Chapter 17 of The star dreamer: A romance is here in full — 88 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of The star dreamer: A romance is here in full — 88 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
NODS AND WREATHÉD SMILES ... Half light, half shade, She stood, a sight to make an old man young. —TENNYSON (_Gardener’s Daughter_). Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity. But how unlike in colour, in atmosphere!
Chapter 17 of The star dreamer: A romance is here in full — 88 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/17 · 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.
determined or actuated by emotion rather than reason
From this reading “Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.”
possessive form of “gardener” — someone who takes care of a garden
plural of “nod” — a sign of assent or salutation or command
From this reading “NODS AND WREATHÉD SMILES ...”
past form of “precede” — be earlier in time; go back further
From this reading “Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.”
an unvarying or habitual method or procedure
From this reading “Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.”
Englishman and Victorian poet (1809-1892)
From this reading “—TENNYSON (_Gardener’s Daughter_).”
an untroubled state; free from disturbances
From this reading “Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.”
marked by no noteworthy or significant events
From this reading “Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.”
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 “Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.”
a man who is very old
In this reading “Half light, half shade, She stood, a sight to make an old man young.”
In this reading “Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.”
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 Half light, half shade, She stood, a sight to make an old man young.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Half light, half shade, She stood, a sight to make an old man young.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading NODS AND WREATHÉD SMILES ...
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.
a particular environment or surrounding influence
From this reading But how unlike in colour, in atmosphere!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But how unlike in colour, in atmosphere!
having or capable of producing colors
From this reading But how unlike in colour, in atmosphere!
a female human offspring
From this reading —TENNYSON (_Gardener’s Daughter_).
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.
determined or actuated by emotion rather than reason
From this reading Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.
possessive form of “gardener” — someone who takes care of a garden
From this reading —TENNYSON (_Gardener’s Daughter_).
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading Half light, half shade, She stood, a sight to make an old man young.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But how unlike in colour, in atmosphere!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Half light, half shade, She stood, a sight to make an old man young.
engage in
From this reading Half light, half shade, She stood, a sight to make an old man young.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Half light, half shade, She stood, a sight to make an old man young.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.
plural of “nod” — a sign of assent or salutation or command
From this reading NODS AND WREATHÉD SMILES ...
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Half light, half shade, She stood, a sight to make an old man young.
relating to physical reality rather than with thoughts or the mind
From this reading Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.
past form of “precede” — be earlier in time; go back further
From this reading Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.
an unvarying or habitual method or procedure
From this reading Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.
relative darkness caused by light rays being intercepted by an opaque body
From this reading Half light, half shade, She stood, a sight to make an old man young.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Half light, half shade, She stood, a sight to make an old man young.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading Half light, half shade, She stood, a sight to make an old man young.
marked by correspondence or resemblance
From this reading Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.
plural of “smile” — a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading NODS AND WREATHÉD SMILES ...
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Half light, half shade, She stood, a sight to make an old man young.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.
Englishman and Victorian poet (1809-1892)
From this reading —TENNYSON (_Gardener’s Daughter_).
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Half light, half shade, She stood, a sight to make an old man young.
an untroubled state; free from disturbances
From this reading Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.
a source of difficulty
From this reading Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.
marked by no noteworthy or significant events
From this reading Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.
marked by dissimilarity
From this reading But how unlike in colour, in atmosphere!
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading Within Bindon house the next ten days were as uneventful as those that had preceded this night of emotional trouble; days similar in routine, in outward tranquillity.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading NODS AND WREATHÉD SMILES ...
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading Half light, half shade, She stood, a sight to make an old man young.
Chapter 17 of The star dreamer: A romance by Agnes Castle holds 88 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.
Chapter 17 holds 88 sentences of The star dreamer: A romance, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of The star dreamer: A romance by Agnes Castle exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 88 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.
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.
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Words and structures a reader meets early in The star dreamer: A romance, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
