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The Return of the Native
The Return of the Native

Chapter XIV · Chapter 14

Chapter 14 of The Return of the Native is here in full — 217 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/43 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The face was well shaped, even excellently.
But the mind within was beginning to use it as a mere waste tablet whereon to trace its idiosyncrasies as they developed themselves.
The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.
Had Heaven preserved Yeobright from a wearing habit of meditation, people would have said, A handsome man.”
Had his brain unfolded under sharper contours they would have said, A thoughtful man.”
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Return of the Native

Chapter XIV · Chapter 14

Chapter 14 of The Return of the Native is here in full — 217 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/43 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The face was well shaped, even excellently.
/ðə feɪs wɑːz wel ʃeɪpt ˈiːvɪn ˈeksələntli/
Line 2
But the mind within was beginning to use it as a mere waste tablet whereon to trace its idiosyncrasies as they developed themselves.
Line 3
The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.
Line 4
Had Heaven preserved Yeobright from a wearing habit of meditation, people would have said, “A handsome man.”
Line 5
Had his brain unfolded under sharper contours they would have said, “A thoughtful man.”
/hæd hɪz breɪn ənˈfoʊldɪd ˈʌndər ˈʃɑːrpər ˈkɑːntʊrz ðeɪ wʊd hæv sed ə ˈθɔːtfəl mæn/

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.

contours noun US /ˈkɑːntʊrz/

plural of “contour” — a line drawn on a map connecting points of equal height

From this reading “Had his brain unfolded under sharper contours they would have said, “A thoughtful man.””

excellently adverb US /ˈeksələntli/

extremely well

From this reading “The face was well shaped, even excellently.”

idiosyncrasies noun US /ˌɪdioʊˈsɪnkrəsiːz/

plural of “idiosyncrasy” — a behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual

From this reading “But the mind within was beginning to use it as a mere waste tablet whereon to trace its idiosyncrasies as they developed themselves.”

parasite noun US /ˈperəsaɪt/

an animal or plant that lives in or on a host (another animal or plant); it obtains nourishment from the host without benefiting or killing the host

From this reading “The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.”

plainer adjective US /ˈpleɪnər/

comparative of “plain” — clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

From this reading “The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.”

ruthlessly adverb US /ˈruːθləsli/

in a ruthless manner

From this reading “The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.”

sharper noun US /ˈʃɑːrpər/

a professional card player who makes a living by cheating at card games

From this reading “Had his brain unfolded under sharper contours they would have said, “A thoughtful man.””

tablet noun US /ˈtæblət/

a slab of stone or wood suitable for bearing an inscription

From this reading “But the mind within was beginning to use it as a mere waste tablet whereon to trace its idiosyncrasies as they developed themselves.”

All words in this reading · 73

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 But the mind within was beginning to use it as a mere waste tablet whereon to trace its idiosyncrasies as they developed themselves.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading But the mind within was beginning to use it as a mere waste tablet whereon to trace its idiosyncrasies as they developed themselves.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.

beautynounUS /ˈbjuːti/

the qualities that give pleasure to the senses

From this reading The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.

beginningnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/

the event consisting of the start of something

From this reading But the mind within was beginning to use it as a mere waste tablet whereon to trace its idiosyncrasies as they developed themselves.

brainnounUS /breɪn/

that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord

From this reading Had his brain unfolded under sharper contours they would have said, “A thoughtful man.”

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But the mind within was beginning to use it as a mere waste tablet whereon to trace its idiosyncrasies as they developed themselves.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.

contoursnounUS /ˈkɑːntʊrz/

plural of “contour” — a line drawn on a map connecting points of equal height

From this reading Had his brain unfolded under sharper contours they would have said, “A thoughtful man.”

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.

developedadjectiveUS /dɪˈveləpt/

being changed over time so as to be e.g. stronger or more complete or more useful

From this reading But the mind within was beginning to use it as a mere waste tablet whereon to trace its idiosyncrasies as they developed themselves.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading The face was well shaped, even excellently.

excellentlyadverbUS /ˈeksələntli/

extremely well

From this reading The face was well shaped, even excellently.

exteriornounUS /ɪkˈstɪriər/

the region that is outside of something

From this reading The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading The face was well shaped, even excellently.

fednounUS /fed/

any federal law-enforcement officer

From this reading The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Had Heaven preserved Yeobright from a wearing habit of meditation, people would have said, “A handsome man.”

habitnounUS /ˈhæbət/

an established custom

From this reading Had Heaven preserved Yeobright from a wearing habit of meditation, people would have said, “A handsome man.”

Hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Had Heaven preserved Yeobright from a wearing habit of meditation, people would have said, “A handsome man.”

handsomeadjectiveUS /ˈhænsəm/

pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion

From this reading Had Heaven preserved Yeobright from a wearing habit of meditation, people would have said, “A handsome man.”

harmnounUS /hɑːrm/

any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.

From this reading The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.

HeavennounUS /ˈhevən/

any place of complete bliss and delight and peace

From this reading Had Heaven preserved Yeobright from a wearing habit of meditation, people would have said, “A handsome man.”

