Chapter XII · Chapter 12

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

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading As the fellow emerged on deck he paused to wipe his heated brow with a sweat rag and draw in a welcome breath of cool fresh air.

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

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

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

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

a tube through which a bullet travels when a gun is fired

From this reading He did not succeed in getting his lungs quite full, however, for Michael J. Murphy, lurking beside the door, thrust the barrel of his gun in the fireman's ribs, effectually curtailing the process of respiration practically at once.

next to; at the side of

From this reading He did not succeed in getting his lungs quite full, however, for Michael J. Murphy, lurking beside the door, thrust the barrel of his gun in the fireman's ribs, effectually curtailing the process of respiration practically at once.

a club used as a weapon

From this reading From the other side of the door the chief engineer stepped out and wagged his bludgeon under the fireman's nose.

the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing

From this reading As the fellow emerged on deck he paused to wipe his heated brow with a sweat rag and draw in a welcome breath of cool fresh air.

the part of the face above the eyes

From this reading As the fellow emerged on deck he paused to wipe his heated brow with a sweat rag and draw in a welcome breath of cool fresh air.

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

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

From this reading Mr. Reardon, his monkey wrench firmly grasped in his right hand, knew that at exactly ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl would issue that order--so he was on the spot to receive the fireman as the latter came leisurely up the greasy steel stairway.

a person who is in charge

From this reading From the other side of the door the chief engineer stepped out and wagged his bludgeon under the fireman's nose.

neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat

From this reading As the fellow emerged on deck he paused to wipe his heated brow with a sweat rag and draw in a welcome breath of cool fresh air.

-ing form of “curtail” — place restrictions on

From this reading He did not succeed in getting his lungs quite full, however, for Michael J. Murphy, lurking beside the door, thrust the barrel of his gun in the fireman's ribs, effectually curtailing the process of respiration practically at once.

any of various platforms built into a vessel

From this reading As the fellow emerged on deck he paused to wipe his heated brow with a sweat rag and draw in a welcome breath of cool fresh air.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading He did not succeed in getting his lungs quite full, however, for Michael J. Murphy, lurking beside the door, thrust the barrel of his gun in the fireman's ribs, effectually curtailing the process of respiration practically at once.

your usual mood

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading He did not succeed in getting his lungs quite full, however, for Michael J. Murphy, lurking beside the door, thrust the barrel of his gun in the fireman's ribs, effectually curtailing the process of respiration practically at once.

cause to move by pulling

From this reading As the fellow emerged on deck he paused to wipe his heated brow with a sweat rag and draw in a welcome breath of cool fresh air.

in an effectual manner

From this reading He did not succeed in getting his lungs quite full, however, for Michael J. Murphy, lurking beside the door, thrust the barrel of his gun in the fireman's ribs, effectually curtailing the process of respiration practically at once.

past form of “emerge” — come out into view, as from concealment

From this reading As the fellow emerged on deck he paused to wipe his heated brow with a sweat rag and draw in a welcome breath of cool fresh air.

a person who uses scientific knowledge to solve practical problems

From this reading From the other side of the door the chief engineer stepped out and wagged his bludgeon under the fireman's nose.

indicating exactness or preciseness

From this reading Mr. Reardon, his monkey wrench firmly grasped in his right hand, knew that at exactly ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl would issue that order--so he was on the spot to receive the fireman as the latter came leisurely up the greasy steel stairway.

a boy or man

From this reading As the fellow emerged on deck he paused to wipe his heated brow with a sweat rag and draw in a welcome breath of cool fresh air.

play in which children pretend to put out a fire

From this reading Mr. Reardon, his monkey wrench firmly grasped in his right hand, knew that at exactly ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl would issue that order--so he was on the spot to receive the fireman as the latter came leisurely up the greasy steel stairway.

possessive form of “fireman” — play in which children pretend to put out a fire

From this reading He did not succeed in getting his lungs quite full, however, for Michael J. Murphy, lurking beside the door, thrust the barrel of his gun in the fireman's ribs, effectually curtailing the process of respiration practically at once.

plural of “fireman” — play in which children pretend to put out a fire

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

with resolute determination

From this reading Mr. Reardon, his monkey wrench firmly grasped in his right hand, knew that at exactly ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl would issue that order--so he was on the spot to receive the fireman as the latter came leisurely up the greasy steel stairway.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He did not succeed in getting his lungs quite full, however, for Michael J. Murphy, lurking beside the door, thrust the barrel of his gun in the fireman's ribs, effectually curtailing the process of respiration practically at once.

