A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
_The Colonel was a career man; and knowing what would happen within his lifetime promised to be an invaluable asset.... But he had never heard of that ancient legend of Faust...._ At first I thought it was just another wrong number. Well, it was, in a sense--but not the kind of wrong number I thought it was. The ringing signal burred against my ear in the usual way, then there was a click, and somebody said, "Office of Historical Research. Zon Twenty speaking."
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 “The ringing signal burred against my ear in the usual way, then there was a click, and somebody said, "Office of Historical Research.”
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading “But he had never heard of that ancient legend of Faust...._ At first I thought it was just another wrong number.”
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading “But he had never heard of that ancient legend of Faust...._ At first I thought it was just another wrong number.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “But he had never heard of that ancient legend of Faust...._ At first I thought it was just another wrong number.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “But he had never heard of that ancient legend of Faust...._ At first I thought it was just another wrong number.”
a person, without saying who
From this reading “The ringing signal burred against my ear in the usual way, then there was a click, and somebody said, "Office of Historical Research.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “But he had never heard of that ancient legend of Faust...._ At first I thought it was just another wrong number.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Well, it was, in a sense--but not the kind of wrong number I thought it was.”
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading “_The Colonel was a career man; and knowing what would happen within his lifetime promised to be an invaluable asset....”
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “_The Colonel was a career man; and knowing what would happen within his lifetime promised to be an invaluable asset....”
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 Colonel was a career man; and knowing what would happen within his lifetime promised to be an invaluable asset....
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The ringing signal burred against my ear in the usual way, then there was a click, and somebody said, "Office of Historical Research.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading _The Colonel was a career man; and knowing what would happen within his lifetime promised to be an invaluable asset....
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading But he had never heard of that ancient legend of Faust...._ At first I thought it was just another wrong number.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _The Colonel was a career man; and knowing what would happen within his lifetime promised to be an invaluable asset....
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading But he had never heard of that ancient legend of Faust...._ At first I thought it was just another wrong number.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _The Colonel was a career man; and knowing what would happen within his lifetime promised to be an invaluable asset....
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading But he had never heard of that ancient legend of Faust...._ At first I thought it was just another wrong number.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading _The Colonel was a career man; and knowing what would happen within his lifetime promised to be an invaluable asset....
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ringing signal burred against my ear in the usual way, then there was a click, and somebody said, "Office of Historical Research.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But he had never heard of that ancient legend of Faust...._ At first I thought it was just another wrong number.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _The Colonel was a career man; and knowing what would happen within his lifetime promised to be an invaluable asset....
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ringing signal burred against my ear in the usual way, then there was a click, and somebody said, "Office of Historical Research.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _The Colonel was a career man; and knowing what would happen within his lifetime promised to be an invaluable asset....
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ringing signal burred against my ear in the usual way, then there was a click, and somebody said, "Office of Historical Research.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But he had never heard of that ancient legend of Faust...._ At first I thought it was just another wrong number.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But he had never heard of that ancient legend of Faust...._ At first I thought it was just another wrong number.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading But he had never heard of that ancient legend of Faust...._ At first I thought it was just another wrong number.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _The Colonel was a career man; and knowing what would happen within his lifetime promised to be an invaluable asset....
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But he had never heard of that ancient legend of Faust...._ At first I thought it was just another wrong number.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But he had never heard of that ancient legend of Faust...._ At first I thought it was just another wrong number.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading _The Colonel was a career man; and knowing what would happen within his lifetime promised to be an invaluable asset....
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ringing signal burred against my ear in the usual way, then there was a click, and somebody said, "Office of Historical Research.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading But he had never heard of that ancient legend of Faust...._ At first I thought it was just another wrong number.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Well, it was, in a sense--but not the kind of wrong number I thought it was.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _The Colonel was a career man; and knowing what would happen within his lifetime promised to be an invaluable asset....
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But he had never heard of that ancient legend of Faust...._ At first I thought it was just another wrong number.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But he had never heard of that ancient legend of Faust...._ At first I thought it was just another wrong number.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Well, it was, in a sense--but not the kind of wrong number I thought it was.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _The Colonel was a career man; and knowing what would happen within his lifetime promised to be an invaluable asset....
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But he had never heard of that ancient legend of Faust...._ At first I thought it was just another wrong number.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _The Colonel was a career man; and knowing what would happen within his lifetime promised to be an invaluable asset....
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _The Colonel was a career man; and knowing what would happen within his lifetime promised to be an invaluable asset....
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading The ringing signal burred against my ear in the usual way, then there was a click, and somebody said, "Office of Historical Research.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But he had never heard of that ancient legend of Faust...._ At first I thought it was just another wrong number.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Well, it was, in a sense--but not the kind of wrong number I thought it was.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But he had never heard of that ancient legend of Faust...._ At first I thought it was just another wrong number.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But he had never heard of that ancient legend of Faust...._ At first I thought it was just another wrong number.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ringing signal burred against my ear in the usual way, then there was a click, and somebody said, "Office of Historical Research.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _The Colonel was a career man; and knowing what would happen within his lifetime promised to be an invaluable asset....
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ringing signal burred against my ear in the usual way, then there was a click, and somebody said, "Office of Historical Research.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ringing signal burred against my ear in the usual way, then there was a click, and somebody said, "Office of Historical Research.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ringing signal burred against my ear in the usual way, then there was a click, and somebody said, "Office of Historical Research.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Well, it was, in a sense--but not the kind of wrong number I thought it was.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ringing signal burred against my ear in the usual way, then there was a click, and somebody said, "Office of Historical Research.
a person, without saying who
From this reading The ringing signal burred against my ear in the usual way, then there was a click, and somebody said, "Office of Historical Research.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Zon Twenty speaking."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But he had never heard of that ancient legend of Faust...._ At first I thought it was just another wrong number.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _The Colonel was a career man; and knowing what would happen within his lifetime promised to be an invaluable asset....
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ringing signal burred against my ear in the usual way, then there was a click, and somebody said, "Office of Historical Research.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ringing signal burred against my ear in the usual way, then there was a click, and somebody said, "Office of Historical Research.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But he had never heard of that ancient legend of Faust...._ At first I thought it was just another wrong number.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading _The Colonel was a career man; and knowing what would happen within his lifetime promised to be an invaluable asset....
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Zon Twenty speaking."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ringing signal burred against my ear in the usual way, then there was a click, and somebody said, "Office of Historical Research.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _The Colonel was a career man; and knowing what would happen within his lifetime promised to be an invaluable asset....
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ringing signal burred against my ear in the usual way, then there was a click, and somebody said, "Office of Historical Research.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Well, it was, in a sense--but not the kind of wrong number I thought it was.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading _The Colonel was a career man; and knowing what would happen within his lifetime promised to be an invaluable asset....
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading _The Colonel was a career man; and knowing what would happen within his lifetime promised to be an invaluable asset....
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading _The Colonel was a career man; and knowing what would happen within his lifetime promised to be an invaluable asset....
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But he had never heard of that ancient legend of Faust...._ At first I thought it was just another wrong number.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Zon Twenty speaking."