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Had his brain unfolded under sharper contours they would have said, “A thoughtful man.”

idiosyncrasiesnounUS /ˌɪdioʊˈsɪnkrəsiːz/

plural of “idiosyncrasy” — a behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual

From this reading But the mind within was beginning to use it as a mere waste tablet whereon to trace its idiosyncrasies as they developed themselves.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading But the mind within was beginning to use it as a mere waste tablet whereon to trace its idiosyncrasies as they developed themselves.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading But the mind within was beginning to use it as a mere waste tablet whereon to trace its idiosyncrasies as they developed themselves.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Had Heaven preserved Yeobright from a wearing habit of meditation, people would have said, “A handsome man.”

meditationnounUS /ˌmedəˈteɪʃən/

continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse nature

From this reading Had Heaven preserved Yeobright from a wearing habit of meditation, people would have said, “A handsome man.”

mereadjectiveUS /mɪr/

being nothing more than specified

From this reading But the mind within was beginning to use it as a mere waste tablet whereon to trace its idiosyncrasies as they developed themselves.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading But the mind within was beginning to use it as a mere waste tablet whereon to trace its idiosyncrasies as they developed themselves.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Had Heaven preserved Yeobright from a wearing habit of meditation, people would have said, “A handsome man.”

over-run

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

From this reading The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.

parasitenounUS /ˈperəsaɪt/

an animal or plant that lives in or on a host (another animal or plant); it obtains nourishment from the host without benefiting or killing the host

From this reading The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading Had Heaven preserved Yeobright from a wearing habit of meditation, people would have said, “A handsome man.”

plaineradjectiveUS /ˈpleɪnər/

comparative of “plain” — clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

From this reading The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.

preservedadjectiveUS /prəˈzɜːrvd/

prevented from decaying or spoiling and prepared for future use

From this reading Had Heaven preserved Yeobright from a wearing habit of meditation, people would have said, “A handsome man.”

ruthlesslyadverbUS /ˈruːθləsli/

in a ruthless manner

From this reading The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading Had Heaven preserved Yeobright from a wearing habit of meditation, people would have said, “A handsome man.”

shapedadjectiveUS /ʃeɪpt/

shaped to fit by or as if by altering the contours of a pliable mass (as by work or effort)

From this reading The face was well shaped, even excellently.

sharpernounUS /ˈʃɑːrpər/

a professional card player who makes a living by cheating at card games

From this reading Had his brain unfolded under sharper contours they would have said, “A thoughtful man.”

tabletnounUS /ˈtæblət/

a slab of stone or wood suitable for bearing an inscription

From this reading But the mind within was beginning to use it as a mere waste tablet whereon to trace its idiosyncrasies as they developed themselves.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The face was well shaped, even excellently.

themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading But the mind within was beginning to use it as a mere waste tablet whereon to trace its idiosyncrasies as they developed themselves.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading But the mind within was beginning to use it as a mere waste tablet whereon to trace its idiosyncrasies as they developed themselves.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.

thoughtfuladjectiveUS /ˈθɔːtfəl/

having intellectual depth

From this reading Had his brain unfolded under sharper contours they would have said, “A thoughtful man.”

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading But the mind within was beginning to use it as a mere waste tablet whereon to trace its idiosyncrasies as they developed themselves.

tracenounUS /treɪs/

a just detectable amount

From this reading But the mind within was beginning to use it as a mere waste tablet whereon to trace its idiosyncrasies as they developed themselves.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading Had his brain unfolded under sharper contours they would have said, “A thoughtful man.”

unfoldedverbUS /ənˈfoʊldɪd/

past form of “unfold” — develop or come to a promising stage

From this reading Had his brain unfolded under sharper contours they would have said, “A thoughtful man.”

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.

usenounUS /juːs/

the act of using

From this reading But the mind within was beginning to use it as a mere waste tablet whereon to trace its idiosyncrasies as they developed themselves.

visibleadjectiveUS /ˈvɪzəbəl/

capable of being seen; or open to easy view

From this reading The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The face was well shaped, even excellently.

wastenounUS /weɪst/

any materials unused and rejected as worthless or unwanted

From this reading But the mind within was beginning to use it as a mere waste tablet whereon to trace its idiosyncrasies as they developed themselves.

wearingnounUS /ˈwerɪŋ/

(geology) the mechanical process of wearing or grinding something down (as by particles washing over it)

From this reading Had Heaven preserved Yeobright from a wearing habit of meditation, people would have said, “A handsome man.”

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading The face was well shaped, even excellently.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.

whereon

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

From this reading But the mind within was beginning to use it as a mere waste tablet whereon to trace its idiosyncrasies as they developed themselves.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.

withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading But the mind within was beginning to use it as a mere waste tablet whereon to trace its idiosyncrasies as they developed themselves.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading The beauty here visible would in no long time be ruthlessly over-run by its parasite, thought, which might just as well have fed upon a plainer exterior where there was nothing it could harm.

Yeobright

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

From this reading Had Heaven preserved Yeobright from a wearing habit of meditation, people would have said, “A handsome man.”

Chapter 14 of The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy holds 217 sentences, grouped into 44 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 14 of The Return of the Native contain?

Chapter 14 holds 217 sentences of The Return of the Native, unabridged, divided into 44 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 14 of The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 217 sentences, grouped into 44 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 14 of The Return of the Native?

Work through the 44 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 44 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 14 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 14 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 Return of the Native

Common questions about reading The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Return of the Native?

Yes. All 8619 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #122 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Return of the Native is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #122, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Return of the Native take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1724 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Return of the Native section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 Return of the Native

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Return of the Native, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Preface
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Return of the Native; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
First
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Return of the Native; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Three
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Return of the Native; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Women
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Return of the Native; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.