Chapter 1 of The Christmas Books of Mr. M.A. Titmarsh is here in full — 141 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Christmas Books of Mr. M.A. Titmarsh is here in full — 141 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Our Street Dr. Birch and his Young Friends The Kickleburys on the Rhine The Rose and the Ring; or, The History of Prince Giglio and Prince Bulbo MRS. PERKINS'S BALL. THE MULLIGAN (OF BALLYMULLIGAN), AND HOW WE WENT TO MRS. PERKINS'S BALL. I do not know where Ballymulligan is, and never knew anybody who did.
Chapter 1 of The Christmas Books of Mr. M.A. Titmarsh is here in full — 141 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/28 · 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.
any person at all
From this reading “I do not know where Ballymulligan is, and never knew anybody who did.”
round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games
From this reading “PERKINS'S BALL.”
hard close-grained wood of any of various birch trees; used especially in furniture and interior finishes and plywood
From this reading “Our Street Dr. Birch and his Young Friends The Kickleburys on the Rhine The Rose and the Ring; or, The History of Prince Giglio and Prince Bulbo MRS.”
the aggregate of past events
From this reading “Our Street Dr. Birch and his Young Friends The Kickleburys on the Rhine The Rose and the Ring; or, The History of Prince Giglio and Prince Bulbo MRS.”
Irish version of burgoo
From this reading “THE MULLIGAN (OF BALLYMULLIGAN), AND HOW WE WENT TO MRS.”
a male member of a royal family other than the sovereign (especially the son of a sovereign)
From this reading “Our Street Dr. Birch and his Young Friends The Kickleburys on the Rhine The Rose and the Ring; or, The History of Prince Giglio and Prince Bulbo MRS.”
United States parapsychologist (1895-1980)
From this reading “Our Street Dr. Birch and his Young Friends The Kickleburys on the Rhine The Rose and the Ring; or, The History of Prince Giglio and Prince Bulbo MRS.”
sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading “Our Street Dr. Birch and his Young Friends The Kickleburys on the Rhine The Rose and the Ring; or, The History of Prince Giglio and Prince Bulbo MRS.”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Our Street Dr. Birch and his Young Friends The Kickleburys on the Rhine The Rose and the Ring; or, The History of Prince Giglio and Prince Bulbo MRS.
any person at all
From this reading I do not know where Ballymulligan is, and never knew anybody who did.
round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games
From this reading PERKINS'S BALL.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE MULLIGAN (OF BALLYMULLIGAN), AND HOW WE WENT TO MRS.
hard close-grained wood of any of various birch trees; used especially in furniture and interior finishes and plywood
From this reading Our Street Dr. Birch and his Young Friends The Kickleburys on the Rhine The Rose and the Ring; or, The History of Prince Giglio and Prince Bulbo MRS.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Our Street Dr. Birch and his Young Friends The Kickleburys on the Rhine The Rose and the Ring; or, The History of Prince Giglio and Prince Bulbo MRS.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading I do not know where Ballymulligan is, and never knew anybody who did.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading I do not know where Ballymulligan is, and never knew anybody who did.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Our Street Dr. Birch and his Young Friends The Kickleburys on the Rhine The Rose and the Ring; or, The History of Prince Giglio and Prince Bulbo MRS.
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading Our Street Dr. Birch and his Young Friends The Kickleburys on the Rhine The Rose and the Ring; or, The History of Prince Giglio and Prince Bulbo MRS.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Our Street Dr. Birch and his Young Friends The Kickleburys on the Rhine The Rose and the Ring; or, The History of Prince Giglio and Prince Bulbo MRS.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Our Street Dr. Birch and his Young Friends The Kickleburys on the Rhine The Rose and the Ring; or, The History of Prince Giglio and Prince Bulbo MRS.
the aggregate of past events
From this reading Our Street Dr. Birch and his Young Friends The Kickleburys on the Rhine The Rose and the Ring; or, The History of Prince Giglio and Prince Bulbo MRS.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE MULLIGAN (OF BALLYMULLIGAN), AND HOW WE WENT TO MRS.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I do not know where Ballymulligan is, and never knew anybody who did.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I do not know where Ballymulligan is, and never knew anybody who did.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Our Street Dr. Birch and his Young Friends The Kickleburys on the Rhine The Rose and the Ring; or, The History of Prince Giglio and Prince Bulbo MRS.
