A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VI
My enthusiasm has kind of dropped from me. I envy you your wife, your home, your child—I was going to say your cat. There would be cats in my home too if I could but get it. I may seem to you ‘the impersonation of life,’ but my life is the impersonation of waiting, and that’s a poor creature. God help us all, and the deil be kind to the hindmost!
Reading 1/79 · 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.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading “There would be cats in my home too if I could but get it.”
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading “I may seem to you ‘the impersonation of life,’ but my life is the impersonation of waiting, and that’s a poor creature.”
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “My enthusiasm has kind of dropped from me.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “God help us all, and the deil be kind to the hindmost!”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “I may seem to you ‘the impersonation of life,’ but my life is the impersonation of waiting, and that’s a poor creature.”
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading “I may seem to you ‘the impersonation of life,’ but my life is the impersonation of waiting, and that’s a poor creature.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “I may seem to you ‘the impersonation of life,’ but my life is the impersonation of waiting, and that’s a poor creature.”
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading “I may seem to you ‘the impersonation of life,’ but my life is the impersonation of waiting, and that’s a poor creature.”
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “There would be cats in my home too if I could but get it.”
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 I may seem to you ‘the impersonation of life,’ but my life is the impersonation of waiting, and that’s a poor creature.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading God help us all, and the deil be kind to the hindmost!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I may seem to you ‘the impersonation of life,’ but my life is the impersonation of waiting, and that’s a poor creature.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading There would be cats in my home too if I could but get it.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading There would be cats in my home too if I could but get it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I envy you your wife, your home, your child—I was going to say your cat.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There would be cats in my home too if I could but get it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I envy you your wife, your home, your child—I was going to say your cat.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading There would be cats in my home too if I could but get it.
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading I may seem to you ‘the impersonation of life,’ but my life is the impersonation of waiting, and that’s a poor creature.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading God help us all, and the deil be kind to the hindmost!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My enthusiasm has kind of dropped from me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My enthusiasm has kind of dropped from me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I envy you your wife, your home, your child—I was going to say your cat.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading My enthusiasm has kind of dropped from me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There would be cats in my home too if I could but get it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading God help us all, and the deil be kind to the hindmost!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I envy you your wife, your home, your child—I was going to say your cat.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading My enthusiasm has kind of dropped from me.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading God help us all, and the deil be kind to the hindmost!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading God help us all, and the deil be kind to the hindmost!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I envy you your wife, your home, your child—I was going to say your cat.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I envy you your wife, your home, your child—I was going to say your cat.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading There would be cats in my home too if I could but get it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I may seem to you ‘the impersonation of life,’ but my life is the impersonation of waiting, and that’s a poor creature.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There would be cats in my home too if I could but get it.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I may seem to you ‘the impersonation of life,’ but my life is the impersonation of waiting, and that’s a poor creature.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading There would be cats in my home too if I could but get it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My enthusiasm has kind of dropped from me.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I may seem to you ‘the impersonation of life,’ but my life is the impersonation of waiting, and that’s a poor creature.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading I may seem to you ‘the impersonation of life,’ but my life is the impersonation of waiting, and that’s a poor creature.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading My enthusiasm has kind of dropped from me.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading My enthusiasm has kind of dropped from me.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading My enthusiasm has kind of dropped from me.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I may seem to you ‘the impersonation of life,’ but my life is the impersonation of waiting, and that’s a poor creature.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I envy you your wife, your home, your child—I was going to say your cat.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I may seem to you ‘the impersonation of life,’ but my life is the impersonation of waiting, and that’s a poor creature.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I may seem to you ‘the impersonation of life,’ but my life is the impersonation of waiting, and that’s a poor creature.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I may seem to you ‘the impersonation of life,’ but my life is the impersonation of waiting, and that’s a poor creature.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There would be cats in my home too if I could but get it.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I envy you your wife, your home, your child—I was going to say your cat.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There would be cats in my home too if I could but get it.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading God help us all, and the deil be kind to the hindmost!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I may seem to you ‘the impersonation of life,’ but my life is the impersonation of waiting, and that’s a poor creature.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I envy you your wife, your home, your child—I was going to say your cat.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I envy you your wife, your home, your child—I was going to say your cat.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading There would be cats in my home too if I could but get it.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I envy you your wife, your home, your child—I was going to say your cat.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I envy you your wife, your home, your child—I was going to say your cat.
