A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXXI
GEE--WHOA--HAW! Midsummer in the desert. The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive. The horned toad, the cactus, the rattlesnake long since had replaced the prairie dogs of the grassy floor of the eastern Plains. A scourge of great black crickets appeared, crackling loathsomely under the wheels.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “A scourge of great black crickets appeared, crackling loathsomely under the wheels.”
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “The horned toad, the cactus, the rattlesnake long since had replaced the prairie dogs of the grassy floor of the eastern Plains.”
A stiff, flat, thin material made from the prepared skin of an animal, used for writing.
From this reading “The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.”
from a time in the past until now
From this reading “The horned toad, the cactus, the rattlesnake long since had replaced the prairie dogs of the grassy floor of the eastern Plains.”
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading “A scourge of great black crickets appeared, crackling loathsomely under the wheels.”
during the time that
From this reading “The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.”
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.”
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 scourge of great black crickets appeared, crackling loathsomely under the wheels.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A scourge of great black crickets appeared, crackling loathsomely under the wheels.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A scourge of great black crickets appeared, crackling loathsomely under the wheels.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The horned toad, the cactus, the rattlesnake long since had replaced the prairie dogs of the grassy floor of the eastern Plains.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A scourge of great black crickets appeared, crackling loathsomely under the wheels.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A scourge of great black crickets appeared, crackling loathsomely under the wheels.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Midsummer in the desert.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The horned toad, the cactus, the rattlesnake long since had replaced the prairie dogs of the grassy floor of the eastern Plains.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The horned toad, the cactus, the rattlesnake long since had replaced the prairie dogs of the grassy floor of the eastern Plains.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The horned toad, the cactus, the rattlesnake long since had replaced the prairie dogs of the grassy floor of the eastern Plains.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading GEE--WHOA--HAW!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The horned toad, the cactus, the rattlesnake long since had replaced the prairie dogs of the grassy floor of the eastern Plains.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading A scourge of great black crickets appeared, crackling loathsomely under the wheels.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading GEE--WHOA--HAW!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The horned toad, the cactus, the rattlesnake long since had replaced the prairie dogs of the grassy floor of the eastern Plains.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Midsummer in the desert.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A scourge of great black crickets appeared, crackling loathsomely under the wheels.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The horned toad, the cactus, the rattlesnake long since had replaced the prairie dogs of the grassy floor of the eastern Plains.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Midsummer in the desert.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.
A stiff, flat, thin material made from the prepared skin of an animal, used for writing.
From this reading The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The horned toad, the cactus, the rattlesnake long since had replaced the prairie dogs of the grassy floor of the eastern Plains.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The horned toad, the cactus, the rattlesnake long since had replaced the prairie dogs of the grassy floor of the eastern Plains.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The horned toad, the cactus, the rattlesnake long since had replaced the prairie dogs of the grassy floor of the eastern Plains.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The horned toad, the cactus, the rattlesnake long since had replaced the prairie dogs of the grassy floor of the eastern Plains.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A scourge of great black crickets appeared, crackling loathsomely under the wheels.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.
from a time in the past until now
From this reading The horned toad, the cactus, the rattlesnake long since had replaced the prairie dogs of the grassy floor of the eastern Plains.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Midsummer in the desert.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The horned toad, the cactus, the rattlesnake long since had replaced the prairie dogs of the grassy floor of the eastern Plains.
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading A scourge of great black crickets appeared, crackling loathsomely under the wheels.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A scourge of great black crickets appeared, crackling loathsomely under the wheels.
during the time that
From this reading The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading GEE--WHOA--HAW!
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The road now, but for the shifting of the sands, would have been marked by the bodies of dead cattle, in death scarcely more bone and parchment than for days they had been while alive.
