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The Star Hyacinths
The Star Hyacinths

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Star Hyacinths is here in full — 432 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Star Hyacinths
Context Illustration Reading 1/86 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
_On a bleak, distant unchartered world two ships lay wrecked and a lone man stared at a star hyacinth.
Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.
In a manner not clearly explained, the Dosey Asteroids Company had lost six months' production of gem-quality cut star hyacinths valued at nearly a hundred million credits.
It lost also its Chief Lapidary and seventy-eight other company employees who had been in the station dome at the time.
All these people appeared at first to have been killed by gunfire, but a study of their bodies revealed that only in a few instances had gun wounds been the actual cause of death.
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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 Star Hyacinths

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Star Hyacinths is here in full — 432 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/86 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
_On a bleak, distant unchartered world two ships lay wrecked and a lone man stared at a star hyacinth.
/ɑːn ə bliːk ˈdɪstənt ənˈtʃɑːrtərd wɜːrld tuː ʃɪps leɪ rekt ənd ə loʊn mæn sterd æt ə stɑːr ˈhaɪəsɪnθ/
Line 2
Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.
Line 3
In a manner not clearly explained, the Dosey Asteroids Company had lost six months' production of gem-quality cut star hyacinths valued at nearly a hundred million credits.
Line 4
It lost also its Chief Lapidary and seventy-eight other company employees who had been in the station dome at the time.
Line 5
All these people appeared at first to have been killed by gunfire, but a study of their bodies revealed that only in a few instances had gun wounds been the actual cause of death.
/ɔːl ðiːz ˈpiːpəl əˈpɪrd æt fɜːrst tuː hæv bɪn kɪld baɪ ˈɡʌnfaɪər bʌt ə ˈstʌdi ʌv ðer ˈbɑːdiz rɪˈviːld ðæt ˈoʊnli ɪn ə fjuː ˈɪnstənsəz hæd ɡʌn wuːndz bɪn ðə ˈæktʃəwəl kɑːz ʌv deθ/

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.

Asteroids noun US /ˈæstərɔɪdz/

plural of “asteroid” — any of numerous small celestial bodies composed of rock and metal that move around the sun (mainly between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter)

From this reading “Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.”

credits noun US /ˈkredɪts/

a list of acknowledgements of those who contributed to the creation of a film (usually run at the end of the film)

From this reading “In a manner not clearly explained, the Dosey Asteroids Company had lost six months' production of gem-quality cut star hyacinths valued at nearly a hundred million credits.”

gunfire noun US /ˈɡʌnfaɪər/

the act of shooting a gun

From this reading “All these people appeared at first to have been killed by gunfire, but a study of their bodies revealed that only in a few instances had gun wounds been the actual cause of death.”

hyacinths noun US /ˈhaɪəsɪnθs/

plural of “hyacinth” — a red transparent variety of zircon used as a gemstone

From this reading “In a manner not clearly explained, the Dosey Asteroids Company had lost six months' production of gem-quality cut star hyacinths valued at nearly a hundred million credits.”

juiciest adjective US /ˈdʒuːsiəst/

superlative of “juicy” — full of juice

From this reading “Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.”

Lapidary noun US /ˈlæpəderi/

an expert on precious stones and the art of cutting and engraving them

From this reading “It lost also its Chief Lapidary and seventy-eight other company employees who had been in the station dome at the time.”

retina noun US /ˈretənə/

the innermost light-sensitive membrane covering the back wall of the eyeball; it is continuous with the optic nerve

From this reading “Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.”

unchartered adjective US /ənˈtʃɑːrtərd/

not chartered

From this reading “_On a bleak, distant unchartered world two ships lay wrecked and a lone man stared at a star hyacinth.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

six months' noun + noun counted as “six month”

In this reading “In a manner not clearly explained, the Dosey Asteroids Company had lost six months' production of gem-quality cut star hyacinths valued at nearly a hundred million credits.”

hundred million noun + noun

In this reading “In a manner not clearly explained, the Dosey Asteroids Company had lost six months' production of gem-quality cut star hyacinths valued at nearly a hundred million credits.”

stared at verb + particle counted as “stare at”

