Chapter 16 of Tarr is here in full — 103 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVI
Chapter 16 of Tarr is here in full — 103 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas. Frequent truculent exclamations spluttered out if anything went wrong. “Verdammtes Streichholz!” “Donnerwetter!” She used the oaths of Goethe.
Chapter 16 of Tarr is here in full — 103 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/20 · 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.
a piece of dishware normally used as a container for holding or serving food
From this reading “Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.”
plural of “exclamation” — an abrupt excited utterance
From this reading “Frequent truculent exclamations spluttered out if anything went wrong.”
German poet and novelist and dramatist who lived in Weimar (1749-1832)
From this reading “She used the oaths of Goethe.”
plural of “oath” — profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger
From this reading “She used the oaths of Goethe.”
the act of controlling or directing according to rule
From this reading “Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.”
the removal of soap with clean water in the final stage of washing
From this reading “Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.”
defiantly aggressive
From this reading “Frequent truculent exclamations spluttered out if anything went wrong.”
-ing form of “wipe” — rub with a circular motion
From this reading “Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.”
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.
continue a certain state, condition, or activity
In this reading “Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.”
be unsuccessful
In this reading “Frequent truculent exclamations spluttered out if anything went wrong.”
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 Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.
any thing at all
From this reading Frequent truculent exclamations spluttered out if anything went wrong.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.
food made from dough of flour or meal and usually raised with yeast or baking powder and then baked
From this reading Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.
an edible emulsion of fat globules made by churning milk or cream; for cooking and table use
From this reading Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.
a piece of dishware normally used as a container for holding or serving food
From this reading Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Donnerwetter!”
coming down freely under the influence of gravity
From this reading Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.
plural of “exclamation” — an abrupt excited utterance
From this reading Frequent truculent exclamations spluttered out if anything went wrong.
do one's shopping at; do business with; be a customer or client of
From this reading Frequent truculent exclamations spluttered out if anything went wrong.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.
the state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states by: relatively low density and viscosity
From this reading Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.
German poet and novelist and dramatist who lived in Weimar (1749-1832)
From this reading She used the oaths of Goethe.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Frequent truculent exclamations spluttered out if anything went wrong.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.
edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle
From this reading Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.
plural of “oath” — profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger
From this reading She used the oaths of Goethe.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She used the oaths of Goethe.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Frequent truculent exclamations spluttered out if anything went wrong.
above and across; more than
From this reading Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.
make a sweeping movement
From this reading Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.
a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses
From this reading Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.
the act of controlling or directing according to rule
From this reading Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.
the removal of soap with clean water in the final stage of washing
From this reading Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She used the oaths of Goethe.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Frequent truculent exclamations spluttered out if anything went wrong.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Verdammtes Streichholz!”
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.
defiantly aggressive
From this reading Frequent truculent exclamations spluttered out if anything went wrong.
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading She used the oaths of Goethe.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Verdammtes Streichholz!”
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.
-ing form of “wipe” — rub with a circular motion
From this reading Bertha went on turning the bread over in the pan, taking the butter from its paper and dropping it into its dish: rinsing and wiping a knife or two, regulating the gas.
not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth
From this reading Frequent truculent exclamations spluttered out if anything went wrong.
Chapter 16 of Tarr by Wyndham Lewis holds 103 sentences, grouped into 21 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 16 holds 103 sentences of Tarr, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 16 of Tarr by Wyndham Lewis exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 103 sentences, grouped into 21 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 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 21 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 16 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 Tarr by Wyndham Lewis on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 8072 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #58340 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #58340, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1615 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Tarr section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 38 chapters of Tarr 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 Tarr, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
