A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VII
That night I was wakened by a hurried tapping at my door, and before I could answer, Frances stood beside my bed. She had switched on the light as she came in. Her hair fell straggling over her dressing gown. Her face was deathly pale, its expression so distraught it was almost haggard. The eyes were very wide.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading “That night I was wakened by a hurried tapping at my door, and before I could answer, Frances stood beside my bed.”
next to; at the side of
From this reading “That night I was wakened by a hurried tapping at my door, and before I could answer, Frances stood beside my bed.”
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading “That night I was wakened by a hurried tapping at my door, and before I could answer, Frances stood beside my bed.”
above and across; more than
From this reading “Her hair fell straggling over her dressing gown.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “That night I was wakened by a hurried tapping at my door, and before I could answer, Frances stood beside my bed.”
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 That night I was wakened by a hurried tapping at my door, and before I could answer, Frances stood beside my bed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her face was deathly pale, its expression so distraught it was almost haggard.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading That night I was wakened by a hurried tapping at my door, and before I could answer, Frances stood beside my bed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That night I was wakened by a hurried tapping at my door, and before I could answer, Frances stood beside my bed.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She had switched on the light as she came in.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading That night I was wakened by a hurried tapping at my door, and before I could answer, Frances stood beside my bed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That night I was wakened by a hurried tapping at my door, and before I could answer, Frances stood beside my bed.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading That night I was wakened by a hurried tapping at my door, and before I could answer, Frances stood beside my bed.
next to; at the side of
From this reading That night I was wakened by a hurried tapping at my door, and before I could answer, Frances stood beside my bed.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading That night I was wakened by a hurried tapping at my door, and before I could answer, Frances stood beside my bed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had switched on the light as she came in.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading That night I was wakened by a hurried tapping at my door, and before I could answer, Frances stood beside my bed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her face was deathly pale, its expression so distraught it was almost haggard.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her face was deathly pale, its expression so distraught it was almost haggard.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That night I was wakened by a hurried tapping at my door, and before I could answer, Frances stood beside my bed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her hair fell straggling over her dressing gown.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her face was deathly pale, its expression so distraught it was almost haggard.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The eyes were very wide.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her face was deathly pale, its expression so distraught it was almost haggard.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her hair fell straggling over her dressing gown.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That night I was wakened by a hurried tapping at my door, and before I could answer, Frances stood beside my bed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her hair fell straggling over her dressing gown.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She had switched on the light as she came in.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her face was deathly pale, its expression so distraught it was almost haggard.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her hair fell straggling over her dressing gown.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Her hair fell straggling over her dressing gown.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That night I was wakened by a hurried tapping at my door, and before I could answer, Frances stood beside my bed.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading That night I was wakened by a hurried tapping at my door, and before I could answer, Frances stood beside my bed.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She had switched on the light as she came in.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Her face was deathly pale, its expression so distraught it was almost haggard.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Her face was deathly pale, its expression so distraught it was almost haggard.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had switched on the light as she came in.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading That night I was wakened by a hurried tapping at my door, and before I could answer, Frances stood beside my bed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That night I was wakened by a hurried tapping at my door, and before I could answer, Frances stood beside my bed.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She had switched on the light as she came in.
above and across; more than
From this reading Her hair fell straggling over her dressing gown.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her face was deathly pale, its expression so distraught it was almost haggard.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She had switched on the light as she came in.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Her face was deathly pale, its expression so distraught it was almost haggard.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading That night I was wakened by a hurried tapping at my door, and before I could answer, Frances stood beside my bed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her hair fell straggling over her dressing gown.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had switched on the light as she came in.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That night I was wakened by a hurried tapping at my door, and before I could answer, Frances stood beside my bed.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That night I was wakened by a hurried tapping at my door, and before I could answer, Frances stood beside my bed.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She had switched on the light as she came in.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The eyes were very wide.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That night I was wakened by a hurried tapping at my door, and before I could answer, Frances stood beside my bed.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading That night I was wakened by a hurried tapping at my door, and before I could answer, Frances stood beside my bed.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The eyes were very wide.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The eyes were very wide.
