Chapter 10 of The Centaur is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter X
Chapter 10 of The Centaur is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"What kind of shock?" O'Malley asked, startled a moment by the gravity of manner. "The shock of death," was the answer, gently spoken. The Irishman only knew a swift rush of joy and wonder as he heard it. "But there is no such thing!" he cried, almost with laughter.
Chapter 10 of The Centaur is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/86 · 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.
in a gradual manner
From this reading “"The shock of death," was the answer, gently spoken.”
(physics) the force of attraction between all masses in the universe; especially the attraction of the earth's mass for bodies near its surface
From this reading “O'Malley asked, startled a moment by the gravity of manner.”
a man who is a native or inhabitant of Ireland
From this reading “The Irishman only knew a swift rush of joy and wonder as he heard it.”
the sound of laughing
From this reading “"But there is no such thing!" he cried, almost with laughter.”
move hurridly
From this reading “The Irishman only knew a swift rush of joy and wonder as he heard it.”
the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally
From this reading “"What kind of shock?"”
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading “O'Malley asked, startled a moment by the gravity of manner.”
moving very fast
From this reading “The Irishman only knew a swift rush of joy and wonder as he heard it.”
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 O'Malley asked, startled a moment by the gravity of manner.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading "But there is no such thing!" he cried, almost with laughter.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Irishman only knew a swift rush of joy and wonder as he heard it.
react verbally
From this reading "The shock of death," was the answer, gently spoken.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The Irishman only knew a swift rush of joy and wonder as he heard it.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading O'Malley asked, startled a moment by the gravity of manner.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But there is no such thing!" he cried, almost with laughter.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading O'Malley asked, startled a moment by the gravity of manner.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading "But there is no such thing!" he cried, almost with laughter.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading "The shock of death," was the answer, gently spoken.
in a gradual manner
From this reading "The shock of death," was the answer, gently spoken.
(physics) the force of attraction between all masses in the universe; especially the attraction of the earth's mass for bodies near its surface
From this reading O'Malley asked, startled a moment by the gravity of manner.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The Irishman only knew a swift rush of joy and wonder as he heard it.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading The Irishman only knew a swift rush of joy and wonder as he heard it.
a man who is a native or inhabitant of Ireland
From this reading The Irishman only knew a swift rush of joy and wonder as he heard it.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "But there is no such thing!" he cried, almost with laughter.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The Irishman only knew a swift rush of joy and wonder as he heard it.
the emotion of great happiness
From this reading The Irishman only knew a swift rush of joy and wonder as he heard it.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading "What kind of shock?"
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading The Irishman only knew a swift rush of joy and wonder as he heard it.
the sound of laughing
From this reading "But there is no such thing!" he cried, almost with laughter.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading O'Malley asked, startled a moment by the gravity of manner.
a particular point in time
From this reading O'Malley asked, startled a moment by the gravity of manner.
not any; not one
From this reading "But there is no such thing!" he cried, almost with laughter.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading O'Malley asked, startled a moment by the gravity of manner.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "What kind of shock?"
and nothing more
From this reading The Irishman only knew a swift rush of joy and wonder as he heard it.
move hurridly
From this reading The Irishman only knew a swift rush of joy and wonder as he heard it.
the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally
From this reading "What kind of shock?"
uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination
From this reading "The shock of death," was the answer, gently spoken.
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading O'Malley asked, startled a moment by the gravity of manner.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading "But there is no such thing!" he cried, almost with laughter.
moving very fast
From this reading The Irishman only knew a swift rush of joy and wonder as he heard it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading O'Malley asked, startled a moment by the gravity of manner.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "But there is no such thing!" he cried, almost with laughter.
a special situation
From this reading "But there is no such thing!" he cried, almost with laughter.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "The shock of death," was the answer, gently spoken.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What kind of shock?"
in the company of; together with
From this reading "But there is no such thing!" he cried, almost with laughter.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading The Irishman only knew a swift rush of joy and wonder as he heard it.
Chapter 10 of The Centaur by Algernon Blackwood holds 430 sentences, grouped into 86 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 10 holds 430 sentences of The Centaur, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 10 of The Centaur by Algernon Blackwood exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 430 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Centaur by Algernon Blackwood on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4758 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9964 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #9964, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 396 minutes of reading across 952 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Centaur section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of The Centaur 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 Centaur, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
