Chapter 5 of The Delectable Duchy is here in full — 438 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of The Delectable Duchy is here in full — 438 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
SCHOOL FRIENDS. "What ho, there!" At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill. He fell on my neck, and we embraced. "Is me recreant child returned?
Chapter 5 of The Delectable Duchy is here in full — 438 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/87 · 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.
turned or twisted toward one side
From this reading “At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.”
a fire (usually on a hill or tower) that can be seen from a distance
From this reading “At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.”
jostling with the elbows
From this reading “At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.”
past form of “embrace” — include in scope; include as part of something broader; have as one's sphere or territory
From this reading “He fell on my neck, and we embraced.”
of or relating to or characteristic of feudalism
From this reading “At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.”
(accounting) an intangible asset valued according to the advantage or reputation a business has acquired (over and above its tangible assets)
From this reading “At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.”
inflected form of “spy” — catch sight of
From this reading “At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.”
a request to be present
From this reading “At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.”
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 At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.
turned or twisted toward one side
From this reading At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.
a fire (usually on a hill or tower) that can be seen from a distance
From this reading At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.
a young person of either sex
From this reading "Is me recreant child returned?
cause to herd, drive, or crowd together
From this reading At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.
jostling with the elbows
From this reading At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.
past form of “embrace” — include in scope; include as part of something broader; have as one's sphere or territory
From this reading He fell on my neck, and we embraced.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading He fell on my neck, and we embraced.
of or relating to or characteristic of feudalism
From this reading At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.
group of aircraft operating together under the same ownership
From this reading At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading SCHOOL FRIENDS.
(accounting) an intangible asset valued according to the advantage or reputation a business has acquired (over and above its tangible assets)
From this reading At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.
headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim
From this reading At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He fell on my neck, and we embraced.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.
a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; occurs together with yttrium; forms highly magnetic compounds
From this reading "What ho, there!"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Is me recreant child returned?
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading He fell on my neck, and we embraced.
the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body
From this reading He fell on my neck, and we embraced.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He fell on my neck, and we embraced.
an abject coward
From this reading "Is me recreant child returned?
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading "Is me recreant child returned?
an educational institution
From this reading SCHOOL FRIENDS.
inflected form of “spy” — catch sight of
From this reading At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.
a request to be present
From this reading At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "What ho, there!"
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.
neckwear consisting of a long narrow piece of material worn (mostly by men) under a collar and tied in knot at the front
From this reading At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.
in the direction of
From this reading At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading At this feudal summons I turned, and spied the Bashaw elbowing his way towards me through the Fleet Street crowd, his hat and tie askew and his big face a red beacon of goodwill.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading He fell on my neck, and we embraced.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What ho, there!"
Chapter 5 of The Delectable Duchy by Arthur Quiller-Couch holds 438 sentences, grouped into 88 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 5 holds 438 sentences of The Delectable Duchy, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of The Delectable Duchy by Arthur Quiller-Couch exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 438 sentences, grouped into 88 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 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 88 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 5 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 Delectable Duchy by Arthur Quiller-Couch on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3058 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12277 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #12277, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 254 minutes of reading across 612 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Delectable Duchy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 7 chapters of The Delectable Duchy 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 Delectable Duchy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
