A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
It was many years since Mrs. Field had taken any but the most trivial journeys. Elliot was a hundred and twenty miles away. She must go to Boston; then cross the city to the other depot, where she would take the Elliot train. This elderly unsophisticated woman might very reasonably have been terrified at the idea of taking this journey alone, but she was not. She never thought of it.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “This elderly unsophisticated woman might very reasonably have been terrified at the idea of taking this journey alone, but she was not.”
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “This elderly unsophisticated woman might very reasonably have been terrified at the idea of taking this journey alone, but she was not.”
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “This elderly unsophisticated woman might very reasonably have been terrified at the idea of taking this journey alone, but she was not.”
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading “This elderly unsophisticated woman might very reasonably have been terrified at the idea of taking this journey alone, but she was not.”
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading “This elderly unsophisticated woman might very reasonably have been terrified at the idea of taking this journey alone, but she was not.”
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading “She must go to Boston; then cross the city to the other depot, where she would take the Elliot train.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “She never thought of it.”
from a time in the past until now
From this reading “It was many years since Mrs. Field had taken any but the most trivial journeys.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “She must go to Boston; then cross the city to the other depot, where she would take the Elliot train.”
extremely frightened
From this reading “This elderly unsophisticated woman might very reasonably have been terrified at the idea of taking this journey alone, but she was not.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “She never thought of it.”
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “She must go to Boston; then cross the city to the other depot, where she would take the Elliot train.”
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 Elliot was a hundred and twenty miles away.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading This elderly unsophisticated woman might very reasonably have been terrified at the idea of taking this journey alone, but she was not.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Elliot was a hundred and twenty miles away.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was many years since Mrs. Field had taken any but the most trivial journeys.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading This elderly unsophisticated woman might very reasonably have been terrified at the idea of taking this journey alone, but she was not.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Elliot was a hundred and twenty miles away.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading This elderly unsophisticated woman might very reasonably have been terrified at the idea of taking this journey alone, but she was not.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She must go to Boston; then cross the city to the other depot, where she would take the Elliot train.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It was many years since Mrs. Field had taken any but the most trivial journeys.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She must go to Boston; then cross the city to the other depot, where she would take the Elliot train.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She must go to Boston; then cross the city to the other depot, where she would take the Elliot train.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She must go to Boston; then cross the city to the other depot, where she would take the Elliot train.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This elderly unsophisticated woman might very reasonably have been terrified at the idea of taking this journey alone, but she was not.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Elliot was a hundred and twenty miles away.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was many years since Mrs. Field had taken any but the most trivial journeys.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She must go to Boston; then cross the city to the other depot, where she would take the Elliot train.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It was many years since Mrs. Field had taken any but the most trivial journeys.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading This elderly unsophisticated woman might very reasonably have been terrified at the idea of taking this journey alone, but she was not.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Elliot was a hundred and twenty miles away.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This elderly unsophisticated woman might very reasonably have been terrified at the idea of taking this journey alone, but she was not.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was many years since Mrs. Field had taken any but the most trivial journeys.
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading This elderly unsophisticated woman might very reasonably have been terrified at the idea of taking this journey alone, but she was not.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was many years since Mrs. Field had taken any but the most trivial journeys.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was many years since Mrs. Field had taken any but the most trivial journeys.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading This elderly unsophisticated woman might very reasonably have been terrified at the idea of taking this journey alone, but she was not.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Elliot was a hundred and twenty miles away.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was many years since Mrs. Field had taken any but the most trivial journeys.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was many years since Mrs. Field had taken any but the most trivial journeys.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading She must go to Boston; then cross the city to the other depot, where she would take the Elliot train.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading She never thought of it.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading This elderly unsophisticated woman might very reasonably have been terrified at the idea of taking this journey alone, but she was not.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading This elderly unsophisticated woman might very reasonably have been terrified at the idea of taking this journey alone, but she was not.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She must go to Boston; then cross the city to the other depot, where she would take the Elliot train.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This elderly unsophisticated woman might very reasonably have been terrified at the idea of taking this journey alone, but she was not.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She must go to Boston; then cross the city to the other depot, where she would take the Elliot train.
from a time in the past until now
From this reading It was many years since Mrs. Field had taken any but the most trivial journeys.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading She must go to Boston; then cross the city to the other depot, where she would take the Elliot train.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was many years since Mrs. Field had taken any but the most trivial journeys.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This elderly unsophisticated woman might very reasonably have been terrified at the idea of taking this journey alone, but she was not.
extremely frightened
From this reading This elderly unsophisticated woman might very reasonably have been terrified at the idea of taking this journey alone, but she was not.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was many years since Mrs. Field had taken any but the most trivial journeys.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She must go to Boston; then cross the city to the other depot, where she would take the Elliot train.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This elderly unsophisticated woman might very reasonably have been terrified at the idea of taking this journey alone, but she was not.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading She never thought of it.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She must go to Boston; then cross the city to the other depot, where she would take the Elliot train.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She must go to Boston; then cross the city to the other depot, where she would take the Elliot train.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was many years since Mrs. Field had taken any but the most trivial journeys.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Elliot was a hundred and twenty miles away.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This elderly unsophisticated woman might very reasonably have been terrified at the idea of taking this journey alone, but she was not.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This elderly unsophisticated woman might very reasonably have been terrified at the idea of taking this journey alone, but she was not.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was many years since Mrs. Field had taken any but the most trivial journeys.
in or at the place that
From this reading She must go to Boston; then cross the city to the other depot, where she would take the Elliot train.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This elderly unsophisticated woman might very reasonably have been terrified at the idea of taking this journey alone, but she was not.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading She must go to Boston; then cross the city to the other depot, where she would take the Elliot train.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was many years since Mrs. Field had taken any but the most trivial journeys.
