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Chapter I
“The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.” “Hi--hey--hold up there, mare, will you? What did you say, mister? A light? Yes.
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 ““The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.””
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading ““The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.””
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading ““The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.””
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 “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.”
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading What did you say, mister?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.”
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Hi--hey--hold up there, mare, will you?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Hi--hey--hold up there, mare, will you?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Hi--hey--hold up there, mare, will you?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A light?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Hi--hey--hold up there, mare, will you?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What did you say, mister?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.”
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.”
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What did you say, mister?
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Hi--hey--hold up there, mare, will you?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Hi--hey--hold up there, mare, will you?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.”
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What did you say, mister?
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading “Hi--hey--hold up there, mare, will you?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yes.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Hi--hey--hold up there, mare, will you?
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety and wit Shall lore it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wash out a word of it.”
