A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIII
IN STRANGE COMPANY A load report rang out just behind me. The light before my eyes vanished. Something lurched up against my chest, knocking the breath out of me, then collapsed in a heap on to the ground at my feet. There was an instant's stillness. Now footsteps could be heard crackling forward through the undergrowth.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading “Something lurched up against my chest, knocking the breath out of me, then collapsed in a heap on to the ground at my feet.”
earlier than; in front of
From this reading “The light before my eyes vanished.”
at or toward the back of something
From this reading “IN STRANGE COMPANY A load report rang out just behind me.”
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading “Now footsteps could be heard crackling forward through the undergrowth.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Now footsteps could be heard crackling forward through the undergrowth.”
a thing, without saying which
From this reading “Something lurched up against my chest, knocking the breath out of me, then collapsed in a heap on to the ground at my feet.”
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading “Now footsteps could be heard crackling forward through the undergrowth.”
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 STRANGE COMPANY A load report rang out just behind me.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Something lurched up against my chest, knocking the breath out of me, then collapsed in a heap on to the ground at my feet.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading There was an instant's stillness.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Something lurched up against my chest, knocking the breath out of me, then collapsed in a heap on to the ground at my feet.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Now footsteps could be heard crackling forward through the undergrowth.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The light before my eyes vanished.
at or toward the back of something
From this reading IN STRANGE COMPANY A load report rang out just behind me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Something lurched up against my chest, knocking the breath out of me, then collapsed in a heap on to the ground at my feet.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Something lurched up against my chest, knocking the breath out of me, then collapsed in a heap on to the ground at my feet.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Something lurched up against my chest, knocking the breath out of me, then collapsed in a heap on to the ground at my feet.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading IN STRANGE COMPANY A load report rang out just behind me.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Now footsteps could be heard crackling forward through the undergrowth.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now footsteps could be heard crackling forward through the undergrowth.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light before my eyes vanished.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Something lurched up against my chest, knocking the breath out of me, then collapsed in a heap on to the ground at my feet.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now footsteps could be heard crackling forward through the undergrowth.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Now footsteps could be heard crackling forward through the undergrowth.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Something lurched up against my chest, knocking the breath out of me, then collapsed in a heap on to the ground at my feet.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Something lurched up against my chest, knocking the breath out of me, then collapsed in a heap on to the ground at my feet.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now footsteps could be heard crackling forward through the undergrowth.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN STRANGE COMPANY A load report rang out just behind me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was an instant's stillness.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading IN STRANGE COMPANY A load report rang out just behind me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Something lurched up against my chest, knocking the breath out of me, then collapsed in a heap on to the ground at my feet.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light before my eyes vanished.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading IN STRANGE COMPANY A load report rang out just behind me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Something lurched up against my chest, knocking the breath out of me, then collapsed in a heap on to the ground at my feet.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading IN STRANGE COMPANY A load report rang out just behind me.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading The light before my eyes vanished.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now footsteps could be heard crackling forward through the undergrowth.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Something lurched up against my chest, knocking the breath out of me, then collapsed in a heap on to the ground at my feet.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Something lurched up against my chest, knocking the breath out of me, then collapsed in a heap on to the ground at my feet.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading IN STRANGE COMPANY A load report rang out just behind me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading IN STRANGE COMPANY A load report rang out just behind me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading IN STRANGE COMPANY A load report rang out just behind me.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Something lurched up against my chest, knocking the breath out of me, then collapsed in a heap on to the ground at my feet.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was an instant's stillness.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading IN STRANGE COMPANY A load report rang out just behind me.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The light before my eyes vanished.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Something lurched up against my chest, knocking the breath out of me, then collapsed in a heap on to the ground at my feet.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was an instant's stillness.
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Now footsteps could be heard crackling forward through the undergrowth.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Something lurched up against my chest, knocking the breath out of me, then collapsed in a heap on to the ground at my feet.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now footsteps could be heard crackling forward through the undergrowth.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Something lurched up against my chest, knocking the breath out of me, then collapsed in a heap on to the ground at my feet.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The light before my eyes vanished.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was an instant's stillness.
