Chapter 13 of The Salamander is here in full — 98 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIII
Chapter 13 of The Salamander is here in full — 98 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Mrs. Massingale! Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight. She did not comprehend--she could not comprehend! The thing was too incredible! "Ah, Mrs. Massingale," she repeated mechanically.
Chapter 13 of The Salamander is here in full — 98 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/19 · 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.
get the meaning of something
From this reading “She did not comprehend--she could not comprehend!”
a formation of aircraft in flight
From this reading “Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.”
beyond belief or understanding
From this reading “The thing was too incredible!”
in a mechanical manner; by a mechanism
From this reading “"Ah, Mrs. Massingale," she repeated mechanically.”
-ing form of “realize” — be fully aware or cognizant of
From this reading “Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.”
the state or quality of being recognized or acknowledged
From this reading “Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.”
recurring again and again
From this reading “"Ah, Mrs. Massingale," she repeated mechanically.”
(of undissolved particles in a fluid) supported or kept from sinking or falling by buoyancy and without apparent attachment
From this reading “Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.”
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.
In this reading “Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.”
In this reading “Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.”
on everybody's mind
In this reading “Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.”
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 Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Ah, Mrs. Massingale," she repeated mechanically.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.
get the meaning of something
From this reading She did not comprehend--she could not comprehend!
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading She did not comprehend--she could not comprehend!
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading She did not comprehend--she could not comprehend!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.
a formation of aircraft in flight
From this reading Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.
beyond belief or understanding
From this reading The thing was too incredible!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Massingale!
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.
in a mechanical manner; by a mechanism
From this reading "Ah, Mrs. Massingale," she repeated mechanically.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mrs. Massingale!
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She did not comprehend--she could not comprehend!
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.
-ing form of “realize” — be fully aware or cognizant of
From this reading Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.
the state or quality of being recognized or acknowledged
From this reading Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.
recurring again and again
From this reading "Ah, Mrs. Massingale," she repeated mechanically.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She did not comprehend--she could not comprehend!
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.
(of undissolved particles in a fluid) supported or kept from sinking or falling by buoyancy and without apparent attachment
From this reading Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.
a special situation
From this reading The thing was too incredible!
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading The thing was too incredible!
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The thing was too incredible!
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Dore heard the name a second time without quite realizing what it meant, as if the sound were suspended in the air before her, waiting for recognition before taking flight.
Chapter 13 of The Salamander by Owen Johnson holds 98 sentences, grouped into 20 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 13 holds 98 sentences of The Salamander, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 13 of The Salamander by Owen Johnson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 98 sentences, grouped into 20 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 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 20 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 13 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 Salamander by Owen Johnson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9886 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36355 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #36355, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1978 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Salamander section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 32 chapters of The Salamander 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 Salamander, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
