A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
CONTAINS A FEW DETAILS. IN an old second-hand bookshop in London, an old man sat reading Gibbon's History of Rome. He did not put down his book when the postman brought him a letter. He just glanced indifferently at the letter, and impatiently at the postman. Zerviah Holme did not like to be interrupted when he was reading Gibbon; and as he was always reading Gibbon, an interruption was always regarded by him as an insult.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading “He did not put down his book when the postman brought him a letter.”
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading “CONTAINS A FEW DETAILS.”
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading “Zerviah Holme did not like to be interrupted when he was reading Gibbon; and as he was always reading Gibbon, an interruption was always regarded by him as an insult.”
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 CONTAINS A FEW DETAILS.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Zerviah Holme did not like to be interrupted when he was reading Gibbon; and as he was always reading Gibbon, an interruption was always regarded by him as an insult.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading IN an old second-hand bookshop in London, an old man sat reading Gibbon's History of Rome.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He just glanced indifferently at the letter, and impatiently at the postman.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Zerviah Holme did not like to be interrupted when he was reading Gibbon; and as he was always reading Gibbon, an interruption was always regarded by him as an insult.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He just glanced indifferently at the letter, and impatiently at the postman.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Zerviah Holme did not like to be interrupted when he was reading Gibbon; and as he was always reading Gibbon, an interruption was always regarded by him as an insult.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not put down his book when the postman brought him a letter.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading IN an old second-hand bookshop in London, an old man sat reading Gibbon's History of Rome.
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading He did not put down his book when the postman brought him a letter.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Zerviah Holme did not like to be interrupted when he was reading Gibbon; and as he was always reading Gibbon, an interruption was always regarded by him as an insult.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading CONTAINS A FEW DETAILS.
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading CONTAINS A FEW DETAILS.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He did not put down his book when the postman brought him a letter.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not put down his book when the postman brought him a letter.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading CONTAINS A FEW DETAILS.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Zerviah Holme did not like to be interrupted when he was reading Gibbon; and as he was always reading Gibbon, an interruption was always regarded by him as an insult.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading IN an old second-hand bookshop in London, an old man sat reading Gibbon's History of Rome.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He just glanced indifferently at the letter, and impatiently at the postman.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He did not put down his book when the postman brought him a letter.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He did not put down his book when the postman brought him a letter.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He did not put down his book when the postman brought him a letter.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading IN an old second-hand bookshop in London, an old man sat reading Gibbon's History of Rome.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Zerviah Holme did not like to be interrupted when he was reading Gibbon; and as he was always reading Gibbon, an interruption was always regarded by him as an insult.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He just glanced indifferently at the letter, and impatiently at the postman.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN an old second-hand bookshop in London, an old man sat reading Gibbon's History of Rome.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He just glanced indifferently at the letter, and impatiently at the postman.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Zerviah Holme did not like to be interrupted when he was reading Gibbon; and as he was always reading Gibbon, an interruption was always regarded by him as an insult.
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Zerviah Holme did not like to be interrupted when he was reading Gibbon; and as he was always reading Gibbon, an interruption was always regarded by him as an insult.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Zerviah Holme did not like to be interrupted when he was reading Gibbon; and as he was always reading Gibbon, an interruption was always regarded by him as an insult.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He just glanced indifferently at the letter, and impatiently at the postman.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not put down his book when the postman brought him a letter.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Zerviah Holme did not like to be interrupted when he was reading Gibbon; and as he was always reading Gibbon, an interruption was always regarded by him as an insult.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading IN an old second-hand bookshop in London, an old man sat reading Gibbon's History of Rome.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading IN an old second-hand bookshop in London, an old man sat reading Gibbon's History of Rome.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He did not put down his book when the postman brought him a letter.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading IN an old second-hand bookshop in London, an old man sat reading Gibbon's History of Rome.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading IN an old second-hand bookshop in London, an old man sat reading Gibbon's History of Rome.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not put down his book when the postman brought him a letter.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not put down his book when the postman brought him a letter.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading IN an old second-hand bookshop in London, an old man sat reading Gibbon's History of Rome.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Zerviah Holme did not like to be interrupted when he was reading Gibbon; and as he was always reading Gibbon, an interruption was always regarded by him as an insult.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading IN an old second-hand bookshop in London, an old man sat reading Gibbon's History of Rome.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading IN an old second-hand bookshop in London, an old man sat reading Gibbon's History of Rome.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading IN an old second-hand bookshop in London, an old man sat reading Gibbon's History of Rome.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He did not put down his book when the postman brought him a letter.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Zerviah Holme did not like to be interrupted when he was reading Gibbon; and as he was always reading Gibbon, an interruption was always regarded by him as an insult.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Zerviah Holme did not like to be interrupted when he was reading Gibbon; and as he was always reading Gibbon, an interruption was always regarded by him as an insult.
at the time that
From this reading He did not put down his book when the postman brought him a letter.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Zerviah Holme did not like to be interrupted when he was reading Gibbon; and as he was always reading Gibbon, an interruption was always regarded by him as an insult.
