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Chapter 8 of William Wycherley [Four Plays] is here in full — 364 sentences across 73 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of William Wycherley [Four Plays] is here in full — 364 sentences across 73 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
_Ger._ Dear miss, let me kiss your hand. _Hip._ I am sure you would carry me away if I should. _Ger._ Be not afraid of it. _Hip._ [_Aside._] Nay, I am afraid of the contrary.--Either he dislikes me, and therefore will not be troubled with me, or what is as bad, he loves me and is dull, or fearful to displease me. _Ger._ Trust me, sweetest!
Chapter 8 of William Wycherley [Four Plays] is here in full — 364 sentences across 73 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/72 · 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.
very opposed in nature or character or purpose
From this reading “_Hip._ [_Aside._] Nay, I am afraid of the contrary.--Either he dislikes me, and therefore will not be troubled with me, or what is as bad, he loves me and is dull, or fearful to displease me.”
plural of “dislike” — an inclination to withhold approval from some person or group
From this reading “_Hip._ [_Aside._] Nay, I am afraid of the contrary.--Either he dislikes me, and therefore will not be troubled with me, or what is as bad, he loves me and is dull, or fearful to displease me.”
give displeasure to
From this reading “_Hip._ [_Aside._] Nay, I am afraid of the contrary.--Either he dislikes me, and therefore will not be troubled with me, or what is as bad, he loves me and is dull, or fearful to displease me.”
experiencing or showing fear
From this reading “_Hip._ [_Aside._] Nay, I am afraid of the contrary.--Either he dislikes me, and therefore will not be troubled with me, or what is as bad, he loves me and is dull, or fearful to displease me.”
either side of the body below the waist and above the thigh
plural of “love” — a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading “_Hip._ [_Aside._] Nay, I am afraid of the contrary.--Either he dislikes me, and therefore will not be troubled with me, or what is as bad, he loves me and is dull, or fearful to displease me.”
superlative of “sweet” — having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading “_Ger._ Trust me, sweetest!”
characterized by or indicative of distress or affliction or danger or need
From this reading “_Hip._ [_Aside._] Nay, I am afraid of the contrary.--Either he dislikes me, and therefore will not be troubled with me, or what is as bad, he loves me and is dull, or fearful to displease me.”
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.
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.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading _Ger._ Be not afraid of it.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading _Hip._ I am sure you would carry me away if I should.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _Hip._ [_Aside._] Nay, I am afraid of the contrary.--Either he dislikes me, and therefore will not be troubled with me, or what is as bad, he loves me and is dull, or fearful to displease me.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading _Hip._ [_Aside._] Nay, I am afraid of the contrary.--Either he dislikes me, and therefore will not be troubled with me, or what is as bad, he loves me and is dull, or fearful to displease me.
on or to one side
From this reading _Hip._ [_Aside._] Nay, I am afraid of the contrary.--Either he dislikes me, and therefore will not be troubled with me, or what is as bad, he loves me and is dull, or fearful to displease me.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading _Hip._ I am sure you would carry me away if I should.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading _Hip._ [_Aside._] Nay, I am afraid of the contrary.--Either he dislikes me, and therefore will not be troubled with me, or what is as bad, he loves me and is dull, or fearful to displease me.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading _Ger._ Be not afraid of it.
move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading _Hip._ I am sure you would carry me away if I should.
very opposed in nature or character or purpose
From this reading _Hip._ [_Aside._] Nay, I am afraid of the contrary.--Either he dislikes me, and therefore will not be troubled with me, or what is as bad, he loves me and is dull, or fearful to displease me.
dearly loved
From this reading _Ger._ Dear miss, let me kiss your hand.
plural of “dislike” — an inclination to withhold approval from some person or group
From this reading _Hip._ [_Aside._] Nay, I am afraid of the contrary.--Either he dislikes me, and therefore will not be troubled with me, or what is as bad, he loves me and is dull, or fearful to displease me.
give displeasure to
From this reading _Hip._ [_Aside._] Nay, I am afraid of the contrary.--Either he dislikes me, and therefore will not be troubled with me, or what is as bad, he loves me and is dull, or fearful to displease me.
lacking in liveliness or animation
From this reading _Hip._ [_Aside._] Nay, I am afraid of the contrary.--Either he dislikes me, and therefore will not be troubled with me, or what is as bad, he loves me and is dull, or fearful to displease me.
one or the other of two
From this reading _Hip._ [_Aside._] Nay, I am afraid of the contrary.--Either he dislikes me, and therefore will not be troubled with me, or what is as bad, he loves me and is dull, or fearful to displease me.
