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Tender Buttons Objects—Food—Rooms
Tender Buttons Objects—Food—Rooms

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Tender Buttons Objects—Food—Rooms is here in full — 496 sentences across 100 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Tender Buttons Objects—Food—Rooms
Context Illustration Reading 1/99 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A peck a small piece not privately overseen, not at all not a slice, not at all crestfallen and open, not at all mounting and chaining and evenly surpassing, all the bidding comes to tea.
A separation is not tightly in worsted and sauce, it is so kept well and sectionally.
Put it in the stew, put it to shame.
A little slight shadow and a solid fine furnace.
The teasing is tender and trying and thoughtful.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Tender Buttons Objects—Food—Rooms

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Tender Buttons Objects—Food—Rooms is here in full — 496 sentences across 100 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/99 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A peck a small piece not privately overseen, not at all not a slice, not at all crestfallen and open, not at all mounting and chaining and evenly surpassing, all the bidding comes to tea.
/ə pek ə smɔːl piːs nɑːt ˈpraɪvətli ˈoʊvərsiːn nɑːt æt ɔːl nɑːt ə slaɪs nɑːt æt ɔːl ˈkrestfɔːlən ənd ˈoʊ.pən nɑːt æt ɔːl ˈmaʊntɪŋ ənd ˈtʃeɪnɪŋ ənd ˈiːvənli sərˈpæsɪŋ ɔːl ðə ˈbɪdɪŋ kʌmz tuː tiː/
Line 2
A separation is not tightly in worsted and sauce, it is so kept well and sectionally.
Line 3
Put it in the stew, put it to shame.
/pʊt ɪt ɪn ðə stuː pʊt ɪt tuː ʃeɪm/
Line 4
A little slight shadow and a solid fine furnace.
/ə ˈlɪtəl slaɪt ˈʃæd.oʊ ənd ə ˈsɑːləd faɪn ˈfɜːrnəs/
Line 5
The teasing is tender and trying and thoughtful.
/ðə ˈtiːzɪŋ ɪz ˈtendər ənd ˈtraɪɪŋ ənd ˈθɔːtfəl/

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.

chaining verb US /ˈtʃeɪnɪŋ/

-ing form of “chain” — connect or arrange into a chain by linking

From this reading “A peck a small piece not privately overseen, not at all not a slice, not at all crestfallen and open, not at all mounting and chaining and evenly surpassing, all the bidding comes to tea.”

crestfallen adjective US /ˈkrestfɔːlən/

brought low in spirit

From this reading “A peck a small piece not privately overseen, not at all not a slice, not at all crestfallen and open, not at all mounting and chaining and evenly surpassing, all the bidding comes to tea.”

evenly adverb US /ˈiːvənli/

in equal amounts or shares; in a balanced or impartial way

From this reading “A peck a small piece not privately overseen, not at all not a slice, not at all crestfallen and open, not at all mounting and chaining and evenly surpassing, all the bidding comes to tea.”

overseen verb US /ˈoʊvərsiːn/

inflected form of “oversee” — watch and direct

From this reading “A peck a small piece not privately overseen, not at all not a slice, not at all crestfallen and open, not at all mounting and chaining and evenly surpassing, all the bidding comes to tea.”

peck verb US /pek/

hit lightly with a picking motion

From this reading “A peck a small piece not privately overseen, not at all not a slice, not at all crestfallen and open, not at all mounting and chaining and evenly surpassing, all the bidding comes to tea.”

stew verb US /stuː/

be in a huff; be silent or sullen

From this reading “Put it in the stew, put it to shame.”

surpassing adjective US /sərˈpæsɪŋ/

exceeding or surpassing usual limits especially in excellence

From this reading “A peck a small piece not privately overseen, not at all not a slice, not at all crestfallen and open, not at all mounting and chaining and evenly surpassing, all the bidding comes to tea.”

worsted noun US /ˈwɜːrstɪd/

a woolen fabric with a hard textured surface and no nap; woven of worsted yarns "he wore a worsted suit"

From this reading “A separation is not tightly in worsted and sauce, it is so kept well and sectionally.”

