A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
If it was happening to him, all right, he could take that ... but what if he was happening to it? Putting people painlessly to sleep is really a depressing job. It keeps me awake at night thinking of all those bodies I have sent to the vaults, and it interferes to a marked extent with my digestion. I thought before Councilman Coleman came to see me that there wasn't much that could bother me worse. Coleman came in the morning before I was really ready to face the day.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading “I thought before Councilman Coleman came to see me that there wasn't much that could bother me worse.”
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading “If it was happening to him, all right, he could take that ... but what if he was happening to it?”
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “It keeps me awake at night thinking of all those bodies I have sent to the vaults, and it interferes to a marked extent with my digestion.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Coleman came in the morning before I was really ready to face the day.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “If it was happening to him, all right, he could take that ... but what if he was happening to it?”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “If it was happening to him, all right, he could take that ... but what if he was happening to it?”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “It keeps me awake at night thinking of all those bodies I have sent to the vaults, and it interferes to a marked extent with my digestion.”
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading “It keeps me awake at night thinking of all those bodies I have sent to the vaults, and it interferes to a marked extent with my digestion.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “I thought before Councilman Coleman came to see me that there wasn't much that could bother me worse.”
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 Putting people painlessly to sleep is really a depressing job.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If it was happening to him, all right, he could take that ... but what if he was happening to it?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It keeps me awake at night thinking of all those bodies I have sent to the vaults, and it interferes to a marked extent with my digestion.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It keeps me awake at night thinking of all those bodies I have sent to the vaults, and it interferes to a marked extent with my digestion.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It keeps me awake at night thinking of all those bodies I have sent to the vaults, and it interferes to a marked extent with my digestion.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading I thought before Councilman Coleman came to see me that there wasn't much that could bother me worse.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It keeps me awake at night thinking of all those bodies I have sent to the vaults, and it interferes to a marked extent with my digestion.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I thought before Councilman Coleman came to see me that there wasn't much that could bother me worse.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading If it was happening to him, all right, he could take that ... but what if he was happening to it?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I thought before Councilman Coleman came to see me that there wasn't much that could bother me worse.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I thought before Councilman Coleman came to see me that there wasn't much that could bother me worse.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading If it was happening to him, all right, he could take that ... but what if he was happening to it?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I thought before Councilman Coleman came to see me that there wasn't much that could bother me worse.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Coleman came in the morning before I was really ready to face the day.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Putting people painlessly to sleep is really a depressing job.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It keeps me awake at night thinking of all those bodies I have sent to the vaults, and it interferes to a marked extent with my digestion.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It keeps me awake at night thinking of all those bodies I have sent to the vaults, and it interferes to a marked extent with my digestion.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Coleman came in the morning before I was really ready to face the day.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If it was happening to him, all right, he could take that ... but what if he was happening to it?
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It keeps me awake at night thinking of all those bodies I have sent to the vaults, and it interferes to a marked extent with my digestion.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading If it was happening to him, all right, he could take that ... but what if he was happening to it?
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading If it was happening to him, all right, he could take that ... but what if he was happening to it?
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading It keeps me awake at night thinking of all those bodies I have sent to the vaults, and it interferes to a marked extent with my digestion.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If it was happening to him, all right, he could take that ... but what if he was happening to it?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Coleman came in the morning before I was really ready to face the day.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It keeps me awake at night thinking of all those bodies I have sent to the vaults, and it interferes to a marked extent with my digestion.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Putting people painlessly to sleep is really a depressing job.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading If it was happening to him, all right, he could take that ... but what if he was happening to it?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Putting people painlessly to sleep is really a depressing job.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It keeps me awake at night thinking of all those bodies I have sent to the vaults, and it interferes to a marked extent with my digestion.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It keeps me awake at night thinking of all those bodies I have sent to the vaults, and it interferes to a marked extent with my digestion.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It keeps me awake at night thinking of all those bodies I have sent to the vaults, and it interferes to a marked extent with my digestion.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Coleman came in the morning before I was really ready to face the day.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I thought before Councilman Coleman came to see me that there wasn't much that could bother me worse.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading It keeps me awake at night thinking of all those bodies I have sent to the vaults, and it interferes to a marked extent with my digestion.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It keeps me awake at night thinking of all those bodies I have sent to the vaults, and it interferes to a marked extent with my digestion.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It keeps me awake at night thinking of all those bodies I have sent to the vaults, and it interferes to a marked extent with my digestion.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Putting people painlessly to sleep is really a depressing job.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Putting people painlessly to sleep is really a depressing job.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Putting people painlessly to sleep is really a depressing job.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Coleman came in the morning before I was really ready to face the day.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Putting people painlessly to sleep is really a depressing job.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading If it was happening to him, all right, he could take that ... but what if he was happening to it?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I thought before Councilman Coleman came to see me that there wasn't much that could bother me worse.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It keeps me awake at night thinking of all those bodies I have sent to the vaults, and it interferes to a marked extent with my digestion.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Putting people painlessly to sleep is really a depressing job.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading If it was happening to him, all right, he could take that ... but what if he was happening to it?
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading If it was happening to him, all right, he could take that ... but what if he was happening to it?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It keeps me awake at night thinking of all those bodies I have sent to the vaults, and it interferes to a marked extent with my digestion.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I thought before Councilman Coleman came to see me that there wasn't much that could bother me worse.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It keeps me awake at night thinking of all those bodies I have sent to the vaults, and it interferes to a marked extent with my digestion.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading It keeps me awake at night thinking of all those bodies I have sent to the vaults, and it interferes to a marked extent with my digestion.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I thought before Councilman Coleman came to see me that there wasn't much that could bother me worse.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading If it was happening to him, all right, he could take that ... but what if he was happening to it?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It keeps me awake at night thinking of all those bodies I have sent to the vaults, and it interferes to a marked extent with my digestion.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading If it was happening to him, all right, he could take that ... but what if he was happening to it?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I thought before Councilman Coleman came to see me that there wasn't much that could bother me worse.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading If it was happening to him, all right, he could take that ... but what if he was happening to it?
in the company of; together with
From this reading It keeps me awake at night thinking of all those bodies I have sent to the vaults, and it interferes to a marked extent with my digestion.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I thought before Councilman Coleman came to see me that there wasn't much that could bother me worse.
