A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
The whole thing started when the clock on the Metropolitan Tower began to run backward. It was not a graceful proceeding. The hands had been moving onward in their customary deliberate fashion, slowly and thoughtfully, but suddenly the people in the offices near the clock's face heard an ominous creaking and groaning. There was a slight, hardly discernible shiver through the tower, and then something gave with a crash. The big hands on the clock began to move backward.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “The hands had been moving onward in their customary deliberate fashion, slowly and thoughtfully, but suddenly the people in the offices near the clock's face heard an ominous creaking and groaning.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “The whole thing started when the clock on the Metropolitan Tower began to run backward.”
members of a ship’s crew
From this reading “The hands had been moving onward in their customary deliberate fashion, slowly and thoughtfully, but suddenly the people in the offices near the clock's face heard an ominous creaking and groaning.”
a thing, without saying which
From this reading “There was a slight, hardly discernible shiver through the tower, and then something gave with a crash.”
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading “The hands had been moving onward in their customary deliberate fashion, slowly and thoughtfully, but suddenly the people in the offices near the clock's face heard an ominous creaking and groaning.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “The whole thing started when the clock on the Metropolitan Tower began to run backward.”
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading “There was a slight, hardly discernible shiver through the tower, and then something gave with a crash.”
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 It was not a graceful proceeding.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The hands had been moving onward in their customary deliberate fashion, slowly and thoughtfully, but suddenly the people in the offices near the clock's face heard an ominous creaking and groaning.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The hands had been moving onward in their customary deliberate fashion, slowly and thoughtfully, but suddenly the people in the offices near the clock's face heard an ominous creaking and groaning.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The whole thing started when the clock on the Metropolitan Tower began to run backward.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The hands had been moving onward in their customary deliberate fashion, slowly and thoughtfully, but suddenly the people in the offices near the clock's face heard an ominous creaking and groaning.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The whole thing started when the clock on the Metropolitan Tower began to run backward.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The big hands on the clock began to move backward.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The hands had been moving onward in their customary deliberate fashion, slowly and thoughtfully, but suddenly the people in the offices near the clock's face heard an ominous creaking and groaning.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The whole thing started when the clock on the Metropolitan Tower began to run backward.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The hands had been moving onward in their customary deliberate fashion, slowly and thoughtfully, but suddenly the people in the offices near the clock's face heard an ominous creaking and groaning.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a slight, hardly discernible shiver through the tower, and then something gave with a crash.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The hands had been moving onward in their customary deliberate fashion, slowly and thoughtfully, but suddenly the people in the offices near the clock's face heard an ominous creaking and groaning.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The hands had been moving onward in their customary deliberate fashion, slowly and thoughtfully, but suddenly the people in the offices near the clock's face heard an ominous creaking and groaning.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The hands had been moving onward in their customary deliberate fashion, slowly and thoughtfully, but suddenly the people in the offices near the clock's face heard an ominous creaking and groaning.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a slight, hardly discernible shiver through the tower, and then something gave with a crash.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The hands had been moving onward in their customary deliberate fashion, slowly and thoughtfully, but suddenly the people in the offices near the clock's face heard an ominous creaking and groaning.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The hands had been moving onward in their customary deliberate fashion, slowly and thoughtfully, but suddenly the people in the offices near the clock's face heard an ominous creaking and groaning.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a slight, hardly discernible shiver through the tower, and then something gave with a crash.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was not a graceful proceeding.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The hands had been moving onward in their customary deliberate fashion, slowly and thoughtfully, but suddenly the people in the offices near the clock's face heard an ominous creaking and groaning.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The hands had been moving onward in their customary deliberate fashion, slowly and thoughtfully, but suddenly the people in the offices near the clock's face heard an ominous creaking and groaning.
members of a ship’s crew
From this reading The hands had been moving onward in their customary deliberate fashion, slowly and thoughtfully, but suddenly the people in the offices near the clock's face heard an ominous creaking and groaning.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a slight, hardly discernible shiver through the tower, and then something gave with a crash.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The hands had been moving onward in their customary deliberate fashion, slowly and thoughtfully, but suddenly the people in the offices near the clock's face heard an ominous creaking and groaning.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The hands had been moving onward in their customary deliberate fashion, slowly and thoughtfully, but suddenly the people in the offices near the clock's face heard an ominous creaking and groaning.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was not a graceful proceeding.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The whole thing started when the clock on the Metropolitan Tower began to run backward.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The big hands on the clock began to move backward.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The hands had been moving onward in their customary deliberate fashion, slowly and thoughtfully, but suddenly the people in the offices near the clock's face heard an ominous creaking and groaning.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The hands had been moving onward in their customary deliberate fashion, slowly and thoughtfully, but suddenly the people in the offices near the clock's face heard an ominous creaking and groaning.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was not a graceful proceeding.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The hands had been moving onward in their customary deliberate fashion, slowly and thoughtfully, but suddenly the people in the offices near the clock's face heard an ominous creaking and groaning.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The hands had been moving onward in their customary deliberate fashion, slowly and thoughtfully, but suddenly the people in the offices near the clock's face heard an ominous creaking and groaning.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The whole thing started when the clock on the Metropolitan Tower began to run backward.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The hands had been moving onward in their customary deliberate fashion, slowly and thoughtfully, but suddenly the people in the offices near the clock's face heard an ominous creaking and groaning.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The hands had been moving onward in their customary deliberate fashion, slowly and thoughtfully, but suddenly the people in the offices near the clock's face heard an ominous creaking and groaning.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was not a graceful proceeding.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The whole thing started when the clock on the Metropolitan Tower began to run backward.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a slight, hardly discernible shiver through the tower, and then something gave with a crash.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a slight, hardly discernible shiver through the tower, and then something gave with a crash.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The hands had been moving onward in their customary deliberate fashion, slowly and thoughtfully, but suddenly the people in the offices near the clock's face heard an ominous creaking and groaning.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading There was a slight, hardly discernible shiver through the tower, and then something gave with a crash.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The whole thing started when the clock on the Metropolitan Tower began to run backward.
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading The hands had been moving onward in their customary deliberate fashion, slowly and thoughtfully, but suddenly the people in the offices near the clock's face heard an ominous creaking and groaning.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The whole thing started when the clock on the Metropolitan Tower began to run backward.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The hands had been moving onward in their customary deliberate fashion, slowly and thoughtfully, but suddenly the people in the offices near the clock's face heard an ominous creaking and groaning.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a slight, hardly discernible shiver through the tower, and then something gave with a crash.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a slight, hardly discernible shiver through the tower, and then something gave with a crash.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The whole thing started when the clock on the Metropolitan Tower began to run backward.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The hands had been moving onward in their customary deliberate fashion, slowly and thoughtfully, but suddenly the people in the offices near the clock's face heard an ominous creaking and groaning.
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading There was a slight, hardly discernible shiver through the tower, and then something gave with a crash.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The whole thing started when the clock on the Metropolitan Tower began to run backward.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The whole thing started when the clock on the Metropolitan Tower began to run backward.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was not a graceful proceeding.
at the time that
From this reading The whole thing started when the clock on the Metropolitan Tower began to run backward.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The whole thing started when the clock on the Metropolitan Tower began to run backward.
in the company of; together with
From this reading There was a slight, hardly discernible shiver through the tower, and then something gave with a crash.