All words in this reading · 46

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading A peck a small piece not privately overseen, not at all not a slice, not at all crestfallen and open, not at all mounting and chaining and evenly surpassing, all the bidding comes to tea.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading A peck a small piece not privately overseen, not at all not a slice, not at all crestfallen and open, not at all mounting and chaining and evenly surpassing, all the bidding comes to tea.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading A peck a small piece not privately overseen, not at all not a slice, not at all crestfallen and open, not at all mounting and chaining and evenly surpassing, all the bidding comes to tea.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading A peck a small piece not privately overseen, not at all not a slice, not at all crestfallen and open, not at all mounting and chaining and evenly surpassing, all the bidding comes to tea.

biddingnounUS /ˈbɪdɪŋ/

an authoritative direction or instruction to do something

From this reading A peck a small piece not privately overseen, not at all not a slice, not at all crestfallen and open, not at all mounting and chaining and evenly surpassing, all the bidding comes to tea.

chainingverbUS /ˈtʃeɪnɪŋ/

-ing form of “chain” — connect or arrange into a chain by linking

From this reading A peck a small piece not privately overseen, not at all not a slice, not at all crestfallen and open, not at all mounting and chaining and evenly surpassing, all the bidding comes to tea.

comesnounUS /kʌmz/

plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract

From this reading A peck a small piece not privately overseen, not at all not a slice, not at all crestfallen and open, not at all mounting and chaining and evenly surpassing, all the bidding comes to tea.

crestfallenadjectiveUS /ˈkrestfɔːlən/

brought low in spirit

From this reading A peck a small piece not privately overseen, not at all not a slice, not at all crestfallen and open, not at all mounting and chaining and evenly surpassing, all the bidding comes to tea.

evenlyadverbUS /ˈiːvənli/

in equal amounts or shares; in a balanced or impartial way

From this reading A peck a small piece not privately overseen, not at all not a slice, not at all crestfallen and open, not at all mounting and chaining and evenly surpassing, all the bidding comes to tea.

fineadjectiveUS /faɪn/

being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading A little slight shadow and a solid fine furnace.

furnacenounUS /ˈfɜːrnəs/

an enclosed chamber in which heat is produced to heat buildings, destroy refuse, smelt or refine ores, etc.

From this reading A little slight shadow and a solid fine furnace.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading A separation is not tightly in worsted and sauce, it is so kept well and sectionally.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading A separation is not tightly in worsted and sauce, it is so kept well and sectionally.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading A separation is not tightly in worsted and sauce, it is so kept well and sectionally.

keptadjectiveUS /kept/

(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded

From this reading A separation is not tightly in worsted and sauce, it is so kept well and sectionally.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading A little slight shadow and a solid fine furnace.

mountingnounUS /ˈmaʊntɪŋ/

an event that involves rising to a higher point (as in altitude or temperature or intensity etc.)

From this reading A peck a small piece not privately overseen, not at all not a slice, not at all crestfallen and open, not at all mounting and chaining and evenly surpassing, all the bidding comes to tea.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading A peck a small piece not privately overseen, not at all not a slice, not at all crestfallen and open, not at all mounting and chaining and evenly surpassing, all the bidding comes to tea.

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading A peck a small piece not privately overseen, not at all not a slice, not at all crestfallen and open, not at all mounting and chaining and evenly surpassing, all the bidding comes to tea.

overseenverbUS /ˈoʊvərsiːn/

inflected form of “oversee” — watch and direct

From this reading A peck a small piece not privately overseen, not at all not a slice, not at all crestfallen and open, not at all mounting and chaining and evenly surpassing, all the bidding comes to tea.

peckverbUS /pek/

hit lightly with a picking motion

From this reading A peck a small piece not privately overseen, not at all not a slice, not at all crestfallen and open, not at all mounting and chaining and evenly surpassing, all the bidding comes to tea.

piecenounUS /piːs/

a separate part of a whole

From this reading A peck a small piece not privately overseen, not at all not a slice, not at all crestfallen and open, not at all mounting and chaining and evenly surpassing, all the bidding comes to tea.

privatelyadverbUS /ˈpraɪvətli/

kept private or confined to those intimately concerned

From this reading A peck a small piece not privately overseen, not at all not a slice, not at all crestfallen and open, not at all mounting and chaining and evenly surpassing, all the bidding comes to tea.

PutverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Put it in the stew, put it to shame.

saucenounUS /sɔːs/

flavorful relish or dressing or topping served as an accompaniment to food

From this reading A separation is not tightly in worsted and sauce, it is so kept well and sectionally.

sectionally

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

From this reading A separation is not tightly in worsted and sauce, it is so kept well and sectionally.

separationnounUS /ˌsepərˈeɪʃən/

the state of lacking unity

From this reading A separation is not tightly in worsted and sauce, it is so kept well and sectionally.

shadownounUS /ˈʃæd.oʊ/

A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.

