used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading For a month after the last events were chronicled the _Sirius_ pursued its way steadily towards Mars, without a single exceptional incident.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading On the second of February, however, when we were about four and a quarter millions of miles from our destination, we were dreadfully alarmed by a series of majestic natural phenomena.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading For a month after the last events were chronicled the _Sirius_ pursued its way steadily towards Mars, without a single exceptional incident.
experiencing a sudden sense of danger
From this reading On the second of February, however, when we were about four and a quarter millions of miles from our destination, we were dreadfully alarmed by a series of majestic natural phenomena.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading On the second of February, however, when we were about four and a quarter millions of miles from our destination, we were dreadfully alarmed by a series of majestic natural phenomena.
third-person singular of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading As the hours went by he became more and more indistinct, just as he appears through a fog on earth, and finally his fiery rays were hidden behind vast banks of cloud.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As the hours went by he became more and more indistinct, just as he appears through a fog on earth, and finally his fiery rays were hidden behind vast banks of cloud.
English botanist who accompanied Captain Cook on his first voyage to the Pacific Ocean (1743-1820)
From this reading As the hours went by he became more and more indistinct, just as he appears through a fog on earth, and finally his fiery rays were hidden behind vast banks of cloud.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading As the hours went by he became more and more indistinct, just as he appears through a fog on earth, and finally his fiery rays were hidden behind vast banks of cloud.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading On the evening of the day just mentioned, or, rather, what would have been evening could we have distinguished night from day, the sun, for the first time since we left the shadow of Earth, began to shine less brightly.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading On the evening of the day just mentioned, or, rather, what would have been evening could we have distinguished night from day, the sun, for the first time since we left the shadow of Earth, began to shine less brightly.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading As the hours went by he became more and more indistinct, just as he appears through a fog on earth, and finally his fiery rays were hidden behind vast banks of cloud.
brightlyadverbUS /ˈbraɪtli/
with brightness
From this reading On the evening of the day just mentioned, or, rather, what would have been evening could we have distinguished night from day, the sun, for the first time since we left the shadow of Earth, began to shine less brightly.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading On the second of February, however, when we were about four and a quarter millions of miles from our destination, we were dreadfully alarmed by a series of majestic natural phenomena.
chronicledverbUS /ˈkrɑːnɪkəld/
past form of “chronicle” — record in chronological order; make a historical record
From this reading For a month after the last events were chronicled the _Sirius_ pursued its way steadily towards Mars, without a single exceptional incident.
make overcast or cloudy
From this reading As the hours went by he became more and more indistinct, just as he appears through a fog on earth, and finally his fiery rays were hidden behind vast banks of cloud.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading On the evening of the day just mentioned, or, rather, what would have been evening could we have distinguished night from day, the sun, for the first time since we left the shadow of Earth, began to shine less brightly.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading On the evening of the day just mentioned, or, rather, what would have been evening could we have distinguished night from day, the sun, for the first time since we left the shadow of Earth, began to shine less brightly.
destinationnounUS /ˌdestəˈneɪʃən/
the place designated as the end (as of a race or journey)
From this reading On the second of February, however, when we were about four and a quarter millions of miles from our destination, we were dreadfully alarmed by a series of majestic natural phenomena.
(used of persons) standing above others in character or attainment or reputation
From this reading On the evening of the day just mentioned, or, rather, what would have been evening could we have distinguished night from day, the sun, for the first time since we left the shadow of Earth, began to shine less brightly.
dreadfullyadverbUS /ˈdredfəli/
of a dreadful kind
From this reading On the second of February, however, when we were about four and a quarter millions of miles from our destination, we were dreadfully alarmed by a series of majestic natural phenomena.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading On the evening of the day just mentioned, or, rather, what would have been evening could we have distinguished night from day, the sun, for the first time since we left the shadow of Earth, began to shine less brightly.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading On the evening of the day just mentioned, or, rather, what would have been evening could we have distinguished night from day, the sun, for the first time since we left the shadow of Earth, began to shine less brightly.
plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time
From this reading For a month after the last events were chronicled the _Sirius_ pursued its way steadily towards Mars, without a single exceptional incident.
exceptionaladjectiveUS /ɪkˈsepʃənəl/
far beyond what is usual in magnitude or degree
From this reading For a month after the last events were chronicled the _Sirius_ pursued its way steadily towards Mars, without a single exceptional incident.
