Chapter 7 of Whiteladies is here in full — 178 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VII
Chapter 7 of Whiteladies is here in full — 178 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Don’t you think he is better, mamma--a little better to-day?” “Ah, mon Dieu, what can I say, Reine? To be a little better in his state is often to be worst of all. You have not seen so much as I have. Often, very often, there is a gleam of the dying flame in the socket; there is an air of being well--almost well.
Chapter 7 of Whiteladies is here in full — 178 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/35 · 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.
in or associated with the process of passing from life or ceasing to be
From this reading “Often, very often, there is a gleam of the dying flame in the socket; there is an air of being well--almost well.”
A hot glowing body of ignited gas produced by fire.
From this reading “Often, very often, there is a gleam of the dying flame in the socket; there is an air of being well--almost well.”
be shiny, as if wet
From this reading “Often, very often, there is a gleam of the dying flame in the socket; there is an air of being well--almost well.”
informal terms for a mother
From this reading ““Don’t you think he is better, mamma--a little better to-day?””
the second day of the week; the first working day
From this reading ““Ah, mon Dieu, what can I say, Reine?”
a bony hollow into which a structure fits
From this reading “Often, very often, there is a gleam of the dying flame in the socket; there is an air of being well--almost well.”
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading “To be a little better in his state is often to be worst of all.”
the least favorable outcome
From this reading “To be a little better in his state is often to be worst of all.”
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.
In this reading “Often, very often, there is a gleam of the dying flame in the socket; there is an air of being well--almost well.”
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 before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “Don’t you think he is better, mamma--a little better to-day?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Ah, mon Dieu, what can I say, Reine?
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Often, very often, there is a gleam of the dying flame in the socket; there is an air of being well--almost well.
(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 To be a little better in his state is often to be worst of all.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Often, very often, there is a gleam of the dying flame in the socket; there is an air of being well--almost well.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Often, very often, there is a gleam of the dying flame in the socket; there is an air of being well--almost well.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading You have not seen so much as I have.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading To be a little better in his state is often to be worst of all.
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Often, very often, there is a gleam of the dying flame in the socket; there is an air of being well--almost well.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading “Don’t you think he is better, mamma--a little better to-day?”
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading “Ah, mon Dieu, what can I say, Reine?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Ah, mon Dieu, what can I say, Reine?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Don’t you think he is better, mamma--a little better to-day?”
in or associated with the process of passing from life or ceasing to be
From this reading Often, very often, there is a gleam of the dying flame in the socket; there is an air of being well--almost well.
A hot glowing body of ignited gas produced by fire.
From this reading Often, very often, there is a gleam of the dying flame in the socket; there is an air of being well--almost well.
be shiny, as if wet
From this reading Often, very often, there is a gleam of the dying flame in the socket; there is an air of being well--almost well.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading You have not seen so much as I have.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Don’t you think he is better, mamma--a little better to-day?”
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading To be a little better in his state is often to be worst of all.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Ah, mon Dieu, what can I say, Reine?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading To be a little better in his state is often to be worst of all.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Don’t you think he is better, mamma--a little better to-day?”
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “Don’t you think he is better, mamma--a little better to-day?”
informal terms for a mother
From this reading “Don’t you think he is better, mamma--a little better to-day?”
the second day of the week; the first working day
From this reading “Ah, mon Dieu, what can I say, Reine?
to a great degree or extent
From this reading You have not seen so much as I have.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading You have not seen so much as I have.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading To be a little better in his state is often to be worst of all.
many times at short intervals
From this reading To be a little better in his state is often to be worst of all.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Ah, mon Dieu, what can I say, Reine?
express in words
From this reading “Ah, mon Dieu, what can I say, Reine?
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading You have not seen so much as I have.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading You have not seen so much as I have.
a bony hollow into which a structure fits
From this reading Often, very often, there is a gleam of the dying flame in the socket; there is an air of being well--almost well.
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading To be a little better in his state is often to be worst of all.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Often, very often, there is a gleam of the dying flame in the socket; there is an air of being well--almost well.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Often, very often, there is a gleam of the dying flame in the socket; there is an air of being well--almost well.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading “Don’t you think he is better, mamma--a little better to-day?”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To be a little better in his state is often to be worst of all.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Don’t you think he is better, mamma--a little better to-day?”
precisely as stated
From this reading Often, very often, there is a gleam of the dying flame in the socket; there is an air of being well--almost well.
(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 Often, very often, there is a gleam of the dying flame in the socket; there is an air of being well--almost well.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “Ah, mon Dieu, what can I say, Reine?
the least favorable outcome
From this reading To be a little better in his state is often to be worst of all.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Don’t you think he is better, mamma--a little better to-day?”
Chapter 7 of Whiteladies by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant holds 178 sentences, grouped into 36 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 7 holds 178 sentences of Whiteladies, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 7 of Whiteladies by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 178 sentences, grouped into 36 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 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 36 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 7 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 Whiteladies by Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 8490 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #52388 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #52388, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1698 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Whiteladies section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of Whiteladies 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 Whiteladies, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
