A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
The next day we were in Paris. We had a miserable crossing and two miserable railway journeys. On neither of the lines could I get a compartment to ourselves, both the French and English trains being crowded to excess. On the steamboat Barbara was very ill, and I gave her into the charge of the stewardess, being too unwell myself to attend to her. We were not, as may be imagined, a very cheerful couple, nor was this a cheerful commencement of our honeymoon.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading “On neither of the lines could I get a compartment to ourselves, both the French and English trains being crowded to excess.”
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading “On neither of the lines could I get a compartment to ourselves, both the French and English trains being crowded to excess.”
two people or things considered together
From this reading “We were not, as may be imagined, a very cheerful couple, nor was this a cheerful commencement of our honeymoon.”
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading “We were not, as may be imagined, a very cheerful couple, nor was this a cheerful commencement of our honeymoon.”
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading “On the steamboat Barbara was very ill, and I gave her into the charge of the stewardess, being too unwell myself to attend to her.”
not one and not the other of two
From this reading “On neither of the lines could I get a compartment to ourselves, both the French and English trains being crowded to excess.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “The next day we were in Paris.”
used when we are both doing the action and receiving it
From this reading “On neither of the lines could I get a compartment to ourselves, both the French and English trains being crowded to excess.”
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 We had a miserable crossing and two miserable railway journeys.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading We had a miserable crossing and two miserable railway journeys.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading We were not, as may be imagined, a very cheerful couple, nor was this a cheerful commencement of our honeymoon.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On the steamboat Barbara was very ill, and I gave her into the charge of the stewardess, being too unwell myself to attend to her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On the steamboat Barbara was very ill, and I gave her into the charge of the stewardess, being too unwell myself to attend to her.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading We were not, as may be imagined, a very cheerful couple, nor was this a cheerful commencement of our honeymoon.
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading On neither of the lines could I get a compartment to ourselves, both the French and English trains being crowded to excess.
the two together, not just one
From this reading On neither of the lines could I get a compartment to ourselves, both the French and English trains being crowded to excess.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On the steamboat Barbara was very ill, and I gave her into the charge of the stewardess, being too unwell myself to attend to her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We were not, as may be imagined, a very cheerful couple, nor was this a cheerful commencement of our honeymoon.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We were not, as may be imagined, a very cheerful couple, nor was this a cheerful commencement of our honeymoon.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On neither of the lines could I get a compartment to ourselves, both the French and English trains being crowded to excess.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading On neither of the lines could I get a compartment to ourselves, both the French and English trains being crowded to excess.
two people or things considered together
From this reading We were not, as may be imagined, a very cheerful couple, nor was this a cheerful commencement of our honeymoon.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We had a miserable crossing and two miserable railway journeys.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On neither of the lines could I get a compartment to ourselves, both the French and English trains being crowded to excess.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The next day we were in Paris.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On neither of the lines could I get a compartment to ourselves, both the French and English trains being crowded to excess.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On neither of the lines could I get a compartment to ourselves, both the French and English trains being crowded to excess.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On neither of the lines could I get a compartment to ourselves, both the French and English trains being crowded to excess.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On the steamboat Barbara was very ill, and I gave her into the charge of the stewardess, being too unwell myself to attend to her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On neither of the lines could I get a compartment to ourselves, both the French and English trains being crowded to excess.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading We had a miserable crossing and two miserable railway journeys.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading On the steamboat Barbara was very ill, and I gave her into the charge of the stewardess, being too unwell myself to attend to her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We were not, as may be imagined, a very cheerful couple, nor was this a cheerful commencement of our honeymoon.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading On neither of the lines could I get a compartment to ourselves, both the French and English trains being crowded to excess.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On the steamboat Barbara was very ill, and I gave her into the charge of the stewardess, being too unwell myself to attend to her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We were not, as may be imagined, a very cheerful couple, nor was this a cheerful commencement of our honeymoon.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The next day we were in Paris.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading On the steamboat Barbara was very ill, and I gave her into the charge of the stewardess, being too unwell myself to attend to her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We had a miserable crossing and two miserable railway journeys.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On neither of the lines could I get a compartment to ourselves, both the French and English trains being crowded to excess.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading We were not, as may be imagined, a very cheerful couple, nor was this a cheerful commencement of our honeymoon.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We had a miserable crossing and two miserable railway journeys.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading On the steamboat Barbara was very ill, and I gave her into the charge of the stewardess, being too unwell myself to attend to her.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading On neither of the lines could I get a compartment to ourselves, both the French and English trains being crowded to excess.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The next day we were in Paris.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading We were not, as may be imagined, a very cheerful couple, nor was this a cheerful commencement of our honeymoon.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading We were not, as may be imagined, a very cheerful couple, nor was this a cheerful commencement of our honeymoon.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading On neither of the lines could I get a compartment to ourselves, both the French and English trains being crowded to excess.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On neither of the lines could I get a compartment to ourselves, both the French and English trains being crowded to excess.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading We were not, as may be imagined, a very cheerful couple, nor was this a cheerful commencement of our honeymoon.
used when we are both doing the action and receiving it
From this reading On neither of the lines could I get a compartment to ourselves, both the French and English trains being crowded to excess.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The next day we were in Paris.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We had a miserable crossing and two miserable railway journeys.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On the steamboat Barbara was very ill, and I gave her into the charge of the stewardess, being too unwell myself to attend to her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On the steamboat Barbara was very ill, and I gave her into the charge of the stewardess, being too unwell myself to attend to her.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The next day we were in Paris.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading We were not, as may be imagined, a very cheerful couple, nor was this a cheerful commencement of our honeymoon.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading On neither of the lines could I get a compartment to ourselves, both the French and English trains being crowded to excess.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On the steamboat Barbara was very ill, and I gave her into the charge of the stewardess, being too unwell myself to attend to her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On neither of the lines could I get a compartment to ourselves, both the French and English trains being crowded to excess.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We had a miserable crossing and two miserable railway journeys.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On the steamboat Barbara was very ill, and I gave her into the charge of the stewardess, being too unwell myself to attend to her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On the steamboat Barbara was very ill, and I gave her into the charge of the stewardess, being too unwell myself to attend to her.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading On the steamboat Barbara was very ill, and I gave her into the charge of the stewardess, being too unwell myself to attend to her.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading The next day we were in Paris.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The next day we were in Paris.