FebruarynounUS /ˈfebjəweri/
the month following January and preceding March
From this reading On the second of February, however, when we were about four and a quarter millions of miles from our destination, we were dreadfully alarmed by a series of majestic natural phenomena.
fieryadjectiveUS /ˈfaɪəri/
characterized by intense emotion
From this reading As the hours went by he became more and more indistinct, just as he appears through a fog on earth, and finally his fiery rays were hidden behind vast banks of cloud.
after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay
From this reading As the hours went by he became more and more indistinct, just as he appears through a fog on earth, and finally his fiery rays were hidden behind vast banks of cloud.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading On the evening of the day just mentioned, or, rather, what would have been evening could we have distinguished night from day, the sun, for the first time since we left the shadow of Earth, began to shine less brightly.
fognounUS /fɑːɡ/
droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground
From this reading As the hours went by he became more and more indistinct, just as he appears through a fog on earth, and finally his fiery rays were hidden behind vast banks of cloud.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For a month after the last events were chronicled the _Sirius_ pursued its way steadily towards Mars, without a single exceptional incident.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading On the second of February, however, when we were about four and a quarter millions of miles from our destination, we were dreadfully alarmed by a series of majestic natural phenomena.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading On the second of February, however, when we were about four and a quarter millions of miles from our destination, we were dreadfully alarmed by a series of majestic natural phenomena.
GLORIESnounUS /ˈɡlɔːriz/
plural of “glory” — a state of high honor
From this reading THE GLORIES OF THE HEAVENS.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading On the evening of the day just mentioned, or, rather, what would have been evening could we have distinguished night from day, the sun, for the first time since we left the shadow of Earth, began to shine less brightly.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As the hours went by he became more and more indistinct, just as he appears through a fog on earth, and finally his fiery rays were hidden behind vast banks of cloud.
the apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be projected
From this reading THE GLORIES OF THE HEAVENS.
not accessible to view
From this reading As the hours went by he became more and more indistinct, just as he appears through a fog on earth, and finally his fiery rays were hidden behind vast banks of cloud.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading As the hours went by he became more and more indistinct, just as he appears through a fog on earth, and finally his fiery rays were hidden behind vast banks of cloud.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading As the hours went by he became more and more indistinct, just as he appears through a fog on earth, and finally his fiery rays were hidden behind vast banks of cloud.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading On the second of February, however, when we were about four and a quarter millions of miles from our destination, we were dreadfully alarmed by a series of majestic natural phenomena.
a single distinct event
From this reading For a month after the last events were chronicled the _Sirius_ pursued its way steadily towards Mars, without a single exceptional incident.
indistinctadjectiveUS /ˌɪndɪˈstɪŋkt/
not clearly defined or easy to perceive or understand
From this reading As the hours went by he became more and more indistinct, just as he appears through a fog on earth, and finally his fiery rays were hidden behind vast banks of cloud.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading For a month after the last events were chronicled the _Sirius_ pursued its way steadily towards Mars, without a single exceptional incident.
and nothing more
From this reading On the evening of the day just mentioned, or, rather, what would have been evening could we have distinguished night from day, the sun, for the first time since we left the shadow of Earth, began to shine less brightly.
immediately past
From this reading For a month after the last events were chronicled the _Sirius_ pursued its way steadily towards Mars, without a single exceptional incident.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading On the evening of the day just mentioned, or, rather, what would have been evening could we have distinguished night from day, the sun, for the first time since we left the shadow of Earth, began to shine less brightly.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading On the evening of the day just mentioned, or, rather, what would have been evening could we have distinguished night from day, the sun, for the first time since we left the shadow of Earth, began to shine less brightly.
majesticadjectiveUS /məˈdʒestɪk/
majestic in manner or bearing; superior to mundane matters
From this reading On the second of February, however, when we were about four and a quarter millions of miles from our destination, we were dreadfully alarmed by a series of majestic natural phenomena.
MarsnounUS /mɑːrz/
a small reddish planet that is the 4th from the sun and is periodically visible to the naked eye; minerals rich in iron cover its surface and are responsible for its characteristic color
From this reading For a month after the last events were chronicled the _Sirius_ pursued its way steadily towards Mars, without a single exceptional incident.
past form of “mention” — make reference to
From this reading On the evening of the day just mentioned, or, rather, what would have been evening could we have distinguished night from day, the sun, for the first time since we left the shadow of Earth, began to shine less brightly.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading On the second of February, however, when we were about four and a quarter millions of miles from our destination, we were dreadfully alarmed by a series of majestic natural phenomena.
millionsnounUS /ˈmɪljənz/
plural of “million” — the number that is represented as a one followed by 6 zeros
From this reading On the second of February, however, when we were about four and a quarter millions of miles from our destination, we were dreadfully alarmed by a series of majestic natural phenomena.
one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading For a month after the last events were chronicled the _Sirius_ pursued its way steadily towards Mars, without a single exceptional incident.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading As the hours went by he became more and more indistinct, just as he appears through a fog on earth, and finally his fiery rays were hidden behind vast banks of cloud.
in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature
From this reading On the second of February, however, when we were about four and a quarter millions of miles from our destination, we were dreadfully alarmed by a series of majestic natural phenomena.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading On the evening of the day just mentioned, or, rather, what would have been evening could we have distinguished night from day, the sun, for the first time since we left the shadow of Earth, began to shine less brightly.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE GLORIES OF THE HEAVENS.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On the second of February, however, when we were about four and a quarter millions of miles from our destination, we were dreadfully alarmed by a series of majestic natural phenomena.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading On the evening of the day just mentioned, or, rather, what would have been evening could we have distinguished night from day, the sun, for the first time since we left the shadow of Earth, began to shine less brightly.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading On the second of February, however, when we were about four and a quarter millions of miles from our destination, we were dreadfully alarmed by a series of majestic natural phenomena.
