Chapter XXI · On the Coast of Iceland

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

From this reading It seemed too wonderful to be true, that he, a poor fisher-lad, should be about to visit the mysterious land of fire and snow that the majority of travellers consider to be far beyond their limit of time and money.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading It seemed too wonderful to be true, that he, a poor fisher-lad, should be about to visit the mysterious land of fire and snow that the majority of travellers consider to be far beyond their limit of time and money.

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

From this reading He thought over all that he knew or had ever heard of Iceland, and found that it was very little indeed.

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

From this reading He knew that it was an island, that it contained icy glaciers, smoking volcanoes, vast deserts of broken lava, and was noted for its geysers, though he had no clear idea of what a geyser was or even looked like.

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

From this reading It seemed too wonderful to be true, that he, a poor fisher-lad, should be about to visit the mysterious land of fire and snow that the majority of travellers consider to be far beyond their limit of time and money.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading He had heard that Mount Hecla was the principal volcano of the island, and he wondered if the distant white object at which he was gazing might not be it.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading It seemed too wonderful to be true, that he, a poor fisher-lad, should be about to visit the mysterious land of fire and snow that the majority of travellers consider to be far beyond their limit of time and money.

on the far side of; further than

From this reading It seemed too wonderful to be true, that he, a poor fisher-lad, should be about to visit the mysterious land of fire and snow that the majority of travellers consider to be far beyond their limit of time and money.

a slight wind (usually refreshing)

From this reading This first glimpse of the great northern island so fascinated Breeze that he could not take his eyes off the distant spot of glistening whiteness.

physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split

From this reading He knew that it was an island, that it contained icy glaciers, smoking volcanoes, vast deserts of broken lava, and was noted for its geysers, though he had no clear idea of what a geyser was or even looked like.

rid of obstructions

From this reading He knew that it was an island, that it contained icy glaciers, smoking volcanoes, vast deserts of broken lava, and was noted for its geysers, though he had no clear idea of what a geyser was or even looked like.

deem to be

From this reading It seemed too wonderful to be true, that he, a poor fisher-lad, should be about to visit the mysterious land of fire and snow that the majority of travellers consider to be far beyond their limit of time and money.

gotten under control

From this reading He knew that it was an island, that it contained icy glaciers, smoking volcanoes, vast deserts of broken lava, and was noted for its geysers, though he had no clear idea of what a geyser was or even looked like.

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

From this reading This first glimpse of the great northern island so fascinated Breeze that he could not take his eyes off the distant spot of glistening whiteness.

plural of “desert” — arid land with little or no vegetation

From this reading He knew that it was an island, that it contained icy glaciers, smoking volcanoes, vast deserts of broken lava, and was noted for its geysers, though he had no clear idea of what a geyser was or even looked like.

separated in space or coming from or going to a distance

From this reading This first glimpse of the great northern island so fascinated Breeze that he could not take his eyes off the distant spot of glistening whiteness.

divisible by two

From this reading He knew that it was an island, that it contained icy glaciers, smoking volcanoes, vast deserts of broken lava, and was noted for its geysers, though he had no clear idea of what a geyser was or even looked like.

at any time

From this reading He thought over all that he knew or had ever heard of Iceland, and found that it was very little indeed.

opinion or judgment

From this reading This first glimpse of the great northern island so fascinated Breeze that he could not take his eyes off the distant spot of glistening whiteness.

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading It seemed too wonderful to be true, that he, a poor fisher-lad, should be about to visit the mysterious land of fire and snow that the majority of travellers consider to be far beyond their limit of time and money.

having your attention fixated as though by a spell

From this reading This first glimpse of the great northern island so fascinated Breeze that he could not take his eyes off the distant spot of glistening whiteness.

start firing a weapon

From this reading It seemed too wonderful to be true, that he, a poor fisher-lad, should be about to visit the mysterious land of fire and snow that the majority of travellers consider to be far beyond their limit of time and money.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading This first glimpse of the great northern island so fascinated Breeze that he could not take his eyes off the distant spot of glistening whiteness.