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 I do not know where Ballymulligan is, and never knew anybody who did.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I do not know where Ballymulligan is, and never knew anybody who did.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Our Street Dr. Birch and his Young Friends The Kickleburys on the Rhine The Rose and the Ring; or, The History of Prince Giglio and Prince Bulbo MRS.
Irish version of burgoo
From this reading THE MULLIGAN (OF BALLYMULLIGAN), AND HOW WE WENT TO MRS.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading I do not know where Ballymulligan is, and never knew anybody who did.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I do not know where Ballymulligan is, and never knew anybody who did.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Our Street Dr. Birch and his Young Friends The Kickleburys on the Rhine The Rose and the Ring; or, The History of Prince Giglio and Prince Bulbo MRS.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Our Street Dr. Birch and his Young Friends The Kickleburys on the Rhine The Rose and the Ring; or, The History of Prince Giglio and Prince Bulbo MRS.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Our Street Dr. Birch and his Young Friends The Kickleburys on the Rhine The Rose and the Ring; or, The History of Prince Giglio and Prince Bulbo MRS.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Our Street Dr. Birch and his Young Friends The Kickleburys on the Rhine The Rose and the Ring; or, The History of Prince Giglio and Prince Bulbo MRS.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading PERKINS'S BALL.
a male member of a royal family other than the sovereign (especially the son of a sovereign)
From this reading Our Street Dr. Birch and his Young Friends The Kickleburys on the Rhine The Rose and the Ring; or, The History of Prince Giglio and Prince Bulbo MRS.
United States parapsychologist (1895-1980)
From this reading Our Street Dr. Birch and his Young Friends The Kickleburys on the Rhine The Rose and the Ring; or, The History of Prince Giglio and Prince Bulbo MRS.
sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading Our Street Dr. Birch and his Young Friends The Kickleburys on the Rhine The Rose and the Ring; or, The History of Prince Giglio and Prince Bulbo MRS.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading Our Street Dr. Birch and his Young Friends The Kickleburys on the Rhine The Rose and the Ring; or, The History of Prince Giglio and Prince Bulbo MRS.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading Our Street Dr. Birch and his Young Friends The Kickleburys on the Rhine The Rose and the Ring; or, The History of Prince Giglio and Prince Bulbo MRS.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Our Street Dr. Birch and his Young Friends The Kickleburys on the Rhine The Rose and the Ring; or, The History of Prince Giglio and Prince Bulbo MRS.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE MULLIGAN (OF BALLYMULLIGAN), AND HOW WE WENT TO MRS.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading THE MULLIGAN (OF BALLYMULLIGAN), AND HOW WE WENT TO MRS.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading THE MULLIGAN (OF BALLYMULLIGAN), AND HOW WE WENT TO MRS.
in or at the place that
From this reading I do not know where Ballymulligan is, and never knew anybody who did.
which person or people
From this reading I do not know where Ballymulligan is, and never knew anybody who did.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading Our Street Dr. Birch and his Young Friends The Kickleburys on the Rhine The Rose and the Ring; or, The History of Prince Giglio and Prince Bulbo MRS.
Chapter 1 of The Christmas Books of Mr. M.A. Titmarsh by William Makepeace Thackeray holds 141 sentences, grouped into 29 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 1 holds 141 sentences of The Christmas Books of Mr. M.A. Titmarsh, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Christmas Books of Mr. M.A. Titmarsh by William Makepeace Thackeray exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 141 sentences, grouped into 29 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 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 29 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 1 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 Christmas Books of Mr. M.A. Titmarsh by William Makepeace Thackeray on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3765 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2731 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2731, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 313 minutes of reading across 753 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Christmas Books of Mr. M.A. Titmarsh section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of The Christmas Books of Mr. M.A. Titmarsh 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 Christmas Books of Mr. M.A. Titmarsh, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
