aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The giant mass of cities about us seemed to reel drunkenly in mid-air in that moment.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
air-cities
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Moscow with Sydney and Algiers, and Boston with Detroit, these whirled downward in that moment--no longer recognizable as air-cities and seeming to the eye but great twisted bulks of rended metal.
AlgiersnounUS /ælˈdʒɪrz/
an ancient port on the Mediterranean; the capital and largest city of Algeria
From this reading Moscow with Sydney and Algiers, and Boston with Detroit, these whirled downward in that moment--no longer recognizable as air-cities and seeming to the eye but great twisted bulks of rended metal.
(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 City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Moscow with Sydney and Algiers, and Boston with Detroit, these whirled downward in that moment--no longer recognizable as air-cities and seeming to the eye but great twisted bulks of rended metal.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading New York at their center staggered from the awful shock transmitted to it.
awfuladjectiveUS /ˈɑːfəl/
exceptionally bad or displeasing
From this reading New York at their center staggered from the awful shock transmitted to it.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Then upon the screen north of me, I saw titanic metal masses that had been cities falling downward.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
state capital and largest city of Massachusetts; a major center for banking and financial services
From this reading Moscow with Sydney and Algiers, and Boston with Detroit, these whirled downward in that moment--no longer recognizable as air-cities and seeming to the eye but great twisted bulks of rended metal.
bulks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Moscow with Sydney and Algiers, and Boston with Detroit, these whirled downward in that moment--no longer recognizable as air-cities and seeming to the eye but great twisted bulks of rended metal.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Moscow with Sydney and Algiers, and Boston with Detroit, these whirled downward in that moment--no longer recognizable as air-cities and seeming to the eye but great twisted bulks of rended metal.
centernounUS /ˈsɛn.tər/
The middle point or core of an area.
From this reading New York at their center staggered from the awful shock transmitted to it.
ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
citiesnounUS /ˈsɪtiz/
plural of “city” — a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
countlessadjectiveUS /ˈkaʊntləs/
too numerous to be counted
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
crashverbUS /kræʃ/
fall or come down violently
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
plural of “cry” — a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
DetroitnounUS /dɪˈtrɔɪt/
the largest city in Michigan and a major Great Lakes port; center of the United States automobile industry; located in southeastern Michigan on the Detroit river across from Windsor
From this reading Moscow with Sydney and Algiers, and Boston with Detroit, these whirled downward in that moment--no longer recognizable as air-cities and seeming to the eye but great twisted bulks of rended metal.
downwardadjectiveUS /ˈdaʊnwərd/
extending or moving from a higher to a lower place
From this reading Then upon the screen north of me, I saw titanic metal masses that had been cities falling downward.
dronenounUS /droʊn/
stingless male bee in a colony of social bees (especially honeybees) whose sole function is to mate with the queen
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
drownedverbUS /draʊnd/
past form of “drown” — cover completely or make imperceptible
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
drunkenlyadverb
showing effects of much strong drink
From this reading The giant mass of cities about us seemed to reel drunkenly in mid-air in that moment.
the organ of sight
From this reading Moscow with Sydney and Algiers, and Boston with Detroit, these whirled downward in that moment--no longer recognizable as air-cities and seeming to the eye but great twisted bulks of rended metal.
decreasing in amount or degree
From this reading Then upon the screen north of me, I saw titanic metal masses that had been cities falling downward.
flashingnounUS /ˈflæʃɪŋ/
a short vivid experience
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading New York at their center staggered from the awful shock transmitted to it.
any creature of exceptional size
From this reading The giant mass of cities about us seemed to reel drunkenly in mid-air in that moment.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Moscow with Sydney and Algiers, and Boston with Detroit, these whirled downward in that moment--no longer recognizable as air-cities and seeming to the eye but great twisted bulks of rended metal.
plural of “gun” — a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
headlongadverbUS /ˈhedlɔːŋ/
with the head foremost
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
hissverbUS /hɪs/
make a sharp hissing sound, as if to show disapproval
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Then upon the screen north of me, I saw titanic metal masses that had been cities falling downward.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading New York at their center staggered from the awful shock transmitted to it.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
for more time
From this reading Moscow with Sydney and Algiers, and Boston with Detroit, these whirled downward in that moment--no longer recognizable as air-cities and seeming to the eye but great twisted bulks of rended metal.
the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
From this reading The giant mass of cities about us seemed to reel drunkenly in mid-air in that moment.
massesnounUS /ˈmæsəz/
the common people generally
From this reading Then upon the screen north of me, I saw titanic metal masses that had been cities falling downward.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Then upon the screen north of me, I saw titanic metal masses that had been cities falling downward.
metalnounUS /ˈmetəl/
any of several chemical elements that are usually shiny solids that conduct heat or electricity and can be formed into sheets etc.