experiencing or showing fear
From this reading _Hip._ [_Aside._] Nay, I am afraid of the contrary.--Either he dislikes me, and therefore will not be troubled with me, or what is as bad, he loves me and is dull, or fearful to displease me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Ger._ Dear miss, let me kiss your hand.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading _Ger._ Dear miss, let me kiss your hand.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading _Hip._ [_Aside._] Nay, I am afraid of the contrary.--Either he dislikes me, and therefore will not be troubled with me, or what is as bad, he loves me and is dull, or fearful to displease me.
either side of the body below the waist and above the thigh
From this reading _Hip._ I am sure you would carry me away if I should.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading _Hip._ I am sure you would carry me away if I should.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading _Hip._ I am sure you would carry me away if I should.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _Hip._ [_Aside._] Nay, I am afraid of the contrary.--Either he dislikes me, and therefore will not be troubled with me, or what is as bad, he loves me and is dull, or fearful to displease me.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading _Ger._ Be not afraid of it.
the act of caressing with the lips (or an instance thereof)
From this reading _Ger._ Dear miss, let me kiss your hand.
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading _Ger._ Dear miss, let me kiss your hand.
plural of “love” — a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading _Hip._ [_Aside._] Nay, I am afraid of the contrary.--Either he dislikes me, and therefore will not be troubled with me, or what is as bad, he loves me and is dull, or fearful to displease me.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading _Ger._ Dear miss, let me kiss your hand.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading _Ger._ Dear miss, let me kiss your hand.
an old word for “no”
From this reading _Hip._ [_Aside._] Nay, I am afraid of the contrary.--Either he dislikes me, and therefore will not be troubled with me, or what is as bad, he loves me and is dull, or fearful to displease me.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading _Ger._ Be not afraid of it.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _Ger._ Be not afraid of it.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading _Hip._ [_Aside._] Nay, I am afraid of the contrary.--Either he dislikes me, and therefore will not be troubled with me, or what is as bad, he loves me and is dull, or fearful to displease me.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading _Hip._ I am sure you would carry me away if I should.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading _Hip._ I am sure you would carry me away if I should.
superlative of “sweet” — having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading _Ger._ Trust me, sweetest!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _Hip._ [_Aside._] Nay, I am afraid of the contrary.--Either he dislikes me, and therefore will not be troubled with me, or what is as bad, he loves me and is dull, or fearful to displease me.
for that reason; as a result
From this reading _Hip._ [_Aside._] Nay, I am afraid of the contrary.--Either he dislikes me, and therefore will not be troubled with me, or what is as bad, he loves me and is dull, or fearful to displease me.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading _Hip._ [_Aside._] Nay, I am afraid of the contrary.--Either he dislikes me, and therefore will not be troubled with me, or what is as bad, he loves me and is dull, or fearful to displease me.
characterized by or indicative of distress or affliction or danger or need
From this reading _Hip._ [_Aside._] Nay, I am afraid of the contrary.--Either he dislikes me, and therefore will not be troubled with me, or what is as bad, he loves me and is dull, or fearful to displease me.
something (as property) held by one party (the trustee) for the benefit of another (the beneficiary)
From this reading _Ger._ Trust me, sweetest!
used to ask for information about something
From this reading _Hip._ [_Aside._] Nay, I am afraid of the contrary.--Either he dislikes me, and therefore will not be troubled with me, or what is as bad, he loves me and is dull, or fearful to displease me.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading _Hip._ [_Aside._] Nay, I am afraid of the contrary.--Either he dislikes me, and therefore will not be troubled with me, or what is as bad, he loves me and is dull, or fearful to displease me.
in the company of; together with
From this reading _Hip._ [_Aside._] Nay, I am afraid of the contrary.--Either he dislikes me, and therefore will not be troubled with me, or what is as bad, he loves me and is dull, or fearful to displease me.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading _Hip._ I am sure you would carry me away if I should.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading _Hip._ I am sure you would carry me away if I should.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading _Ger._ Dear miss, let me kiss your hand.
Chapter 8 of William Wycherley [Four Plays] by William Wycherley holds 364 sentences, grouped into 73 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 8 holds 364 sentences of William Wycherley [Four Plays], unabridged, divided into 73 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of William Wycherley [Four Plays] by William Wycherley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 364 sentences, grouped into 73 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 73 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 73 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 8 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.
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Words and structures a reader meets early in William Wycherley [Four Plays], each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
