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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
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“Yes; horribly unjust of you. I make a great difference between people. I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellects. A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies. I have not got one who is a fool.
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Reading 45/78 · 5 reading units · Lines 221–225
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
plural of “acquaintance” — personal knowledge or information about someone or something
From this reading “I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellects.”
exercising caution or showing care or attention
From this reading “A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies.”
plural of “character” — an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading “I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellects.”
the person or thing chosen or selected
From this reading “A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies.”
plural of “enemy” — an opposing military force
From this reading “I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellects.”
of a dreadful kind
From this reading ““Yes; horribly unjust of you.”
plural of “intellect” — knowledge and intellectual ability
From this reading “I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellects.”
not fair; marked by injustice or partiality or deception
From this reading ““Yes; horribly unjust of you.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
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 I make a great difference between people.
plural of “acquaintance” — personal knowledge or information about someone or something
From this reading I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellects.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellects.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading I make a great difference between people.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies.
exercising caution or showing care or attention
From this reading A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies.
plural of “character” — an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellects.
the person or thing chosen or selected
From this reading A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies.
pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
From this reading I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellects.
the quality of being unlike or dissimilar
From this reading I make a great difference between people.
plural of “enemy” — an opposing military force
From this reading I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellects.
a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading I have not got one who is a fool.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellects.
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellects.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellects.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading I have not got one who is a fool.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading I make a great difference between people.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I have not got one who is a fool.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies.
of a dreadful kind
From this reading “Yes; horribly unjust of you.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I make a great difference between people.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies.
plural of “intellect” — knowledge and intellectual ability
From this reading I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellects.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I have not got one who is a fool.
plural of “look” — the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellects.
engage in
From this reading I make a great difference between people.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellects.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I have not got one who is a fool.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Yes; horribly unjust of you.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading I have not got one who is a fool.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading I make a great difference between people.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellects.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies.
not fair; marked by injustice or partiality or deception
From this reading “Yes; horribly unjust of you.
which person or people
From this reading I have not got one who is a fool.
an affirmative
From this reading “Yes; horribly unjust of you.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Yes; horribly unjust of you.
