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The Vee-Boers
The Vee-Boers

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Vee-Boers is here in full — 543 sentences across 109 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Mayne Reid • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Vee-Boers
Context Illustration Reading 1/108 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The Vee-Boers, by Captain Mayne Reid.
________________________________________________________________________ THE VEE-BOERS, BY CAPTAIN MAYNE REID.
CHAPTER ONE.
ON THE KAROO.
A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Vee-Boers

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Vee-Boers is here in full — 543 sentences across 109 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/108 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The Vee-Boers, by Captain Mayne Reid.
Line 2
________________________________________________________________________ THE VEE-BOERS, BY CAPTAIN MAYNE REID.
Line 3
CHAPTER ONE.
/ˈtʃæptər wʌn/
Line 4
ON THE KAROO.
Line 5
A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

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.

bounded adjective US /ˈbaʊndəd/

having the limits or boundaries established

From this reading “A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
clump noun US /klʌmp/

a grouping of a number of similar things

From this reading “A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
continuity noun US /ˌkɑːntəˈnuːəti/

uninterrupted connection or union

From this reading “A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
feathered adjective US /ˈfeðərd/

adorned with feathers or plumes

From this reading “A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Reid noun US /riːd/

Scottish philosopher of common sense who opposed the ideas of David Hume (1710-1796)

From this reading “The Vee-Boers, by Captain Mayne Reid.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seemingly adverb US /ˈsiːmɪŋli/

from appearances alone

From this reading “A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
spreads noun US /spredz/

plural of “spread” — process or result of distributing or extending over a wide expanse of space

From this reading “A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
treeless adjective US /ˈtriːləs/

not wooded

From this reading “A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

mingled with verb + particle counted as “mingle with”

In this reading “A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.”

15,188 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 40

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.

1

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

From this reading A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

Pending verification
AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
aloesnoun

a purgative made from the leaves of aloe

From this reading A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
arborescentadjective

resembling a tree in form and branching structure

From this reading A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
boundedadjectiveUS /ˈbaʊndəd/

having the limits or boundaries established

From this reading A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
breaksnounUS /breɪks/

plural of “break” — some abrupt occurrence that interrupts an ongoing activity

From this reading A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The Vee-Boers, by Captain Mayne Reid.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
cameel-doorn

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

From this reading A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

Pending verification
CaptainnounUS /ˈkæptən/

an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant

From this reading The Vee-Boers, by Captain Mayne Reid.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CHAPTERnounUS /ˈtʃæptər/

a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled

From this reading CHAPTER ONE.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
clumpnounUS /klʌmp/

a grouping of a number of similar things

From this reading A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
continuitynounUS /ˌkɑːntəˈnuːəti/

uninterrupted connection or union

From this reading A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
euphorbias

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

From this reading A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

Pending verification
featheredadjectiveUS /ˈfeðərd/

adorned with feathers or plumes

From this reading A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
horizonnounUS /hərˈaɪzən/

the line at which the sky and Earth appear to meet

From this reading A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
KAROO

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

From this reading ON THE KAROO.

Pending verification
leavesnounUS /liːvz/

plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants

From this reading A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Mayne

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

From this reading The Vee-Boers, by Captain Mayne Reid.

Pending verification
mingledverbUS /ˈmɪŋɡəld/

past form of “mingle” — to bring or combine together or with something else

From this reading A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NotenounUS /noʊt/

a brief written record

From this reading A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ONprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading ON THE KAROO.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ONEpronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading CHAPTER ONE.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
outlinenounUS /ˈaʊtlaɪn/

the line that appears to bound an object

From this reading A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
plainadjectiveUS /pleɪn/

clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

From this reading A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ReidnounUS /riːd/

Scottish philosopher of common sense who opposed the ideas of David Hume (1710-1796)

From this reading The Vee-Boers, by Captain Mayne Reid.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rigid-stemmed

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

From this reading A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

Pending verification
saveprepositionUS /seɪv/

except for; apart from

From this reading A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
seeminglyadverbUS /ˈsiːmɪŋli/

from appearances alone

From this reading A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
solitaryadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːləteri/

characterized by or preferring solitude

From this reading A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
spreadsnounUS /spredz/

plural of “spread” — process or result of distributing or extending over a wide expanse of space

From this reading A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The Vee-Boers, by Captain Mayne Reid.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
treelessadjectiveUS /ˈtriːləs/

not wooded

From this reading A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
vastadjectiveUS /væst/

unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope

From this reading A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Vee-Boers

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

From this reading The Vee-Boers, by Captain Mayne Reid.

Pending verification
whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading A vast plain, seemingly bounded but by the horizon; treeless, save where a solitary _cameel-doorn_ [Note 1] spreads its feathered leaves, or a clump of arborescent aloes, mingled with rigid-stemmed euphorbias, breaks the continuity of its outline.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 1 of The Vee-Boers by Mayne Reid holds 543 sentences, grouped into 109 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 Vee-Boers contain?

Chapter 1 holds 543 sentences of The Vee-Boers, unabridged, divided into 109 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Vee-Boers by Mayne Reid exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 543 sentences, grouped into 109 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 Vee-Boers?

Work through the 109 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 109 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 Vee-Boers

Common questions about reading The Vee-Boers by Mayne Reid on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Vee-Boers?

Yes. All 1595 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34667 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Vee-Boers is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #34667, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Vee-Boers take to read?

About 132 minutes of reading across 319 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Vee-Boers section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 3 chapters of The Vee-Boers 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 Vee-Boers

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Vee-Boers, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Vee-boers
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Vee-Boers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Captain
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Vee-Boers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mayne
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Vee-Boers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Chapter
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Vee-Boers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.