Chapter I · Chapter 1

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

From this reading The crowds moving through the streets gave Erik Dorn a picture.

higher than, or over, something

From this reading Above the heads of the people the great spatula-topped buildings spread a zigzag of windows, a scribble of rooftops against the sky.

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading Above the heads of the people the great spatula-topped buildings spread a zigzag of windows, a scribble of rooftops against the sky.

possessing life

From this reading The city alive with signs, smoke, posters, windows; falling, rising, flinging its chimneys and its streets against the sun, wound itself up into crowds and burst with an endless bang under the far-away sky.

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

From this reading A din as monotonous as a silence tumbled through the streets--an unvarying noise of which the towering rectangles of buildings tilted like great reeds out of a narrow bowl, seemed an audible part.

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

From this reading The city alive with signs, smoke, posters, windows; falling, rising, flinging its chimneys and its streets against the sun, wound itself up into crowds and burst with an endless bang under the far-away sky.

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

From this reading A din as monotonous as a silence tumbled through the streets--an unvarying noise of which the towering rectangles of buildings tilted like great reeds out of a narrow bowl, seemed an audible part.

heard or perceptible by the ear

From this reading A din as monotonous as a silence tumbled through the streets--an unvarying noise of which the towering rectangles of buildings tilted like great reeds out of a narrow bowl, seemed an audible part.

strike violently

From this reading The city alive with signs, smoke, posters, windows; falling, rising, flinging its chimneys and its streets against the sun, wound itself up into crowds and burst with an endless bang under the far-away sky.

a round vessel that is open at the top; used chiefly for holding food or liquids

From this reading A din as monotonous as a silence tumbled through the streets--an unvarying noise of which the towering rectangles of buildings tilted like great reeds out of a narrow bowl, seemed an audible part.

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

From this reading Above the heads of the people the great spatula-topped buildings spread a zigzag of windows, a scribble of rooftops against the sky.

come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure

From this reading The city alive with signs, smoke, posters, windows; falling, rising, flinging its chimneys and its streets against the sun, wound itself up into crowds and burst with an endless bang under the far-away sky.

plural of “chimney” — a vertical flue that provides a path through which smoke from a fire is carried away through the wall or roof of a building

From this reading The city alive with signs, smoke, posters, windows; falling, rising, flinging its chimneys and its streets against the sun, wound itself up into crowds and burst with an endless bang under the far-away sky.

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

From this reading The city alive with signs, smoke, posters, windows; falling, rising, flinging its chimneys and its streets against the sun, wound itself up into crowds and burst with an endless bang under the far-away sky.

plural of “crowd” — a large number of things or people considered together

From this reading The crowds moving through the streets gave Erik Dorn a picture.

a loud harsh or strident noise

From this reading A din as monotonous as a silence tumbled through the streets--an unvarying noise of which the towering rectangles of buildings tilted like great reeds out of a narrow bowl, seemed an audible part.

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

From this reading The crowds moving through the streets gave Erik Dorn a picture.

tiresomely long; seemingly without end

From this reading The city alive with signs, smoke, posters, windows; falling, rising, flinging its chimneys and its streets against the sun, wound itself up into crowds and burst with an endless bang under the far-away sky.

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

From this reading The crowds moving through the streets gave Erik Dorn a picture.

decreasing in amount or degree

From this reading The city alive with signs, smoke, posters, windows; falling, rising, flinging its chimneys and its streets against the sun, wound itself up into crowds and burst with an endless bang under the far-away sky.

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

From this reading The city alive with signs, smoke, posters, windows; falling, rising, flinging its chimneys and its streets against the sun, wound itself up into crowds and burst with an endless bang under the far-away sky.

-ing form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness

From this reading The city alive with signs, smoke, posters, windows; falling, rising, flinging its chimneys and its streets against the sun, wound itself up into crowds and burst with an endless bang under the far-away sky.

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading The crowds moving through the streets gave Erik Dorn a picture.

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

From this reading Above the heads of the people the great spatula-topped buildings spread a zigzag of windows, a scribble of rooftops against the sky.

plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading Above the heads of the people the great spatula-topped buildings spread a zigzag of windows, a scribble of rooftops against the sky.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading The city alive with signs, smoke, posters, windows; falling, rising, flinging its chimneys and its streets against the sun, wound itself up into crowds and burst with an endless bang under the far-away sky.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was morning.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading The city alive with signs, smoke, posters, windows; falling, rising, flinging its chimneys and its streets against the sun, wound itself up into crowds and burst with an endless bang under the far-away sky.

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading The city alive with signs, smoke, posters, windows; falling, rising, flinging its chimneys and its streets against the sun, wound itself up into crowds and burst with an endless bang under the far-away sky.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading A din as monotonous as a silence tumbled through the streets--an unvarying noise of which the towering rectangles of buildings tilted like great reeds out of a narrow bowl, seemed an audible part.

tediously repetitious or lacking in variety

From this reading A din as monotonous as a silence tumbled through the streets--an unvarying noise of which the towering rectangles of buildings tilted like great reeds out of a narrow bowl, seemed an audible part.

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading It was morning.

in motion

From this reading The crowds moving through the streets gave Erik Dorn a picture.

make or become more narrow or restricted

From this reading A din as monotonous as a silence tumbled through the streets--an unvarying noise of which the towering rectangles of buildings tilted like great reeds out of a narrow bowl, seemed an audible part.

sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)

From this reading A din as monotonous as a silence tumbled through the streets--an unvarying noise of which the towering rectangles of buildings tilted like great reeds out of a narrow bowl, seemed an audible part.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Above the heads of the people the great spatula-topped buildings spread a zigzag of windows, a scribble of rooftops against the sky.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading A din as monotonous as a silence tumbled through the streets--an unvarying noise of which the towering rectangles of buildings tilted like great reeds out of a narrow bowl, seemed an audible part.

