Chapter XI

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

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

later than; following

From this reading Zeno left his house noiselessly half an hour later, after changing his clothes.

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading He almost lost his balance at the last one, and when he stepped quickly towards the boat, to save himself, he could not see it at all, and was considerably relieved to find himself in the stern sheets instead of in the water.

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading He almost lost his balance at the last one, and when he stepped quickly towards the boat, to save himself, he could not see it at all, and was considerably relieved to find himself in the stern sheets instead of in the water.

at or on or to the masthead or upper rigging of a ship

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Zeno left his house noiselessly half an hour later, after changing his clothes.

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

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

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

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading He almost lost his balance at the last one, and when he stepped quickly towards the boat, to save himself, he could not see it at all, and was considerably relieved to find himself in the stern sheets instead of in the water.

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

bring into balance or equilibrium

From this reading He almost lost his balance at the last one, and when he stepped quickly towards the boat, to save himself, he could not see it at all, and was considerably relieved to find himself in the stern sheets instead of in the water.

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading It was intensely dark as he came out, and after being in the light he could hardly see the white marble steps of the landing.

endless loop of flexible material between two rotating shafts or pulleys

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

a small vessel for travel on water

From this reading He almost lost his balance at the last one, and when he stepped quickly towards the boat, to save himself, he could not see it at all, and was considerably relieved to find himself in the stern sheets instead of in the water.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading It was intensely dark as he came out, and after being in the light he could hardly see the white marble steps of the landing.

plural of “carry” — the act of carrying something

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

marked by continuous change or effective action

From this reading Zeno left his house noiselessly half an hour later, after changing his clothes.

wearing or provided with clothing; sometimes used in combination

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

anything that covers or conceals

From this reading The night was cool, and he had a wide cloak over his shoulders, ready to drop in an instant if necessary.

fitting closely but comfortably

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

clothing in general

From this reading Zeno left his house noiselessly half an hour later, after changing his clothes.

to a great extent or degree

From this reading He almost lost his balance at the last one, and when he stepped quickly towards the boat, to save himself, he could not see it at all, and was considerably relieved to find himself in the stern sheets instead of in the water.

neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat

From this reading The night was cool, and he had a wide cloak over his shoulders, ready to drop in an instant if necessary.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading It was intensely dark as he came out, and after being in the light he could hardly see the white marble steps of the landing.

overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

absence of light or illumination

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

leather from the hide of a deer

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

a man's close-fitting jacket; worn during the Renaissance

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

let fall to the ground

From this reading The night was cool, and he had a wide cloak over his shoulders, ready to drop in an instant if necessary.

firmly closed or secured

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading He almost lost his balance at the last one, and when he stepped quickly towards the boat, to save himself, he could not see it at all, and was considerably relieved to find himself in the stern sheets instead of in the water.

plural of “go” — a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

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

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading Zeno left his house noiselessly half an hour later, after changing his clothes.

only a very short time before

From this reading It was intensely dark as he came out, and after being in the light he could hardly see the white marble steps of the landing.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading He almost lost his balance at the last one, and when he stepped quickly towards the boat, to save himself, he could not see it at all, and was considerably relieved to find himself in the stern sheets instead of in the water.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Zeno left his house noiselessly half an hour later, after changing his clothes.

socks and stockings and tights collectively (the British include underwear)

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading Zeno left his house noiselessly half an hour later, after changing his clothes.

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Zeno left his house noiselessly half an hour later, after changing his clothes.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading The night was cool, and he had a wide cloak over his shoulders, ready to drop in an instant if necessary.

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

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)

From this reading The night was cool, and he had a wide cloak over his shoulders, ready to drop in an instant if necessary.

in place of, or as an alternative to

From this reading He almost lost his balance at the last one, and when he stepped quickly towards the boat, to save himself, he could not see it at all, and was considerably relieved to find himself in the stern sheets instead of in the water.

to a high degree; extremely; in high concentration or density

From this reading It was intensely dark as he came out, and after being in the light he could hardly see the white marble steps of the landing.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

an intermediate platform in a staircase

From this reading It was intensely dark as he came out, and after being in the light he could hardly see the white marble steps of the landing.

immediately past

From this reading He almost lost his balance at the last one, and when he stepped quickly towards the boat, to save himself, he could not see it at all, and was considerably relieved to find himself in the stern sheets instead of in the water.

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading Zeno left his house noiselessly half an hour later, after changing his clothes.

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading Zeno left his house noiselessly half an hour later, after changing his clothes.

