Chapter 16 of The Dreadnought of the Air is here in full — 98 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVI
Chapter 16 of The Dreadnought of the Air is here in full — 98 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
IN THE NICK OF TIME. "CAN'T say," replied the Captain. "It is more----See what you make of it, Dacres." For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent. Grasping the nearmost man he turned him over on his back.
Chapter 16 of The Dreadnought of the Air is here in full — 98 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/19 · 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.
-ing form of “contemplate” — look at thoughtfully; observe deep in thought
From this reading “For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent.”
understanding with difficulty
From this reading “Grasping the nearmost man he turned him over on his back.”
a line of text serving to indicate what the passage below it is about
From this reading “For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent.”
past form of “hesitate” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading “For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent.”
devoid of warmth and cordiality; expressive of unfriendliness or disdain
From this reading “For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent.”
cut slightly, with a razor
From this reading “IN THE NICK OF TIME.”
a trained athlete who participates in swimming meets
From this reading “For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent.”
a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)
From this reading “For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
disparagement of a plan or hope or expectation
In this reading “For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent.”
In this reading “For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent.”
temporarily
In this reading “For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent.”
In this reading “"CAN'T say," replied the Captain.”
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 For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Grasping the nearmost man he turned him over on his back.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "CAN'T say," replied the Captain.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading "CAN'T say," replied the Captain.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent.
-ing form of “contemplate” — look at thoughtfully; observe deep in thought
From this reading For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It is more----See what you make of it, Dacres."
characterized by great determination
From this reading For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent.
past form of “disappear” — get lost, as without warning or explanation
From this reading For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent.
understanding with difficulty
From this reading Grasping the nearmost man he turned him over on his back.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent.
a line of text serving to indicate what the passage below it is about
From this reading For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent.
past form of “hesitate” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Grasping the nearmost man he turned him over on his back.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Grasping the nearmost man he turned him over on his back.
devoid of warmth and cordiality; expressive of unfriendliness or disdain
From this reading For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN THE NICK OF TIME.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "It is more----See what you make of it, Dacres."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It is more----See what you make of it, Dacres."
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent.
engage in
From this reading "It is more----See what you make of it, Dacres."
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Grasping the nearmost man he turned him over on his back.
a particular point in time
From this reading For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading "It is more----See what you make of it, Dacres."
a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Grasping the nearmost man he turned him over on his back.
cut slightly, with a razor
From this reading IN THE NICK OF TIME.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading IN THE NICK OF TIME.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Grasping the nearmost man he turned him over on his back.
above and across; more than
From this reading Grasping the nearmost man he turned him over on his back.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "CAN'T say," replied the Captain.
express in words
From this reading "CAN'T say," replied the Captain.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "It is more----See what you make of it, Dacres."
moving very fast
From this reading For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent.
a trained athlete who participates in swimming meets
From this reading For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent.
a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)
From this reading For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading IN THE NICK OF TIME.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading IN THE NICK OF TIME.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading Grasping the nearmost man he turned him over on his back.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "It is more----See what you make of it, Dacres."
in the company of; together with
From this reading For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading For a moment, like a swimmer contemplating a "header" into icy cold water, Dacres hesitated; then with a swift determined movement he disappeared within the tent.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "It is more----See what you make of it, Dacres."
Chapter 16 of The Dreadnought of the Air by Percy F. (Percy Francis) Westerman holds 98 sentences, grouped into 20 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 16 holds 98 sentences of The Dreadnought of the Air, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 16 of The Dreadnought of the Air by Percy F. (Percy Francis) Westerman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 98 sentences, grouped into 20 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 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 20 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 16 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 Dreadnought of the Air by Percy F. (Percy Francis) Westerman on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5673 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #46117 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #46117, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 472 minutes of reading across 1135 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Dreadnought of the Air section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Dreadnought of the Air 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 Dreadnought of the Air, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