phenomenanounUS /fəˈnɑːmənə/
plural of “phenomenon” — any state or process known through the senses rather than by intuition or reasoning
From this reading On the second of February, however, when we were about four and a quarter millions of miles from our destination, we were dreadfully alarmed by a series of majestic natural phenomena.
a person who is being chased
From this reading For a month after the last events were chronicled the _Sirius_ pursued its way steadily towards Mars, without a single exceptional incident.
one of four equal parts
From this reading On the second of February, however, when we were about four and a quarter millions of miles from our destination, we were dreadfully alarmed by a series of majestic natural phenomena.
on the contrary
From this reading On the evening of the day just mentioned, or, rather, what would have been evening could we have distinguished night from day, the sun, for the first time since we left the shadow of Earth, began to shine less brightly.
raysnounUS /reɪz/
plural of “ray” — a column of light (as from a beacon)
From this reading As the hours went by he became more and more indistinct, just as he appears through a fog on earth, and finally his fiery rays were hidden behind vast banks of cloud.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading On the second of February, however, when we were about four and a quarter millions of miles from our destination, we were dreadfully alarmed by a series of majestic natural phenomena.
similar things placed in order or happening one after another
From this reading On the second of February, however, when we were about four and a quarter millions of miles from our destination, we were dreadfully alarmed by a series of majestic natural phenomena.
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading On the evening of the day just mentioned, or, rather, what would have been evening could we have distinguished night from day, the sun, for the first time since we left the shadow of Earth, began to shine less brightly.
shineverbUS /ʃaɪn/
be bright by reflecting or casting light
From this reading On the evening of the day just mentioned, or, rather, what would have been evening could we have distinguished night from day, the sun, for the first time since we left the shadow of Earth, began to shine less brightly.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading On the evening of the day just mentioned, or, rather, what would have been evening could we have distinguished night from day, the sun, for the first time since we left the shadow of Earth, began to shine less brightly.
being or characteristic of a single thing or person
From this reading For a month after the last events were chronicled the _Sirius_ pursued its way steadily towards Mars, without a single exceptional incident.
SiriusnounUS /ˈsɪrɪəs/
the brightest star in the sky; in Canis Major
From this reading For a month after the last events were chronicled the _Sirius_ pursued its way steadily towards Mars, without a single exceptional incident.
at a steady rate or pace
From this reading For a month after the last events were chronicled the _Sirius_ pursued its way steadily towards Mars, without a single exceptional incident.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading On the evening of the day just mentioned, or, rather, what would have been evening could we have distinguished night from day, the sun, for the first time since we left the shadow of Earth, began to shine less brightly.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE GLORIES OF THE HEAVENS.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading As the hours went by he became more and more indistinct, just as he appears through a fog on earth, and finally his fiery rays were hidden behind vast banks of cloud.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading On the evening of the day just mentioned, or, rather, what would have been evening could we have distinguished night from day, the sun, for the first time since we left the shadow of Earth, began to shine less brightly.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading On the evening of the day just mentioned, or, rather, what would have been evening could we have distinguished night from day, the sun, for the first time since we left the shadow of Earth, began to shine less brightly.
in the direction of
From this reading For a month after the last events were chronicled the _Sirius_ pursued its way steadily towards Mars, without a single exceptional incident.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading As the hours went by he became more and more indistinct, just as he appears through a fog on earth, and finally his fiery rays were hidden behind vast banks of cloud.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading For a month after the last events were chronicled the _Sirius_ pursued its way steadily towards Mars, without a single exceptional incident.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading On the second of February, however, when we were about four and a quarter millions of miles from our destination, we were dreadfully alarmed by a series of majestic natural phenomena.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading As the hours went by he became more and more indistinct, just as he appears through a fog on earth, and finally his fiery rays were hidden behind vast banks of cloud.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading For a month after the last events were chronicled the _Sirius_ pursued its way steadily towards Mars, without a single exceptional incident.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading On the evening of the day just mentioned, or, rather, what would have been evening could we have distinguished night from day, the sun, for the first time since we left the shadow of Earth, began to shine less brightly.
at the time that
From this reading On the second of February, however, when we were about four and a quarter millions of miles from our destination, we were dreadfully alarmed by a series of majestic natural phenomena.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading For a month after the last events were chronicled the _Sirius_ pursued its way steadily towards Mars, without a single exceptional incident.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading On the evening of the day just mentioned, or, rather, what would have been evening could we have distinguished night from day, the sun, for the first time since we left the shadow of Earth, began to shine less brightly.