From this reading A little slight shadow and a solid fine furnace.

shamenounUS /ʃeɪm/

a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt

From this reading Put it in the stew, put it to shame.

slicenounUS /slaɪs/

a share of something

From this reading A peck a small piece not privately overseen, not at all not a slice, not at all crestfallen and open, not at all mounting and chaining and evenly surpassing, all the bidding comes to tea.

slightnounUS /slaɪt/

a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)

From this reading A little slight shadow and a solid fine furnace.

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading A peck a small piece not privately overseen, not at all not a slice, not at all crestfallen and open, not at all mounting and chaining and evenly surpassing, all the bidding comes to tea.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading A separation is not tightly in worsted and sauce, it is so kept well and sectionally.

solidadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːləd/

characterized by good substantial quality

From this reading A little slight shadow and a solid fine furnace.

stewverbUS /stuː/

be in a huff; be silent or sullen

From this reading Put it in the stew, put it to shame.

surpassingadjectiveUS /sərˈpæsɪŋ/

exceeding or surpassing usual limits especially in excellence

From this reading A peck a small piece not privately overseen, not at all not a slice, not at all crestfallen and open, not at all mounting and chaining and evenly surpassing, all the bidding comes to tea.

teanounUS /tiː/

a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water

From this reading A peck a small piece not privately overseen, not at all not a slice, not at all crestfallen and open, not at all mounting and chaining and evenly surpassing, all the bidding comes to tea.

teasingnounUS /ˈtiːzɪŋ/

the act of harassing someone playfully or maliciously (especially by ridicule); provoking someone with persistent annoyances

From this reading The teasing is tender and trying and thoughtful.

tenderadjectiveUS /ˈtendər/

given to sympathy or gentleness or sentimentality

From this reading The teasing is tender and trying and thoughtful.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A peck a small piece not privately overseen, not at all not a slice, not at all crestfallen and open, not at all mounting and chaining and evenly surpassing, all the bidding comes to tea.

thoughtfuladjectiveUS /ˈθɔːtfəl/

having intellectual depth

From this reading The teasing is tender and trying and thoughtful.

tightlyadverbUS /ˈtaɪtli/

in a tight or constricted manner

From this reading A separation is not tightly in worsted and sauce, it is so kept well and sectionally.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading A peck a small piece not privately overseen, not at all not a slice, not at all crestfallen and open, not at all mounting and chaining and evenly surpassing, all the bidding comes to tea.

tryingadjectiveUS /ˈtraɪɪŋ/

hard to endure

From this reading The teasing is tender and trying and thoughtful.

welladverbUS /wel/

(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 A separation is not tightly in worsted and sauce, it is so kept well and sectionally.

worstednounUS /ˈwɜːrstɪd/

a woolen fabric with a hard textured surface and no nap; woven of worsted yarns "he wore a worsted suit"

From this reading A separation is not tightly in worsted and sauce, it is so kept well and sectionally.

Chapter 2 of Tender Buttons Objects—Food—Rooms by Gertrude Stein holds 496 sentences, grouped into 100 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 2 of Tender Buttons Objects—Food—Rooms contain?

Chapter 2 holds 496 sentences of Tender Buttons Objects—Food—Rooms, unabridged, divided into 100 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Tender Buttons Objects—Food—Rooms by Gertrude Stein exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 496 sentences, grouped into 100 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 2 of Tender Buttons Objects—Food—Rooms?

Work through the 100 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 100 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.

Can chapter 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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.

Questions about reading Tender Buttons Objects—Food—Rooms

Common questions about reading Tender Buttons Objects—Food—Rooms by Gertrude Stein on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Tender Buttons Objects—Food—Rooms?

Yes. All 992 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #15396 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Tender Buttons Objects—Food—Rooms is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #15396, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Tender Buttons Objects—Food—Rooms take to read?

About 82 minutes of reading across 199 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Tender Buttons Objects—Food—Rooms section by section

How to work through Tender Buttons Objects—Food—Rooms section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 2 chapters of Tender Buttons Objects—Food—Rooms to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Tender Buttons Objects—Food—Rooms

Words and structures a reader meets early in Tender Buttons Objects—Food—Rooms, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Glass
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tender Buttons Objects—Food—Rooms; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cousin
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tender Buttons Objects—Food—Rooms; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Spectacle
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tender Buttons Objects—Food—Rooms; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Nothing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tender Buttons Objects—Food—Rooms; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.