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

recently made, produced, or harvested

From this reading As the fellow emerged on deck he paused to wipe his heated brow with a sweat rag and draw in a welcome breath of cool fresh air.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading From the other side of the door the chief engineer stepped out and wagged his bludgeon under the fireman's nose.

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading He did not succeed in getting his lungs quite full, however, for Michael J. Murphy, lurking beside the door, thrust the barrel of his gun in the fireman's ribs, effectually curtailing the process of respiration practically at once.

the act of acquiring something

From this reading He did not succeed in getting his lungs quite full, however, for Michael J. Murphy, lurking beside the door, thrust the barrel of his gun in the fireman's ribs, effectually curtailing the process of respiration practically at once.

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

past form of “grasp” — hold firmly

From this reading Mr. Reardon, his monkey wrench firmly grasped in his right hand, knew that at exactly ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl would issue that order--so he was on the spot to receive the fireman as the latter came leisurely up the greasy steel stairway.

containing an unusual amount of grease or oil

From this reading Mr. Reardon, his monkey wrench firmly grasped in his right hand, knew that at exactly ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl would issue that order--so he was on the spot to receive the fireman as the latter came leisurely up the greasy steel stairway.

a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)

From this reading He did not succeed in getting his lungs quite full, however, for Michael J. Murphy, lurking beside the door, thrust the barrel of his gun in the fireman's ribs, effectually curtailing the process of respiration practically at once.

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading Mr. Reardon, his monkey wrench firmly grasped in his right hand, knew that at exactly ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl would issue that order--so he was on the spot to receive the fireman as the latter came leisurely up the greasy steel stairway.

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

From this reading Mr. Reardon, his monkey wrench firmly grasped in his right hand, knew that at exactly ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl would issue that order--so he was on the spot to receive the fireman as the latter came leisurely up the greasy steel stairway.

made warm or hot (“het” is a dialectal variant of “heated”)

From this reading As the fellow emerged on deck he paused to wipe his heated brow with a sweat rag and draw in a welcome breath of cool fresh air.

young cow

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

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

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading He did not succeed in getting his lungs quite full, however, for Michael J. Murphy, lurking beside the door, thrust the barrel of his gun in the fireman's ribs, effectually curtailing the process of respiration practically at once.

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

From this reading Mr. Reardon, his monkey wrench firmly grasped in his right hand, knew that at exactly ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl would issue that order--so he was on the spot to receive the fireman as the latter came leisurely up the greasy steel stairway.

prepare and issue for public distribution or sale

From this reading Mr. Reardon, his monkey wrench firmly grasped in his right hand, knew that at exactly ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl would issue that order--so he was on the spot to receive the fireman as the latter came leisurely up the greasy steel stairway.

a unit of electrical energy equal to the work done when a current of one ampere passes through a resistance of one ohm for one second

From this reading He did not succeed in getting his lungs quite full, however, for Michael J. Murphy, lurking beside the door, thrust the barrel of his gun in the fireman's ribs, effectually curtailing the process of respiration practically at once.

a Mid-Atlantic state on the Atlantic; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading Mr. Reardon, his monkey wrench firmly grasped in his right hand, knew that at exactly ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl would issue that order--so he was on the spot to receive the fireman as the latter came leisurely up the greasy steel stairway.

referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)

From this reading Mr. Reardon, his monkey wrench firmly grasped in his right hand, knew that at exactly ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl would issue that order--so he was on the spot to receive the fireman as the latter came leisurely up the greasy steel stairway.

in an unhurried way or at one's convenience

From this reading Mr. Reardon, his monkey wrench firmly grasped in his right hand, knew that at exactly ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl would issue that order--so he was on the spot to receive the fireman as the latter came leisurely up the greasy steel stairway.

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

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

plural of “lung” — either of two saclike respiratory organs in the chest of vertebrates; serves to remove carbon dioxide and provide oxygen to the blood

From this reading He did not succeed in getting his lungs quite full, however, for Michael J. Murphy, lurking beside the door, thrust the barrel of his gun in the fireman's ribs, effectually curtailing the process of respiration practically at once.

