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Remarks
Remarks

Chapter XVII

Cover illustration for Remarks
Context Illustration Reading 1/84 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.
A neighbor of mine went to Washington during the Guiteau trial and has been telling us about it ever since.
He is one of those people who don't want to be close and stingy about what they know.
He likes to go through life shedding information right and left.
He likes to get a crowd around him and then tell how he was in Washington at the time of the “post mortise examination.”
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Remarks

Chapter XVII

Reading 1/84 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.
Line 2
A neighbor of mine went to Washington during the Guiteau trial and has been telling us about it ever since.
Line 3
He is one of those people who don't want to be close and stingy about what they know.
Line 4
He likes to go through life shedding information right and left.
Line 5
He likes to get a crowd around him and then tell how he was in Washington at the time of the “post mortise examination.”

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

About preposition US /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading “If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.”

Anything pronoun US /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading “If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.”

Around preposition US /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading “If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.”

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “A neighbor of mine went to Washington during the Guiteau trial and has been telling us about it ever since.”

Began noun US /began/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.”

During preposition US /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading “A neighbor of mine went to Washington during the Guiteau trial and has been telling us about it ever since.”

Ever noun US /ever/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “A neighbor of mine went to Washington during the Guiteau trial and has been telling us about it ever since.”

Has auxiliary verb US /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading “A neighbor of mine went to Washington during the Guiteau trial and has been telling us about it ever since.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.”

Know noun US /know/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He is one of those people who don't want to be close and stingy about what they know.”

Left noun US /left/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He likes to go through life shedding information right and left.”

Life noun US /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He likes to go through life shedding information right and left.”

Memory noun US /ˈmem.ər.i/

The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.

From this reading “If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.”

Mind noun US /mind/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.”

Mine pronoun US /maɪn/

the one or ones belonging to the person speaking

From this reading “A neighbor of mine went to Washington during the Guiteau trial and has been telling us about it ever since.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “He is one of those people who don't want to be close and stingy about what they know.”

Right noun US /right/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He likes to go through life shedding information right and left.”

Since preposition US /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading “A neighbor of mine went to Washington during the Guiteau trial and has been telling us about it ever since.”

Suppose noun US /ˈsuppose/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.”

Tell noun US /tell/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He likes to get a crowd around him and then tell how he was in Washington at the time of the “post mortise examination.””

Those determiner US /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading “He is one of those people who don't want to be close and stingy about what they know.”

Through noun US /ˈthrough/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “He likes to go through life shedding information right and left.”

Time noun US /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He likes to get a crowd around him and then tell how he was in Washington at the time of the “post mortise examination.””

Went noun US /went/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “A neighbor of mine went to Washington during the Guiteau trial and has been telling us about it ever since.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading “If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.”

All words in this reading · 92

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

aboard

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading He likes to get a crowd around him and then tell how he was in Washington at the time of the “post mortise examination.”

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading A neighbor of mine went to Washington during the Guiteau trial and has been telling us about it ever since.

begannounUS /began/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

business

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

close

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He is one of those people who don't want to be close and stingy about what they know.

cough

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

crowd

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He likes to get a crowd around him and then tell how he was in Washington at the time of the “post mortise examination.”

dark

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

days

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

didn't

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

don't

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He is one of those people who don't want to be close and stingy about what they know.

duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading A neighbor of mine went to Washington during the Guiteau trial and has been telling us about it ever since.

evernounUS /ever/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading A neighbor of mine went to Washington during the Guiteau trial and has been telling us about it ever since.

examination

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He likes to get a crowd around him and then tell how he was in Washington at the time of the “post mortise examination.”

fingers

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

follow

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

garret

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

get

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He likes to get a crowd around him and then tell how he was in Washington at the time of the “post mortise examination.”

go

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He likes to go through life shedding information right and left.

Guiteau

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A neighbor of mine went to Washington during the Guiteau trial and has been telling us about it ever since.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading A neighbor of mine went to Washington during the Guiteau trial and has been telling us about it ever since.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

how

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He likes to get a crowd around him and then tell how he was in Washington at the time of the “post mortise examination.”

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

information

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He likes to go through life shedding information right and left.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading He is one of those people who don't want to be close and stingy about what they know.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading A neighbor of mine went to Washington during the Guiteau trial and has been telling us about it ever since.

knownounUS /know/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He is one of those people who don't want to be close and stingy about what they know.

leftnounUS /left/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He likes to go through life shedding information right and left.

lifenounUS /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He likes to go through life shedding information right and left.

likes

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He likes to go through life shedding information right and left.

man

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

mean

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

meant

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

medicine

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

memorynounUS /ˈmem.ər.i/

The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

mindnounUS /mind/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

minepronounUS /maɪn/

the one or ones belonging to the person speaking

From this reading A neighbor of mine went to Washington during the Guiteau trial and has been telling us about it ever since.

mortise

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He likes to get a crowd around him and then tell how he was in Washington at the time of the “post mortise examination.”

moth-eaten

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

musty

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

neighbor

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A neighbor of mine went to Washington during the Guiteau trial and has been telling us about it ever since.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading He is one of those people who don't want to be close and stingy about what they know.

paw

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

people

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He is one of those people who don't want to be close and stingy about what they know.

post

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He likes to get a crowd around him and then tell how he was in Washington at the time of the “post mortise examination.”

reader

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

rightnounUS /right/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He likes to go through life shedding information right and left.

routine

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

shedding

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He likes to go through life shedding information right and left.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading A neighbor of mine went to Washington during the Guiteau trial and has been telling us about it ever since.

six

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

some

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

stingy

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He is one of those people who don't want to be close and stingy about what they know.

supposenounUS /ˈsuppose/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

tellnounUS /tell/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He likes to get a crowd around him and then tell how he was in Washington at the time of the “post mortise examination.”

telling

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A neighbor of mine went to Washington during the Guiteau trial and has been telling us about it ever since.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

then

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He likes to get a crowd around him and then tell how he was in Washington at the time of the “post mortise examination.”

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He is one of those people who don't want to be close and stingy about what they know.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading He is one of those people who don't want to be close and stingy about what they know.

throughnounUS /ˈthrough/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading He likes to go through life shedding information right and left.

timenounUS /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He likes to get a crowd around him and then tell how he was in Washington at the time of the “post mortise examination.”

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

trial

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A neighbor of mine went to Washington during the Guiteau trial and has been telling us about it ever since.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading A neighbor of mine went to Washington during the Guiteau trial and has been telling us about it ever since.

want

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He is one of those people who don't want to be close and stingy about what they know.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading He likes to get a crowd around him and then tell how he was in Washington at the time of the “post mortise examination.”

Washington

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading A neighbor of mine went to Washington during the Guiteau trial and has been telling us about it ever since.

wentnounUS /went/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading A neighbor of mine went to Washington during the Guiteau trial and has been telling us about it ever since.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading He is one of those people who don't want to be close and stingy about what they know.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading He is one of those people who don't want to be close and stingy about what they know.

words

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading If he meant anything, I suppose he meant a routine of business, but a man would have to be a mind reader to follow him some days when he had about six fingers of cough medicine aboard and began to paw around in the dark and musty garret of his memory for moth-eaten words that didn't mean anything.