A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
E. V. LUCAS. Once upon a time there was a nice family. Its name was Avory, and it lived in an old house in Chiswick, where the Thames is so sad on grey days and so gay on sunny ones. Mr.--or rather Captain--Avory was dead; he had been wounded at Spion Kop, and died a few years after. Mrs. Avory was thirty-five, and she had four children.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
later than; following
From this reading “Mr.--or rather Captain--Avory was dead; he had been wounded at Spion Kop, and died a few years after.”
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “Mr.--or rather Captain--Avory was dead; he had been wounded at Spion Kop, and died a few years after.”
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading “Mr.--or rather Captain--Avory was dead; he had been wounded at Spion Kop, and died a few years after.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Mr.--or rather Captain--Avory was dead; he had been wounded at Spion Kop, and died a few years after.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Its name was Avory, and it lived in an old house in Chiswick, where the Thames is so sad on grey days and so gay on sunny ones.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Once upon a time there was a nice family.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Once upon a time there was a nice family.”
a formal word for “on”
From this reading “Once upon a time there was a nice family.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Mr.--or rather Captain--Avory was dead; he had been wounded at Spion Kop, and died a few years after.”
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 Once upon a time there was a nice family.
later than; following
From this reading Mr.--or rather Captain--Avory was dead; he had been wounded at Spion Kop, and died a few years after.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Its name was Avory, and it lived in an old house in Chiswick, where the Thames is so sad on grey days and so gay on sunny ones.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Its name was Avory, and it lived in an old house in Chiswick, where the Thames is so sad on grey days and so gay on sunny ones.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Mr.--or rather Captain--Avory was dead; he had been wounded at Spion Kop, and died a few years after.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Its name was Avory, and it lived in an old house in Chiswick, where the Thames is so sad on grey days and so gay on sunny ones.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Mr.--or rather Captain--Avory was dead; he had been wounded at Spion Kop, and died a few years after.
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Mr.--or rather Captain--Avory was dead; he had been wounded at Spion Kop, and died a few years after.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Avory was thirty-five, and she had four children.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Its name was Avory, and it lived in an old house in Chiswick, where the Thames is so sad on grey days and so gay on sunny ones.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Its name was Avory, and it lived in an old house in Chiswick, where the Thames is so sad on grey days and so gay on sunny ones.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Mr.--or rather Captain--Avory was dead; he had been wounded at Spion Kop, and died a few years after.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mr.--or rather Captain--Avory was dead; he had been wounded at Spion Kop, and died a few years after.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading E. V. LUCAS.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Once upon a time there was a nice family.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mr.--or rather Captain--Avory was dead; he had been wounded at Spion Kop, and died a few years after.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Avory was thirty-five, and she had four children.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Its name was Avory, and it lived in an old house in Chiswick, where the Thames is so sad on grey days and so gay on sunny ones.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Its name was Avory, and it lived in an old house in Chiswick, where the Thames is so sad on grey days and so gay on sunny ones.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Mr.--or rather Captain--Avory was dead; he had been wounded at Spion Kop, and died a few years after.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Mr.--or rather Captain--Avory was dead; he had been wounded at Spion Kop, and died a few years after.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Its name was Avory, and it lived in an old house in Chiswick, where the Thames is so sad on grey days and so gay on sunny ones.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Its name was Avory, and it lived in an old house in Chiswick, where the Thames is so sad on grey days and so gay on sunny ones.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Its name was Avory, and it lived in an old house in Chiswick, where the Thames is so sad on grey days and so gay on sunny ones.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Its name was Avory, and it lived in an old house in Chiswick, where the Thames is so sad on grey days and so gay on sunny ones.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Its name was Avory, and it lived in an old house in Chiswick, where the Thames is so sad on grey days and so gay on sunny ones.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mr.--or rather Captain--Avory was dead; he had been wounded at Spion Kop, and died a few years after.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Its name was Avory, and it lived in an old house in Chiswick, where the Thames is so sad on grey days and so gay on sunny ones.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading E. V. LUCAS.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mr.--or rather Captain--Avory was dead; he had been wounded at Spion Kop, and died a few years after.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Avory was thirty-five, and she had four children.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Its name was Avory, and it lived in an old house in Chiswick, where the Thames is so sad on grey days and so gay on sunny ones.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Once upon a time there was a nice family.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Its name was Avory, and it lived in an old house in Chiswick, where the Thames is so sad on grey days and so gay on sunny ones.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Its name was Avory, and it lived in an old house in Chiswick, where the Thames is so sad on grey days and so gay on sunny ones.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Once upon a time there was a nice family.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Its name was Avory, and it lived in an old house in Chiswick, where the Thames is so sad on grey days and so gay on sunny ones.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Mr.--or rather Captain--Avory was dead; he had been wounded at Spion Kop, and died a few years after.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mr.--or rather Captain--Avory was dead; he had been wounded at Spion Kop, and died a few years after.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Its name was Avory, and it lived in an old house in Chiswick, where the Thames is so sad on grey days and so gay on sunny ones.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Mrs. Avory was thirty-five, and she had four children.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Its name was Avory, and it lived in an old house in Chiswick, where the Thames is so sad on grey days and so gay on sunny ones.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mr.--or rather Captain--Avory was dead; he had been wounded at Spion Kop, and died a few years after.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Its name was Avory, and it lived in an old house in Chiswick, where the Thames is so sad on grey days and so gay on sunny ones.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Its name was Avory, and it lived in an old house in Chiswick, where the Thames is so sad on grey days and so gay on sunny ones.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Its name was Avory, and it lived in an old house in Chiswick, where the Thames is so sad on grey days and so gay on sunny ones.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Once upon a time there was a nice family.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Avory was thirty-five, and she had four children.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Once upon a time there was a nice family.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Once upon a time there was a nice family.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading E. V. LUCAS.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Once upon a time there was a nice family.
in or at the place that
From this reading Its name was Avory, and it lived in an old house in Chiswick, where the Thames is so sad on grey days and so gay on sunny ones.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mr.--or rather Captain--Avory was dead; he had been wounded at Spion Kop, and died a few years after.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mr.--or rather Captain--Avory was dead; he had been wounded at Spion Kop, and died a few years after.
