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The Great American Novel
The Great American Novel

Chapter VII

Chapter 7 of The Great American Novel is here in full — 90 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Great American Novel
Context Illustration Reading 1/18 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Nuevo Mundo! shouted the sailors.
The sea was rippling like the bottom of a woven grassrope chair.
A new world!
Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.
Yes perhaps there would be women, beautiful savages of manifold charms.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Great American Novel

Chapter VII

Chapter 7 of The Great American Novel is here in full — 90 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/18 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Nuevo Mundo! shouted the sailors.
Line 2
The sea was rippling like the bottom of a woven grassrope chair.
Line 3
A new world!
/ə nuː wɜːrld/
Line 4
Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.
Line 5
Yes perhaps there would be women, beautiful savages of manifold charms.
/jes pərˈhæps ðer wʊd biː ˈwɪmən ˈbjuːtəfəl ˈsævədʒəz ʌv ˈmænəfoʊld tʃɑːrmz/

Learner Dictionary

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.

Aragon noun US /ˈerəɡɑːn/

French writer who generalized surrealism to literature (1897-1982)

From this reading “Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.”

balmy adjective US /ˈbɑːmi/

informal or slang terms for mentally irregular

From this reading “Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.”

Castile noun US /ˌkæˈstaɪl/

a region of central Spain; a former kingdom that comprised most of modern Spain and united with Aragon to form Spain in 1479

From this reading “Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.”

commanders noun US /kəˈmændərz/

plural of “commander” — an officer in command of a military unit

From this reading “Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.”

greedily adverb US /ˈɡriːdəli/

in a greedy manner

From this reading “Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.”

manifold noun US /ˈmænəfoʊld/

a pipe that has several lateral outlets to or from other pipes

From this reading “Yes perhaps there would be women, beautiful savages of manifold charms.”

meager adjective US /ˈmiːɡər/

deficient in amount or quality or extent

From this reading “Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.”

satins noun US /ˈsætənz/

plural of “satin” — a smooth fabric of silk or rayon; has a glossy face and a dull back

From this reading “Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

balmy air adjective + noun

In this reading “Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.”

two months noun + noun counted as “two month”

In this reading “Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.”

first time adjective + noun

In this reading “Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.”

new world adjective + noun

the hemisphere that includes North America and South America

In this reading “A new world!”

little party adjective + noun

In this reading “Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.”

in the air preposition + article + noun counted as “in … air”

on everybody's mind

In this reading “Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.”

All words in this reading · 79

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading The sea was rippling like the bottom of a woven grassrope chair.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

airnounUS /er/

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

AragonnounUS /ˈerəɡɑːn/

French writer who generalized surrealism to literature (1897-1982)

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

armornounUS /ˈɑːrmər/

protective covering made of metal and used in combat

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

balmyadjectiveUS /ˈbɑːmi/

informal or slang terms for mentally irregular

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

beautifuladjectiveUS /ˈbjuːtəfəl/

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading Yes perhaps there would be women, beautiful savages of manifold charms.

boatsnounUS /boʊts/

plural of “boat” — a small vessel for travel on water

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

bottomnounUS /ˈbɑːtəm/

the lower side of anything

From this reading The sea was rippling like the bottom of a woven grassrope chair.

CastilenounUS /ˌkæˈstaɪl/

a region of central Spain; a former kingdom that comprised most of modern Spain and united with Aragon to form Spain in 1479

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

chairnounUS /tʃer/

a seat for one person, with a support for the back

From this reading The sea was rippling like the bottom of a woven grassrope chair.

chancenounUS /tʃæns/

a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

charmsnounUS /tʃɑːrmz/

plural of “charm” — attractiveness that interests or pleases or stimulates

From this reading Yes perhaps there would be women, beautiful savages of manifold charms.

commandersnounUS /kəˈmændərz/

plural of “commander” — an officer in command of a military unit

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

dietnounUS /ˈdaɪət/

a prescribed selection of foods

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

escapenounUS /ɪˈskeɪp/

the act of escaping physically

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

feelingnounUS /ˈfiːlɪŋ/

the experiencing of affective and emotional states

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

finestadjectiveUS /ˈfaɪnəst/

superlative of “fine” — being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

freeverbUS /friː/

grant freedom to; free from confinement

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

freshadjectiveUS /freʃ/

recently made, produced, or harvested

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

fruitnounUS /fruːt/

the ripened reproductive body of a seed plant

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

grassrope

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The sea was rippling like the bottom of a woven grassrope chair.

greedilyadverbUS /ˈɡriːdəli/

in a greedy manner

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

greennounUS /ɡriːn/

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading The sea was rippling like the bottom of a woven grassrope chair.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

manifoldnounUS /ˈmænəfoʊld/

a pipe that has several lateral outlets to or from other pipes

From this reading Yes perhaps there would be women, beautiful savages of manifold charms.

