A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Children have many special endowments, and of these the chiefest is to ask questions that their elders must skirmish to evade. Married people and aunts and uncles commonly discover this, but mere instinct does not guide one to it. A maiden of twenty-three will not necessarily divine it. Now except in one unhappy hour of stress and surprise, Miss Jessamine Buckner had been more than equal to life thus far. But never yet had she been shut up a whole day in one room with a boy of nine.
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 “Now except in one unhappy hour of stress and surprise, Miss Jessamine Buckner had been more than equal to life thus far.”
apart from; not including
From this reading “Now except in one unhappy hour of stress and surprise, Miss Jessamine Buckner had been more than equal to life thus far.”
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “Children have many special endowments, and of these the chiefest is to ask questions that their elders must skirmish to evade.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Now except in one unhappy hour of stress and surprise, Miss Jessamine Buckner had been more than equal to life thus far.”
a young woman who is not married
From this reading “A maiden of twenty-three will not necessarily divine it.”
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading “Children have many special endowments, and of these the chiefest is to ask questions that their elders must skirmish to evade.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “But never yet had she been shut up a whole day in one room with a boy of nine.”
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “Married people and aunts and uncles commonly discover this, but mere instinct does not guide one to it.”
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading “Children have many special endowments, and of these the chiefest is to ask questions that their elders must skirmish to evade.”
but in spite of that
From this reading “But never yet had she been shut up a whole day in one room with a boy of nine.”
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 A maiden of twenty-three will not necessarily divine it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Children have many special endowments, and of these the chiefest is to ask questions that their elders must skirmish to evade.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Children have many special endowments, and of these the chiefest is to ask questions that their elders must skirmish to evade.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Married people and aunts and uncles commonly discover this, but mere instinct does not guide one to it.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Now except in one unhappy hour of stress and surprise, Miss Jessamine Buckner had been more than equal to life thus far.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But never yet had she been shut up a whole day in one room with a boy of nine.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now except in one unhappy hour of stress and surprise, Miss Jessamine Buckner had been more than equal to life thus far.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Married people and aunts and uncles commonly discover this, but mere instinct does not guide one to it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Children have many special endowments, and of these the chiefest is to ask questions that their elders must skirmish to evade.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Children have many special endowments, and of these the chiefest is to ask questions that their elders must skirmish to evade.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Married people and aunts and uncles commonly discover this, but mere instinct does not guide one to it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But never yet had she been shut up a whole day in one room with a boy of nine.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Married people and aunts and uncles commonly discover this, but mere instinct does not guide one to it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A maiden of twenty-three will not necessarily divine it.
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Married people and aunts and uncles commonly discover this, but mere instinct does not guide one to it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Children have many special endowments, and of these the chiefest is to ask questions that their elders must skirmish to evade.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Children have many special endowments, and of these the chiefest is to ask questions that their elders must skirmish to evade.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now except in one unhappy hour of stress and surprise, Miss Jessamine Buckner had been more than equal to life thus far.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Children have many special endowments, and of these the chiefest is to ask questions that their elders must skirmish to evade.
apart from; not including
From this reading Now except in one unhappy hour of stress and surprise, Miss Jessamine Buckner had been more than equal to life thus far.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now except in one unhappy hour of stress and surprise, Miss Jessamine Buckner had been more than equal to life thus far.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Married people and aunts and uncles commonly discover this, but mere instinct does not guide one to it.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Now except in one unhappy hour of stress and surprise, Miss Jessamine Buckner had been more than equal to life thus far.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Children have many special endowments, and of these the chiefest is to ask questions that their elders must skirmish to evade.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now except in one unhappy hour of stress and surprise, Miss Jessamine Buckner had been more than equal to life thus far.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Now except in one unhappy hour of stress and surprise, Miss Jessamine Buckner had been more than equal to life thus far.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Married people and aunts and uncles commonly discover this, but mere instinct does not guide one to it.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Children have many special endowments, and of these the chiefest is to ask questions that their elders must skirmish to evade.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Married people and aunts and uncles commonly discover this, but mere instinct does not guide one to it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now except in one unhappy hour of stress and surprise, Miss Jessamine Buckner had been more than equal to life thus far.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Now except in one unhappy hour of stress and surprise, Miss Jessamine Buckner had been more than equal to life thus far.
a young woman who is not married
From this reading A maiden of twenty-three will not necessarily divine it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Children have many special endowments, and of these the chiefest is to ask questions that their elders must skirmish to evade.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Married people and aunts and uncles commonly discover this, but mere instinct does not guide one to it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Married people and aunts and uncles commonly discover this, but mere instinct does not guide one to it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now except in one unhappy hour of stress and surprise, Miss Jessamine Buckner had been more than equal to life thus far.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now except in one unhappy hour of stress and surprise, Miss Jessamine Buckner had been more than equal to life thus far.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Children have many special endowments, and of these the chiefest is to ask questions that their elders must skirmish to evade.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A maiden of twenty-three will not necessarily divine it.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But never yet had she been shut up a whole day in one room with a boy of nine.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But never yet had she been shut up a whole day in one room with a boy of nine.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Married people and aunts and uncles commonly discover this, but mere instinct does not guide one to it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now except in one unhappy hour of stress and surprise, Miss Jessamine Buckner had been more than equal to life thus far.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Children have many special endowments, and of these the chiefest is to ask questions that their elders must skirmish to evade.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Married people and aunts and uncles commonly discover this, but mere instinct does not guide one to it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Married people and aunts and uncles commonly discover this, but mere instinct does not guide one to it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Children have many special endowments, and of these the chiefest is to ask questions that their elders must skirmish to evade.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But never yet had she been shut up a whole day in one room with a boy of nine.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But never yet had she been shut up a whole day in one room with a boy of nine.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But never yet had she been shut up a whole day in one room with a boy of nine.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Children have many special endowments, and of these the chiefest is to ask questions that their elders must skirmish to evade.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Children have many special endowments, and of these the chiefest is to ask questions that their elders must skirmish to evade.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now except in one unhappy hour of stress and surprise, Miss Jessamine Buckner had been more than equal to life thus far.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now except in one unhappy hour of stress and surprise, Miss Jessamine Buckner had been more than equal to life thus far.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Now except in one unhappy hour of stress and surprise, Miss Jessamine Buckner had been more than equal to life thus far.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Children have many special endowments, and of these the chiefest is to ask questions that their elders must skirmish to evade.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Children have many special endowments, and of these the chiefest is to ask questions that their elders must skirmish to evade.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Children have many special endowments, and of these the chiefest is to ask questions that their elders must skirmish to evade.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Children have many special endowments, and of these the chiefest is to ask questions that their elders must skirmish to evade.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Married people and aunts and uncles commonly discover this, but mere instinct does not guide one to it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now except in one unhappy hour of stress and surprise, Miss Jessamine Buckner had been more than equal to life thus far.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Children have many special endowments, and of these the chiefest is to ask questions that their elders must skirmish to evade.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A maiden of twenty-three will not necessarily divine it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Married people and aunts and uncles commonly discover this, but mere instinct does not guide one to it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now except in one unhappy hour of stress and surprise, Miss Jessamine Buckner had been more than equal to life thus far.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But never yet had she been shut up a whole day in one room with a boy of nine.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But never yet had she been shut up a whole day in one room with a boy of nine.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading A maiden of twenty-three will not necessarily divine it.
in the company of; together with
From this reading But never yet had she been shut up a whole day in one room with a boy of nine.
but in spite of that
From this reading But never yet had she been shut up a whole day in one room with a boy of nine.
