Chapter 4 of The Plumed Serpent is here in full — 394 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Plumed Serpent is here in full — 394 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Mrs Norris once more adjusted her eye-glasses. “It’s such a relief to hear someone who is altogether innocent of Spanish, and altogether unashamed,” she said. “My father had us all speaking four languages by the time we were twelve, and we have none of us ever quite recovered. My stockings were all dyed blue for me before I put my hair up. By the way!
Chapter 4 of The Plumed Serpent is here in full — 394 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/78 · 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.
altered to accommodate to certain requirements or bring into a proper relation
From this reading “Mrs Norris once more adjusted her eye-glasses.”
(used of color) artificially produced; not natural
From this reading “My stockings were all dyed blue for me before I put my hair up.”
plural of “language” — a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols
From this reading ““My father had us all speaking four languages by the time we were twelve, and we have none of us ever quite recovered.”
United States writer (1870-1902)
From this reading “Mrs Norris once more adjusted her eye-glasses.”
a person, without saying who
From this reading ““It’s such a relief to hear someone who is altogether innocent of Spanish, and altogether unashamed,” she said.”
the Romance language spoken in most of Spain and the countries colonized by Spain
From this reading ““It’s such a relief to hear someone who is altogether innocent of Spanish, and altogether unashamed,” she said.”
plural of “stocking” — close-fitting hosiery to cover the foot and leg; come in matched pairs (usually used in the plural)
From this reading “My stockings were all dyed blue for me before I put my hair up.”
used of persons or their behavior; feeling no shame
From this reading ““It’s such a relief to hear someone who is altogether innocent of Spanish, and altogether unashamed,” she said.”
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.
anew
In this reading “Mrs Norris once more adjusted her eye-glasses.”
In this reading ““My father had us all speaking four languages by the time we were twelve, and we have none of us ever quite recovered.”
introducing a different topic
In this reading “By the way!”
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 “It’s such a relief to hear someone who is altogether innocent of Spanish, and altogether unashamed,” she said.
altered to accommodate to certain requirements or bring into a proper relation
From this reading Mrs Norris once more adjusted her eye-glasses.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading “My father had us all speaking four languages by the time we were twelve, and we have none of us ever quite recovered.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading “It’s such a relief to hear someone who is altogether innocent of Spanish, and altogether unashamed,” she said.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “It’s such a relief to hear someone who is altogether innocent of Spanish, and altogether unashamed,” she said.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading My stockings were all dyed blue for me before I put my hair up.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading My stockings were all dyed blue for me before I put my hair up.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading “My father had us all speaking four languages by the time we were twelve, and we have none of us ever quite recovered.
(used of color) artificially produced; not natural
From this reading My stockings were all dyed blue for me before I put my hair up.
at any time
From this reading “My father had us all speaking four languages by the time we were twelve, and we have none of us ever quite recovered.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs Norris once more adjusted her eye-glasses.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading “My father had us all speaking four languages by the time we were twelve, and we have none of us ever quite recovered.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading My stockings were all dyed blue for me before I put my hair up.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading “My father had us all speaking four languages by the time we were twelve, and we have none of us ever quite recovered.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading “My father had us all speaking four languages by the time we were twelve, and we have none of us ever quite recovered.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading My stockings were all dyed blue for me before I put my hair up.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “My father had us all speaking four languages by the time we were twelve, and we have none of us ever quite recovered.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading “It’s such a relief to hear someone who is altogether innocent of Spanish, and altogether unashamed,” she said.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Mrs Norris once more adjusted her eye-glasses.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading My stockings were all dyed blue for me before I put my hair up.
free from evil or guilt
From this reading “It’s such a relief to hear someone who is altogether innocent of Spanish, and altogether unashamed,” she said.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “It’s such a relief to hear someone who is altogether innocent of Spanish, and altogether unashamed,” she said.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “It’s such a relief to hear someone who is altogether innocent of Spanish, and altogether unashamed,” she said.
plural of “language” — a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols
From this reading “My father had us all speaking four languages by the time we were twelve, and we have none of us ever quite recovered.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading My stockings were all dyed blue for me before I put my hair up.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Mrs Norris once more adjusted her eye-glasses.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mrs Norris once more adjusted her eye-glasses.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “My father had us all speaking four languages by the time we were twelve, and we have none of us ever quite recovered.
not one, and not any
From this reading “My father had us all speaking four languages by the time we were twelve, and we have none of us ever quite recovered.
United States writer (1870-1902)
From this reading Mrs Norris once more adjusted her eye-glasses.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “It’s such a relief to hear someone who is altogether innocent of Spanish, and altogether unashamed,” she said.
on one occasion
From this reading Mrs Norris once more adjusted her eye-glasses.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading My stockings were all dyed blue for me before I put my hair up.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading “My father had us all speaking four languages by the time we were twelve, and we have none of us ever quite recovered.
freed from illness or injury
From this reading “My father had us all speaking four languages by the time we were twelve, and we have none of us ever quite recovered.
the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced
From this reading “It’s such a relief to hear someone who is altogether innocent of Spanish, and altogether unashamed,” she said.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “It’s such a relief to hear someone who is altogether innocent of Spanish, and altogether unashamed,” she said.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “It’s such a relief to hear someone who is altogether innocent of Spanish, and altogether unashamed,” she said.
a person, without saying who
From this reading “It’s such a relief to hear someone who is altogether innocent of Spanish, and altogether unashamed,” she said.
the Romance language spoken in most of Spain and the countries colonized by Spain
From this reading “It’s such a relief to hear someone who is altogether innocent of Spanish, and altogether unashamed,” she said.
the utterance of intelligible speech
From this reading “My father had us all speaking four languages by the time we were twelve, and we have none of us ever quite recovered.
plural of “stocking” — close-fitting hosiery to cover the foot and leg; come in matched pairs (usually used in the plural)
From this reading My stockings were all dyed blue for me before I put my hair up.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading “It’s such a relief to hear someone who is altogether innocent of Spanish, and altogether unashamed,” she said.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “My father had us all speaking four languages by the time we were twelve, and we have none of us ever quite recovered.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading “My father had us all speaking four languages by the time we were twelve, and we have none of us ever quite recovered.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “It’s such a relief to hear someone who is altogether innocent of Spanish, and altogether unashamed,” she said.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading “My father had us all speaking four languages by the time we were twelve, and we have none of us ever quite recovered.
used of persons or their behavior; feeling no shame
From this reading “It’s such a relief to hear someone who is altogether innocent of Spanish, and altogether unashamed,” she said.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading My stockings were all dyed blue for me before I put my hair up.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “My father had us all speaking four languages by the time we were twelve, and we have none of us ever quite recovered.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading By the way!
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “My father had us all speaking four languages by the time we were twelve, and we have none of us ever quite recovered.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “My father had us all speaking four languages by the time we were twelve, and we have none of us ever quite recovered.
which person or people
From this reading “It’s such a relief to hear someone who is altogether innocent of Spanish, and altogether unashamed,” she said.
Chapter 4 of The Plumed Serpent by D. H. (David Herbert) Lawrence holds 394 sentences, grouped into 79 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 4 holds 394 sentences of The Plumed Serpent, unabridged, divided into 79 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Plumed Serpent by D. H. (David Herbert) Lawrence exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 394 sentences, grouped into 79 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 79 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 79 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 4 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 Plumed Serpent by D. H. (David Herbert) Lawrence on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 13514 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #73677 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #73677, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2703 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Plumed Serpent section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 33 chapters of The Plumed Serpent 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 Plumed Serpent, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
