Chapter I

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

From this reading A heavy fog pressed down upon the city of Washington.

(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 To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

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

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

feeling or showing anger

From this reading Just as a churned and angry tide swirls into some still cove and seems to melt and dissolve into transparency, the opaque-fog slowly vanished.

a suite of rooms usually on one floor of an apartment house

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

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

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

plural of “banner” — long strip of cloth or paper used for decoration or advertising

From this reading The apartment stood on a height and as the boy looked he saw a glow in the east, followed quickly by thin banners of red and orange.

a youthful male person

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

plural of “building” — a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The apartment stood on a height and as the boy looked he saw a glow in the east, followed quickly by thin banners of red and orange.

plural of “church” — one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

past form of “churn” — stir (cream) vigorously in order to make butter

From this reading Just as a churned and angry tide swirls into some still cove and seems to melt and dissolve into transparency, the opaque-fog slowly vanished.

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading A heavy fog pressed down upon the city of Washington.

a small inlet

From this reading Just as a churned and angry tide swirls into some still cove and seems to melt and dissolve into transparency, the opaque-fog slowly vanished.

absence of light or illumination

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

become weaker

From this reading Just as a churned and angry tide swirls into some still cove and seems to melt and dissolve into transparency, the opaque-fog slowly vanished.

plural of “dome” — a concave shape whose distinguishing characteristic is that the concavity faces downward

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading A heavy fog pressed down upon the city of Washington.

past form of “drown” — cover completely or make imperceptible

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees

From this reading The apartment stood on a height and as the boy looked he saw a glow in the east, followed quickly by thin banners of red and orange.

surrounding and closing in on or hemming in

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers

From this reading Then the Sun rose and turned the domes and spires swimming on the sea of mist into fairy flotillas wrought of pearl and gold.

the rising of a body of water and its overflowing onto normally dry land

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

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

From this reading Then the Sun rose and turned the domes and spires swimming on the sea of mist into fairy flotillas wrought of pearl and gold.

droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground

From this reading A heavy fog pressed down upon the city of Washington.

the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading The apartment stood on a height and as the boy looked he saw a glow in the east, followed quickly by thin banners of red and orange.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

an alert and refreshed state

From this reading The apartment stood on a height and as the boy looked he saw a glow in the east, followed quickly by thin banners of red and orange.

coins made of gold

From this reading Then the Sun rose and turned the domes and spires swimming on the sea of mist into fairy flotillas wrought of pearl and gold.

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

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading A heavy fog pressed down upon the city of Washington.

the vertical dimension of extension; distance from the base of something to the top

From this reading The apartment stood on a height and as the boy looked he saw a glow in the east, followed quickly by thin banners of red and orange.

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

superlative of “high” — greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

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

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Then the Sun rose and turned the domes and spires swimming on the sea of mist into fairy flotillas wrought of pearl and gold.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

and nothing more

From this reading Just as a churned and angry tide swirls into some still cove and seems to melt and dissolve into transparency, the opaque-fog slowly vanished.

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading The apartment stood on a height and as the boy looked he saw a glow in the east, followed quickly by thin banners of red and orange.

the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

reduce or cause to be reduced from a solid to a liquid state, usually by heating

From this reading Just as a churned and angry tide swirls into some still cove and seems to melt and dissolve into transparency, the opaque-fog slowly vanished.

become covered with mist

From this reading Then the Sun rose and turned the domes and spires swimming on the sea of mist into fairy flotillas wrought of pearl and gold.

of an obscure nature

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A heavy fog pressed down upon the city of Washington.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The apartment stood on a height and as the boy looked he saw a glow in the east, followed quickly by thin banners of red and orange.

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

From this reading Just as a churned and angry tide swirls into some still cove and seems to melt and dissolve into transparency, the opaque-fog slowly vanished.

round yellow to orange fruit of any of several citrus trees

From this reading The apartment stood on a height and as the boy looked he saw a glow in the east, followed quickly by thin banners of red and orange.

