A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIII
“HOW ARE THE MIGHTY FALLEN!” The house in which Nick and Chick found themselves had been a good one, but it was now badly in need of repair. The main hall was comparatively wide for so narrow a building, and a heavy balustrade fenced off the stairs on one side. The detectives paused just inside the door and listened intently. The doors on the first floor were all closed and the rooms behind them appeared to be untenanted.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “The house in which Nick and Chick found themselves had been a good one, but it was now badly in need of repair.”
at or toward the back of something
From this reading “The doors on the first floor were all closed and the rooms behind them appeared to be untenanted.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “The doors on the first floor were all closed and the rooms behind them appeared to be untenanted.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “The house in which Nick and Chick found themselves had been a good one, but it was now badly in need of repair.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “The house in which Nick and Chick found themselves had been a good one, but it was now badly in need of repair.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “The house in which Nick and Chick found themselves had been a good one, but it was now badly in need of repair.”
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “The house in which Nick and Chick found themselves had been a good one, but it was now badly in need of repair.”
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading “The house in which Nick and Chick found themselves had been a good one, but it was now badly in need of repair.”
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 house in which Nick and Chick found themselves had been a good one, but it was now badly in need of repair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The doors on the first floor were all closed and the rooms behind them appeared to be untenanted.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The house in which Nick and Chick found themselves had been a good one, but it was now badly in need of repair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The doors on the first floor were all closed and the rooms behind them appeared to be untenanted.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “HOW ARE THE MIGHTY FALLEN!”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The house in which Nick and Chick found themselves had been a good one, but it was now badly in need of repair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The main hall was comparatively wide for so narrow a building, and a heavy balustrade fenced off the stairs on one side.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The doors on the first floor were all closed and the rooms behind them appeared to be untenanted.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The house in which Nick and Chick found themselves had been a good one, but it was now badly in need of repair.
at or toward the back of something
From this reading The doors on the first floor were all closed and the rooms behind them appeared to be untenanted.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The main hall was comparatively wide for so narrow a building, and a heavy balustrade fenced off the stairs on one side.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The house in which Nick and Chick found themselves had been a good one, but it was now badly in need of repair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The house in which Nick and Chick found themselves had been a good one, but it was now badly in need of repair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The doors on the first floor were all closed and the rooms behind them appeared to be untenanted.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The main hall was comparatively wide for so narrow a building, and a heavy balustrade fenced off the stairs on one side.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The detectives paused just inside the door and listened intently.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The detectives paused just inside the door and listened intently.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The doors on the first floor were all closed and the rooms behind them appeared to be untenanted.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “HOW ARE THE MIGHTY FALLEN!”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The main hall was comparatively wide for so narrow a building, and a heavy balustrade fenced off the stairs on one side.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The doors on the first floor were all closed and the rooms behind them appeared to be untenanted.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The doors on the first floor were all closed and the rooms behind them appeared to be untenanted.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The main hall was comparatively wide for so narrow a building, and a heavy balustrade fenced off the stairs on one side.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The house in which Nick and Chick found themselves had been a good one, but it was now badly in need of repair.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The house in which Nick and Chick found themselves had been a good one, but it was now badly in need of repair.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The house in which Nick and Chick found themselves had been a good one, but it was now badly in need of repair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The main hall was comparatively wide for so narrow a building, and a heavy balustrade fenced off the stairs on one side.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The main hall was comparatively wide for so narrow a building, and a heavy balustrade fenced off the stairs on one side.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The house in which Nick and Chick found themselves had been a good one, but it was now badly in need of repair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “HOW ARE THE MIGHTY FALLEN!”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The house in which Nick and Chick found themselves had been a good one, but it was now badly in need of repair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The detectives paused just inside the door and listened intently.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The detectives paused just inside the door and listened intently.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The house in which Nick and Chick found themselves had been a good one, but it was now badly in need of repair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The detectives paused just inside the door and listened intently.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The detectives paused just inside the door and listened intently.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The main hall was comparatively wide for so narrow a building, and a heavy balustrade fenced off the stairs on one side.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “HOW ARE THE MIGHTY FALLEN!”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The main hall was comparatively wide for so narrow a building, and a heavy balustrade fenced off the stairs on one side.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The house in which Nick and Chick found themselves had been a good one, but it was now badly in need of repair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The house in which Nick and Chick found themselves had been a good one, but it was now badly in need of repair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The house in which Nick and Chick found themselves had been a good one, but it was now badly in need of repair.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The house in which Nick and Chick found themselves had been a good one, but it was now badly in need of repair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The main hall was comparatively wide for so narrow a building, and a heavy balustrade fenced off the stairs on one side.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The main hall was comparatively wide for so narrow a building, and a heavy balustrade fenced off the stairs on one side.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The house in which Nick and Chick found themselves had been a good one, but it was now badly in need of repair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The detectives paused just inside the door and listened intently.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The house in which Nick and Chick found themselves had been a good one, but it was now badly in need of repair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The doors on the first floor were all closed and the rooms behind them appeared to be untenanted.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The main hall was comparatively wide for so narrow a building, and a heavy balustrade fenced off the stairs on one side.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The main hall was comparatively wide for so narrow a building, and a heavy balustrade fenced off the stairs on one side.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The main hall was comparatively wide for so narrow a building, and a heavy balustrade fenced off the stairs on one side.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “HOW ARE THE MIGHTY FALLEN!”
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The doors on the first floor were all closed and the rooms behind them appeared to be untenanted.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading The house in which Nick and Chick found themselves had been a good one, but it was now badly in need of repair.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The doors on the first floor were all closed and the rooms behind them appeared to be untenanted.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The doors on the first floor were all closed and the rooms behind them appeared to be untenanted.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The house in which Nick and Chick found themselves had been a good one, but it was now badly in need of repair.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The doors on the first floor were all closed and the rooms behind them appeared to be untenanted.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The house in which Nick and Chick found themselves had been a good one, but it was now badly in need of repair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The main hall was comparatively wide for so narrow a building, and a heavy balustrade fenced off the stairs on one side.
