A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIII
Samuel had had nothing to eat since morning, but he did not feel hungry. He was faint from grief and despair. To encounter a man of the world like Mr. Wygant, cold and merciless and masterful--that was a terrible ordeal for him. The man seemed to him like some great fortress of evil; and what could he do, save to gaze at it in impotent rage? He went home, and Sophie met him at the door.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading “The man seemed to him like some great fortress of evil; and what could he do, save to gaze at it in impotent rage?”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “The man seemed to him like some great fortress of evil; and what could he do, save to gaze at it in impotent rage?”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Samuel had had nothing to eat since morning, but he did not feel hungry.”
not one thing; not anything
From this reading “Samuel had had nothing to eat since morning, but he did not feel hungry.”
except for; apart from
From this reading “The man seemed to him like some great fortress of evil; and what could he do, save to gaze at it in impotent rage?”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “The man seemed to him like some great fortress of evil; and what could he do, save to gaze at it in impotent rage?”
from a time in the past until now
From this reading “Samuel had had nothing to eat since morning, but he did not feel hungry.”
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading “To encounter a man of the world like Mr. Wygant, cold and merciless and masterful--that was a terrible ordeal for him.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “He went home, and Sophie met him at the door.”
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 To encounter a man of the world like Mr. Wygant, cold and merciless and masterful--that was a terrible ordeal for him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He was faint from grief and despair.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The man seemed to him like some great fortress of evil; and what could he do, save to gaze at it in impotent rage?
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Samuel had had nothing to eat since morning, but he did not feel hungry.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To encounter a man of the world like Mr. Wygant, cold and merciless and masterful--that was a terrible ordeal for him.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The man seemed to him like some great fortress of evil; and what could he do, save to gaze at it in impotent rage?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was faint from grief and despair.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Samuel had had nothing to eat since morning, but he did not feel hungry.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading The man seemed to him like some great fortress of evil; and what could he do, save to gaze at it in impotent rage?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He went home, and Sophie met him at the door.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Samuel had had nothing to eat since morning, but he did not feel hungry.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To encounter a man of the world like Mr. Wygant, cold and merciless and masterful--that was a terrible ordeal for him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The man seemed to him like some great fortress of evil; and what could he do, save to gaze at it in impotent rage?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was faint from grief and despair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Samuel had had nothing to eat since morning, but he did not feel hungry.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading To encounter a man of the world like Mr. Wygant, cold and merciless and masterful--that was a terrible ordeal for him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The man seemed to him like some great fortress of evil; and what could he do, save to gaze at it in impotent rage?
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He was faint from grief and despair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The man seemed to him like some great fortress of evil; and what could he do, save to gaze at it in impotent rage?
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The man seemed to him like some great fortress of evil; and what could he do, save to gaze at it in impotent rage?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was faint from grief and despair.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Samuel had had nothing to eat since morning, but he did not feel hungry.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Samuel had had nothing to eat since morning, but he did not feel hungry.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading To encounter a man of the world like Mr. Wygant, cold and merciless and masterful--that was a terrible ordeal for him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He went home, and Sophie met him at the door.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Samuel had had nothing to eat since morning, but he did not feel hungry.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The man seemed to him like some great fortress of evil; and what could he do, save to gaze at it in impotent rage?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The man seemed to him like some great fortress of evil; and what could he do, save to gaze at it in impotent rage?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The man seemed to him like some great fortress of evil; and what could he do, save to gaze at it in impotent rage?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To encounter a man of the world like Mr. Wygant, cold and merciless and masterful--that was a terrible ordeal for him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To encounter a man of the world like Mr. Wygant, cold and merciless and masterful--that was a terrible ordeal for him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To encounter a man of the world like Mr. Wygant, cold and merciless and masterful--that was a terrible ordeal for him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To encounter a man of the world like Mr. Wygant, cold and merciless and masterful--that was a terrible ordeal for him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He went home, and Sophie met him at the door.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Samuel had had nothing to eat since morning, but he did not feel hungry.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To encounter a man of the world like Mr. Wygant, cold and merciless and masterful--that was a terrible ordeal for him.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Samuel had had nothing to eat since morning, but he did not feel hungry.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Samuel had had nothing to eat since morning, but he did not feel hungry.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading To encounter a man of the world like Mr. Wygant, cold and merciless and masterful--that was a terrible ordeal for him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To encounter a man of the world like Mr. Wygant, cold and merciless and masterful--that was a terrible ordeal for him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The man seemed to him like some great fortress of evil; and what could he do, save to gaze at it in impotent rage?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Samuel had had nothing to eat since morning, but he did not feel hungry.
except for; apart from
From this reading The man seemed to him like some great fortress of evil; and what could he do, save to gaze at it in impotent rage?
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The man seemed to him like some great fortress of evil; and what could he do, save to gaze at it in impotent rage?
from a time in the past until now
From this reading Samuel had had nothing to eat since morning, but he did not feel hungry.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The man seemed to him like some great fortress of evil; and what could he do, save to gaze at it in impotent rage?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He went home, and Sophie met him at the door.
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading To encounter a man of the world like Mr. Wygant, cold and merciless and masterful--that was a terrible ordeal for him.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading To encounter a man of the world like Mr. Wygant, cold and merciless and masterful--that was a terrible ordeal for him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading To encounter a man of the world like Mr. Wygant, cold and merciless and masterful--that was a terrible ordeal for him.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Samuel had had nothing to eat since morning, but he did not feel hungry.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was faint from grief and despair.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He went home, and Sophie met him at the door.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading The man seemed to him like some great fortress of evil; and what could he do, save to gaze at it in impotent rage?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To encounter a man of the world like Mr. Wygant, cold and merciless and masterful--that was a terrible ordeal for him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To encounter a man of the world like Mr. Wygant, cold and merciless and masterful--that was a terrible ordeal for him.
