Chapter 7 of The Four Stragglers is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VII
Chapter 7 of The Four Stragglers is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Polly Wickes' small foot beat the floor in a sharp little tattoo. Locke straightened up with a start. In his fit of abstraction he had been gazing at the girl with abominable rudeness. "I forgot to say," said Polly Wickes severely, "that besides saying you were not a ladies' man, guardy said something else about you." "No!
Chapter 7 of The Four Stragglers is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
unequivocally detestable
From this reading “In his fit of abstraction he had been gazing at the girl with abominable rudeness.”
a concept or idea not associated with any specific instance
From this reading “In his fit of abstraction he had been gazing at the girl with abominable rudeness.”
-ing form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading “In his fit of abstraction he had been gazing at the girl with abominable rudeness.”
English empiricist philosopher who believed that all knowledge is derived from sensory experience (1632-1704)
From this reading “Locke straightened up with a start.”
a manner that is rude and insulting
From this reading “In his fit of abstraction he had been gazing at the girl with abominable rudeness.”
to a severe or serious degree
From this reading “"I forgot to say," said Polly Wickes severely, "that besides saying you were not a ladies' man, guardy said something else about you."”
past form of “straighten” — straighten up or out; make straight
From this reading “Locke straightened up with a start.”
a drumbeat or bugle call that signals the military to return to their quarters
From this reading “Polly Wickes' small foot beat the floor in a sharp little tattoo.”
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.
straighten oneself
In this reading “Locke straightened up with a start.”
In this reading “In his fit of abstraction he had been gazing at the girl with abominable rudeness.”
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 Polly Wickes' small foot beat the floor in a sharp little tattoo.
unequivocally detestable
From this reading In his fit of abstraction he had been gazing at the girl with abominable rudeness.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "I forgot to say," said Polly Wickes severely, "that besides saying you were not a ladies' man, guardy said something else about you."
a concept or idea not associated with any specific instance
From this reading In his fit of abstraction he had been gazing at the girl with abominable rudeness.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading In his fit of abstraction he had been gazing at the girl with abominable rudeness.
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
From this reading Polly Wickes' small foot beat the floor in a sharp little tattoo.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading In his fit of abstraction he had been gazing at the girl with abominable rudeness.
in addition to; as well as
From this reading "I forgot to say," said Polly Wickes severely, "that besides saying you were not a ladies' man, guardy said something else about you."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I forgot to say," said Polly Wickes severely, "that besides saying you were not a ladies' man, guardy said something else about you."
be agreeable or acceptable to
From this reading In his fit of abstraction he had been gazing at the girl with abominable rudeness.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading Polly Wickes' small foot beat the floor in a sharp little tattoo.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Polly Wickes' small foot beat the floor in a sharp little tattoo.
inflected form of “forget” — dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading "I forgot to say," said Polly Wickes severely, "that besides saying you were not a ladies' man, guardy said something else about you."
-ing form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading In his fit of abstraction he had been gazing at the girl with abominable rudeness.
a young female
From this reading In his fit of abstraction he had been gazing at the girl with abominable rudeness.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I forgot to say," said Polly Wickes severely, "that besides saying you were not a ladies' man, guardy said something else about you."
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading In his fit of abstraction he had been gazing at the girl with abominable rudeness.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading In his fit of abstraction he had been gazing at the girl with abominable rudeness.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading In his fit of abstraction he had been gazing at the girl with abominable rudeness.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I forgot to say," said Polly Wickes severely, "that besides saying you were not a ladies' man, guardy said something else about you."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Polly Wickes' small foot beat the floor in a sharp little tattoo.
plural of “lady” — a polite name for any woman
From this reading "I forgot to say," said Polly Wickes severely, "that besides saying you were not a ladies' man, guardy said something else about you."
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Polly Wickes' small foot beat the floor in a sharp little tattoo.
English empiricist philosopher who believed that all knowledge is derived from sensory experience (1632-1704)
From this reading Locke straightened up with a start.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "I forgot to say," said Polly Wickes severely, "that besides saying you were not a ladies' man, guardy said something else about you."
not any; not one
From this reading "No!
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "I forgot to say," said Polly Wickes severely, "that besides saying you were not a ladies' man, guardy said something else about you."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In his fit of abstraction he had been gazing at the girl with abominable rudeness.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Polly Wickes' small foot beat the floor in a sharp little tattoo.
a manner that is rude and insulting
From this reading In his fit of abstraction he had been gazing at the girl with abominable rudeness.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I forgot to say," said Polly Wickes severely, "that besides saying you were not a ladies' man, guardy said something else about you."
express in words
From this reading "I forgot to say," said Polly Wickes severely, "that besides saying you were not a ladies' man, guardy said something else about you."
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading "I forgot to say," said Polly Wickes severely, "that besides saying you were not a ladies' man, guardy said something else about you."
to a severe or serious degree
From this reading "I forgot to say," said Polly Wickes severely, "that besides saying you were not a ladies' man, guardy said something else about you."
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading Polly Wickes' small foot beat the floor in a sharp little tattoo.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Polly Wickes' small foot beat the floor in a sharp little tattoo.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading "I forgot to say," said Polly Wickes severely, "that besides saying you were not a ladies' man, guardy said something else about you."
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Locke straightened up with a start.
past form of “straighten” — straighten up or out; make straight
From this reading Locke straightened up with a start.
a drumbeat or bugle call that signals the military to return to their quarters
From this reading Polly Wickes' small foot beat the floor in a sharp little tattoo.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "I forgot to say," said Polly Wickes severely, "that besides saying you were not a ladies' man, guardy said something else about you."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Polly Wickes' small foot beat the floor in a sharp little tattoo.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I forgot to say," said Polly Wickes severely, "that besides saying you were not a ladies' man, guardy said something else about you."
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Locke straightened up with a start.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "I forgot to say," said Polly Wickes severely, "that besides saying you were not a ladies' man, guardy said something else about you."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Polly Wickes' small foot beat the floor in a sharp little tattoo.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Locke straightened up with a start.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I forgot to say," said Polly Wickes severely, "that besides saying you were not a ladies' man, guardy said something else about you."
Chapter 7 of The Four Stragglers by Frank L. (Frank Lucius) Packard holds 416 sentences, grouped into 84 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 7 holds 416 sentences of The Four Stragglers, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 7 of The Four Stragglers by Frank L. (Frank Lucius) Packard exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 416 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 7 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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Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Four Stragglers section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Four Stragglers, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
