Chapter III · Chapter 3

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

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

later than; following

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

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

From this reading THE SWORD AND THE SOUL.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading It belonged to Sir Seymour Stukeley, who carried the King’s Standard at Edgehill and died with that sword in his hand … _You_ shall wear a sword some day.”

the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

past form of “belong” — be owned by; be in the possession of

From this reading It belonged to Sir Seymour Stukeley, who carried the King’s Standard at Edgehill and died with that sword in his hand … _You_ shall wear a sword some day.”

showing who or what does the action

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

From this reading It belonged to Sir Seymour Stukeley, who carried the King’s Standard at Edgehill and died with that sword in his hand … _You_ shall wear a sword some day.”

a gallant or courtly gentleman

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

possessive form of “dam” — a barrier constructed to contain the flow of water or to keep out the sea

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

a special loved one

From this reading “Yes, sonny darling, it is more than two-hundred-and-fifty years old.

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading It belonged to Sir Seymour Stukeley, who carried the King’s Standard at Edgehill and died with that sword in his hand … _You_ shall wear a sword some day.”

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading (He did—with a difference.)

past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

From this reading It belonged to Sir Seymour Stukeley, who carried the King’s Standard at Edgehill and died with that sword in his hand … _You_ shall wear a sword some day.”

the quality of being unlike or dissimilar

From this reading (He did—with a difference.)

(comparative and superlative of “early”) more early than; most early

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

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

From this reading It belonged to Sir Seymour Stukeley, who carried the King’s Standard at Edgehill and died with that sword in his hand … _You_ shall wear a sword some day.”

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

inflected form of “forget” — dismiss from the mind; stop remembering

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading It belonged to Sir Seymour Stukeley, who carried the King’s Standard at Edgehill and died with that sword in his hand … _You_ shall wear a sword some day.”

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

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

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

From this reading It belonged to Sir Seymour Stukeley, who carried the King’s Standard at Edgehill and died with that sword in his hand … _You_ shall wear a sword some day.”

inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

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

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

a republic in the Asian subcontinent in southern Asia; second most populous country in the world; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1947

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

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

From this reading “Yes, sonny darling, it is more than two-hundred-and-fifty years old.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading “Yes, sonny darling, it is more than two-hundred-and-fifty years old.

possessive form of “king” — a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading It belonged to Sir Seymour Stukeley, who carried the King’s Standard at Edgehill and died with that sword in his hand … _You_ shall wear a sword some day.”

a polite name for any woman

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

Recollections of past events.

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading “Yes, sonny darling, it is more than two-hundred-and-fifty years old.

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

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading “Yes, sonny darling, it is more than two-hundred-and-fifty years old.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

a word picture of a person's appearance and character

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

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

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

express in words

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

Queen of England as the third wife of Henry VIII and mother of Edward VI (1509-1537)

From this reading It belonged to Sir Seymour Stukeley, who carried the King’s Standard at Edgehill and died with that sword in his hand … _You_ shall wear a sword some day.”

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading It belonged to Sir Seymour Stukeley, who carried the King’s Standard at Edgehill and died with that sword in his hand … _You_ shall wear a sword some day.”

term of address for a man

From this reading It belonged to Sir Seymour Stukeley, who carried the King’s Standard at Edgehill and died with that sword in his hand … _You_ shall wear a sword some day.”

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading It belonged to Sir Seymour Stukeley, who carried the King’s Standard at Edgehill and died with that sword in his hand … _You_ shall wear a sword some day.”

a male child (a familiar term of address to a boy)

From this reading “Yes, sonny darling, it is more than two-hundred-and-fifty years old.

the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading THE SWORD AND THE SOUL.

a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

conforming to or constituting a standard of measurement or value; or of the usual or regularized or accepted kind

From this reading It belonged to Sir Seymour Stukeley, who carried the King’s Standard at Edgehill and died with that sword in his hand … _You_ shall wear a sword some day.”

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

From this reading It belonged to Sir Seymour Stukeley, who carried the King’s Standard at Edgehill and died with that sword in his hand … _You_ shall wear a sword some day.”

a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard

From this reading THE SWORD AND THE SOUL.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading “Yes, sonny darling, it is more than two-hundred-and-fifty years old.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

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

From this reading THE SWORD AND THE SOUL.

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

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

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

From this reading “Yes, sonny darling, it is more than two-hundred-and-fifty years old.

employed in accomplishing something

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

precisely as stated

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

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

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

be dressed in

From this reading It belonged to Sir Seymour Stukeley, who carried the King’s Standard at Edgehill and died with that sword in his hand … _You_ shall wear a sword some day.”

which person or people

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

in the company of; together with

From this reading It belonged to Sir Seymour Stukeley, who carried the King’s Standard at Edgehill and died with that sword in his hand … _You_ shall wear a sword some day.”

a late time of life

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—

an affirmative

From this reading “Yes, sonny darling, it is more than two-hundred-and-fifty years old.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading It belonged to Sir Seymour Stukeley, who carried the King’s Standard at Edgehill and died with that sword in his hand … _You_ shall wear a sword some day.”

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

From this reading One of the very earliest of all Dam’s memories in after life—for in a few years he forgot India absolutely—was of _the Sword_ (that hung on the oak-panelled wall of the staircase by the portrait of a cavalier), and of a gentle, sad-eyed lady, Auntie Yvette, who used to say:—