Chapter 6 of Widdershins is here in full — 428 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VI
Chapter 6 of Widdershins is here in full — 428 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The crane was coming back again. Half out of the cab I could see Rooum's mottled hair and beard. His brow was ribbed like a gridiron, and as he ripped past one of the arcs his face shone like porcelain with the sweat that bathed it. "Now ... you!... Now, damn you!..." he was shouting.
Chapter 6 of Widdershins is here in full — 428 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 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 “arc” — electrical conduction through a gas in an applied electric field
From this reading “His brow was ribbed like a gridiron, and as he ripped past one of the arcs his face shone like porcelain with the sweat that bathed it.”
past form of “bathe” — cleanse the entire body
From this reading “His brow was ribbed like a gridiron, and as he ripped past one of the arcs his face shone like porcelain with the sweat that bathed it.”
stretch (the neck) so as to see better
From this reading “The crane was coming back again.”
a cooking utensil of parallel metal bars; used to grill fish or meat
From this reading “His brow was ribbed like a gridiron, and as he ripped past one of the arcs his face shone like porcelain with the sweat that bathed it.”
having spots or patches of color
From this reading “Half out of the cab I could see Rooum's mottled hair and beard.”
ceramic ware made of a more or less translucent ceramic
From this reading “His brow was ribbed like a gridiron, and as he ripped past one of the arcs his face shone like porcelain with the sweat that bathed it.”
furnished or strengthened with ribs
From this reading “His brow was ribbed like a gridiron, and as he ripped past one of the arcs his face shone like porcelain with the sweat that bathed it.”
stupefied or excited by a chemical substance (especially alcohol)
From this reading “His brow was ribbed like a gridiron, and as he ripped past one of the arcs his face shone like porcelain with the sweat that bathed it.”
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 His brow was ribbed like a gridiron, and as he ripped past one of the arcs his face shone like porcelain with the sweat that bathed it.
anew
From this reading The crane was coming back again.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Half out of the cab I could see Rooum's mottled hair and beard.
plural of “arc” — electrical conduction through a gas in an applied electric field
From this reading His brow was ribbed like a gridiron, and as he ripped past one of the arcs his face shone like porcelain with the sweat that bathed it.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading His brow was ribbed like a gridiron, and as he ripped past one of the arcs his face shone like porcelain with the sweat that bathed it.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading The crane was coming back again.
past form of “bathe” — cleanse the entire body
From this reading His brow was ribbed like a gridiron, and as he ripped past one of the arcs his face shone like porcelain with the sweat that bathed it.
the hair growing on the lower part of a man's face
From this reading Half out of the cab I could see Rooum's mottled hair and beard.
the part of the face above the eyes
From this reading His brow was ribbed like a gridiron, and as he ripped past one of the arcs his face shone like porcelain with the sweat that bathed it.
a compartment at the front of a motor vehicle or locomotive where driver sits
From this reading Half out of the cab I could see Rooum's mottled hair and beard.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading The crane was coming back again.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Half out of the cab I could see Rooum's mottled hair and beard.
stretch (the neck) so as to see better
From this reading The crane was coming back again.
used as expletives
From this reading Now, damn you!..." he was shouting.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading His brow was ribbed like a gridiron, and as he ripped past one of the arcs his face shone like porcelain with the sweat that bathed it.
a cooking utensil of parallel metal bars; used to grill fish or meat
From this reading His brow was ribbed like a gridiron, and as he ripped past one of the arcs his face shone like porcelain with the sweat that bathed it.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading Half out of the cab I could see Rooum's mottled hair and beard.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading Half out of the cab I could see Rooum's mottled hair and beard.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading His brow was ribbed like a gridiron, and as he ripped past one of the arcs his face shone like porcelain with the sweat that bathed it.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His brow was ribbed like a gridiron, and as he ripped past one of the arcs his face shone like porcelain with the sweat that bathed it.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Half out of the cab I could see Rooum's mottled hair and beard.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading His brow was ribbed like a gridiron, and as he ripped past one of the arcs his face shone like porcelain with the sweat that bathed it.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading His brow was ribbed like a gridiron, and as he ripped past one of the arcs his face shone like porcelain with the sweat that bathed it.
having spots or patches of color
From this reading Half out of the cab I could see Rooum's mottled hair and beard.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Now ... you!...
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Half out of the cab I could see Rooum's mottled hair and beard.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading His brow was ribbed like a gridiron, and as he ripped past one of the arcs his face shone like porcelain with the sweat that bathed it.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Half out of the cab I could see Rooum's mottled hair and beard.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading His brow was ribbed like a gridiron, and as he ripped past one of the arcs his face shone like porcelain with the sweat that bathed it.
ceramic ware made of a more or less translucent ceramic
From this reading His brow was ribbed like a gridiron, and as he ripped past one of the arcs his face shone like porcelain with the sweat that bathed it.
furnished or strengthened with ribs
From this reading His brow was ribbed like a gridiron, and as he ripped past one of the arcs his face shone like porcelain with the sweat that bathed it.
stupefied or excited by a chemical substance (especially alcohol)
From this reading His brow was ribbed like a gridiron, and as he ripped past one of the arcs his face shone like porcelain with the sweat that bathed it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Half out of the cab I could see Rooum's mottled hair and beard.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Half out of the cab I could see Rooum's mottled hair and beard.
inflected form of “shine” — be bright by reflecting or casting light
From this reading His brow was ribbed like a gridiron, and as he ripped past one of the arcs his face shone like porcelain with the sweat that bathed it.
encouragement in the form of cheers from spectators
From this reading Now, damn you!..." he was shouting.
salty fluid secreted by sweat glands
From this reading His brow was ribbed like a gridiron, and as he ripped past one of the arcs his face shone like porcelain with the sweat that bathed it.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading His brow was ribbed like a gridiron, and as he ripped past one of the arcs his face shone like porcelain with the sweat that bathed it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The crane was coming back again.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The crane was coming back again.
in the company of; together with
From this reading His brow was ribbed like a gridiron, and as he ripped past one of the arcs his face shone like porcelain with the sweat that bathed it.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Now ... you!...
Chapter 6 of Widdershins by Oliver Onions holds 428 sentences, grouped into 86 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 6 holds 428 sentences of Widdershins, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 6 of Widdershins by Oliver Onions exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 428 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 6 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 Widdershins by Oliver Onions on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4713 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #14168 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #14168, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 392 minutes of reading across 943 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Widdershins section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of Widdershins 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 Widdershins, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
