used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
(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 The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The two brothers sat up on their bolster, and stared into the darkness.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
bobbingverbUS /ˈbɑːbɪŋ/
inflected form of “bob” — move up and down repeatedly
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
bolsterverbUS /ˈboʊlstər/
support and strengthen
From this reading The two brothers sat up on their bolster, and stared into the darkness.
plural of “brother” — a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading The two brothers sat up on their bolster, and stared into the darkness.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
a tight-fitting headdress
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
corknounUS /kɔːrk/
outer bark of the cork oak; used for stoppers for bottles etc.
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
cushionnounUS /ˈkʊʃən/
a mechanical damper; absorbs energy of sudden impulses
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The two brothers sat up on their bolster, and stared into the darkness.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
extraordinarily large in size or extent or amount or power or degree
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
foamnounUS /foʊm/
a mass of small bubbles formed in or on a liquid
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading There was plenty of room for it now, for the roof was off.
set up or found
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
a man of refinement
From this reading "Only I," said the little gentleman.
globenounUS /ɡloʊb/
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
an opening into or through something
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Only I," said the little gentleman.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
incommodeverb
to cause inconvenience or discomfort to
From this reading "Sorry to incommode you," said their visitor, ironically.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The two brothers sat up on their bolster, and stared into the darkness.
ironicallyadverbUS /aɪˈrɑːnɪkli/
contrary to plan or expectation
From this reading "Sorry to incommode you," said their visitor, ironically.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "Only I," said the little gentleman.
luxuriousadjectiveUS /ləɡˈʒɜːriəs/
displaying luxury and furnishing gratification to the senses
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
the location of something surrounded by other things
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
mistyadjectiveUS /ˈmɪsti/
filled or abounding with fog or mist
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
moonbeamnounUS /ˈmuːnbiːm/
a ray of moonlight
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
used to form the superlative
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading There was plenty of room for it now, for the roof was off.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading There was plenty of room for it now, for the roof was off.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The two brothers sat up on their bolster, and stared into the darkness.
and nothing more
From this reading "Only I," said the little gentleman.
a full supply
From this reading There was plenty of room for it now, for the roof was off.
reclinedverbUS /rɪˈklaɪnd/
past form of “recline” — move the upper body backwards and down
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
From this reading There was plenty of room for it now, for the roof was off.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Only I," said the little gentleman.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading The two brothers sat up on their bolster, and stared into the darkness.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
shutternounUS /ˈʃʌtər/
a mechanical device on a camera that opens and closes to control the time of a photographic exposure
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
SorryadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːri/
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading "Sorry to incommode you," said their visitor, ironically.
spinningnounUS /ˈspɪnɪŋ/
creating thread
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading The two brothers sat up on their bolster, and stared into the darkness.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Only I," said the little gentleman.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The two brothers sat up on their bolster, and stared into the darkness.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was plenty of room for it now, for the roof was off.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Sorry to incommode you," said their visitor, ironically.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The two brothers sat up on their bolster, and stared into the darkness.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The two brothers sat up on their bolster, and stared into the darkness.
someone who visits
From this reading "Sorry to incommode you," said their visitor, ironically.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The room was full of water, and by a misty moonbeam, which found its way through a hole in the shutter, they could see in the midst of it an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, on which, as on a most luxurious cushion, reclined the little old gentleman, cap and all.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Sorry to incommode you," said their visitor, ironically.