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

From this reading It seemed too wonderful to be true, that he, a poor fisher-lad, should be about to visit the mysterious land of fire and snow that the majority of travellers consider to be far beyond their limit of time and money.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He knew that it was an island, that it contained icy glaciers, smoking volcanoes, vast deserts of broken lava, and was noted for its geysers, though he had no clear idea of what a geyser was or even looked like.

set up or found

From this reading He thought over all that he knew or had ever heard of Iceland, and found that it was very little indeed.

-ing form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes

From this reading He had heard that Mount Hecla was the principal volcano of the island, and he wondered if the distant white object at which he was gazing might not be it.

to overflow like a geyser

From this reading He knew that it was an island, that it contained icy glaciers, smoking volcanoes, vast deserts of broken lava, and was noted for its geysers, though he had no clear idea of what a geyser was or even looked like.

plural of “geyser” — a spring that discharges hot water and steam

From this reading He knew that it was an island, that it contained icy glaciers, smoking volcanoes, vast deserts of broken lava, and was noted for its geysers, though he had no clear idea of what a geyser was or even looked like.

plural of “glacier” — a slowly moving mass of ice

From this reading He knew that it was an island, that it contained icy glaciers, smoking volcanoes, vast deserts of broken lava, and was noted for its geysers, though he had no clear idea of what a geyser was or even looked like.

a quick look

From this reading This first glimpse of the great northern island so fascinated Breeze that he could not take his eyes off the distant spot of glistening whiteness.

reflecting light

From this reading This first glimpse of the great northern island so fascinated Breeze that he could not take his eyes off the distant spot of glistening whiteness.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading This first glimpse of the great northern island so fascinated Breeze that he could not take his eyes off the distant spot of glistening whiteness.

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

From this reading He thought over all that he knew or had ever heard of Iceland, and found that it was very little indeed.

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

From this reading This first glimpse of the great northern island so fascinated Breeze that he could not take his eyes off the distant spot of glistening whiteness.

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading He thought over all that he knew or had ever heard of Iceland, and found that it was very little indeed.

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

From this reading He had heard that Mount Hecla was the principal volcano of the island, and he wondered if the distant white object at which he was gazing might not be it.

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

From this reading This first glimpse of the great northern island so fascinated Breeze that he could not take his eyes off the distant spot of glistening whiteness.

an island republic on the island of Iceland; became independent of Denmark in 1944

From this reading He thought over all that he knew or had ever heard of Iceland, and found that it was very little indeed.

devoid of warmth and cordiality; expressive of unfriendliness or disdain

From this reading He knew that it was an island, that it contained icy glaciers, smoking volcanoes, vast deserts of broken lava, and was noted for its geysers, though he had no clear idea of what a geyser was or even looked like.

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading He knew that it was an island, that it contained icy glaciers, smoking volcanoes, vast deserts of broken lava, and was noted for its geysers, though he had no clear idea of what a geyser was or even looked like.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading He had heard that Mount Hecla was the principal volcano of the island, and he wondered if the distant white object at which he was gazing might not be it.

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading He thought over all that he knew or had ever heard of Iceland, and found that it was very little indeed.

a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water

From this reading This first glimpse of the great northern island so fascinated Breeze that he could not take his eyes off the distant spot of glistening whiteness.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It seemed too wonderful to be true, that he, a poor fisher-lad, should be about to visit the mysterious land of fire and snow that the majority of travellers consider to be far beyond their limit of time and money.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading He knew that it was an island, that it contained icy glaciers, smoking volcanoes, vast deserts of broken lava, and was noted for its geysers, though he had no clear idea of what a geyser was or even looked like.

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 He thought over all that he knew or had ever heard of Iceland, and found that it was very little indeed.

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading It seemed too wonderful to be true, that he, a poor fisher-lad, should be about to visit the mysterious land of fire and snow that the majority of travellers consider to be far beyond their limit of time and money.

rock that in its molten form (as magma) issues from volcanos; lava is what magma is called when it reaches the surface

From this reading He knew that it was an island, that it contained icy glaciers, smoking volcanoes, vast deserts of broken lava, and was noted for its geysers, though he had no clear idea of what a geyser was or even looked like.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading He knew that it was an island, that it contained icy glaciers, smoking volcanoes, vast deserts of broken lava, and was noted for its geysers, though he had no clear idea of what a geyser was or even looked like.

the greatest possible degree of something

From this reading It seemed too wonderful to be true, that he, a poor fisher-lad, should be about to visit the mysterious land of fire and snow that the majority of travellers consider to be far beyond their limit of time and money.

