A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIV
John Vansittart Smith sat up on his chair with his nerves all on edge. The light was advancing slowly towards him, pausing from time to time, and then coming jerkily onwards. The bearer moved noiselessly. In the utter silence there was no suspicion of the pat of a footfall. An idea of robbers entered the Englishman’s head.
Reading 1/35 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “John Vansittart Smith sat up on his chair with his nerves all on edge.”
Persons who steal from a person or place, especially using violence or threats.
From this reading “An idea of robbers entered the Englishman’s head.”
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading “In the utter silence there was no suspicion of the pat of a footfall.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “The light was advancing slowly towards him, pausing from time to time, and then coming jerkily onwards.”
in the direction of
From this reading “The light was advancing slowly towards him, pausing from time to time, and then coming jerkily onwards.”
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 In the utter silence there was no suspicion of the pat of a footfall.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light was advancing slowly towards him, pausing from time to time, and then coming jerkily onwards.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading John Vansittart Smith sat up on his chair with his nerves all on edge.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading An idea of robbers entered the Englishman’s head.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The light was advancing slowly towards him, pausing from time to time, and then coming jerkily onwards.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The bearer moved noiselessly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading John Vansittart Smith sat up on his chair with his nerves all on edge.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light was advancing slowly towards him, pausing from time to time, and then coming jerkily onwards.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading John Vansittart Smith sat up on his chair with his nerves all on edge.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading An idea of robbers entered the Englishman’s head.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading An idea of robbers entered the Englishman’s head.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the utter silence there was no suspicion of the pat of a footfall.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The light was advancing slowly towards him, pausing from time to time, and then coming jerkily onwards.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading An idea of robbers entered the Englishman’s head.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The light was advancing slowly towards him, pausing from time to time, and then coming jerkily onwards.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading John Vansittart Smith sat up on his chair with his nerves all on edge.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading An idea of robbers entered the Englishman’s head.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the utter silence there was no suspicion of the pat of a footfall.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light was advancing slowly towards him, pausing from time to time, and then coming jerkily onwards.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading John Vansittart Smith sat up on his chair with his nerves all on edge.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light was advancing slowly towards him, pausing from time to time, and then coming jerkily onwards.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The bearer moved noiselessly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading John Vansittart Smith sat up on his chair with his nerves all on edge.
not any; not one
From this reading In the utter silence there was no suspicion of the pat of a footfall.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The bearer moved noiselessly.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In the utter silence there was no suspicion of the pat of a footfall.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading John Vansittart Smith sat up on his chair with his nerves all on edge.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light was advancing slowly towards him, pausing from time to time, and then coming jerkily onwards.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the utter silence there was no suspicion of the pat of a footfall.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light was advancing slowly towards him, pausing from time to time, and then coming jerkily onwards.
Persons who steal from a person or place, especially using violence or threats.
From this reading An idea of robbers entered the Englishman’s head.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading John Vansittart Smith sat up on his chair with his nerves all on edge.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading In the utter silence there was no suspicion of the pat of a footfall.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light was advancing slowly towards him, pausing from time to time, and then coming jerkily onwards.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading John Vansittart Smith sat up on his chair with his nerves all on edge.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the utter silence there was no suspicion of the pat of a footfall.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The light was advancing slowly towards him, pausing from time to time, and then coming jerkily onwards.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light was advancing slowly towards him, pausing from time to time, and then coming jerkily onwards.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the utter silence there was no suspicion of the pat of a footfall.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The light was advancing slowly towards him, pausing from time to time, and then coming jerkily onwards.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The light was advancing slowly towards him, pausing from time to time, and then coming jerkily onwards.
in the direction of
From this reading The light was advancing slowly towards him, pausing from time to time, and then coming jerkily onwards.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading John Vansittart Smith sat up on his chair with his nerves all on edge.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the utter silence there was no suspicion of the pat of a footfall.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading John Vansittart Smith sat up on his chair with his nerves all on edge.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The light was advancing slowly towards him, pausing from time to time, and then coming jerkily onwards.
in the company of; together with
From this reading John Vansittart Smith sat up on his chair with his nerves all on edge.