In this reading “_On a bleak, distant unchartered world two ships lay wrecked and a lone man stared at a star hyacinth.”

few instances adjective + noun counted as “few instance”

In this reading “All these people appeared at first to have been killed by gunfire, but a study of their bodies revealed that only in a few instances had gun wounds been the actual cause of death.”

killed by verb + particle counted as “kill by”

In this reading “All these people appeared at first to have been killed by gunfire, but a study of their bodies revealed that only in a few instances had gun wounds been the actual cause of death.”

appeared at verb + particle counted as “appear at”

In this reading “All these people appeared at first to have been killed by gunfire, but a study of their bodies revealed that only in a few instances had gun wounds been the actual cause of death.”

at the time preposition + article + noun counted as “at … time”

simultaneously

In this reading “It lost also its Chief Lapidary and seventy-eight other company employees who had been in the station dome at the time.”

In a manner preposition + article + noun counted as “in … manner”

In this reading “In a manner not clearly explained, the Dosey Asteroids Company had lost six months' production of gem-quality cut star hyacinths valued at nearly a hundred million credits.”

All words in this reading · 109

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 _On a bleak, distant unchartered world two ships lay wrecked and a lone man stared at a star hyacinth.

actualadjectiveUS /ˈæktʃəwəl/

presently existing in fact and not merely potential or possible

From this reading All these people appeared at first to have been killed by gunfire, but a study of their bodies revealed that only in a few instances had gun wounds been the actual cause of death.

AlladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(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 All these people appeared at first to have been killed by gunfire, but a study of their bodies revealed that only in a few instances had gun wounds been the actual cause of death.

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading It lost also its Chief Lapidary and seventy-eight other company employees who had been in the station dome at the time.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading _On a bleak, distant unchartered world two ships lay wrecked and a lone man stared at a star hyacinth.

appearedverbUS /əˈpɪrd/

past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading All these people appeared at first to have been killed by gunfire, but a study of their bodies revealed that only in a few instances had gun wounds been the actual cause of death.

AsteroidsnounUS /ˈæstərɔɪdz/

plural of “asteroid” — any of numerous small celestial bodies composed of rock and metal that move around the sun (mainly between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter)

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading _On a bleak, distant unchartered world two ships lay wrecked and a lone man stared at a star hyacinth.

beautynounUS /ˈbjuːti/

the qualities that give pleasure to the senses

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading It lost also its Chief Lapidary and seventy-eight other company employees who had been in the station dome at the time.

bleakadjectiveUS /bliːk/

offering little or no hope

From this reading _On a bleak, distant unchartered world two ships lay wrecked and a lone man stared at a star hyacinth.

bodiesnounUS /ˈbɑːdiz/

plural of “body” — the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading All these people appeared at first to have been killed by gunfire, but a study of their bodies revealed that only in a few instances had gun wounds been the actual cause of death.

brilliancenounUS /ˈbrɪljəns/

a light within the field of vision that is brighter than the brightness to which the eyes are adapted

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

burnedadjectiveUS /bɜːrnd/

treated by heating to a high temperature but below the melting or fusing point

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading All these people appeared at first to have been killed by gunfire, but a study of their bodies revealed that only in a few instances had gun wounds been the actual cause of death.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading All these people appeared at first to have been killed by gunfire, but a study of their bodies revealed that only in a few instances had gun wounds been the actual cause of death.

causenounUS /kɑːz/

events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

From this reading All these people appeared at first to have been killed by gunfire, but a study of their bodies revealed that only in a few instances had gun wounds been the actual cause of death.

ChiefnounUS /tʃiːf/

a person who is in charge

From this reading It lost also its Chief Lapidary and seventy-eight other company employees who had been in the station dome at the time.

clearlyadverbUS /ˈklɪrli/

without doubt or question

From this reading In a manner not clearly explained, the Dosey Asteroids Company had lost six months' production of gem-quality cut star hyacinths valued at nearly a hundred million credits.

