A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
The poet, it must be said, is as old as civilization. The Greeks had him with them, stamping out his iambics with the sole of his foot. The Romans, too, knew him--endlessly juggling his syllables together, long and short, short and long, to make hexameters. This can now be done by electricity, but the Romans did not know it. But it is not my present purpose to speak of the poets of an earlier and ruder time.
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 can now be done by electricity, but the Romans did not know it.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “The Greeks had him with them, stamping out his iambics with the sole of his foot.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “This can now be done by electricity, but the Romans did not know it.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “The Romans, too, knew him--endlessly juggling his syllables together, long and short, short and long, to make hexameters.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “The Romans, too, knew him--endlessly juggling his syllables together, long and short, short and long, to make hexameters.”
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading “The poet, it must be said, is as old as civilization.”
brief or direct in expression
From this reading “The Romans, too, knew him--endlessly juggling his syllables together, long and short, short and long, to make hexameters.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “But it is not my present purpose to speak of the poets of an earlier and ruder time.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “But it is not my present purpose to speak of the poets of an earlier and ruder time.”
Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading But it is not my present purpose to speak of the poets of an earlier and ruder time.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Romans, too, knew him--endlessly juggling his syllables together, long and short, short and long, to make hexameters.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The poet, it must be said, is as old as civilization.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The poet, it must be said, is as old as civilization.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading This can now be done by electricity, but the Romans did not know it.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading This can now be done by electricity, but the Romans did not know it.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading This can now be done by electricity, but the Romans did not know it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The poet, it must be said, is as old as civilization.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading This can now be done by electricity, but the Romans did not know it.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading This can now be done by electricity, but the Romans did not know it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But it is not my present purpose to speak of the poets of an earlier and ruder time.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This can now be done by electricity, but the Romans did not know it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Romans, too, knew him--endlessly juggling his syllables together, long and short, short and long, to make hexameters.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The Greeks had him with them, stamping out his iambics with the sole of his foot.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Greeks had him with them, stamping out his iambics with the sole of his foot.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The Greeks had him with them, stamping out his iambics with the sole of his foot.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Romans, too, knew him--endlessly juggling his syllables together, long and short, short and long, to make hexameters.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The Greeks had him with them, stamping out his iambics with the sole of his foot.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The Greeks had him with them, stamping out his iambics with the sole of his foot.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Greeks had him with them, stamping out his iambics with the sole of his foot.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The poet, it must be said, is as old as civilization.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The poet, it must be said, is as old as civilization.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Romans, too, knew him--endlessly juggling his syllables together, long and short, short and long, to make hexameters.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Romans, too, knew him--endlessly juggling his syllables together, long and short, short and long, to make hexameters.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading This can now be done by electricity, but the Romans did not know it.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The Romans, too, knew him--endlessly juggling his syllables together, long and short, short and long, to make hexameters.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The Romans, too, knew him--endlessly juggling his syllables together, long and short, short and long, to make hexameters.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading The poet, it must be said, is as old as civilization.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading But it is not my present purpose to speak of the poets of an earlier and ruder time.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading This can now be done by electricity, but the Romans did not know it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This can now be done by electricity, but the Romans did not know it.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Greeks had him with them, stamping out his iambics with the sole of his foot.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The poet, it must be said, is as old as civilization.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Greeks had him with them, stamping out his iambics with the sole of his foot.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The poet, it must be said, is as old as civilization.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But it is not my present purpose to speak of the poets of an earlier and ruder time.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But it is not my present purpose to speak of the poets of an earlier and ruder time.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But it is not my present purpose to speak of the poets of an earlier and ruder time.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Romans, too, knew him--endlessly juggling his syllables together, long and short, short and long, to make hexameters.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But it is not my present purpose to speak of the poets of an earlier and ruder time.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The poet, it must be said, is as old as civilization.
brief or direct in expression
From this reading The Romans, too, knew him--endlessly juggling his syllables together, long and short, short and long, to make hexameters.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Greeks had him with them, stamping out his iambics with the sole of his foot.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But it is not my present purpose to speak of the poets of an earlier and ruder time.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Greeks had him with them, stamping out his iambics with the sole of his foot.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Romans, too, knew him--endlessly juggling his syllables together, long and short, short and long, to make hexameters.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The poet, it must be said, is as old as civilization.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The Greeks had him with them, stamping out his iambics with the sole of his foot.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This can now be done by electricity, but the Romans did not know it.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But it is not my present purpose to speak of the poets of an earlier and ruder time.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The Romans, too, knew him--endlessly juggling his syllables together, long and short, short and long, to make hexameters.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Romans, too, knew him--endlessly juggling his syllables together, long and short, short and long, to make hexameters.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Romans, too, knew him--endlessly juggling his syllables together, long and short, short and long, to make hexameters.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The Greeks had him with them, stamping out his iambics with the sole of his foot.
