Chapter 18 of The Bat is here in full — 224 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVIII
Chapter 18 of The Bat is here in full — 224 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Billy appeared for the key of the front door. “If that’s Doctor Wells,” warned the detective, “admit him. If it’s anybody else, call me.” Billy grinned acquiescently and departed. The detective moved nearer to Bailey.
Chapter 18 of The Bat is here in full — 224 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/44 · 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.
United States singer (1918-1990)
From this reading “The detective moved nearer to Bailey.”
a short stout club used primarily by policemen
From this reading “Billy appeared for the key of the front door.”
well in the past; former
From this reading “Billy grinned acquiescently and departed.”
a police officer who investigates crimes
From this reading ““If that’s Doctor Wells,” warned the detective, “admit him.”
inflected form of “grin” — to draw back the lips and reveal the teeth, in a smile, grimace, or snarl
From this reading “Billy grinned acquiescently and departed.”
metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated
From this reading “Billy appeared for the key of the front door.”
past form of “warn” — notify of danger, potential harm, or risk
From this reading ““If that’s Doctor Wells,” warned the detective, “admit him.”
prolific English writer best known for his science-fiction novels; he also wrote on contemporary social problems and wrote popular accounts of history and science (1866-1946)
From this reading ““If that’s Doctor Wells,” warned the detective, “admit him.”
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 Billy grinned acquiescently and departed.
declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
From this reading “If that’s Doctor Wells,” warned the detective, “admit him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Billy grinned acquiescently and departed.
any person at all
From this reading If it’s anybody else, call me.”
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Billy appeared for the key of the front door.
United States singer (1918-1990)
From this reading The detective moved nearer to Bailey.
a short stout club used primarily by policemen
From this reading Billy appeared for the key of the front door.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading If it’s anybody else, call me.”
well in the past; former
From this reading Billy grinned acquiescently and departed.
a police officer who investigates crimes
From this reading “If that’s Doctor Wells,” warned the detective, “admit him.
a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading “If that’s Doctor Wells,” warned the detective, “admit him.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Billy appeared for the key of the front door.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If it’s anybody else, call me.”
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Billy appeared for the key of the front door.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading Billy appeared for the key of the front door.
inflected form of “grin” — to draw back the lips and reveal the teeth, in a smile, grimace, or snarl
From this reading Billy grinned acquiescently and departed.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “If that’s Doctor Wells,” warned the detective, “admit him.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “If that’s Doctor Wells,” warned the detective, “admit him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If it’s anybody else, call me.”
metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated
From this reading Billy appeared for the key of the front door.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading If it’s anybody else, call me.”
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading The detective moved nearer to Bailey.
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading The detective moved nearer to Bailey.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Billy appeared for the key of the front door.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “If that’s Doctor Wells,” warned the detective, “admit him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Billy appeared for the key of the front door.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The detective moved nearer to Bailey.
past form of “warn” — notify of danger, potential harm, or risk
From this reading “If that’s Doctor Wells,” warned the detective, “admit him.
prolific English writer best known for his science-fiction novels; he also wrote on contemporary social problems and wrote popular accounts of history and science (1866-1946)
From this reading “If that’s Doctor Wells,” warned the detective, “admit him.
Chapter 18 of The Bat by Stephen Vincent Benét holds 224 sentences, grouped into 45 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 18 holds 224 sentences of The Bat, unabridged, divided into 45 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 18 of The Bat by Stephen Vincent Benét exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 224 sentences, grouped into 45 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 45 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 45 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 18 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 The Bat by Stephen Vincent Benét on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4997 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2019 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2019, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 416 minutes of reading across 1000 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Bat section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 23 chapters of The Bat 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 The Bat, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