CompanynounUS /ˈkʌmpəniː/

an institution created to conduct business

From this reading In a manner not clearly explained, the Dosey Asteroids Company had lost six months' production of gem-quality cut star hyacinths valued at nearly a hundred million credits.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

creditsnounUS /ˈkredɪts/

a list of acknowledgements of those who contributed to the creation of a film (usually run at the end of the film)

From this reading In a manner not clearly explained, the Dosey Asteroids Company had lost six months' production of gem-quality cut star hyacinths valued at nearly a hundred million credits.

crimenounUS /kraɪm/

(criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

cutverbUS /kʌt/

separate with or as if with an instrument

From this reading In a manner not clearly explained, the Dosey Asteroids Company had lost six months' production of gem-quality cut star hyacinths valued at nearly a hundred million credits.

deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading All these people appeared at first to have been killed by gunfire, but a study of their bodies revealed that only in a few instances had gun wounds been the actual cause of death.

distantadjectiveUS /ˈdɪstənt/

separated in space or coming from or going to a distance

From this reading _On a bleak, distant unchartered world two ships lay wrecked and a lone man stared at a star hyacinth.

domenounUS /doʊm/

a concave shape whose distinguishing characteristic is that the concavity faces downward

From this reading It lost also its Chief Lapidary and seventy-eight other company employees who had been in the station dome at the time.

Dosey

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

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

easilyadverbUS /ˈiːzəli/

with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

employeesnounUS /emˈplɔɪiz/

plural of “employee” — a worker who is hired to perform a job

From this reading It lost also its Chief Lapidary and seventy-eight other company employees who had been in the station dome at the time.

explainedverbUS /ɪkˈspleɪnd/

past form of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible

From this reading In a manner not clearly explained, the Dosey Asteroids Company had lost six months' production of gem-quality cut star hyacinths valued at nearly a hundred million credits.

exploredverbUS /ɪkˈsplɔːrd/

past form of “explore” — inquire into

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

FederationnounUS /ˌfedərˈeɪʃən/

an organization formed by merging several groups or parties

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading All these people appeared at first to have been killed by gunfire, but a study of their bodies revealed that only in a few instances had gun wounds been the actual cause of death.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading All these people appeared at first to have been killed by gunfire, but a study of their bodies revealed that only in a few instances had gun wounds been the actual cause of death.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

gem-quality

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

From this reading In a manner not clearly explained, the Dosey Asteroids Company had lost six months' production of gem-quality cut star hyacinths valued at nearly a hundred million credits.

gunnounUS /ɡʌn/

a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)

From this reading All these people appeared at first to have been killed by gunfire, but a study of their bodies revealed that only in a few instances had gun wounds been the actual cause of death.

gunfirenounUS /ˈɡʌnfaɪər/

the act of shooting a gun

From this reading All these people appeared at first to have been killed by gunfire, but a study of their bodies revealed that only in a few instances had gun wounds been the actual cause of death.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading In a manner not clearly explained, the Dosey Asteroids Company had lost six months' production of gem-quality cut star hyacinths valued at nearly a hundred million credits.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading All these people appeared at first to have been killed by gunfire, but a study of their bodies revealed that only in a few instances had gun wounds been the actual cause of death.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

HubnounUS /hʌb/

the central part of a car wheel (or fan or propeller etc) through which the shaft or axle passes

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

hundrednounUS /ˈhʌndrəd/

ten 10s

From this reading In a manner not clearly explained, the Dosey Asteroids Company had lost six months' production of gem-quality cut star hyacinths valued at nearly a hundred million credits.

hyacinthnounUS /ˈhaɪəsɪnθ/

a red transparent variety of zircon used as a gemstone

From this reading _On a bleak, distant unchartered world two ships lay wrecked and a lone man stared at a star hyacinth.

hyacinthsnounUS /ˈhaɪəsɪnθs/

plural of “hyacinth” — a red transparent variety of zircon used as a gemstone

From this reading In a manner not clearly explained, the Dosey Asteroids Company had lost six months' production of gem-quality cut star hyacinths valued at nearly a hundred million credits.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

instancesnounUS /ˈɪnstənsəz/

plural of “instance” — an occurrence of something

From this reading All these people appeared at first to have been killed by gunfire, but a study of their bodies revealed that only in a few instances had gun wounds been the actual cause of death.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It lost also its Chief Lapidary and seventy-eight other company employees who had been in the station dome at the time.

ItsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

juiciestadjectiveUS /ˈdʒuːsiəst/

superlative of “juicy” — full of juice

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

killverbUS /kɪl/

cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

killedverbUS /kɪld/

past form of “kill” — cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly

From this reading All these people appeared at first to have been killed by gunfire, but a study of their bodies revealed that only in a few instances had gun wounds been the actual cause of death.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

LapidarynounUS /ˈlæpəderi/

an expert on precious stones and the art of cutting and engraving them

From this reading It lost also its Chief Lapidary and seventy-eight other company employees who had been in the station dome at the time.

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading _On a bleak, distant unchartered world two ships lay wrecked and a lone man stared at a star hyacinth.

loneadjectiveUS /loʊn/

lacking companions or companionship

From this reading _On a bleak, distant unchartered world two ships lay wrecked and a lone man stared at a star hyacinth.

lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading In a manner not clearly explained, the Dosey Asteroids Company had lost six months' production of gem-quality cut star hyacinths valued at nearly a hundred million credits.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading _On a bleak, distant unchartered world two ships lay wrecked and a lone man stared at a star hyacinth.

mannernounUS /ˈmænər/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading In a manner not clearly explained, the Dosey Asteroids Company had lost six months' production of gem-quality cut star hyacinths valued at nearly a hundred million credits.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

millionnounUS /ˈmɪljən/

the number that is represented as a one followed by 6 zeros

From this reading In a manner not clearly explained, the Dosey Asteroids Company had lost six months' production of gem-quality cut star hyacinths valued at nearly a hundred million credits.

monthsnounUS /mʌnθs/

plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading In a manner not clearly explained, the Dosey Asteroids Company had lost six months' production of gem-quality cut star hyacinths valued at nearly a hundred million credits.

nearlyadverbUS /ˈnɪrli/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading In a manner not clearly explained, the Dosey Asteroids Company had lost six months' production of gem-quality cut star hyacinths valued at nearly a hundred million credits.

newscasting

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

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading In a manner not clearly explained, the Dosey Asteroids Company had lost six months' production of gem-quality cut star hyacinths valued at nearly a hundred million credits.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading _On a bleak, distant unchartered world two ships lay wrecked and a lone man stared at a star hyacinth.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading All these people appeared at first to have been killed by gunfire, but a study of their bodies revealed that only in a few instances had gun wounds been the actual cause of death.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading It lost also its Chief Lapidary and seventy-eight other company employees who had been in the station dome at the time.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

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

From this reading All these people appeared at first to have been killed by gunfire, but a study of their bodies revealed that only in a few instances had gun wounds been the actual cause of death.

productionnounUS /prəˈdʌkʃən/

the act or process of producing something

From this reading In a manner not clearly explained, the Dosey Asteroids Company had lost six months' production of gem-quality cut star hyacinths valued at nearly a hundred million credits.

providedverbUS /prəˈvaɪdɪd/

past form of “provide” — give something useful or necessary to

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

remoteadjectiveUS /rɪˈmoʊt/

located far away spatially

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

retinanounUS /ˈretənə/

the innermost light-sensitive membrane covering the back wall of the eyeball; it is continuous with the optic nerve

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

revealedverbUS /rɪˈviːld/

past form of “reveal” — make visible

From this reading All these people appeared at first to have been killed by gunfire, but a study of their bodies revealed that only in a few instances had gun wounds been the actual cause of death.

robberynounUS /ˈrɑːbəri/

larceny by threat of violence

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

seasonnounUS /ˈsiːzən/

a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

sectionnounUS /ˈsekʃən/

a self-contained part of a larger composition (written or musical)

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

seventy-eightnoun

the cardinal number that is the sum of seventy and eight

From this reading It lost also its Chief Lapidary and seventy-eight other company employees who had been in the station dome at the time.