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
mid-air
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The giant mass of cities about us seemed to reel drunkenly in mid-air in that moment.
a particular point in time
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
MoscownounUS /ˈmɑːskoʊ/
a city of central European Russia; formerly capital of both the Soviet Union and Soviet Russia; since 1991 the capital of the Russian Federation
From this reading Moscow with Sydney and Algiers, and Boston with Detroit, these whirled downward in that moment--no longer recognizable as air-cities and seeming to the eye but great twisted bulks of rended metal.
motorsnounUS /ˈmoʊtərz/
plural of “motor” — machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading New York at their center staggered from the awful shock transmitted to it.
not any; not one
From this reading Moscow with Sydney and Algiers, and Boston with Detroit, these whirled downward in that moment--no longer recognizable as air-cities and seeming to the eye but great twisted bulks of rended metal.
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading Then upon the screen north of me, I saw titanic metal masses that had been cities falling downward.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
recognizableadjectiveUS /ˌrekəɡˈnaɪzəbəl/
easily perceived; easy to become aware of
From this reading Moscow with Sydney and Algiers, and Boston with Detroit, these whirled downward in that moment--no longer recognizable as air-cities and seeming to the eye but great twisted bulks of rended metal.
reelverbUS /riːl/
walk as if unable to control one's movements
From this reading The giant mass of cities about us seemed to reel drunkenly in mid-air in that moment.
rended
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Moscow with Sydney and Algiers, and Boston with Detroit, these whirled downward in that moment--no longer recognizable as air-cities and seeming to the eye but great twisted bulks of rended metal.
cut with a saw
From this reading Then upon the screen north of me, I saw titanic metal masses that had been cities falling downward.
screennounUS /skriːn/
a white or silvered surface where pictures can be projected for viewing
From this reading Then upon the screen north of me, I saw titanic metal masses that had been cities falling downward.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The giant mass of cities about us seemed to reel drunkenly in mid-air in that moment.
seemingadjectiveUS /ˈsiːmɪŋ/
appearing as such but not necessarily so
From this reading Moscow with Sydney and Algiers, and Boston with Detroit, these whirled downward in that moment--no longer recognizable as air-cities and seeming to the eye but great twisted bulks of rended metal.
the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally
From this reading New York at their center staggered from the awful shock transmitted to it.
plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
splinteringnounUS /ˈsplɪntərɪŋ/
the act of chipping something
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
staggeredverbUS /ˈstæɡərd/
past form of “stagger” — walk as if unable to control one's movements
From this reading New York at their center staggered from the awful shock transmitted to it.
SydneynounUS /ˈsɪdni/
the largest Australian city located in southeastern Australia on the Tasman Sea; state capital of New South Wales; Australia's chief port
From this reading Moscow with Sydney and Algiers, and Boston with Detroit, these whirled downward in that moment--no longer recognizable as air-cities and seeming to the eye but great twisted bulks of rended metal.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading New York at their center staggered from the awful shock transmitted to it.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then upon the screen north of me, I saw titanic metal masses that had been cities falling downward.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Moscow with Sydney and Algiers, and Boston with Detroit, these whirled downward in that moment--no longer recognizable as air-cities and seeming to the eye but great twisted bulks of rended metal.
move fast, noisily, and heavily
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
thunderedverbUS /ˈθʌndərd/
past form of “thunder” — move fast, noisily, and heavily
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
titanicadjectiveUS /taɪˈtænɪk/
of great force or power
From this reading Then upon the screen north of me, I saw titanic metal masses that had been cities falling downward.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The giant mass of cities about us seemed to reel drunkenly in mid-air in that moment.
transmittedadjectiveUS /trænˈsmɪtɪd/
occurring among members of a family usually by heredity
From this reading New York at their center staggered from the awful shock transmitted to it.
extraordinarily large in size or extent or amount or power or degree
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
tube-propellers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
twistedadjectiveUS /ˈtwɪstɪd/
having an intended meaning altered or misrepresented
From this reading Moscow with Sydney and Algiers, and Boston with Detroit, these whirled downward in that moment--no longer recognizable as air-cities and seeming to the eye but great twisted bulks of rended metal.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading City Against City In the moment that followed, after our flashing circle of cities had thundered headlong into the line before us, all other sounds, all the thunder of countless guns and the drone of motors and the hiss of tube-propellers and cries of voices, were drowned in one tremendous splintering crash of metal upon metal.
whirledverbUS /wɜːrld/
past form of “whirl” — turn in a twisting or spinning motion
From this reading Moscow with Sydney and Algiers, and Boston with Detroit, these whirled downward in that moment--no longer recognizable as air-cities and seeming to the eye but great twisted bulks of rended metal.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Moscow with Sydney and Algiers, and Boston with Detroit, these whirled downward in that moment--no longer recognizable as air-cities and seeming to the eye but great twisted bulks of rended metal.
the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose
From this reading New York at their center staggered from the awful shock transmitted to it.
