A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIII
A BIT OF SILK I must admit that when Worth and Barbara walked up and found me talking to Ina Vandeman, I felt caught dead to rights. The girl gave me one long, steady look. I was afraid of Barbara Wallace's eyes. Then and there I relinquished all idea of having her help in this inquiry. She could have done it much better than I, attracted less attention--but no matter.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading “She could have done it much better than I, attracted less attention--but no matter.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “A BIT OF SILK I must admit that when Worth and Barbara walked up and found me talking to Ina Vandeman, I felt caught dead to rights.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “She could have done it much better than I, attracted less attention--but no matter.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “A BIT OF SILK I must admit that when Worth and Barbara walked up and found me talking to Ina Vandeman, I felt caught dead to rights.”
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “She could have done it much better than I, attracted less attention--but no matter.”
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading “Then and there I relinquished all idea of having her help in this inquiry.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Then and there I relinquished all idea of having her help in this inquiry.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “The girl gave me one long, steady look.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “The girl gave me one long, steady look.”
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading “A BIT OF SILK I must admit that when Worth and Barbara walked up and found me talking to Ina Vandeman, I felt caught dead to rights.”
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “The girl gave me one long, steady look.”
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 A BIT OF SILK I must admit that when Worth and Barbara walked up and found me talking to Ina Vandeman, I felt caught dead to rights.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A BIT OF SILK I must admit that when Worth and Barbara walked up and found me talking to Ina Vandeman, I felt caught dead to rights.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was afraid of Barbara Wallace's eyes.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then and there I relinquished all idea of having her help in this inquiry.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A BIT OF SILK I must admit that when Worth and Barbara walked up and found me talking to Ina Vandeman, I felt caught dead to rights.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She could have done it much better than I, attracted less attention--but no matter.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She could have done it much better than I, attracted less attention--but no matter.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A BIT OF SILK I must admit that when Worth and Barbara walked up and found me talking to Ina Vandeman, I felt caught dead to rights.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She could have done it much better than I, attracted less attention--but no matter.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A BIT OF SILK I must admit that when Worth and Barbara walked up and found me talking to Ina Vandeman, I felt caught dead to rights.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She could have done it much better than I, attracted less attention--but no matter.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A BIT OF SILK I must admit that when Worth and Barbara walked up and found me talking to Ina Vandeman, I felt caught dead to rights.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading She could have done it much better than I, attracted less attention--but no matter.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading A BIT OF SILK I must admit that when Worth and Barbara walked up and found me talking to Ina Vandeman, I felt caught dead to rights.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading She could have done it much better than I, attracted less attention--but no matter.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was afraid of Barbara Wallace's eyes.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A BIT OF SILK I must admit that when Worth and Barbara walked up and found me talking to Ina Vandeman, I felt caught dead to rights.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading A BIT OF SILK I must admit that when Worth and Barbara walked up and found me talking to Ina Vandeman, I felt caught dead to rights.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The girl gave me one long, steady look.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The girl gave me one long, steady look.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading She could have done it much better than I, attracted less attention--but no matter.
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading Then and there I relinquished all idea of having her help in this inquiry.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Then and there I relinquished all idea of having her help in this inquiry.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Then and there I relinquished all idea of having her help in this inquiry.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading A BIT OF SILK I must admit that when Worth and Barbara walked up and found me talking to Ina Vandeman, I felt caught dead to rights.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then and there I relinquished all idea of having her help in this inquiry.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Then and there I relinquished all idea of having her help in this inquiry.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A BIT OF SILK I must admit that when Worth and Barbara walked up and found me talking to Ina Vandeman, I felt caught dead to rights.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then and there I relinquished all idea of having her help in this inquiry.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading She could have done it much better than I, attracted less attention--but no matter.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She could have done it much better than I, attracted less attention--but no matter.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The girl gave me one long, steady look.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The girl gave me one long, steady look.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She could have done it much better than I, attracted less attention--but no matter.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading A BIT OF SILK I must admit that when Worth and Barbara walked up and found me talking to Ina Vandeman, I felt caught dead to rights.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She could have done it much better than I, attracted less attention--but no matter.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading A BIT OF SILK I must admit that when Worth and Barbara walked up and found me talking to Ina Vandeman, I felt caught dead to rights.
not any; not one
From this reading She could have done it much better than I, attracted less attention--but no matter.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A BIT OF SILK I must admit that when Worth and Barbara walked up and found me talking to Ina Vandeman, I felt caught dead to rights.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The girl gave me one long, steady look.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then and there I relinquished all idea of having her help in this inquiry.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A BIT OF SILK I must admit that when Worth and Barbara walked up and found me talking to Ina Vandeman, I felt caught dead to rights.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She could have done it much better than I, attracted less attention--but no matter.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A BIT OF SILK I must admit that when Worth and Barbara walked up and found me talking to Ina Vandeman, I felt caught dead to rights.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The girl gave me one long, steady look.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A BIT OF SILK I must admit that when Worth and Barbara walked up and found me talking to Ina Vandeman, I felt caught dead to rights.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading She could have done it much better than I, attracted less attention--but no matter.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A BIT OF SILK I must admit that when Worth and Barbara walked up and found me talking to Ina Vandeman, I felt caught dead to rights.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The girl gave me one long, steady look.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then and there I relinquished all idea of having her help in this inquiry.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then and there I relinquished all idea of having her help in this inquiry.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Then and there I relinquished all idea of having her help in this inquiry.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A BIT OF SILK I must admit that when Worth and Barbara walked up and found me talking to Ina Vandeman, I felt caught dead to rights.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A BIT OF SILK I must admit that when Worth and Barbara walked up and found me talking to Ina Vandeman, I felt caught dead to rights.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A BIT OF SILK I must admit that when Worth and Barbara walked up and found me talking to Ina Vandeman, I felt caught dead to rights.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A BIT OF SILK I must admit that when Worth and Barbara walked up and found me talking to Ina Vandeman, I felt caught dead to rights.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was afraid of Barbara Wallace's eyes.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was afraid of Barbara Wallace's eyes.
at the time that
From this reading A BIT OF SILK I must admit that when Worth and Barbara walked up and found me talking to Ina Vandeman, I felt caught dead to rights.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A BIT OF SILK I must admit that when Worth and Barbara walked up and found me talking to Ina Vandeman, I felt caught dead to rights.