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

From this reading He thought over all that he knew or had ever heard of Iceland, and found that it was very little indeed.

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

From this reading He knew that it was an island, that it contained icy glaciers, smoking volcanoes, vast deserts of broken lava, and was noted for its geysers, though he had no clear idea of what a geyser was or even looked like.

the property resulting from being or relating to the greater in number of two parts; the main part

From this reading It seemed too wonderful to be true, that he, a poor fisher-lad, should be about to visit the mysterious land of fire and snow that the majority of travellers consider to be far beyond their limit of time and money.

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading He had heard that Mount Hecla was the principal volcano of the island, and he wondered if the distant white object at which he was gazing might not be it.

the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender

From this reading It seemed too wonderful to be true, that he, a poor fisher-lad, should be about to visit the mysterious land of fire and snow that the majority of travellers consider to be far beyond their limit of time and money.

attach to a support

From this reading He had heard that Mount Hecla was the principal volcano of the island, and he wondered if the distant white object at which he was gazing might not be it.

of an obscure nature

From this reading It seemed too wonderful to be true, that he, a poor fisher-lad, should be about to visit the mysterious land of fire and snow that the majority of travellers consider to be far beyond their limit of time and money.

not any; not one

From this reading He knew that it was an island, that it contained icy glaciers, smoking volcanoes, vast deserts of broken lava, and was noted for its geysers, though he had no clear idea of what a geyser was or even looked like.

in or characteristic of a region of the United States north of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading This first glimpse of the great northern island so fascinated Breeze that he could not take his eyes off the distant spot of glistening whiteness.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading This first glimpse of the great northern island so fascinated Breeze that he could not take his eyes off the distant spot of glistening whiteness.

widely known and esteemed

From this reading He knew that it was an island, that it contained icy glaciers, smoking volcanoes, vast deserts of broken lava, and was noted for its geysers, though he had no clear idea of what a geyser was or even looked like.

a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow

From this reading He had heard that Mount Hecla was the principal volcano of the island, and he wondered if the distant white object at which he was gazing might not be it.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading This first glimpse of the great northern island so fascinated Breeze that he could not take his eyes off the distant spot of glistening whiteness.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading This first glimpse of the great northern island so fascinated Breeze that he could not take his eyes off the distant spot of glistening whiteness.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading He thought over all that he knew or had ever heard of Iceland, and found that it was very little indeed.

above and across; more than

From this reading He thought over all that he knew or had ever heard of Iceland, and found that it was very little indeed.

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading It seemed too wonderful to be true, that he, a poor fisher-lad, should be about to visit the mysterious land of fire and snow that the majority of travellers consider to be far beyond their limit of time and money.

the original amount of a debt on which interest is calculated

From this reading He had heard that Mount Hecla was the principal volcano of the island, and he wondered if the distant white object at which he was gazing might not be it.

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading It seemed too wonderful to be true, that he, a poor fisher-lad, should be about to visit the mysterious land of fire and snow that the majority of travellers consider to be far beyond their limit of time and money.

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading It seemed too wonderful to be true, that he, a poor fisher-lad, should be about to visit the mysterious land of fire and snow that the majority of travellers consider to be far beyond their limit of time and money.

the act of smoking tobacco or other substances

From this reading He knew that it was an island, that it contained icy glaciers, smoking volcanoes, vast deserts of broken lava, and was noted for its geysers, though he had no clear idea of what a geyser was or even looked like.

precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals

From this reading It seemed too wonderful to be true, that he, a poor fisher-lad, should be about to visit the mysterious land of fire and snow that the majority of travellers consider to be far beyond their limit of time and money.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading This first glimpse of the great northern island so fascinated Breeze that he could not take his eyes off the distant spot of glistening whiteness.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading This first glimpse of the great northern island so fascinated Breeze that he could not take his eyes off the distant spot of glistening whiteness.

carry out

From this reading This first glimpse of the great northern island so fascinated Breeze that he could not take his eyes off the distant spot of glistening whiteness.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading This first glimpse of the great northern island so fascinated Breeze that he could not take his eyes off the distant spot of glistening whiteness.

