Chapter 9 of The Wailing Octopus is here in full — 274 sentences across 55 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of The Wailing Octopus is here in full — 274 sentences across 55 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Wreck of the "Maiden Hand" Tony Briotti examined the metallic object they had brought from the bottom, then took his knife and scraped at it. Under the covering of marine growth, red rust appeared. He looked at Hobart Zircon. "Recognize this, Hobart?" "There's only one thing I can think of that fits the shape, Tony.
Chapter 9 of The Wailing Octopus is here in full — 274 sentences across 55 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/54 · 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.
plural of “fit” — a display of bad temper
From this reading “"There's only one thing I can think of that fits the shape, Tony.”
(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level
From this reading “Under the covering of marine growth, red rust appeared.”
a port and state capital of Tasmania
From this reading “He looked at Hobart Zircon.”
of or relating to the sea
From this reading “Under the covering of marine growth, red rust appeared.”
containing or made of or resembling or characteristic of a metal
From this reading “Wreck of the "Maiden Hand" Tony Briotti examined the metallic object they had brought from the bottom, then took his knife and scraped at it.”
become destroyed by water, air, or a corrosive such as an acid
From this reading “Under the covering of marine growth, red rust appeared.”
past form of “scrape” — scratch repeatedly
From this reading “Wreck of the "Maiden Hand" Tony Briotti examined the metallic object they had brought from the bottom, then took his knife and scraped at it.”
a common mineral occurring in small crystals; chief source of zirconium; used as a refractory when opaque and as a gem when transparent
From this reading “He looked at Hobart Zircon.”
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.
take into consideration for exemplifying purposes
In this reading “He looked at Hobart Zircon.”
In this reading “Wreck of the "Maiden Hand" Tony Briotti examined the metallic object they had brought from the bottom, then took his knife and scraped at it.”
keep in mind for attention or consideration
In this reading “"There's only one thing I can think of that fits the shape, Tony.”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Wreck of the "Maiden Hand" Tony Briotti examined the metallic object they had brought from the bottom, then took his knife and scraped at it.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Under the covering of marine growth, red rust appeared.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Wreck of the "Maiden Hand" Tony Briotti examined the metallic object they had brought from the bottom, then took his knife and scraped at it.
the lower side of anything
From this reading Wreck of the "Maiden Hand" Tony Briotti examined the metallic object they had brought from the bottom, then took his knife and scraped at it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Wreck of the "Maiden Hand" Tony Briotti examined the metallic object they had brought from the bottom, then took his knife and scraped at it.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading Wreck of the "Maiden Hand" Tony Briotti examined the metallic object they had brought from the bottom, then took his knife and scraped at it.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "There's only one thing I can think of that fits the shape, Tony.
a natural object that covers or envelops
From this reading Under the covering of marine growth, red rust appeared.
past form of “examine” — consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning
From this reading Wreck of the "Maiden Hand" Tony Briotti examined the metallic object they had brought from the bottom, then took his knife and scraped at it.
plural of “fit” — a display of bad temper
From this reading "There's only one thing I can think of that fits the shape, Tony.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Wreck of the "Maiden Hand" Tony Briotti examined the metallic object they had brought from the bottom, then took his knife and scraped at it.
(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level
From this reading Under the covering of marine growth, red rust appeared.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Wreck of the "Maiden Hand" Tony Briotti examined the metallic object they had brought from the bottom, then took his knife and scraped at it.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Wreck of the "Maiden Hand" Tony Briotti examined the metallic object they had brought from the bottom, then took his knife and scraped at it.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He looked at Hobart Zircon.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Wreck of the "Maiden Hand" Tony Briotti examined the metallic object they had brought from the bottom, then took his knife and scraped at it.
a port and state capital of Tasmania
From this reading He looked at Hobart Zircon.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "There's only one thing I can think of that fits the shape, Tony.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Wreck of the "Maiden Hand" Tony Briotti examined the metallic object they had brought from the bottom, then took his knife and scraped at it.
edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle
From this reading Wreck of the "Maiden Hand" Tony Briotti examined the metallic object they had brought from the bottom, then took his knife and scraped at it.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He looked at Hobart Zircon.
an unmarried girl (especially a virgin)
From this reading Wreck of the "Maiden Hand" Tony Briotti examined the metallic object they had brought from the bottom, then took his knife and scraped at it.
of or relating to the sea
From this reading Under the covering of marine growth, red rust appeared.
containing or made of or resembling or characteristic of a metal
From this reading Wreck of the "Maiden Hand" Tony Briotti examined the metallic object they had brought from the bottom, then took his knife and scraped at it.
a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow
From this reading Wreck of the "Maiden Hand" Tony Briotti examined the metallic object they had brought from the bottom, then took his knife and scraped at it.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Wreck of the "Maiden Hand" Tony Briotti examined the metallic object they had brought from the bottom, then took his knife and scraped at it.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "There's only one thing I can think of that fits the shape, Tony.
and nothing more
From this reading "There's only one thing I can think of that fits the shape, Tony.
accept (someone) to be what is claimed or accept his power and authority
From this reading "Recognize this, Hobart?"
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading Under the covering of marine growth, red rust appeared.
become destroyed by water, air, or a corrosive such as an acid
From this reading Under the covering of marine growth, red rust appeared.
past form of “scrape” — scratch repeatedly
From this reading Wreck of the "Maiden Hand" Tony Briotti examined the metallic object they had brought from the bottom, then took his knife and scraped at it.
any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
From this reading "There's only one thing I can think of that fits the shape, Tony.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "There's only one thing I can think of that fits the shape, Tony.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Wreck of the "Maiden Hand" Tony Briotti examined the metallic object they had brought from the bottom, then took his knife and scraped at it.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Wreck of the "Maiden Hand" Tony Briotti examined the metallic object they had brought from the bottom, then took his knife and scraped at it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "There's only one thing I can think of that fits the shape, Tony.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Wreck of the "Maiden Hand" Tony Briotti examined the metallic object they had brought from the bottom, then took his knife and scraped at it.
a special situation
From this reading "There's only one thing I can think of that fits the shape, Tony.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "There's only one thing I can think of that fits the shape, Tony.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "Recognize this, Hobart?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Wreck of the "Maiden Hand" Tony Briotti examined the metallic object they had brought from the bottom, then took his knife and scraped at it.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Wreck of the "Maiden Hand" Tony Briotti examined the metallic object they had brought from the bottom, then took his knife and scraped at it.
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Under the covering of marine growth, red rust appeared.
something or someone that has suffered ruin or dilapidation
From this reading Wreck of the "Maiden Hand" Tony Briotti examined the metallic object they had brought from the bottom, then took his knife and scraped at it.
a common mineral occurring in small crystals; chief source of zirconium; used as a refractory when opaque and as a gem when transparent
From this reading He looked at Hobart Zircon.
Chapter 9 of The Wailing Octopus by Harold L. (Harold Leland) Goodwin holds 274 sentences, grouped into 55 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 274 sentences of The Wailing Octopus, unabridged, divided into 55 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of The Wailing Octopus by Harold L. (Harold Leland) Goodwin exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 274 sentences, grouped into 55 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 55 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 55 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 Wailing Octopus by Harold L. (Harold Leland) Goodwin on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4131 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31495 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #31495, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 344 minutes of reading across 827 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Wailing Octopus section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of The Wailing Octopus 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 Wailing Octopus, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
