Chapter XV · Chapter 15

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

From this reading The cube-army, ruled by the mistress of the Moon, was laying waste the dwellings of the Gens, destroying them with a speed and surety of which no earthquake, whatever its proportions, would have been capable.

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

From this reading Those huge balls of fire, larger even than the aircars of the Moon, landed in vast and awe-inspiring numbers on the roof of the world--landed easily, with no apparent effort or shock.

(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 _The Struggle for Mastery_ The people of all the Gens of Earth were now between two fires.

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

From this reading The cube-army, ruled by the mistress of the Moon, was laying waste the dwellings of the Gens, destroying them with a speed and surety of which no earthquake, whatever its proportions, would have been capable.

clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

From this reading Those huge balls of fire, larger even than the aircars of the Moon, landed in vast and awe-inspiring numbers on the roof of the world--landed easily, with no apparent effort or shock.

a particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography)

From this reading The light of them made all the world a place of vast radiance, save only that portion which was being destroyed by the cube-army, and this area had a cold, chill radiance of its own.

inspiring awe or admiration or wonder

From this reading Those huge balls of fire, larger even than the aircars of the Moon, landed in vast and awe-inspiring numbers on the roof of the world--landed easily, with no apparent effort or shock.

plural of “ball” — round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games

From this reading Those huge balls of fire, larger even than the aircars of the Moon, landed in vast and awe-inspiring numbers on the roof of the world--landed easily, with no apparent effort or shock.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The cube-army, ruled by the mistress of the Moon, was laying waste the dwellings of the Gens, destroying them with a speed and surety of which no earthquake, whatever its proportions, would have been capable.

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading The light of them made all the world a place of vast radiance, save only that portion which was being destroyed by the cube-army, and this area had a cold, chill radiance of its own.

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading _The Struggle for Mastery_ The people of all the Gens of Earth were now between two fires.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The cube-army, ruled by the mistress of the Moon, was laying waste the dwellings of the Gens, destroying them with a speed and surety of which no earthquake, whatever its proportions, would have been capable.

(usually followed by “of”) having capacity or ability

From this reading The cube-army, ruled by the mistress of the Moon, was laying waste the dwellings of the Gens, destroying them with a speed and surety of which no earthquake, whatever its proportions, would have been capable.

coldness due to a cold environment

From this reading The light of them made all the world a place of vast radiance, save only that portion which was being destroyed by the cube-army, and this area had a cold, chill radiance of its own.

having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration

From this reading The light of them made all the world a place of vast radiance, save only that portion which was being destroyed by the cube-army, and this area had a cold, chill radiance of its own.

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

From this reading The cube-army, ruled by the mistress of the Moon, was laying waste the dwellings of the Gens, destroying them with a speed and surety of which no earthquake, whatever its proportions, would have been capable.

spoiled or ruined or demolished

From this reading The light of them made all the world a place of vast radiance, save only that portion which was being destroyed by the cube-army, and this area had a cold, chill radiance of its own.

-ing form of “destroy” — do away with, cause the destruction or undoing of

From this reading The cube-army, ruled by the mistress of the Moon, was laying waste the dwellings of the Gens, destroying them with a speed and surety of which no earthquake, whatever its proportions, would have been capable.

plural of “dwelling” — housing that someone is living in

From this reading The cube-army, ruled by the mistress of the Moon, was laying waste the dwellings of the Gens, destroying them with a speed and surety of which no earthquake, whatever its proportions, would have been capable.

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading _The Struggle for Mastery_ The people of all the Gens of Earth were now between two fires.

shaking and vibration at the surface of the earth resulting from underground movement along a fault plane or from volcanic activity

From this reading The cube-army, ruled by the mistress of the Moon, was laying waste the dwellings of the Gens, destroying them with a speed and surety of which no earthquake, whatever its proportions, would have been capable.

with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)

From this reading Those huge balls of fire, larger even than the aircars of the Moon, landed in vast and awe-inspiring numbers on the roof of the world--landed easily, with no apparent effort or shock.

earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something

From this reading Those huge balls of fire, larger even than the aircars of the Moon, landed in vast and awe-inspiring numbers on the roof of the world--landed easily, with no apparent effort or shock.

divisible by two

From this reading Those huge balls of fire, larger even than the aircars of the Moon, landed in vast and awe-inspiring numbers on the roof of the world--landed easily, with no apparent effort or shock.

start firing a weapon

From this reading Those huge balls of fire, larger even than the aircars of the Moon, landed in vast and awe-inspiring numbers on the roof of the world--landed easily, with no apparent effort or shock.

plural of “fire” — the event of something burning (often destructive)

From this reading _The Struggle for Mastery_ The people of all the Gens of Earth were now between two fires.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading _The Struggle for Mastery_ The people of all the Gens of Earth were now between two fires.

produced by or subjected to forcing

From this reading The Gens were forced out upon the roof of the world--where, scarcely had they maneuvered into their prearranged formations, than the Martians struck.

plural of “formation” — an arrangement of people or things acting as a unit

From this reading The Gens were forced out upon the roof of the world--where, scarcely had they maneuvered into their prearranged formations, than the Martians struck.

family based on male descent

From this reading _The Struggle for Mastery_ The people of all the Gens of Earth were now between two fires.