ShippingnounUS /ˈʃɪpɪŋ/

the commercial enterprise of moving goods and materials

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

shipsnounUS /ʃɪps/

plural of “ship” — a vessel that carries passengers or freight

From this reading _On a bleak, distant unchartered world two ships lay wrecked and a lone man stared at a star hyacinth.

sixnounUS /sɪks/

the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one

From this reading In a manner not clearly explained, the Dosey Asteroids Company had lost six months' production of gem-quality cut star hyacinths valued at nearly a hundred million credits.

spacenounUS /speɪs/

the unlimited expanse in which everything is located

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

spottily

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

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

starnounUS /stɑːr/

(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior

From this reading _On a bleak, distant unchartered world two ships lay wrecked and a lone man stared at a star hyacinth.

staredverbUS /sterd/

past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes

From this reading _On a bleak, distant unchartered world two ships lay wrecked and a lone man stared at a star hyacinth.

StationnounUS /ˈsteɪʃən/

a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

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 Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

studynounUS /ˈstʌdi/

a detailed critical inspection

From this reading All these people appeared at first to have been killed by gunfire, but a study of their bodies revealed that only in a few instances had gun wounds been the actual cause of death.

systemsnounUS /ˈsɪstəmz/

plural of “system” — instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading All these people appeared at first to have been killed by gunfire, but a study of their bodies revealed that only in a few instances had gun wounds been the actual cause of death.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading All these people appeared at first to have been killed by gunfire, but a study of their bodies revealed that only in a few instances had gun wounds been the actual cause of death.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading It lost also its Chief Lapidary and seventy-eight other company employees who had been in the station dome at the time.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading All these people appeared at first to have been killed by gunfire, but a study of their bodies revealed that only in a few instances had gun wounds been the actual cause of death.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading _On a bleak, distant unchartered world two ships lay wrecked and a lone man stared at a star hyacinth.

uncharteredadjectiveUS /ənˈtʃɑːrtərd/

not chartered

From this reading _On a bleak, distant unchartered world two ships lay wrecked and a lone man stared at a star hyacinth.

valuedadjectiveUS /ˈvæljuːd/

(usually used in combination) having value of a specified kind

From this reading In a manner not clearly explained, the Dosey Asteroids Company had lost six months' production of gem-quality cut star hyacinths valued at nearly a hundred million credits.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading It lost also its Chief Lapidary and seventy-eight other company employees who had been in the station dome at the time.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Its brilliance burned into his retina ... and he knew that men could easily kill and kill for that one beauty alone._ The robbery of the Dosey Asteroids Shipping Station in a remote and spottily explored section of space provided the newscasting systems of the Federation of the Hub with one of the juiciest crime stories of the season.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading _On a bleak, distant unchartered world two ships lay wrecked and a lone man stared at a star hyacinth.

woundsnounUS /wuːndz/

plural of “wound” — an injury to living tissue (especially an injury involving a cut or break in the skin)

From this reading All these people appeared at first to have been killed by gunfire, but a study of their bodies revealed that only in a few instances had gun wounds been the actual cause of death.

wreckedadjectiveUS /rekt/

destroyed in an accident

From this reading _On a bleak, distant unchartered world two ships lay wrecked and a lone man stared at a star hyacinth.

Chapter 1 of The Star Hyacinths by James H. Schmitz holds 432 sentences, grouped into 87 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 Star Hyacinths contain?

Chapter 1 holds 432 sentences of The Star Hyacinths, unabridged, divided into 87 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Star Hyacinths by James H. Schmitz exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 432 sentences, grouped into 87 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 Star Hyacinths?

Work through the 87 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 87 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 Star Hyacinths

Common questions about reading The Star Hyacinths by James H. Schmitz on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Star Hyacinths?

Yes. All 1276 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26292 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Star Hyacinths is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #26292, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Star Hyacinths take to read?

About 106 minutes of reading across 256 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Star Hyacinths section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 3 chapters of The Star Hyacinths 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 Star Hyacinths

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

Bleak
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Star Hyacinths; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Distant
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Star Hyacinths; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Unchartered
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Star Hyacinths; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
World
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Star Hyacinths; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.