A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
THE SHUTTING OF A DOOR. We went upstairs to get another candle. A pound had been left on the parlour mantelpiece wrapped up in a stout brown paper. The rats had climbed up on to the shelf, they alone knew how, torn the paper to shreds, and made a meal off the contents. Pieces of candle were left, but not one whole one.
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 “The rats had climbed up on to the shelf, they alone knew how, torn the paper to shreds, and made a meal off the contents.”
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading “We went upstairs to get another candle.”
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “A pound had been left on the parlour mantelpiece wrapped up in a stout brown paper.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “A pound had been left on the parlour mantelpiece wrapped up in a stout brown paper.”
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “Pieces of candle were left, but not one whole one.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Pieces of candle were left, but not one whole one.”
A flat horizontal plane used to hold books or scrolls in a library.
From this reading “The rats had climbed up on to the shelf, they alone knew how, torn the paper to shreds, and made a meal off the contents.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “We went upstairs to get another candle.”
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 THE SHUTTING OF A DOOR.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The rats had climbed up on to the shelf, they alone knew how, torn the paper to shreds, and made a meal off the contents.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The rats had climbed up on to the shelf, they alone knew how, torn the paper to shreds, and made a meal off the contents.
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading We went upstairs to get another candle.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading A pound had been left on the parlour mantelpiece wrapped up in a stout brown paper.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A pound had been left on the parlour mantelpiece wrapped up in a stout brown paper.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Pieces of candle were left, but not one whole one.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We went upstairs to get another candle.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The rats had climbed up on to the shelf, they alone knew how, torn the paper to shreds, and made a meal off the contents.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The rats had climbed up on to the shelf, they alone knew how, torn the paper to shreds, and made a meal off the contents.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SHUTTING OF A DOOR.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We went upstairs to get another candle.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A pound had been left on the parlour mantelpiece wrapped up in a stout brown paper.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The rats had climbed up on to the shelf, they alone knew how, torn the paper to shreds, and made a meal off the contents.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A pound had been left on the parlour mantelpiece wrapped up in a stout brown paper.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The rats had climbed up on to the shelf, they alone knew how, torn the paper to shreds, and made a meal off the contents.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading A pound had been left on the parlour mantelpiece wrapped up in a stout brown paper.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The rats had climbed up on to the shelf, they alone knew how, torn the paper to shreds, and made a meal off the contents.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A pound had been left on the parlour mantelpiece wrapped up in a stout brown paper.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The rats had climbed up on to the shelf, they alone knew how, torn the paper to shreds, and made a meal off the contents.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Pieces of candle were left, but not one whole one.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE SHUTTING OF A DOOR.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The rats had climbed up on to the shelf, they alone knew how, torn the paper to shreds, and made a meal off the contents.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A pound had been left on the parlour mantelpiece wrapped up in a stout brown paper.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Pieces of candle were left, but not one whole one.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A pound had been left on the parlour mantelpiece wrapped up in a stout brown paper.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A pound had been left on the parlour mantelpiece wrapped up in a stout brown paper.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pieces of candle were left, but not one whole one.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A pound had been left on the parlour mantelpiece wrapped up in a stout brown paper.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The rats had climbed up on to the shelf, they alone knew how, torn the paper to shreds, and made a meal off the contents.
A flat horizontal plane used to hold books or scrolls in a library.
From this reading The rats had climbed up on to the shelf, they alone knew how, torn the paper to shreds, and made a meal off the contents.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The rats had climbed up on to the shelf, they alone knew how, torn the paper to shreds, and made a meal off the contents.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SHUTTING OF A DOOR.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A pound had been left on the parlour mantelpiece wrapped up in a stout brown paper.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE SHUTTING OF A DOOR.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The rats had climbed up on to the shelf, they alone knew how, torn the paper to shreds, and made a meal off the contents.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading We went upstairs to get another candle.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The rats had climbed up on to the shelf, they alone knew how, torn the paper to shreds, and made a meal off the contents.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A pound had been left on the parlour mantelpiece wrapped up in a stout brown paper.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We went upstairs to get another candle.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We went upstairs to get another candle.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading We went upstairs to get another candle.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Pieces of candle were left, but not one whole one.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pieces of candle were left, but not one whole one.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A pound had been left on the parlour mantelpiece wrapped up in a stout brown paper.
