A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
"Dinah, do hurry up!" A small boy with close-cropped brown head and dark eager eyes was drumming with his fingers on the windowpane. He turned his head over his shoulder as he spoke, and his tone was impatient. Dinah, or Diana as she was really called, lay flat on her chest by the schoolroom fire. Big sheets of paper were before her, and with a good deal of sucking of her pencil she was writing rapidly.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading “Big sheets of paper were before her, and with a good deal of sucking of her pencil she was writing rapidly.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Big sheets of paper were before her, and with a good deal of sucking of her pencil she was writing rapidly.”
above and across; more than
From this reading “He turned his head over his shoulder as he spoke, and his tone was impatient.”
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 small boy with close-cropped brown head and dark eager eyes was drumming with his fingers on the windowpane.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A small boy with close-cropped brown head and dark eager eyes was drumming with his fingers on the windowpane.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He turned his head over his shoulder as he spoke, and his tone was impatient.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Big sheets of paper were before her, and with a good deal of sucking of her pencil she was writing rapidly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Big sheets of paper were before her, and with a good deal of sucking of her pencil she was writing rapidly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A small boy with close-cropped brown head and dark eager eyes was drumming with his fingers on the windowpane.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A small boy with close-cropped brown head and dark eager eyes was drumming with his fingers on the windowpane.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Dinah, or Diana as she was really called, lay flat on her chest by the schoolroom fire.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dinah, or Diana as she was really called, lay flat on her chest by the schoolroom fire.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dinah, or Diana as she was really called, lay flat on her chest by the schoolroom fire.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A small boy with close-cropped brown head and dark eager eyes was drumming with his fingers on the windowpane.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A small boy with close-cropped brown head and dark eager eyes was drumming with his fingers on the windowpane.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Big sheets of paper were before her, and with a good deal of sucking of her pencil she was writing rapidly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dinah, or Diana as she was really called, lay flat on her chest by the schoolroom fire.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Dinah, do hurry up!"
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Dinah, do hurry up!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A small boy with close-cropped brown head and dark eager eyes was drumming with his fingers on the windowpane.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A small boy with close-cropped brown head and dark eager eyes was drumming with his fingers on the windowpane.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A small boy with close-cropped brown head and dark eager eyes was drumming with his fingers on the windowpane.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A small boy with close-cropped brown head and dark eager eyes was drumming with his fingers on the windowpane.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dinah, or Diana as she was really called, lay flat on her chest by the schoolroom fire.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dinah, or Diana as she was really called, lay flat on her chest by the schoolroom fire.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Big sheets of paper were before her, and with a good deal of sucking of her pencil she was writing rapidly.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He turned his head over his shoulder as he spoke, and his tone was impatient.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A small boy with close-cropped brown head and dark eager eyes was drumming with his fingers on the windowpane.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Dinah, or Diana as she was really called, lay flat on her chest by the schoolroom fire.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A small boy with close-cropped brown head and dark eager eyes was drumming with his fingers on the windowpane.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Dinah, do hurry up!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He turned his head over his shoulder as he spoke, and his tone was impatient.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dinah, or Diana as she was really called, lay flat on her chest by the schoolroom fire.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Big sheets of paper were before her, and with a good deal of sucking of her pencil she was writing rapidly.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A small boy with close-cropped brown head and dark eager eyes was drumming with his fingers on the windowpane.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Dinah, or Diana as she was really called, lay flat on her chest by the schoolroom fire.
above and across; more than
From this reading He turned his head over his shoulder as he spoke, and his tone was impatient.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Big sheets of paper were before her, and with a good deal of sucking of her pencil she was writing rapidly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Big sheets of paper were before her, and with a good deal of sucking of her pencil she was writing rapidly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Big sheets of paper were before her, and with a good deal of sucking of her pencil she was writing rapidly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dinah, or Diana as she was really called, lay flat on her chest by the schoolroom fire.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dinah, or Diana as she was really called, lay flat on her chest by the schoolroom fire.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Dinah, or Diana as she was really called, lay flat on her chest by the schoolroom fire.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Big sheets of paper were before her, and with a good deal of sucking of her pencil she was writing rapidly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He turned his head over his shoulder as he spoke, and his tone was impatient.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A small boy with close-cropped brown head and dark eager eyes was drumming with his fingers on the windowpane.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He turned his head over his shoulder as he spoke, and his tone was impatient.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Big sheets of paper were before her, and with a good deal of sucking of her pencil she was writing rapidly.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A small boy with close-cropped brown head and dark eager eyes was drumming with his fingers on the windowpane.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He turned his head over his shoulder as he spoke, and his tone was impatient.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He turned his head over his shoulder as he spoke, and his tone was impatient.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Dinah, do hurry up!"
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A small boy with close-cropped brown head and dark eager eyes was drumming with his fingers on the windowpane.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Big sheets of paper were before her, and with a good deal of sucking of her pencil she was writing rapidly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A small boy with close-cropped brown head and dark eager eyes was drumming with his fingers on the windowpane.
in the company of; together with
From this reading A small boy with close-cropped brown head and dark eager eyes was drumming with his fingers on the windowpane.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Big sheets of paper were before her, and with a good deal of sucking of her pencil she was writing rapidly.