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

From this reading The Gens were forced out upon the roof of the world--where, scarcely had they maneuvered into their prearranged formations, than the Martians struck.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The cube-army, ruled by the mistress of the Moon, was laying waste the dwellings of the Gens, destroying them with a speed and surety of which no earthquake, whatever its proportions, would have been capable.

unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope

From this reading Those huge balls of fire, larger even than the aircars of the Moon, landed in vast and awe-inspiring numbers on the roof of the world--landed easily, with no apparent effort or shock.

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

From this reading Those huge balls of fire, larger even than the aircars of the Moon, landed in vast and awe-inspiring numbers on the roof of the world--landed easily, with no apparent effort or shock.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading The Gens were forced out upon the roof of the world--where, scarcely had they maneuvered into their prearranged formations, than the Martians struck.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading The cube-army, ruled by the mistress of the Moon, was laying waste the dwellings of the Gens, destroying them with a speed and surety of which no earthquake, whatever its proportions, would have been capable.

owning or consisting of land or real estate

From this reading Those huge balls of fire, larger even than the aircars of the Moon, landed in vast and awe-inspiring numbers on the roof of the world--landed easily, with no apparent effort or shock.

large or big relative to something else

From this reading Those huge balls of fire, larger even than the aircars of the Moon, landed in vast and awe-inspiring numbers on the roof of the world--landed easily, with no apparent effort or shock.

the production of eggs (especially in birds)

From this reading The cube-army, ruled by the mistress of the Moon, was laying waste the dwellings of the Gens, destroying them with a speed and surety of which no earthquake, whatever its proportions, would have been capable.

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading The light of them made all the world a place of vast radiance, save only that portion which was being destroyed by the cube-army, and this area had a cold, chill radiance of its own.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading The light of them made all the world a place of vast radiance, save only that portion which was being destroyed by the cube-army, and this area had a cold, chill radiance of its own.

past form of “maneuver” — direct the course; determine the direction of travelling

From this reading The Gens were forced out upon the roof of the world--where, scarcely had they maneuvered into their prearranged formations, than the Martians struck.

plural of “martian” — imaginary people who live on the planet Mars

From this reading The Gens were forced out upon the roof of the world--where, scarcely had they maneuvered into their prearranged formations, than the Martians struck.

great skillfulness and knowledge of some subject or activity

From this reading _The Struggle for Mastery_ The people of all the Gens of Earth were now between two fires.

an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man

From this reading The cube-army, ruled by the mistress of the Moon, was laying waste the dwellings of the Gens, destroying them with a speed and surety of which no earthquake, whatever its proportions, would have been capable.

the natural satellite of the Earth

From this reading The cube-army, ruled by the mistress of the Moon, was laying waste the dwellings of the Gens, destroying them with a speed and surety of which no earthquake, whatever its proportions, would have been capable.

not any; not one

From this reading The cube-army, ruled by the mistress of the Moon, was laying waste the dwellings of the Gens, destroying them with a speed and surety of which no earthquake, whatever its proportions, would have been capable.

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

From this reading _The Struggle for Mastery_ The people of all the Gens of Earth were now between two fires.

the fourth book of the Old Testament; contains a record of the number of Israelites who followed Moses out of Egypt

From this reading Those huge balls of fire, larger even than the aircars of the Moon, landed in vast and awe-inspiring numbers on the roof of the world--landed easily, with no apparent effort or shock.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading _The Struggle for Mastery_ The people of all the Gens of Earth were now between two fires.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Those huge balls of fire, larger even than the aircars of the Moon, landed in vast and awe-inspiring numbers on the roof of the world--landed easily, with no apparent effort or shock.

and nothing more

From this reading The light of them made all the world a place of vast radiance, save only that portion which was being destroyed by the cube-army, and this area had a cold, chill radiance of its own.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Those huge balls of fire, larger even than the aircars of the Moon, landed in vast and awe-inspiring numbers on the roof of the world--landed easily, with no apparent effort or shock.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading The Gens were forced out upon the roof of the world--where, scarcely had they maneuvered into their prearranged formations, than the Martians struck.

have ownership or possession of

From this reading The light of them made all the world a place of vast radiance, save only that portion which was being destroyed by the cube-army, and this area had a cold, chill radiance of its own.

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading _The Struggle for Mastery_ The people of all the Gens of Earth were now between two fires.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading The light of them made all the world a place of vast radiance, save only that portion which was being destroyed by the cube-army, and this area had a cold, chill radiance of its own.

