Chapter 9 of The Universe — or Nothing is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of The Universe — or Nothing is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Narval drummed on the desk, pushed at the message again, and shifted about. He was uncomfortable. "I'll think about it, Drummer," he said. "Meanwhile, extend the invitation, set up suitable quarters for him away from our official guest house, meet him when he arrives, and so on. Have him stand by.
Chapter 9 of The Universe — or Nothing is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
third-person singular of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
From this reading “"Meanwhile, extend the invitation, set up suitable quarters for him away from our official guest house, meet him when he arrives, and so on.”
inflected form of “drum” — make a rhythmic sound
From this reading “Narval drummed on the desk, pushed at the message again, and shifted about.”
someone who plays a drum
From this reading “"I'll think about it, Drummer," he said.”
extend in scope or range or area
From this reading “"Meanwhile, extend the invitation, set up suitable quarters for him away from our official guest house, meet him when he arrives, and so on.”
having official authority or sanction
From this reading “"Meanwhile, extend the invitation, set up suitable quarters for him away from our official guest house, meet him when he arrives, and so on.”
past form of “shift” — make a shift in or exchange of
From this reading “Narval drummed on the desk, pushed at the message again, and shifted about.”
meant or adapted for an occasion or use
From this reading “"Meanwhile, extend the invitation, set up suitable quarters for him away from our official guest house, meet him when he arrives, and so on.”
conducive to or feeling mental discomfort
From this reading “He was uncomfortable.”
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.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Narval drummed on the desk, pushed at the message again, and shifted about.
anew
From this reading Narval drummed on the desk, pushed at the message again, and shifted about.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Narval drummed on the desk, pushed at the message again, and shifted about.
third-person singular of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
From this reading "Meanwhile, extend the invitation, set up suitable quarters for him away from our official guest house, meet him when he arrives, and so on.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Narval drummed on the desk, pushed at the message again, and shifted about.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "Meanwhile, extend the invitation, set up suitable quarters for him away from our official guest house, meet him when he arrives, and so on.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Have him stand by.
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading Narval drummed on the desk, pushed at the message again, and shifted about.
inflected form of “drum” — make a rhythmic sound
From this reading Narval drummed on the desk, pushed at the message again, and shifted about.
someone who plays a drum
From this reading "I'll think about it, Drummer," he said.
extend in scope or range or area
From this reading "Meanwhile, extend the invitation, set up suitable quarters for him away from our official guest house, meet him when he arrives, and so on.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "Meanwhile, extend the invitation, set up suitable quarters for him away from our official guest house, meet him when he arrives, and so on.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "Meanwhile, extend the invitation, set up suitable quarters for him away from our official guest house, meet him when he arrives, and so on.
a visitor to whom hospitality is extended
From this reading "Meanwhile, extend the invitation, set up suitable quarters for him away from our official guest house, meet him when he arrives, and so on.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Have him stand by.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was uncomfortable.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Meanwhile, extend the invitation, set up suitable quarters for him away from our official guest house, meet him when he arrives, and so on.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading "Meanwhile, extend the invitation, set up suitable quarters for him away from our official guest house, meet him when he arrives, and so on.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'll think about it, Drummer," he said.
a request (spoken or written) to participate or be present or take part in something
From this reading "Meanwhile, extend the invitation, set up suitable quarters for him away from our official guest house, meet him when he arrives, and so on.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "I'll think about it, Drummer," he said.
at the same time but in another place
From this reading "Meanwhile, extend the invitation, set up suitable quarters for him away from our official guest house, meet him when he arrives, and so on.
come together
From this reading "Meanwhile, extend the invitation, set up suitable quarters for him away from our official guest house, meet him when he arrives, and so on.
a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled
From this reading Narval drummed on the desk, pushed at the message again, and shifted about.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Narval drummed on the desk, pushed at the message again, and shifted about.
having official authority or sanction
From this reading "Meanwhile, extend the invitation, set up suitable quarters for him away from our official guest house, meet him when he arrives, and so on.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Narval drummed on the desk, pushed at the message again, and shifted about.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading "Meanwhile, extend the invitation, set up suitable quarters for him away from our official guest house, meet him when he arrives, and so on.
past form of “push” — move with force
From this reading Narval drummed on the desk, pushed at the message again, and shifted about.
housing available for people to live in
From this reading "Meanwhile, extend the invitation, set up suitable quarters for him away from our official guest house, meet him when he arrives, and so on.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I'll think about it, Drummer," he said.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading "Meanwhile, extend the invitation, set up suitable quarters for him away from our official guest house, meet him when he arrives, and so on.
past form of “shift” — make a shift in or exchange of
From this reading Narval drummed on the desk, pushed at the message again, and shifted about.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "Meanwhile, extend the invitation, set up suitable quarters for him away from our official guest house, meet him when he arrives, and so on.
be standing; be upright
From this reading Have him stand by.
meant or adapted for an occasion or use
From this reading "Meanwhile, extend the invitation, set up suitable quarters for him away from our official guest house, meet him when he arrives, and so on.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Narval drummed on the desk, pushed at the message again, and shifted about.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "I'll think about it, Drummer," he said.
conducive to or feeling mental discomfort
From this reading He was uncomfortable.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "Meanwhile, extend the invitation, set up suitable quarters for him away from our official guest house, meet him when he arrives, and so on.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was uncomfortable.
at the time that
From this reading "Meanwhile, extend the invitation, set up suitable quarters for him away from our official guest house, meet him when he arrives, and so on.
Chapter 9 of The Universe — or Nothing by Meyer Moldeven holds 423 sentences, grouped into 85 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 9 holds 423 sentences of The Universe — or Nothing, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of The Universe — or Nothing by Meyer Moldeven exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 423 sentences, grouped into 85 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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 Universe — or Nothing by Meyer Moldeven on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5871 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #18257 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #18257, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 489 minutes of reading across 1175 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Universe — or Nothing section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 14 chapters of The Universe — or Nothing 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 Universe — or Nothing, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
