A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVI
THE PAST RETURNS Christine had learned a great deal since her marriage. As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre. Old enough, and sad enough. She could not bear to look at him now. It cut her to the heart to see the listless droop of his shoulders and the haggard lines of his face.
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 “She could not bear to look at him now.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “THE PAST RETURNS Christine had learned a great deal since her marriage.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “She could not bear to look at him now.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.”
from a time in the past until now
From this reading “THE PAST RETURNS Christine had learned a great deal since her marriage.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.”
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 PAST RETURNS Christine had learned a great deal since her marriage.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Old enough, and sad enough.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She could not bear to look at him now.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE PAST RETURNS Christine had learned a great deal since her marriage.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading She could not bear to look at him now.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It cut her to the heart to see the listless droop of his shoulders and the haggard lines of his face.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE PAST RETURNS Christine had learned a great deal since her marriage.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It cut her to the heart to see the listless droop of his shoulders and the haggard lines of his face.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It cut her to the heart to see the listless droop of his shoulders and the haggard lines of his face.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading THE PAST RETURNS Christine had learned a great deal since her marriage.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE PAST RETURNS Christine had learned a great deal since her marriage.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It cut her to the heart to see the listless droop of his shoulders and the haggard lines of his face.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It cut her to the heart to see the listless droop of his shoulders and the haggard lines of his face.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading THE PAST RETURNS Christine had learned a great deal since her marriage.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It cut her to the heart to see the listless droop of his shoulders and the haggard lines of his face.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It cut her to the heart to see the listless droop of his shoulders and the haggard lines of his face.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE PAST RETURNS Christine had learned a great deal since her marriage.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It cut her to the heart to see the listless droop of his shoulders and the haggard lines of his face.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It cut her to the heart to see the listless droop of his shoulders and the haggard lines of his face.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading She could not bear to look at him now.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE PAST RETURNS Christine had learned a great deal since her marriage.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She could not bear to look at him now.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She could not bear to look at him now.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE PAST RETURNS Christine had learned a great deal since her marriage.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE PAST RETURNS Christine had learned a great deal since her marriage.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Old enough, and sad enough.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It cut her to the heart to see the listless droop of his shoulders and the haggard lines of his face.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It cut her to the heart to see the listless droop of his shoulders and the haggard lines of his face.
from a time in the past until now
From this reading THE PAST RETURNS Christine had learned a great deal since her marriage.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE PAST RETURNS Christine had learned a great deal since her marriage.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
which person or people
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
in the company of; together with
From this reading As she stood on the platform at Euston that morning with Jimmy Challoner she felt old enough to be the grandmother of the girl who had looked up at him with such glad recognition less than a month ago in the theatre.