-ing form of “lurk” — lie in wait, lie in ambush, behave in a sneaky and secretive manner

From this reading He did not succeed in getting his lungs quite full, however, for Michael J. Murphy, lurking beside the door, thrust the barrel of his gun in the fireman's ribs, effectually curtailing the process of respiration practically at once.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

(Old Testament) the guardian archangel of the Jews

From this reading He did not succeed in getting his lungs quite full, however, for Michael J. Murphy, lurking beside the door, thrust the barrel of his gun in the fireman's ribs, effectually curtailing the process of respiration practically at once.

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

any of various long-tailed primates (excluding the prosimians)

From this reading Mr. Reardon, his monkey wrench firmly grasped in his right hand, knew that at exactly ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl would issue that order--so he was on the spot to receive the fireman as the latter came leisurely up the greasy steel stairway.

a form of address for a man

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

an edible tuber native to South America; a staple food of Ireland

From this reading He did not succeed in getting his lungs quite full, however, for Michael J. Murphy, lurking beside the door, thrust the barrel of his gun in the fireman's ribs, effectually curtailing the process of respiration practically at once.

the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals

From this reading From the other side of the door the chief engineer stepped out and wagged his bludgeon under the fireman's nose.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading He did not succeed in getting his lungs quite full, however, for Michael J. Murphy, lurking beside the door, thrust the barrel of his gun in the fireman's ribs, effectually curtailing the process of respiration practically at once.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Mr. Reardon, his monkey wrench firmly grasped in his right hand, knew that at exactly ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl would issue that order--so he was on the spot to receive the fireman as the latter came leisurely up the greasy steel stairway.

on one occasion

From this reading He did not succeed in getting his lungs quite full, however, for Michael J. Murphy, lurking beside the door, thrust the barrel of his gun in the fireman's ribs, effectually curtailing the process of respiration practically at once.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading Mr. Reardon, his monkey wrench firmly grasped in his right hand, knew that at exactly ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl would issue that order--so he was on the spot to receive the fireman as the latter came leisurely up the greasy steel stairway.

having a systematic arrangement; especially having elements succeeding in order according to rule

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

under normal conditions

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading From the other side of the door the chief engineer stepped out and wagged his bludgeon under the fireman's nose.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading From the other side of the door the chief engineer stepped out and wagged his bludgeon under the fireman's nose.

past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing

From this reading As the fellow emerged on deck he paused to wipe his heated brow with a sweat rag and draw in a welcome breath of cool fresh air.

(of a body of water) free from disturbance by heavy waves

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

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

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

almost; nearly

From this reading He did not succeed in getting his lungs quite full, however, for Michael J. Murphy, lurking beside the door, thrust the barrel of his gun in the fireman's ribs, effectually curtailing the process of respiration practically at once.

subject to a process or treatment, with the aim of readying for some purpose, improving, or remedying a condition

From this reading He did not succeed in getting his lungs quite full, however, for Michael J. Murphy, lurking beside the door, thrust the barrel of his gun in the fireman's ribs, effectually curtailing the process of respiration practically at once.

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading He did not succeed in getting his lungs quite full, however, for Michael J. Murphy, lurking beside the door, thrust the barrel of his gun in the fireman's ribs, effectually curtailing the process of respiration practically at once.

a small piece of cloth or paper

From this reading As the fellow emerged on deck he paused to wipe his heated brow with a sweat rag and draw in a welcome breath of cool fresh air.

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

From this reading Mr. Reardon, his monkey wrench firmly grasped in his right hand, knew that at exactly ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl would issue that order--so he was on the spot to receive the fireman as the latter came leisurely up the greasy steel stairway.

get something; come into possession of

From this reading Mr. Reardon, his monkey wrench firmly grasped in his right hand, knew that at exactly ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl would issue that order--so he was on the spot to receive the fireman as the latter came leisurely up the greasy steel stairway.

provide physical relief, as from pain

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

the metabolic processes whereby certain organisms obtain energy from organic molecules

From this reading He did not succeed in getting his lungs quite full, however, for Michael J. Murphy, lurking beside the door, thrust the barrel of his gun in the fireman's ribs, effectually curtailing the process of respiration practically at once.

plural of “rib” — support resembling the rib of an animal

From this reading He did not succeed in getting his lungs quite full, however, for Michael J. Murphy, lurking beside the door, thrust the barrel of his gun in the fireman's ribs, effectually curtailing the process of respiration practically at once.

precisely, exactly

From this reading Mr. Reardon, his monkey wrench firmly grasped in his right hand, knew that at exactly ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl would issue that order--so he was on the spot to receive the fireman as the latter came leisurely up the greasy steel stairway.