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

From this reading This first glimpse of the great northern island so fascinated Breeze that he could not take his eyes off the distant spot of glistening whiteness.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading It seemed too wonderful to be true, that he, a poor fisher-lad, should be about to visit the mysterious land of fire and snow that the majority of travellers consider to be far beyond their limit of time and money.

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

From this reading This first glimpse of the great northern island so fascinated Breeze that he could not take his eyes off the distant spot of glistening whiteness.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading He knew that it was an island, that it contained icy glaciers, smoking volcanoes, vast deserts of broken lava, and was noted for its geysers, though he had no clear idea of what a geyser was or even looked like.

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading He thought over all that he knew or had ever heard of Iceland, and found that it was very little indeed.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading It seemed too wonderful to be true, that he, a poor fisher-lad, should be about to visit the mysterious land of fire and snow that the majority of travellers consider to be far beyond their limit of time and money.

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

From this reading It seemed too wonderful to be true, that he, a poor fisher-lad, should be about to visit the mysterious land of fire and snow that the majority of travellers consider to be far beyond their limit of time and money.

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading It seemed too wonderful to be true, that he, a poor fisher-lad, should be about to visit the mysterious land of fire and snow that the majority of travellers consider to be far beyond their limit of time and money.

plural of “traveller” — a person who changes location

From this reading It seemed too wonderful to be true, that he, a poor fisher-lad, should be about to visit the mysterious land of fire and snow that the majority of travellers consider to be far beyond their limit of time and money.

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading It seemed too wonderful to be true, that he, a poor fisher-lad, should be about to visit the mysterious land of fire and snow that the majority of travellers consider to be far beyond their limit of time and money.

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

From this reading He knew that it was an island, that it contained icy glaciers, smoking volcanoes, vast deserts of broken lava, and was noted for its geysers, though he had no clear idea of what a geyser was or even looked like.

precisely as stated

From this reading He thought over all that he knew or had ever heard of Iceland, and found that it was very little indeed.

go to see a place, as for entertainment

From this reading It seemed too wonderful to be true, that he, a poor fisher-lad, should be about to visit the mysterious land of fire and snow that the majority of travellers consider to be far beyond their limit of time and money.

a fissure in the earth's crust (or in the surface of some other planet) through which molten lava and gases erupt

From this reading He had heard that Mount Hecla was the principal volcano of the island, and he wondered if the distant white object at which he was gazing might not be it.

plural of “volcano” — a fissure in the earth's crust (or in the surface of some other planet) through which molten lava and gases erupt

From this reading He knew that it was an island, that it contained icy glaciers, smoking volcanoes, vast deserts of broken lava, and was noted for its geysers, though he had no clear idea of what a geyser was or even looked like.

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

From this reading He thought over all that he knew or had ever heard of Iceland, and found that it was very little indeed.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading He knew that it was an island, that it contained icy glaciers, smoking volcanoes, vast deserts of broken lava, and was noted for its geysers, though he had no clear idea of what a geyser was or even looked like.

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

From this reading He had heard that Mount Hecla was the principal volcano of the island, and he wondered if the distant white object at which he was gazing might not be it.

a Caucasian

From this reading He had heard that Mount Hecla was the principal volcano of the island, and he wondered if the distant white object at which he was gazing might not be it.

the quality or state of the achromatic color of greatest lightness (bearing the least resemblance to black)

From this reading This first glimpse of the great northern island so fascinated Breeze that he could not take his eyes off the distant spot of glistening whiteness.

past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something

From this reading He had heard that Mount Hecla was the principal volcano of the island, and he wondered if the distant white object at which he was gazing might not be it.

extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers

From this reading It seemed too wonderful to be true, that he, a poor fisher-lad, should be about to visit the mysterious land of fire and snow that the majority of travellers consider to be far beyond their limit of time and money.