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading It was intensely dark as he came out, and after being in the light he could hardly see the white marble steps of the landing.

without good reason

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading He almost lost his balance at the last one, and when he stepped quickly towards the boat, to save himself, he could not see it at all, and was considerably relieved to find himself in the stern sheets instead of in the water.

a hard crystalline metamorphic rock that takes a high polish; used for sculpture and as building material

From this reading It was intensely dark as he came out, and after being in the light he could hardly see the white marble steps of the landing.

absolutely essential

From this reading The night was cool, and he had a wide cloak over his shoulders, ready to drop in an instant if necessary.

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading The night was cool, and he had a wide cloak over his shoulders, ready to drop in an instant if necessary.

not any; not one

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

without a sound

From this reading Zeno left his house noiselessly half an hour later, after changing his clothes.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading He almost lost his balance at the last one, and when he stepped quickly towards the boat, to save himself, he could not see it at all, and was considerably relieved to find himself in the stern sheets instead of in the water.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading It was intensely dark as he came out, and after being in the light he could hardly see the white marble steps of the landing.

above and across; more than

From this reading The night was cool, and he had a wide cloak over his shoulders, ready to drop in an instant if necessary.

with speed

From this reading He almost lost his balance at the last one, and when he stepped quickly towards the boat, to save himself, he could not see it at all, and was considerably relieved to find himself in the stern sheets instead of in the water.

completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress

From this reading The night was cool, and he had a wide cloak over his shoulders, ready to drop in an instant if necessary.

(of pain or sorrow) made easier to bear

From this reading He almost lost his balance at the last one, and when he stepped quickly towards the boat, to save himself, he could not see it at all, and was considerably relieved to find himself in the stern sheets instead of in the water.

gear consisting of ropes etc. supporting a ship's masts and sails

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

any member of a ship's crew

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

except for; apart from

From this reading He almost lost his balance at the last one, and when he stepped quickly towards the boat, to save himself, he could not see it at all, and was considerably relieved to find himself in the stern sheets instead of in the water.

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading It was intensely dark as he came out, and after being in the light he could hardly see the white marble steps of the landing.

a protective covering (as for a knife or sword)

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

plural of “sheet” — any broad thin expanse or surface

From this reading He almost lost his balance at the last one, and when he stepped quickly towards the boat, to save himself, he could not see it at all, and was considerably relieved to find himself in the stern sheets instead of in the water.

plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm

From this reading The night was cool, and he had a wide cloak over his shoulders, ready to drop in an instant if necessary.

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

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

plural of “sleeve” — the part of a garment that is attached at the armhole and that provides a cloth covering for the arm

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

yielding readily to pressure or weight

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step

From this reading He almost lost his balance at the last one, and when he stepped quickly towards the boat, to save himself, he could not see it at all, and was considerably relieved to find himself in the stern sheets instead of in the water.

a flight of stairs or a flight of steps

From this reading It was intensely dark as he came out, and after being in the light he could hardly see the white marble steps of the landing.

of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect

From this reading He almost lost his balance at the last one, and when he stepped quickly towards the boat, to save himself, he could not see it at all, and was considerably relieved to find himself in the stern sheets instead of in the water.

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

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

closely constrained or constricted or constricting

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

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

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

in the direction of

From this reading He almost lost his balance at the last one, and when he stepped quickly towards the boat, to save himself, he could not see it at all, and was considerably relieved to find himself in the stern sheets instead of in the water.

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

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent

From this reading He almost lost his balance at the last one, and when he stepped quickly towards the boat, to save himself, he could not see it at all, and was considerably relieved to find himself in the stern sheets instead of in the water.

any instrument or instrumentality used in fighting or hunting

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

at the time that

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

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

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

a Caucasian

From this reading It was intensely dark as he came out, and after being in the light he could hardly see the white marble steps of the landing.

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading The night was cool, and he had a wide cloak over his shoulders, ready to drop in an instant if necessary.

in the company of; together with

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

a fabric made from the hair of sheep

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading He was now lightly clad in dark hose and a soft deerskin doublet with tight sleeves, a close-fitting woollen skull-cap covered his head, and he had no weapon but one good knife of which the sheath was fastened to the back of his belt, as a sailor carries it when he goes aloft to work on rigging.

ancient Greek philosopher who formulated paradoxes that defended the belief that motion and change are illusory (circa 495-430 BC)

From this reading Zeno left his house noiselessly half an hour later, after changing his clothes.