison

From this reading That which is digested, but not assimilated, is--Poison.

poisonedverbUS /ˈpɔɪzənd/

past form of “poison” — spoil as if by poison

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

poisonsnounUS /ˈpɔɪzənz/

plural of “poison” — any substance that causes injury or illness or death of a living organism

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

slowadjectiveUS /sloʊ/

not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

storiesnounUS /ˈstɔːriz/

plural of “story” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading That which is digested, but not assimilated, is--Poison.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

truthnounUS /truːθ/

a fact that has been verified

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

whetherconjunctionUS /ˈweðər/

used to introduce two or more possibilities

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading That which is digested, but not assimilated, is--Poison.

yearnounUS /jɪr/

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading As to the stories of slow poisons, I cannot say whether there was any, or what, truth in them; but I certainly believe a man may be poisoned by arsenic a year after he has taken it.

Chapter 10 of Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor by Samuel Taylor Coleridge holds 405 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.

What does chapter 10 of Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor contain?

Chapter 10 holds 405 sentences of Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 10 of Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor by Samuel Taylor Coleridge exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 405 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.

How do I study chapter 10 of Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor?

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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 10 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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Project Gutenberg eBook #8489, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 403 minutes of reading across 969 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor

Words and structures a reader meets early in Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Greek
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Specimens of the Table Talk of Samuel Taylor; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Transliterations
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Throughout
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Either
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