Chapter I · Chapter 1

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading For obvious reasons, those who possessed the secret of the Apergy [1] had never dreamed of applying it in the manner I proposed.

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading For obvious reasons, those who possessed the secret of the Apergy [1] had never dreamed of applying it in the manner I proposed.

-ing form of “apply” — put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose

From this reading For obvious reasons, those who possessed the secret of the Apergy [1] had never dreamed of applying it in the manner I proposed.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

discovered or determined by scientific observation

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

of or relating to or comprising atoms

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading The progress of electrical science had solved this difficulty; and when the secret was communicated to me, it possessed a value which had never before belonged to it.

past form of “belong” — be owned by; be in the possession of

From this reading The progress of electrical science had solved this difficulty; and when the secret was communicated to me, it possessed a value which had never before belonged to it.

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

a prominent attribute or aspect of something

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

the act of gathering something together

From this reading Till lately, no means of generating or collecting this force in large quantity had been found.

past form of “communicate” — transmit information

From this reading The progress of electrical science had solved this difficulty; and when the secret was communicated to me, it possessed a value which had never before belonged to it.

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

an effort that is inconvenient

From this reading The progress of electrical science had solved this difficulty; and when the secret was communicated to me, it possessed a value which had never before belonged to it.

(used of persons) standing above others in character or attainment or reputation

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

conceived of or imagined or hoped for

From this reading For obvious reasons, those who possessed the secret of the Apergy [1] had never dreamed of applying it in the manner I proposed.

relating to or concerned with electricity

From this reading The progress of electrical science had solved this difficulty; and when the secret was communicated to me, it possessed a value which had never before belonged to it.

the state or fact of existing

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For obvious reasons, those who possessed the secret of the Apergy [1] had never dreamed of applying it in the manner I proposed.

a powerful effect or influence

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

set up or found

From this reading Till lately, no means of generating or collecting this force in large quantity had been found.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

existing as or having characteristics of a gas

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

-ing form of “generate” — bring into existence

From this reading Till lately, no means of generating or collecting this force in large quantity had been found.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading For obvious reasons, those who possessed the secret of the Apergy [1] had never dreamed of applying it in the manner I proposed.

only a very short time before

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading For obvious reasons, those who possessed the secret of the Apergy [1] had never dreamed of applying it in the manner I proposed.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading For obvious reasons, those who possessed the secret of the Apergy [1] had never dreamed of applying it in the manner I proposed.

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading For obvious reasons, those who possessed the secret of the Apergy [1] had never dreamed of applying it in the manner I proposed.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Till lately, no means of generating or collecting this force in large quantity had been found.

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

in the recent past

From this reading Till lately, no means of generating or collecting this force in large quantity had been found.

existing as or having characteristics of a liquid; especially tending to flow

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading For obvious reasons, those who possessed the secret of the Apergy [1] had never dreamed of applying it in the manner I proposed.

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The progress of electrical science had solved this difficulty; and when the secret was communicated to me, it possessed a value which had never before belonged to it.

thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end

From this reading Till lately, no means of generating or collecting this force in large quantity had been found.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

to a great degree or extent

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading For obvious reasons, those who possessed the secret of the Apergy [1] had never dreamed of applying it in the manner I proposed.

not any; not one

From this reading Till lately, no means of generating or collecting this force in large quantity had been found.

easily perceived by the senses or grasped by the mind

From this reading For obvious reasons, those who possessed the secret of the Apergy [1] had never dreamed of applying it in the manner I proposed.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading For obvious reasons, those who possessed the secret of the Apergy [1] had never dreamed of applying it in the manner I proposed.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

by chance

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

influenced or controlled by a powerful force such as a strong emotion

From this reading For obvious reasons, those who possessed the secret of the Apergy [1] had never dreamed of applying it in the manner I proposed.

superiority in power or influence

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

gradual improvement or growth or development

From this reading The progress of electrical science had solved this difficulty; and when the secret was communicated to me, it possessed a value which had never before belonged to it.

past form of “propose” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something

From this reading For obvious reasons, those who possessed the secret of the Apergy [1] had never dreamed of applying it in the manner I proposed.

how much there is or how many there are of something that you can quantify

From this reading Till lately, no means of generating or collecting this force in large quantity had been found.

plural of “reason” — a rational motive for a belief or action

From this reading For obvious reasons, those who possessed the secret of the Apergy [1] had never dreamed of applying it in the manner I proposed.

offensive to the mind

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

a particular branch of scientific knowledge

From this reading The progress of electrical science had solved this difficulty; and when the secret was communicated to me, it possessed a value which had never before belonged to it.

Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.

From this reading For obvious reasons, those who possessed the secret of the Apergy [1] had never dreamed of applying it in the manner I proposed.

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

from a time in the past until now

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

characterized by good substantial quality

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

explained or answered

From this reading The progress of electrical science had solved this difficulty; and when the secret was communicated to me, it possessed a value which had never before belonged to it.

a particular environment or walk of life

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

believed likely

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading For obvious reasons, those who possessed the secret of the Apergy [1] had never dreamed of applying it in the manner I proposed.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading Till lately, no means of generating or collecting this force in large quantity had been found.

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading For obvious reasons, those who possessed the secret of the Apergy [1] had never dreamed of applying it in the manner I proposed.

up to a particular time

From this reading Till lately, no means of generating or collecting this force in large quantity had been found.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading It had seemed to them little more than a curious secret of nature, perhaps hardly so much, since the existence of a repulsive force in the atomic sphere had been long suspected and of late certainly ascertained, and its preponderance is held to be the characteristic of the gaseous as distinguished from the liquid or solid state of matter.

a numerical quantity measured or assigned or computed

From this reading The progress of electrical science had solved this difficulty; and when the secret was communicated to me, it possessed a value which had never before belonged to it.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The progress of electrical science had solved this difficulty; and when the secret was communicated to me, it possessed a value which had never before belonged to it.

at the time that

From this reading The progress of electrical science had solved this difficulty; and when the secret was communicated to me, it possessed a value which had never before belonged to it.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading The progress of electrical science had solved this difficulty; and when the secret was communicated to me, it possessed a value which had never before belonged to it.

which person or people

From this reading For obvious reasons, those who possessed the secret of the Apergy [1] had never dreamed of applying it in the manner I proposed.