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The Poacher
The Poacher

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Poacher is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Poacher
Context Illustration Reading 1/84 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The Poacher, by Captain Marryat.
Captain Frederick Marryat was born July 10 1792, and died August 8 1848.
He retired from the British navy in 1828 in order to devote himself to writing.
In the following 20 years he wrote 26 books, many of which are among the very best of English literature, and some of which are still in print.
Marryat had an extraordinary gift for the invention of episodes in his stories.
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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 Poacher

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Poacher is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/84 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The Poacher, by Captain Marryat.
Line 2
Captain Frederick Marryat was born July 10 1792, and died August 8 1848.
Line 3
He retired from the British navy in 1828 in order to devote himself to writing.
Line 4
In the following 20 years he wrote 26 books, many of which are among the very best of English literature, and some of which are still in print.
Line 5
Marryat had an extraordinary gift for the invention of episodes in his stories.

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.

devote verb US /dɪˈvoʊt/

give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause

From this reading “He retired from the British navy in 1828 in order to devote himself to writing.”

episodes noun US /ˈepəsoʊdz/

plural of “episode” — a happening that is distinctive in a series of related events

From this reading “Marryat had an extraordinary gift for the invention of episodes in his stories.”

Frederick noun US /ˈfredrɪk/

a town in northern Maryland to the west of Baltimore

From this reading “Captain Frederick Marryat was born July 10 1792, and died August 8 1848.”

invention noun US /ˌɪnˈvenʃən/

the creation of something in the mind

From this reading “Marryat had an extraordinary gift for the invention of episodes in his stories.”

July noun US /ˌdʒuːˈlaɪ/

the month following June and preceding August

From this reading “Captain Frederick Marryat was born July 10 1792, and died August 8 1848.”

navy noun US /ˈneɪvi/

an organization of military vessels belonging to a country and available for sea warfare

From this reading “He retired from the British navy in 1828 in order to devote himself to writing.”

Poacher noun US /ˈpoʊtʃər/

someone who hunts or fishes illegally on the property of another

From this reading “The Poacher, by Captain Marryat.”

print noun US /prɪnt/

the text appearing in a book, newspaper, or other printed publication

From this reading “In the following 20 years he wrote 26 books, many of which are among the very best of English literature, and some of which are still in print.”

All words in this reading · 55

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.

10

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

From this reading Captain Frederick Marryat was born July 10 1792, and died August 8 1848.

1792

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

From this reading Captain Frederick Marryat was born July 10 1792, and died August 8 1848.

1828

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

From this reading He retired from the British navy in 1828 in order to devote himself to writing.

1848

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

From this reading Captain Frederick Marryat was born July 10 1792, and died August 8 1848.

20

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

From this reading In the following 20 years he wrote 26 books, many of which are among the very best of English literature, and some of which are still in print.

26

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

From this reading In the following 20 years he wrote 26 books, many of which are among the very best of English literature, and some of which are still in print.

8

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

From this reading Captain Frederick Marryat was born July 10 1792, and died August 8 1848.

amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading In the following 20 years he wrote 26 books, many of which are among the very best of English literature, and some of which are still in print.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Marryat had an extraordinary gift for the invention of episodes in his stories.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Captain Frederick Marryat was born July 10 1792, and died August 8 1848.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading In the following 20 years he wrote 26 books, many of which are among the very best of English literature, and some of which are still in print.

AugustnounUS /ˈɑːɡəst/

the month following July and preceding September

From this reading Captain Frederick Marryat was born July 10 1792, and died August 8 1848.

bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading In the following 20 years he wrote 26 books, many of which are among the very best of English literature, and some of which are still in print.

booksnounUS /bʊks/

Bound written or printed works.

From this reading In the following 20 years he wrote 26 books, many of which are among the very best of English literature, and some of which are still in print.

bornadjectiveUS /bɔːrn/

brought into existence

From this reading Captain Frederick Marryat was born July 10 1792, and died August 8 1848.

BritishnounUS /ˈbrɪtɪʃ/

the people of Great Britain

From this reading He retired from the British navy in 1828 in order to devote himself to writing.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The Poacher, by Captain Marryat.

CaptainnounUS /ˈkæptən/

an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant

From this reading The Poacher, by Captain Marryat.

devoteverbUS /dɪˈvoʊt/

give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause

From this reading He retired from the British navy in 1828 in order to devote himself to writing.

diedverbUS /daɪd/

past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

From this reading Captain Frederick Marryat was born July 10 1792, and died August 8 1848.

EnglishnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ/

an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries

From this reading In the following 20 years he wrote 26 books, many of which are among the very best of English literature, and some of which are still in print.

episodesnounUS /ˈepəsoʊdz/

plural of “episode” — a happening that is distinctive in a series of related events

From this reading Marryat had an extraordinary gift for the invention of episodes in his stories.

extraordinaryadjectiveUS /ˌekstrəˈɔːrdəneri/

beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable

From this reading Marryat had an extraordinary gift for the invention of episodes in his stories.

followingadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːloʊɪŋ/

about to be mentioned or specified

From this reading In the following 20 years he wrote 26 books, many of which are among the very best of English literature, and some of which are still in print.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Marryat had an extraordinary gift for the invention of episodes in his stories.

FredericknounUS /ˈfredrɪk/

a town in northern Maryland to the west of Baltimore

From this reading Captain Frederick Marryat was born July 10 1792, and died August 8 1848.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading He retired from the British navy in 1828 in order to devote himself to writing.

giftnounUS /ɡɪft/

something acquired without compensation

From this reading Marryat had an extraordinary gift for the invention of episodes in his stories.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Marryat had an extraordinary gift for the invention of episodes in his stories.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He retired from the British navy in 1828 in order to devote himself to writing.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading He retired from the British navy in 1828 in order to devote himself to writing.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Marryat had an extraordinary gift for the invention of episodes in his stories.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He retired from the British navy in 1828 in order to devote himself to writing.

inventionnounUS /ˌɪnˈvenʃən/

the creation of something in the mind

From this reading Marryat had an extraordinary gift for the invention of episodes in his stories.

JulynounUS /ˌdʒuːˈlaɪ/

the month following June and preceding August

From this reading Captain Frederick Marryat was born July 10 1792, and died August 8 1848.

literaturenounUS /ˈlɪtərətʃər/

creative writing of recognized artistic value

From this reading In the following 20 years he wrote 26 books, many of which are among the very best of English literature, and some of which are still in print.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading In the following 20 years he wrote 26 books, many of which are among the very best of English literature, and some of which are still in print.

Marryat

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

From this reading The Poacher, by Captain Marryat.

navynounUS /ˈneɪvi/

an organization of military vessels belonging to a country and available for sea warfare

From this reading He retired from the British navy in 1828 in order to devote himself to writing.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading In the following 20 years he wrote 26 books, many of which are among the very best of English literature, and some of which are still in print.

ordernounUS /ˈɔːrdər/

(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading He retired from the British navy in 1828 in order to devote himself to writing.

PoachernounUS /ˈpoʊtʃər/

someone who hunts or fishes illegally on the property of another

From this reading The Poacher, by Captain Marryat.

printnounUS /prɪnt/

the text appearing in a book, newspaper, or other printed publication

From this reading In the following 20 years he wrote 26 books, many of which are among the very best of English literature, and some of which are still in print.

retiredadjectiveUS /rɪˈtaɪrd/

no longer active in your work or profession

From this reading He retired from the British navy in 1828 in order to devote himself to writing.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading In the following 20 years he wrote 26 books, many of which are among the very best of English literature, and some of which are still in print.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading In the following 20 years he wrote 26 books, many of which are among the very best of English literature, and some of which are still in print.

storiesnounUS /ˈstɔːriz/

plural of “story” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading Marryat had an extraordinary gift for the invention of episodes in his stories.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The Poacher, by Captain Marryat.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He retired from the British navy in 1828 in order to devote himself to writing.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading In the following 20 years he wrote 26 books, many of which are among the very best of English literature, and some of which are still in print.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Captain Frederick Marryat was born July 10 1792, and died August 8 1848.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading In the following 20 years he wrote 26 books, many of which are among the very best of English literature, and some of which are still in print.

writingnounUS /ˈraɪtɪŋ/

the act of creating written works

From this reading He retired from the British navy in 1828 in order to devote himself to writing.

wroteverbUS /roʊt/

inflected form of “write” — produce a literary work

From this reading In the following 20 years he wrote 26 books, many of which are among the very best of English literature, and some of which are still in print.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading In the following 20 years he wrote 26 books, many of which are among the very best of English literature, and some of which are still in print.

Chapter 1 of The Poacher by Frederick Marryat holds 421 sentences, grouped into 85 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 1 of The Poacher contain?

Chapter 1 holds 421 sentences of The Poacher, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Poacher by Frederick Marryat exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 421 sentences, grouped into 85 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 1 of The Poacher?

Work through the 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 85 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Poacher

Common questions about reading The Poacher by Frederick Marryat on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Poacher?

Yes. All 5342 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #21574 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Poacher is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #21574, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Poacher take to read?

About 445 minutes of reading across 1069 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Poacher section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 13 chapters of The Poacher 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 Poacher

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

Poacher
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poacher; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Captain
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poacher; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Marryat
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poacher; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Frederick
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poacher; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.