A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
I have one failing. Even I, Hilary Freeth, of Northlands in the County of Berkshire, Esquire, Gent, have one failing, and I freely confess it. I cannot keep a key. Were I as other men are--which, thank Heaven, I am not--I might wear a pound or so of hideous ironmongery chained to my person. This I decline to do, with the result that, as I say, I cannot keep a key.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
a gradual loss of health and strength
From this reading “This I decline to do, with the result that, as I say, I cannot keep a key.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Even I, Hilary Freeth, of Northlands in the County of Berkshire, Esquire, Gent, have one failing, and I freely confess it.”
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “I have one failing.”
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading “Were I as other men are--which, thank Heaven, I am not--I might wear a pound or so of hideous ironmongery chained to my person.”
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “I have one failing.”
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 cannot keep a key.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading Were I as other men are--which, thank Heaven, I am not--I might wear a pound or so of hideous ironmongery chained to my person.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Even I, Hilary Freeth, of Northlands in the County of Berkshire, Esquire, Gent, have one failing, and I freely confess it.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Were I as other men are--which, thank Heaven, I am not--I might wear a pound or so of hideous ironmongery chained to my person.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Were I as other men are--which, thank Heaven, I am not--I might wear a pound or so of hideous ironmongery chained to my person.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even I, Hilary Freeth, of Northlands in the County of Berkshire, Esquire, Gent, have one failing, and I freely confess it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I cannot keep a key.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Were I as other men are--which, thank Heaven, I am not--I might wear a pound or so of hideous ironmongery chained to my person.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even I, Hilary Freeth, of Northlands in the County of Berkshire, Esquire, Gent, have one failing, and I freely confess it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even I, Hilary Freeth, of Northlands in the County of Berkshire, Esquire, Gent, have one failing, and I freely confess it.
a gradual loss of health and strength
From this reading This I decline to do, with the result that, as I say, I cannot keep a key.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading This I decline to do, with the result that, as I say, I cannot keep a key.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even I, Hilary Freeth, of Northlands in the County of Berkshire, Esquire, Gent, have one failing, and I freely confess it.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Even I, Hilary Freeth, of Northlands in the County of Berkshire, Esquire, Gent, have one failing, and I freely confess it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I have one failing.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even I, Hilary Freeth, of Northlands in the County of Berkshire, Esquire, Gent, have one failing, and I freely confess it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even I, Hilary Freeth, of Northlands in the County of Berkshire, Esquire, Gent, have one failing, and I freely confess it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even I, Hilary Freeth, of Northlands in the County of Berkshire, Esquire, Gent, have one failing, and I freely confess it.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I have one failing.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Were I as other men are--which, thank Heaven, I am not--I might wear a pound or so of hideous ironmongery chained to my person.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Were I as other men are--which, thank Heaven, I am not--I might wear a pound or so of hideous ironmongery chained to my person.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even I, Hilary Freeth, of Northlands in the County of Berkshire, Esquire, Gent, have one failing, and I freely confess it.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I have one failing.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Even I, Hilary Freeth, of Northlands in the County of Berkshire, Esquire, Gent, have one failing, and I freely confess it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Were I as other men are--which, thank Heaven, I am not--I might wear a pound or so of hideous ironmongery chained to my person.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Even I, Hilary Freeth, of Northlands in the County of Berkshire, Esquire, Gent, have one failing, and I freely confess it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I cannot keep a key.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I cannot keep a key.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Were I as other men are--which, thank Heaven, I am not--I might wear a pound or so of hideous ironmongery chained to my person.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Were I as other men are--which, thank Heaven, I am not--I might wear a pound or so of hideous ironmongery chained to my person.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Were I as other men are--which, thank Heaven, I am not--I might wear a pound or so of hideous ironmongery chained to my person.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even I, Hilary Freeth, of Northlands in the County of Berkshire, Esquire, Gent, have one failing, and I freely confess it.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Were I as other men are--which, thank Heaven, I am not--I might wear a pound or so of hideous ironmongery chained to my person.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Even I, Hilary Freeth, of Northlands in the County of Berkshire, Esquire, Gent, have one failing, and I freely confess it.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading I have one failing.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Were I as other men are--which, thank Heaven, I am not--I might wear a pound or so of hideous ironmongery chained to my person.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Were I as other men are--which, thank Heaven, I am not--I might wear a pound or so of hideous ironmongery chained to my person.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Were I as other men are--which, thank Heaven, I am not--I might wear a pound or so of hideous ironmongery chained to my person.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Were I as other men are--which, thank Heaven, I am not--I might wear a pound or so of hideous ironmongery chained to my person.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This I decline to do, with the result that, as I say, I cannot keep a key.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This I decline to do, with the result that, as I say, I cannot keep a key.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Were I as other men are--which, thank Heaven, I am not--I might wear a pound or so of hideous ironmongery chained to my person.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Were I as other men are--which, thank Heaven, I am not--I might wear a pound or so of hideous ironmongery chained to my person.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading This I decline to do, with the result that, as I say, I cannot keep a key.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Even I, Hilary Freeth, of Northlands in the County of Berkshire, Esquire, Gent, have one failing, and I freely confess it.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This I decline to do, with the result that, as I say, I cannot keep a key.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Were I as other men are--which, thank Heaven, I am not--I might wear a pound or so of hideous ironmongery chained to my person.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Were I as other men are--which, thank Heaven, I am not--I might wear a pound or so of hideous ironmongery chained to my person.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Were I as other men are--which, thank Heaven, I am not--I might wear a pound or so of hideous ironmongery chained to my person.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Were I as other men are--which, thank Heaven, I am not--I might wear a pound or so of hideous ironmongery chained to my person.
in the company of; together with
From this reading This I decline to do, with the result that, as I say, I cannot keep a key.
