A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Through the storm, which lashed her face with whirling clouds of dust and drops of rain, Barbara reached the little Prebrunn castle. The marquise had not yet left her litter. The wind had extinguished two of the torches. One bearer walked in front of Barbara with his, and the gale blew the smoking flame aside. But, ere she had reached the gate, a man who had been concealed behind the old elm by the path stepped forward to meet her.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “But, ere she had reached the gate, a man who had been concealed behind the old elm by the path stepped forward to meet her.”
at or toward the back of something
From this reading “But, ere she had reached the gate, a man who had been concealed behind the old elm by the path stepped forward to meet her.”
an old word for “before”
From this reading “But, ere she had reached the gate, a man who had been concealed behind the old elm by the path stepped forward to meet her.”
A hot glowing body of ignited gas produced by fire.
From this reading “One bearer walked in front of Barbara with his, and the gale blew the smoking flame aside.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “But, ere she had reached the gate, a man who had been concealed behind the old elm by the path stepped forward to meet her.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “The marquise had not yet left her litter.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Through the storm, which lashed her face with whirling clouds of dust and drops of rain, Barbara reached the little Prebrunn castle.”
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “One bearer walked in front of Barbara with his, and the gale blew the smoking flame aside.”
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading “One bearer walked in front of Barbara with his, and the gale blew the smoking flame aside.”
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading “Through the storm, which lashed her face with whirling clouds of dust and drops of rain, Barbara reached the little Prebrunn castle.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “The wind had extinguished two of the torches.”
but in spite of that
From this reading “The marquise had not yet left her litter.”
Every word is available to listen to. 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 But, ere she had reached the gate, a man who had been concealed behind the old elm by the path stepped forward to meet her.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Through the storm, which lashed her face with whirling clouds of dust and drops of rain, Barbara reached the little Prebrunn castle.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One bearer walked in front of Barbara with his, and the gale blew the smoking flame aside.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through the storm, which lashed her face with whirling clouds of dust and drops of rain, Barbara reached the little Prebrunn castle.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One bearer walked in front of Barbara with his, and the gale blew the smoking flame aside.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading But, ere she had reached the gate, a man who had been concealed behind the old elm by the path stepped forward to meet her.
at or toward the back of something
From this reading But, ere she had reached the gate, a man who had been concealed behind the old elm by the path stepped forward to meet her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One bearer walked in front of Barbara with his, and the gale blew the smoking flame aside.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But, ere she had reached the gate, a man who had been concealed behind the old elm by the path stepped forward to meet her.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading But, ere she had reached the gate, a man who had been concealed behind the old elm by the path stepped forward to meet her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through the storm, which lashed her face with whirling clouds of dust and drops of rain, Barbara reached the little Prebrunn castle.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through the storm, which lashed her face with whirling clouds of dust and drops of rain, Barbara reached the little Prebrunn castle.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But, ere she had reached the gate, a man who had been concealed behind the old elm by the path stepped forward to meet her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through the storm, which lashed her face with whirling clouds of dust and drops of rain, Barbara reached the little Prebrunn castle.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through the storm, which lashed her face with whirling clouds of dust and drops of rain, Barbara reached the little Prebrunn castle.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But, ere she had reached the gate, a man who had been concealed behind the old elm by the path stepped forward to meet her.
an old word for “before”
From this reading But, ere she had reached the gate, a man who had been concealed behind the old elm by the path stepped forward to meet her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The wind had extinguished two of the torches.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through the storm, which lashed her face with whirling clouds of dust and drops of rain, Barbara reached the little Prebrunn castle.
A hot glowing body of ignited gas produced by fire.
From this reading One bearer walked in front of Barbara with his, and the gale blew the smoking flame aside.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But, ere she had reached the gate, a man who had been concealed behind the old elm by the path stepped forward to meet her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One bearer walked in front of Barbara with his, and the gale blew the smoking flame aside.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One bearer walked in front of Barbara with his, and the gale blew the smoking flame aside.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But, ere she had reached the gate, a man who had been concealed behind the old elm by the path stepped forward to meet her.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The marquise had not yet left her litter.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Through the storm, which lashed her face with whirling clouds of dust and drops of rain, Barbara reached the little Prebrunn castle.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading One bearer walked in front of Barbara with his, and the gale blew the smoking flame aside.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading One bearer walked in front of Barbara with his, and the gale blew the smoking flame aside.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through the storm, which lashed her face with whirling clouds of dust and drops of rain, Barbara reached the little Prebrunn castle.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The marquise had not yet left her litter.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The marquise had not yet left her litter.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Through the storm, which lashed her face with whirling clouds of dust and drops of rain, Barbara reached the little Prebrunn castle.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But, ere she had reached the gate, a man who had been concealed behind the old elm by the path stepped forward to meet her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The marquise had not yet left her litter.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But, ere she had reached the gate, a man who had been concealed behind the old elm by the path stepped forward to meet her.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The marquise had not yet left her litter.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Through the storm, which lashed her face with whirling clouds of dust and drops of rain, Barbara reached the little Prebrunn castle.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But, ere she had reached the gate, a man who had been concealed behind the old elm by the path stepped forward to meet her.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One bearer walked in front of Barbara with his, and the gale blew the smoking flame aside.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But, ere she had reached the gate, a man who had been concealed behind the old elm by the path stepped forward to meet her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through the storm, which lashed her face with whirling clouds of dust and drops of rain, Barbara reached the little Prebrunn castle.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through the storm, which lashed her face with whirling clouds of dust and drops of rain, Barbara reached the little Prebrunn castle.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through the storm, which lashed her face with whirling clouds of dust and drops of rain, Barbara reached the little Prebrunn castle.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But, ere she had reached the gate, a man who had been concealed behind the old elm by the path stepped forward to meet her.
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading One bearer walked in front of Barbara with his, and the gale blew the smoking flame aside.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But, ere she had reached the gate, a man who had been concealed behind the old elm by the path stepped forward to meet her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through the storm, which lashed her face with whirling clouds of dust and drops of rain, Barbara reached the little Prebrunn castle.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Through the storm, which lashed her face with whirling clouds of dust and drops of rain, Barbara reached the little Prebrunn castle.
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Through the storm, which lashed her face with whirling clouds of dust and drops of rain, Barbara reached the little Prebrunn castle.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But, ere she had reached the gate, a man who had been concealed behind the old elm by the path stepped forward to meet her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The wind had extinguished two of the torches.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The wind had extinguished two of the torches.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One bearer walked in front of Barbara with his, and the gale blew the smoking flame aside.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Through the storm, which lashed her face with whirling clouds of dust and drops of rain, Barbara reached the little Prebrunn castle.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through the storm, which lashed her face with whirling clouds of dust and drops of rain, Barbara reached the little Prebrunn castle.
which person or people
From this reading But, ere she had reached the gate, a man who had been concealed behind the old elm by the path stepped forward to meet her.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The wind had extinguished two of the torches.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Through the storm, which lashed her face with whirling clouds of dust and drops of rain, Barbara reached the little Prebrunn castle.
but in spite of that
From this reading The marquise had not yet left her litter.