United States civil rights leader who refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man in Montgomery (Alabama) and so triggered the national Civil Rights movement (born in 1913)

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

a smooth lustrous round structure inside the shell of a clam or oyster; much valued as a jewel

From this reading Then the Sun rose and turned the domes and spires swimming on the sea of mist into fairy flotillas wrought of pearl and gold.

a geometric element that has position but no extension

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

compacted by ironing

From this reading A heavy fog pressed down upon the city of Washington.

people in general considered as a whole

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

with speed

From this reading The apartment stood on a height and as the boy looked he saw a glow in the east, followed quickly by thin banners of red and orange.

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading The apartment stood on a height and as the boy looked he saw a glow in the east, followed quickly by thin banners of red and orange.

plural of “roof” — a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

From this reading Then the Sun rose and turned the domes and spires swimming on the sea of mist into fairy flotillas wrought of pearl and gold.

cut with a saw

From this reading The apartment stood on a height and as the boy looked he saw a glow in the east, followed quickly by thin banners of red and orange.

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading Then the Sun rose and turned the domes and spires swimming on the sea of mist into fairy flotillas wrought of pearl and gold.

third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading Just as a churned and angry tide swirls into some still cove and seems to melt and dissolve into transparency, the opaque-fog slowly vanished.

without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)

From this reading Just as a churned and angry tide swirls into some still cove and seems to melt and dissolve into transparency, the opaque-fog slowly vanished.

wet through and through; thoroughly wet

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

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

From this reading Just as a churned and angry tide swirls into some still cove and seems to melt and dissolve into transparency, the opaque-fog slowly vanished.

plural of “spire” — a tall tower that forms the superstructure of a building (usually a church or temple) and that tapers to a point at the top

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

distribute or disperse widely

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

not in physical motion

From this reading Just as a churned and angry tide swirls into some still cove and seems to melt and dissolve into transparency, the opaque-fog slowly vanished.

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

plural of “street” — a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

plural of “structure” — a thing constructed; a complex entity constructed of many parts

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading Then the Sun rose and turned the domes and spires swimming on the sea of mist into fairy flotillas wrought of pearl and gold.

the act of swimming

From this reading Then the Sun rose and turned the domes and spires swimming on the sea of mist into fairy flotillas wrought of pearl and gold.

plural of “swirl” — the shape of something rotating rapidly

From this reading Just as a churned and angry tide swirls into some still cove and seems to melt and dissolve into transparency, the opaque-fog slowly vanished.

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

From this reading A heavy fog pressed down upon the city of Washington.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then the Sun rose and turned the domes and spires swimming on the sea of mist into fairy flotillas wrought of pearl and gold.

in or at that place or location

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

Having little thickness or extent.

From this reading The apartment stood on a height and as the boy looked he saw a glow in the east, followed quickly by thin banners of red and orange.

the periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon

From this reading Just as a churned and angry tide swirls into some still cove and seems to melt and dissolve into transparency, the opaque-fog slowly vanished.

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

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

the upper part of anything

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

of the highest quality

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

permitting the free passage of electromagnetic radiation

From this reading Just as a churned and angry tide swirls into some still cove and seems to melt and dissolve into transparency, the opaque-fog slowly vanished.

moved around an axis or center

From this reading Then the Sun rose and turned the domes and spires swimming on the sea of mist into fairy flotillas wrought of pearl and gold.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading A heavy fog pressed down upon the city of Washington.

having passed out of existence

From this reading Just as a churned and angry tide swirls into some still cove and seems to melt and dissolve into transparency, the opaque-fog slowly vanished.

place or situation affording some advantage (especially a comprehensive view or commanding perspective)

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

the capital of the United States in the District of Columbia and a tourist mecca; George Washington commissioned Charles L'Enfant to lay out the city in 1791

From this reading A heavy fog pressed down upon the city of Washington.

the act of observing; taking a patient look

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

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

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading To the boy watching it from the vantage point of the window in the top floor of the apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, drowned mass of foliage.

shaped to fit by or as if by altering the contours of a pliable mass (as by work or effort)

From this reading Then the Sun rose and turned the domes and spires swimming on the sea of mist into fairy flotillas wrought of pearl and gold.