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading The light of them made all the world a place of vast radiance, save only that portion which was being destroyed by the cube-army, and this area had a cold, chill radiance of its own.

past form of “prearrange” — arrange beforehand

From this reading The Gens were forced out upon the roof of the world--where, scarcely had they maneuvered into their prearranged formations, than the Martians struck.

plural of “proportion” — the quotient obtained when the magnitude of a part is divided by the magnitude of the whole

From this reading The cube-army, ruled by the mistress of the Moon, was laying waste the dwellings of the Gens, destroying them with a speed and surety of which no earthquake, whatever its proportions, would have been capable.

the amount of electromagnetic radiation leaving or arriving at a point on a surface

From this reading The light of them made all the world a place of vast radiance, save only that portion which was being destroyed by the cube-army, and this area had a cold, chill radiance of its own.

a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building

From this reading The Gens were forced out upon the roof of the world--where, scarcely had they maneuvered into their prearranged formations, than the Martians struck.

subject to a ruling authority

From this reading The cube-army, ruled by the mistress of the Moon, was laying waste the dwellings of the Gens, destroying them with a speed and surety of which no earthquake, whatever its proportions, would have been capable.

except for; apart from

From this reading The light of them made all the world a place of vast radiance, save only that portion which was being destroyed by the cube-army, and this area had a cold, chill radiance of its own.

only a very short time before

From this reading The Gens were forced out upon the roof of the world--where, scarcely had they maneuvered into their prearranged formations, than the Martians struck.

the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally

From this reading Those huge balls of fire, larger even than the aircars of the Moon, landed in vast and awe-inspiring numbers on the roof of the world--landed easily, with no apparent effort or shock.

move hurridly

From this reading The cube-army, ruled by the mistress of the Moon, was laying waste the dwellings of the Gens, destroying them with a speed and surety of which no earthquake, whatever its proportions, would have been capable.

(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming

From this reading The Gens were forced out upon the roof of the world--where, scarcely had they maneuvered into their prearranged formations, than the Martians struck.

make a strenuous or labored effort

From this reading _The Struggle for Mastery_ The people of all the Gens of Earth were now between two fires.

something clearly established

From this reading The cube-army, ruled by the mistress of the Moon, was laying waste the dwellings of the Gens, destroying them with a speed and surety of which no earthquake, whatever its proportions, would have been capable.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading The Gens were forced out upon the roof of the world--where, scarcely had they maneuvered into their prearranged formations, than the Martians struck.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The light of them made all the world a place of vast radiance, save only that portion which was being destroyed by the cube-army, and this area had a cold, chill radiance of its own.

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

From this reading _The Struggle for Mastery_ The people of all the Gens of Earth were now between two fires.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The Gens were forced out upon the roof of the world--where, scarcely had they maneuvered into their prearranged formations, than the Martians struck.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The cube-army, ruled by the mistress of the Moon, was laying waste the dwellings of the Gens, destroying them with a speed and surety of which no earthquake, whatever its proportions, would have been capable.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The Gens were forced out upon the roof of the world--where, scarcely had they maneuvered into their prearranged formations, than the Martians struck.

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

From this reading The light of them made all the world a place of vast radiance, save only that portion which was being destroyed by the cube-army, and this area had a cold, chill radiance of its own.

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

From this reading Those huge balls of fire, larger even than the aircars of the Moon, landed in vast and awe-inspiring numbers on the roof of the world--landed easily, with no apparent effort or shock.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading _The Struggle for Mastery_ The people of all the Gens of Earth were now between two fires.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading The Gens were forced out upon the roof of the world--where, scarcely had they maneuvered into their prearranged formations, than the Martians struck.

unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope

From this reading Those huge balls of fire, larger even than the aircars of the Moon, landed in vast and awe-inspiring numbers on the roof of the world--landed easily, with no apparent effort or shock.

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

From this reading The cube-army, ruled by the mistress of the Moon, was laying waste the dwellings of the Gens, destroying them with a speed and surety of which no earthquake, whatever its proportions, would have been capable.

any materials unused and rejected as worthless or unwanted

From this reading The cube-army, ruled by the mistress of the Moon, was laying waste the dwellings of the Gens, destroying them with a speed and surety of which no earthquake, whatever its proportions, would have been capable.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading _The Struggle for Mastery_ The people of all the Gens of Earth were now between two fires.

any or all of a kind, it does not matter which

From this reading The cube-army, ruled by the mistress of the Moon, was laying waste the dwellings of the Gens, destroying them with a speed and surety of which no earthquake, whatever its proportions, would have been capable.

in or at the place that

From this reading The Gens were forced out upon the roof of the world--where, scarcely had they maneuvered into their prearranged formations, than the Martians struck.

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

From this reading The cube-army, ruled by the mistress of the Moon, was laying waste the dwellings of the Gens, destroying them with a speed and surety of which no earthquake, whatever its proportions, would have been capable.

in the company of; together with

From this reading The cube-army, ruled by the mistress of the Moon, was laying waste the dwellings of the Gens, destroying them with a speed and surety of which no earthquake, whatever its proportions, would have been capable.

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading The Gens were forced out upon the roof of the world--where, scarcely had they maneuvered into their prearranged formations, than the Martians struck.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading The cube-army, ruled by the mistress of the Moon, was laying waste the dwellings of the Gens, destroying them with a speed and surety of which no earthquake, whatever its proportions, would have been capable.