meageradjectiveUS /ˈmiːɡər/

deficient in amount or quality or extent

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

meanwhileadverbUS /ˈmiːnwaɪl/

at the same time but in another place

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

meatnounUS /miːt/

the flesh of animals (including fishes and birds and snails) used as food

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

milknounUS /mɪlk/

a white nutritious liquid secreted by mammals and used as food by human beings

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

monotonousadjectiveUS /məˈnɑːtənəs/

tediously repetitious or lacking in variety

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

monthsnounUS /mʌnθs/

plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

Mundo

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Nuevo Mundo! shouted the sailors.

newadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading A new world!

Nuevo

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Nuevo Mundo! shouted the sailors.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The sea was rippling like the bottom of a woven grassrope chair.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

orderedadjectiveUS /ˈɔːrdərd/

having a systematic arrangement; especially having elements succeeding in order according to rule

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

partynounUS /ˈpɑːrti/

an organization to gain political power

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

perhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/

by chance

From this reading Yes perhaps there would be women, beautiful savages of manifold charms.

puttingnounUS /ˈpʌtɪŋ/

hitting a golf ball that is on the green using a putter

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

readyadjectiveUS /ˈredi/

completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

ripplingnounUS /ˈrɪpəlɪŋ/

a small wave on the surface of a liquid

From this reading The sea was rippling like the bottom of a woven grassrope chair.

royaladjectiveUS /ˈrɔɪəl/

of or relating to or indicative of or issued or performed by a king or queen or other monarch

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

sailorsnounUS /ˈseɪlərz/

plural of “sailor” — any member of a ship's crew

From this reading Nuevo Mundo! shouted the sailors.

satinsnounUS /ˈsætənz/

plural of “satin” — a smooth fabric of silk or rayon; has a glossy face and a dull back

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

savagesnounUS /ˈsævədʒəz/

plural of “savage” — a member of an uncivilized people

From this reading Yes perhaps there would be women, beautiful savages of manifold charms.

seanounUS /siː/

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading The sea was rippling like the bottom of a woven grassrope chair.

seeingnounUS /ˈsiːɪŋ/

perception by means of the eyes

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

shorenounUS /ʃɔːr/

the land along the edge of a body of water

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

shoutedadjectiveUS /ˈʃaʊtɪd/

in a vehement outcry

From this reading Nuevo Mundo! shouted the sailors.

standardsnounUS /ˈstændərdz/

plural of “standard” — a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

TakingnounUS /ˈteɪkɪŋ/

the act of someone who picks up or takes something

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

talkingnounUS /ˈtɔːkɪŋ/

an exchange of ideas via conversation

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Nuevo Mundo! shouted the sailors.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Yes perhaps there would be women, beautiful savages of manifold charms.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

walknounUS /wɔːk/

the act of traveling by foot

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The sea was rippling like the bottom of a woven grassrope chair.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

womennounUS /ˈwɪmən/

plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading Taking out their finest satins and putting on new armor the commanders of the little party ordered boats to be made ready and the royal standards of Aragon and Castile to be taken into men meanwhile feeling the balmy air and seeing green and a shore for the first time in two months were greedily talking of fresh fruit--after their monotonous and meager diet of meat--of milk, of a chance to walk free in the air, to escape their commanders, and of women.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading A new world!

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Yes perhaps there would be women, beautiful savages of manifold charms.

wovenadjectiveUS /ˈwoʊvən/

made or constructed by interlacing threads or strips of material or other elements into a whole

From this reading The sea was rippling like the bottom of a woven grassrope chair.

YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading Yes perhaps there would be women, beautiful savages of manifold charms.

Chapter 7 of The Great American Novel by William Carlos Williams holds 90 sentences, grouped into 18 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.

What does chapter 7 of The Great American Novel contain?

Chapter 7 holds 90 sentences of The Great American Novel, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 7 of The Great American Novel by William Carlos Williams exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 90 sentences, grouped into 18 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.

How do I study chapter 7 of The Great American Novel?

Work through the 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 18 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.

Can chapter 7 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Great American Novel

Common questions about reading The Great American Novel by William Carlos Williams on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Great American Novel?

Yes. All 1885 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #63888 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Great American Novel is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #63888, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Great American Novel take to read?

About 157 minutes of reading across 377 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Great American Novel section by section

How to work through The Great American Novel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 19 chapters of The Great American Novel to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Great American Novel

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Great American Novel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Progress
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Great American Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Novel
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Great American Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Without
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Great American Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Nothing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Great American Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.