Chapter 16 of The fool of the family is here in full — 130 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVI
Chapter 16 of The fool of the family is here in full — 130 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
OUT WEST. As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer. "Good-day," exclaimed Smithers. "What's the good word?" "Good-day to you, stranger," answered the horseman.
Chapter 16 of The fool of the family is here in full — 130 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/26 · 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.
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading “As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.”
(of skin) having a tan color from exposure to the sun
From this reading “As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.”
vulnerability to the elements; to the action of heat or cold or wind or rain
From this reading “As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.”
a person who operates a farm
From this reading “As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.”
a man skilled in equitation
From this reading “"Good-day to you, stranger," answered the horseman.”
quick to notice; showing quick and keen perception
From this reading “As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.”
a bridge partner who increases the partner's bid
From this reading “As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.”
the capital raised by a corporation through the issue of shares entitling holders to an ownership interest
From this reading “As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.”
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.
the time of life between youth and old age (e.g., between 40 and 60 years of age)
In this reading “As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.”
In this reading “As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.”
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 As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.
how long something has existed
From this reading As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading "Good-day to you, stranger," answered the horseman.
past form of “approach” — move towards
From this reading As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.
(of skin) having a tan color from exposure to the sun
From this reading As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading "Good-day," exclaimed Smithers.
vulnerability to the elements; to the action of heat or cold or wind or rain
From this reading As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.
a person who operates a farm
From this reading As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading "What's the good word?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Good-day," exclaimed Smithers.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.
a man skilled in equitation
From this reading "Good-day to you, stranger," answered the horseman.
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.
quick to notice; showing quick and keen perception
From this reading As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading OUT WEST.
a bridge partner who increases the partner's bid
From this reading As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.
the capital raised by a corporation through the issue of shares entitling holders to an ownership interest
From this reading As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.
anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading As the stranger approached Smithers had an opportunity of observing that he was about the middle age, bronzed by exposure to the weather, and attired as befitted a raiser of stock or a farmer.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading OUT WEST.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What's the good word?"
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading "What's the good word?"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Good-day to you, stranger," answered the horseman.
Chapter 16 of The fool of the family by Bracebridge Hemyng holds 130 sentences, grouped into 26 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 130 sentences of The fool of the family, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 16 of The fool of the family by Bracebridge Hemyng exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 130 sentences, grouped into 26 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 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 26 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.
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Yes. All 3100 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #72372 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #72372, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 258 minutes of reading across 620 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The fool of the family section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 22 chapters of The fool of the family 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 fool of the family, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
