Chapter 17 of Will Weatherhelm: The Yarn of an Old Sailor is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of Will Weatherhelm: The Yarn of an Old Sailor is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"That's one way of shortening sail," said Dick as we came on deck. "To my mind, the sooner we get a couple of reefs in the topsails, the better." This was indeed very evident. Mr Harvey taking the helm, the rest of us went aloft and performed the operation. We were too much occupied to look at the frigate.
Chapter 17 of Will Weatherhelm: The Yarn of an Old Sailor is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
at or on or to the masthead or upper rigging of a ship
From this reading “Mr Harvey taking the helm, the rest of us went aloft and performed the operation.”
a medium size square-rigged warship of the 18th and 19th centuries
From this reading “We were too much occupied to look at the frigate.”
English physician and scientist who described the circulation of the blood; he later proposed that all animals originate from an ovum produced by the female of the species (1578-1657)
From this reading “Mr Harvey taking the helm, the rest of us went aloft and performed the operation.”
steering mechanism for a vessel; a mechanical device by which a vessel is steered
From this reading “Mr Harvey taking the helm, the rest of us went aloft and performed the operation.”
the state of being in effect or being operative
From this reading “Mr Harvey taking the helm, the rest of us went aloft and performed the operation.”
past form of “perform” — carry out or perform an action
From this reading “Mr Harvey taking the helm, the rest of us went aloft and performed the operation.”
plural of “reef” — a submerged ridge of rock or coral near the surface of the water
From this reading “"To my mind, the sooner we get a couple of reefs in the topsails, the better."”
fat such as butter or lard used in baked goods
From this reading “"That's one way of shortening sail," said Dick as we came on deck.”
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 "To my mind, the sooner we get a couple of reefs in the topsails, the better."
at or on or to the masthead or upper rigging of a ship
From this reading Mr Harvey taking the helm, the rest of us went aloft and performed the operation.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Mr Harvey taking the helm, the rest of us went aloft and performed the operation.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "That's one way of shortening sail," said Dick as we came on deck.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading We were too much occupied to look at the frigate.
(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 "To my mind, the sooner we get a couple of reefs in the topsails, the better."
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "That's one way of shortening sail," said Dick as we came on deck.
a pair who associate with one another
From this reading "To my mind, the sooner we get a couple of reefs in the topsails, the better."
any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading "That's one way of shortening sail," said Dick as we came on deck.
someone who is a detective
From this reading "That's one way of shortening sail," said Dick as we came on deck.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading This was indeed very evident.
a medium size square-rigged warship of the 18th and 19th centuries
From this reading We were too much occupied to look at the frigate.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "To my mind, the sooner we get a couple of reefs in the topsails, the better."
English physician and scientist who described the circulation of the blood; he later proposed that all animals originate from an ovum produced by the female of the species (1578-1657)
From this reading Mr Harvey taking the helm, the rest of us went aloft and performed the operation.
steering mechanism for a vessel; a mechanical device by which a vessel is steered
From this reading Mr Harvey taking the helm, the rest of us went aloft and performed the operation.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "To my mind, the sooner we get a couple of reefs in the topsails, the better."
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading This was indeed very evident.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading We were too much occupied to look at the frigate.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading "To my mind, the sooner we get a couple of reefs in the topsails, the better."
a form of address for a man
From this reading Mr Harvey taking the helm, the rest of us went aloft and performed the operation.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading We were too much occupied to look at the frigate.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "To my mind, the sooner we get a couple of reefs in the topsails, the better."
held or filled or in use
From this reading We were too much occupied to look at the frigate.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "That's one way of shortening sail," said Dick as we came on deck.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "That's one way of shortening sail," said Dick as we came on deck.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "That's one way of shortening sail," said Dick as we came on deck.
the state of being in effect or being operative
From this reading Mr Harvey taking the helm, the rest of us went aloft and performed the operation.
past form of “perform” — carry out or perform an action
From this reading Mr Harvey taking the helm, the rest of us went aloft and performed the operation.
plural of “reef” — a submerged ridge of rock or coral near the surface of the water
From this reading "To my mind, the sooner we get a couple of reefs in the topsails, the better."
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading Mr Harvey taking the helm, the rest of us went aloft and performed the operation.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "That's one way of shortening sail," said Dick as we came on deck.
traverse or travel on (a body of water)
From this reading "That's one way of shortening sail," said Dick as we came on deck.
fat such as butter or lard used in baked goods
From this reading "That's one way of shortening sail," said Dick as we came on deck.
comparatives of “soon” or “early”
From this reading "To my mind, the sooner we get a couple of reefs in the topsails, the better."
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading Mr Harvey taking the helm, the rest of us went aloft and performed the operation.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "That's one way of shortening sail," said Dick as we came on deck.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "To my mind, the sooner we get a couple of reefs in the topsails, the better."
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This was indeed very evident.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "To my mind, the sooner we get a couple of reefs in the topsails, the better."
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading We were too much occupied to look at the frigate.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "To my mind, the sooner we get a couple of reefs in the topsails, the better."
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Mr Harvey taking the helm, the rest of us went aloft and performed the operation.
precisely as stated
From this reading This was indeed very evident.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This was indeed very evident.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading "That's one way of shortening sail," said Dick as we came on deck.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "That's one way of shortening sail," said Dick as we came on deck.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Mr Harvey taking the helm, the rest of us went aloft and performed the operation.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading We were too much occupied to look at the frigate.
Chapter 17 of Will Weatherhelm: The Yarn of an Old Sailor by William Henry Giles Kingston holds 421 sentences, grouped into 85 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 17 holds 421 sentences of Will Weatherhelm: The Yarn of an Old Sailor, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of Will Weatherhelm: The Yarn of an Old Sailor by William Henry Giles Kingston exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 421 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 17 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 Will Weatherhelm: The Yarn of an Old Sailor by William Henry Giles Kingston on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7570 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #21505 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #21505, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1514 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Will Weatherhelm: The Yarn of an Old Sailor section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 18 chapters of Will Weatherhelm: The Yarn of an Old Sailor 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 Will Weatherhelm: The Yarn of an Old Sailor, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
