A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVIII
After his illness Birkin went to the south of France for a time. He did not write, nobody heard anything of him. Ursula, left alone, felt as if everything were lapsing out. There seemed to be no hope in the world. One was a tiny little rock with the tide of nothingness rising higher and higher She herself was real, and only herself—just like a rock in a wash of flood-water.
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 “After his illness Birkin went to the south of France for a time.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Ursula, left alone, felt as if everything were lapsing out.”
any thing at all
From this reading “He did not write, nobody heard anything of him.”
all things; all of a situation
From this reading “Ursula, left alone, felt as if everything were lapsing out.”
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading “One was a tiny little rock with the tide of nothingness rising higher and higher She herself was real, and only herself—just like a rock in a wash of flood-water.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Ursula, left alone, felt as if everything were lapsing out.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “One was a tiny little rock with the tide of nothingness rising higher and higher She herself was real, and only herself—just like a rock in a wash of flood-water.”
no person; not anyone
From this reading “He did not write, nobody heard anything of him.”
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “One was a tiny little rock with the tide of nothingness rising higher and higher She herself was real, and only herself—just like a rock in a wash of flood-water.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “There seemed to be no hope in the world.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “After his illness Birkin went to the south of France for a time.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “After his illness Birkin went to the south of France for a time.”
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 After his illness Birkin went to the south of France for a time.
later than; following
From this reading After his illness Birkin went to the south of France for a time.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Ursula, left alone, felt as if everything were lapsing out.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading One was a tiny little rock with the tide of nothingness rising higher and higher She herself was real, and only herself—just like a rock in a wash of flood-water.
any thing at all
From this reading He did not write, nobody heard anything of him.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Ursula, left alone, felt as if everything were lapsing out.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading There seemed to be no hope in the world.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After his illness Birkin went to the south of France for a time.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He did not write, nobody heard anything of him.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading Ursula, left alone, felt as if everything were lapsing out.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ursula, left alone, felt as if everything were lapsing out.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One was a tiny little rock with the tide of nothingness rising higher and higher She herself was real, and only herself—just like a rock in a wash of flood-water.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading After his illness Birkin went to the south of France for a time.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After his illness Birkin went to the south of France for a time.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He did not write, nobody heard anything of him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not write, nobody heard anything of him.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading One was a tiny little rock with the tide of nothingness rising higher and higher She herself was real, and only herself—just like a rock in a wash of flood-water.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One was a tiny little rock with the tide of nothingness rising higher and higher She herself was real, and only herself—just like a rock in a wash of flood-water.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He did not write, nobody heard anything of him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading After his illness Birkin went to the south of France for a time.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There seemed to be no hope in the world.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Ursula, left alone, felt as if everything were lapsing out.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After his illness Birkin went to the south of France for a time.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There seemed to be no hope in the world.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One was a tiny little rock with the tide of nothingness rising higher and higher She herself was real, and only herself—just like a rock in a wash of flood-water.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ursula, left alone, felt as if everything were lapsing out.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Ursula, left alone, felt as if everything were lapsing out.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One was a tiny little rock with the tide of nothingness rising higher and higher She herself was real, and only herself—just like a rock in a wash of flood-water.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading One was a tiny little rock with the tide of nothingness rising higher and higher She herself was real, and only herself—just like a rock in a wash of flood-water.
not any; not one
From this reading There seemed to be no hope in the world.
no person; not anyone
From this reading He did not write, nobody heard anything of him.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He did not write, nobody heard anything of him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One was a tiny little rock with the tide of nothingness rising higher and higher She herself was real, and only herself—just like a rock in a wash of flood-water.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading After his illness Birkin went to the south of France for a time.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One was a tiny little rock with the tide of nothingness rising higher and higher She herself was real, and only herself—just like a rock in a wash of flood-water.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One was a tiny little rock with the tide of nothingness rising higher and higher She herself was real, and only herself—just like a rock in a wash of flood-water.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ursula, left alone, felt as if everything were lapsing out.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One was a tiny little rock with the tide of nothingness rising higher and higher She herself was real, and only herself—just like a rock in a wash of flood-water.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One was a tiny little rock with the tide of nothingness rising higher and higher She herself was real, and only herself—just like a rock in a wash of flood-water.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One was a tiny little rock with the tide of nothingness rising higher and higher She herself was real, and only herself—just like a rock in a wash of flood-water.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading There seemed to be no hope in the world.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading One was a tiny little rock with the tide of nothingness rising higher and higher She herself was real, and only herself—just like a rock in a wash of flood-water.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After his illness Birkin went to the south of France for a time.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading After his illness Birkin went to the south of France for a time.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There seemed to be no hope in the world.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One was a tiny little rock with the tide of nothingness rising higher and higher She herself was real, and only herself—just like a rock in a wash of flood-water.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading After his illness Birkin went to the south of France for a time.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One was a tiny little rock with the tide of nothingness rising higher and higher She herself was real, and only herself—just like a rock in a wash of flood-water.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading After his illness Birkin went to the south of France for a time.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ursula, left alone, felt as if everything were lapsing out.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading One was a tiny little rock with the tide of nothingness rising higher and higher She herself was real, and only herself—just like a rock in a wash of flood-water.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One was a tiny little rock with the tide of nothingness rising higher and higher She herself was real, and only herself—just like a rock in a wash of flood-water.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading After his illness Birkin went to the south of France for a time.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Ursula, left alone, felt as if everything were lapsing out.
in the company of; together with
From this reading One was a tiny little rock with the tide of nothingness rising higher and higher She herself was real, and only herself—just like a rock in a wash of flood-water.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There seemed to be no hope in the world.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not write, nobody heard anything of him.
