Chapter 23 of Tom Swift Among the Diamond Makers is here in full — 105 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIII
Chapter 23 of Tom Swift Among the Diamond Makers is here in full — 105 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Well,” remarked Tom Swift, in mournful tones, “this looks as if we were up against it; doesn't it?” “Bless my umbrella, it certainly does,” agreed Mr. Damon. “And it's all my fault,” said Mr. Jenks. “I shouldn't have gone into the big cave. I might have known those men would come back any time.”
Chapter 23 of Tom Swift Among the Diamond Makers is here in full — 105 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/21 · 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.
give a benediction to
From this reading ““Bless my umbrella, it certainly does,” agreed Mr. Damon.”
a geological formation consisting of an underground enclosure with access from the surface of the ground or from the sea
From this reading ““I shouldn't have gone into the big cave.”
the friend of Phintias who pledged his life that Phintias would return (4th century BC)
From this reading ““Bless my umbrella, it certainly does,” agreed Mr. Damon.”
a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading ““And it's all my fault,” said Mr. Jenks.”
expressing sorrow
From this reading ““Well,” remarked Tom Swift, in mournful tones, “this looks as if we were up against it; doesn't it?””
moving very fast
From this reading ““Well,” remarked Tom Swift, in mournful tones, “this looks as if we were up against it; doesn't it?””
plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice
From this reading ““Well,” remarked Tom Swift, in mournful tones, “this looks as if we were up against it; doesn't it?””
a lightweight handheld collapsible canopy
From this reading ““Bless my umbrella, it certainly does,” agreed Mr. Damon.”
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.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading “Well,” remarked Tom Swift, in mournful tones, “this looks as if we were up against it; doesn't it?”
united by being of the same opinion
From this reading “Bless my umbrella, it certainly does,” agreed Mr. Damon.
(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 “And it's all my fault,” said Mr. Jenks.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “And it's all my fault,” said Mr. Jenks.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading I might have known those men would come back any time.”
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “Well,” remarked Tom Swift, in mournful tones, “this looks as if we were up against it; doesn't it?”
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading I might have known those men would come back any time.”
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “I shouldn't have gone into the big cave.
give a benediction to
From this reading “Bless my umbrella, it certainly does,” agreed Mr. Damon.
a geological formation consisting of an underground enclosure with access from the surface of the ground or from the sea
From this reading “I shouldn't have gone into the big cave.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading “Bless my umbrella, it certainly does,” agreed Mr. Damon.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading I might have known those men would come back any time.”
the friend of Phintias who pledged his life that Phintias would return (4th century BC)
From this reading “Bless my umbrella, it certainly does,” agreed Mr. Damon.
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Bless my umbrella, it certainly does,” agreed Mr. Damon.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Well,” remarked Tom Swift, in mournful tones, “this looks as if we were up against it; doesn't it?”
a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading “And it's all my fault,” said Mr. Jenks.
destroyed or killed
From this reading “I shouldn't have gone into the big cave.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “I shouldn't have gone into the big cave.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I shouldn't have gone into the big cave.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “Well,” remarked Tom Swift, in mournful tones, “this looks as if we were up against it; doesn't it?”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “Well,” remarked Tom Swift, in mournful tones, “this looks as if we were up against it; doesn't it?”
moving to the inside of something
From this reading “I shouldn't have gone into the big cave.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “Well,” remarked Tom Swift, in mournful tones, “this looks as if we were up against it; doesn't it?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “And it's all my fault,” said Mr. Jenks.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “And it's all my fault,” said Mr. Jenks.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading I might have known those men would come back any time.”
plural of “look” — the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading “Well,” remarked Tom Swift, in mournful tones, “this looks as if we were up against it; doesn't it?”
the force of workers available
From this reading I might have known those men would come back any time.”
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading I might have known those men would come back any time.”
expressing sorrow
From this reading “Well,” remarked Tom Swift, in mournful tones, “this looks as if we were up against it; doesn't it?”
a form of address for a man
From this reading “Bless my umbrella, it certainly does,” agreed Mr. Damon.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “Bless my umbrella, it certainly does,” agreed Mr. Damon.
past form of “remark” — make mention of
From this reading “Well,” remarked Tom Swift, in mournful tones, “this looks as if we were up against it; doesn't it?”
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “And it's all my fault,” said Mr. Jenks.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I shouldn't have gone into the big cave.
moving very fast
From this reading “Well,” remarked Tom Swift, in mournful tones, “this looks as if we were up against it; doesn't it?”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “I shouldn't have gone into the big cave.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “Well,” remarked Tom Swift, in mournful tones, “this looks as if we were up against it; doesn't it?”
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading I might have known those men would come back any time.”
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading I might have known those men would come back any time.”
male cat
From this reading “Well,” remarked Tom Swift, in mournful tones, “this looks as if we were up against it; doesn't it?”
plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice
From this reading “Well,” remarked Tom Swift, in mournful tones, “this looks as if we were up against it; doesn't it?”
a lightweight handheld collapsible canopy
From this reading “Bless my umbrella, it certainly does,” agreed Mr. Damon.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading “Well,” remarked Tom Swift, in mournful tones, “this looks as if we were up against it; doesn't it?”
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “Well,” remarked Tom Swift, in mournful tones, “this looks as if we were up against it; doesn't it?”
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading “Well,” remarked Tom Swift, in mournful tones, “this looks as if we were up against it; doesn't it?”
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Well,” remarked Tom Swift, in mournful tones, “this looks as if we were up against it; doesn't it?”
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading I might have known those men would come back any time.”
Chapter 23 of Tom Swift Among the Diamond Makers by Victor Appleton holds 105 sentences, grouped into 21 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 23 holds 105 sentences of Tom Swift Among the Diamond Makers, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 23 of Tom Swift Among the Diamond Makers by Victor Appleton exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 105 sentences, grouped into 21 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 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 21 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 23 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 Tom Swift Among the Diamond Makers by Victor Appleton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2953 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1282 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1282, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 246 minutes of reading across 591 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Tom Swift Among the Diamond Makers section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of Tom Swift Among the Diamond Makers 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 Tom Swift Among the Diamond Makers, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