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading From the other side of the door the chief engineer stepped out and wagged his bludgeon under the fireman's nose.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Mr. Reardon, his monkey wrench firmly grasped in his right hand, knew that at exactly ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl would issue that order--so he was on the spot to receive the fireman as the latter came leisurely up the greasy steel stairway.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading Mr. Reardon, his monkey wrench firmly grasped in his right hand, knew that at exactly ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl would issue that order--so he was on the spot to receive the fireman as the latter came leisurely up the greasy steel stairway.

a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps

From this reading Mr. Reardon, his monkey wrench firmly grasped in his right hand, knew that at exactly ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl would issue that order--so he was on the spot to receive the fireman as the latter came leisurely up the greasy steel stairway.

an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range

From this reading Mr. Reardon, his monkey wrench firmly grasped in his right hand, knew that at exactly ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl would issue that order--so he was on the spot to receive the fireman as the latter came leisurely up the greasy steel stairway.

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

From this reading From the other side of the door the chief engineer stepped out and wagged his bludgeon under the fireman's nose.

attain success or reach a desired goal

From this reading He did not succeed in getting his lungs quite full, however, for Michael J. Murphy, lurking beside the door, thrust the barrel of his gun in the fireman's ribs, effectually curtailing the process of respiration practically at once.

salty fluid secreted by sweat glands

From this reading As the fellow emerged on deck he paused to wipe his heated brow with a sweat rag and draw in a welcome breath of cool fresh air.

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

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

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

the cardinal number that is the product of ten and three

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

push forcefully

From this reading He did not succeed in getting his lungs quite full, however, for Michael J. Murphy, lurking beside the door, thrust the barrel of his gun in the fireman's ribs, effectually curtailing the process of respiration practically at once.

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

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

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

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading From the other side of the door the chief engineer stepped out and wagged his bludgeon under the fireman's nose.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Mr. Reardon, his monkey wrench firmly grasped in his right hand, knew that at exactly ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl would issue that order--so he was on the spot to receive the fireman as the latter came leisurely up the greasy steel stairway.

inflected form of “wag” — move from side to side

From this reading From the other side of the door the chief engineer stepped out and wagged his bludgeon under the fireman's nose.

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

From this reading Mr. Reardon, his monkey wrench firmly grasped in his right hand, knew that at exactly ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl would issue that order--so he was on the spot to receive the fireman as the latter came leisurely up the greasy steel stairway.

look attentively

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.

accept gladly

From this reading As the fellow emerged on deck he paused to wipe his heated brow with a sweat rag and draw in a welcome breath of cool fresh air.

rub with a circular motion

From this reading As the fellow emerged on deck he paused to wipe his heated brow with a sweat rag and draw in a welcome breath of cool fresh air.

in the company of; together with

From this reading As the fellow emerged on deck he paused to wipe his heated brow with a sweat rag and draw in a welcome breath of cool fresh air.

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

From this reading Mr. Reardon, his monkey wrench firmly grasped in his right hand, knew that at exactly ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl would issue that order--so he was on the spot to receive the fireman as the latter came leisurely up the greasy steel stairway.

twist or pull violently or suddenly, especially so as to remove (something) from that to which it is attached or from where it originates

From this reading Mr. Reardon, his monkey wrench firmly grasped in his right hand, knew that at exactly ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl would issue that order--so he was on the spot to receive the fireman as the latter came leisurely up the greasy steel stairway.

a late time of life

From this reading At ten minutes to four Mr. Uhl, the second assistant, a man of some thirty years and ordinarily possessed of a disposition as placid as that of a little Jersey heifer, ordered one of his firemen to go and call the watch to relieve them.