The harder Tom tried to fasten his mind on his book, the more his ideas wandered.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VII
The harder Tom tried to fasten his mind on his book, the more his ideas wandered. So at last, with a sigh and a yawn, he gave it up. It seemed to him that the noon recess would never come. The air was utterly dead. There was not a breath stirring.
Reading 1/34 · 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.
cause to be firmly attached
From this reading “The harder Tom tried to fasten his mind on his book, the more his ideas wandered.”
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 So at last, with a sigh and a yawn, he gave it up.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The air was utterly dead.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading So at last, with a sigh and a yawn, he gave it up.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading So at last, with a sigh and a yawn, he gave it up.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The harder Tom tried to fasten his mind on his book, the more his ideas wandered.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was not a breath stirring.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It seemed to him that the noon recess would never come.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The air was utterly dead.
cause to be firmly attached
From this reading The harder Tom tried to fasten his mind on his book, the more his ideas wandered.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So at last, with a sigh and a yawn, he gave it up.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The harder Tom tried to fasten his mind on his book, the more his ideas wandered.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading So at last, with a sigh and a yawn, he gave it up.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It seemed to him that the noon recess would never come.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The harder Tom tried to fasten his mind on his book, the more his ideas wandered.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The harder Tom tried to fasten his mind on his book, the more his ideas wandered.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading So at last, with a sigh and a yawn, he gave it up.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading So at last, with a sigh and a yawn, he gave it up.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The harder Tom tried to fasten his mind on his book, the more his ideas wandered.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The harder Tom tried to fasten his mind on his book, the more his ideas wandered.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It seemed to him that the noon recess would never come.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It seemed to him that the noon recess would never come.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading There was not a breath stirring.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The harder Tom tried to fasten his mind on his book, the more his ideas wandered.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It seemed to him that the noon recess would never come.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It seemed to him that the noon recess would never come.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So at last, with a sigh and a yawn, he gave it up.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So at last, with a sigh and a yawn, he gave it up.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was not a breath stirring.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It seemed to him that the noon recess would never come.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The harder Tom tried to fasten his mind on his book, the more his ideas wandered.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was not a breath stirring.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The harder Tom tried to fasten his mind on his book, the more his ideas wandered.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The harder Tom tried to fasten his mind on his book, the more his ideas wandered.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The harder Tom tried to fasten his mind on his book, the more his ideas wandered.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So at last, with a sigh and a yawn, he gave it up.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The air was utterly dead.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The harder Tom tried to fasten his mind on his book, the more his ideas wandered.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The air was utterly dead.
in the company of; together with
From this reading So at last, with a sigh and a yawn, he gave it up.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It seemed to him that the noon recess would never come.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So at last, with a sigh and a yawn, he gave it up.
What is the central narrative or theme conveyed in this section of Chapter 07?
Which core linguistic virtue or character attribute is emphasized in this passage?
According to the text: "CHAPTER XVIII....", what tone does the author establish?