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading A din as monotonous as a silence tumbled through the streets--an unvarying noise of which the towering rectangles of buildings tilted like great reeds out of a narrow bowl, seemed an audible part.

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

From this reading Above the heads of the people the great spatula-topped buildings spread a zigzag of windows, a scribble of rooftops against the sky.

a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface

From this reading The crowds moving through the streets gave Erik Dorn a picture.

plural of “poster” — a sign posted in a public place as an advertisement

From this reading The city alive with signs, smoke, posters, windows; falling, rising, flinging its chimneys and its streets against the sun, wound itself up into crowds and burst with an endless bang under the far-away sky.

plural of “rectangle” — a parallelogram with four right angles

From this reading A din as monotonous as a silence tumbled through the streets--an unvarying noise of which the towering rectangles of buildings tilted like great reeds out of a narrow bowl, seemed an audible part.

plural of “reed” — tall woody perennial grasses with hollow slender stems especially of the genera Arundo and Phragmites

From this reading A din as monotonous as a silence tumbled through the streets--an unvarying noise of which the towering rectangles of buildings tilted like great reeds out of a narrow bowl, seemed an audible part.

advancing or becoming higher or greater in degree or value or status

From this reading The city alive with signs, smoke, posters, windows; falling, rising, flinging its chimneys and its streets against the sun, wound itself up into crowds and burst with an endless bang under the far-away sky.

plural of “rooftop” — the top of a (usually flat) roof

From this reading Above the heads of the people the great spatula-topped buildings spread a zigzag of windows, a scribble of rooftops against the sky.

write down quickly without much attention to detail

From this reading Above the heads of the people the great spatula-topped buildings spread a zigzag of windows, a scribble of rooftops against the sky.

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

From this reading A din as monotonous as a silence tumbled through the streets--an unvarying noise of which the towering rectangles of buildings tilted like great reeds out of a narrow bowl, seemed an audible part.

plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)

From this reading The city alive with signs, smoke, posters, windows; falling, rising, flinging its chimneys and its streets against the sun, wound itself up into crowds and burst with an endless bang under the far-away sky.

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading A din as monotonous as a silence tumbled through the streets--an unvarying noise of which the towering rectangles of buildings tilted like great reeds out of a narrow bowl, seemed an audible part.

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading Above the heads of the people the great spatula-topped buildings spread a zigzag of windows, a scribble of rooftops against the sky.

a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas

From this reading The city alive with signs, smoke, posters, windows; falling, rising, flinging its chimneys and its streets against the sun, wound itself up into crowds and burst with an endless bang under the far-away sky.

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

From this reading Above the heads of the people the great spatula-topped buildings spread a zigzag of windows, a scribble of rooftops against the sky.

distribute or disperse widely

From this reading Above the heads of the people the great spatula-topped buildings spread a zigzag of windows, a scribble of rooftops against the sky.

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

From this reading The crowds moving through the streets gave Erik Dorn a picture.

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

From this reading The city alive with signs, smoke, posters, windows; falling, rising, flinging its chimneys and its streets against the sun, wound itself up into crowds and burst with an endless bang under the far-away sky.

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

From this reading The crowds moving through the streets gave Erik Dorn a picture.

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading The crowds moving through the streets gave Erik Dorn a picture.

departing or being caused to depart from the true vertical or horizontal

From this reading A din as monotonous as a silence tumbled through the streets--an unvarying noise of which the towering rectangles of buildings tilted like great reeds out of a narrow bowl, seemed an audible part.

of imposing height; especially standing out above others

From this reading A din as monotonous as a silence tumbled through the streets--an unvarying noise of which the towering rectangles of buildings tilted like great reeds out of a narrow bowl, seemed an audible part.

past form of “tumble” — fall down, as if collapsing

From this reading A din as monotonous as a silence tumbled through the streets--an unvarying noise of which the towering rectangles of buildings tilted like great reeds out of a narrow bowl, seemed an audible part.

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading The city alive with signs, smoke, posters, windows; falling, rising, flinging its chimneys and its streets against the sun, wound itself up into crowds and burst with an endless bang under the far-away sky.

unvarying in nature

From this reading A din as monotonous as a silence tumbled through the streets--an unvarying noise of which the towering rectangles of buildings tilted like great reeds out of a narrow bowl, seemed an audible part.

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

From this reading The city alive with signs, smoke, posters, windows; falling, rising, flinging its chimneys and its streets against the sun, wound itself up into crowds and burst with an endless bang under the far-away sky.

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

From this reading It was morning.

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

From this reading A din as monotonous as a silence tumbled through the streets--an unvarying noise of which the towering rectangles of buildings tilted like great reeds out of a narrow bowl, seemed an audible part.

(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface

From this reading Above the heads of the people the great spatula-topped buildings spread a zigzag of windows, a scribble of rooftops against the sky.

in the company of; together with

From this reading The city alive with signs, smoke, posters, windows; falling, rising, flinging its chimneys and its streets against the sun, wound itself up into crowds and burst with an endless bang under the far-away sky.

an injury to living tissue (especially an injury involving a cut or break in the skin)

From this reading The city alive with signs, smoke, posters, windows; falling, rising, flinging its chimneys and its streets against the sun, wound itself up into crowds and burst with an endless bang under the far-away sky.

travel along a zigzag path

From this reading Above the heads of the people the great spatula-topped buildings spread a zigzag of windows, a scribble of rooftops against the sky.