used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
on a ship, train, plane or other vehicle
From this reading Nor was it by chance that both Virgil Samms and Roderick Kinnison were aboard.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading And a dozen or so other craft, cruisers and such, whose officers were out to put space-time in their logs, were flitting aimlessly about; but never very far away from the flagship.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
an unfortunate mishap; especially one causing damage or injury
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
aimlesslyadverbUS /ˈeɪmləsli/
without aim; in an aimless manner
From this reading And a dozen or so other craft, cruisers and such, whose officers were out to put space-time in their logs, were flitting aimlessly about; but never very far away from the flagship.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading The navigating officers of those vessels knew to a nicety the place and course of every ship lawfully in the ether, and the appearance of even one unscheduled trace would set in motion a long succession of carefully-planned events.
arcnounUS /ɑːrk/
electrical conduction through a gas in an applied electric field
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading And a dozen or so other craft, cruisers and such, whose officers were out to put space-time in their logs, were flitting aimlessly about; but never very far away from the flagship.
the two together, not just one
From this reading Nor was it by chance that both Virgil Samms and Roderick Kinnison were aboard.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading And a dozen or so other craft, cruisers and such, whose officers were out to put space-time in their logs, were flitting aimlessly about; but never very far away from the flagship.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
carefully-planned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The navigating officers of those vessels knew to a nicety the place and course of every ship lawfully in the ether, and the appearance of even one unscheduled trace would set in motion a long succession of carefully-planned events.
centernounUS /ˈsɛn.tər/
The middle point or core of an area.
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading Nor was it by chance that both Virgil Samms and Roderick Kinnison were aboard.
ChicagonounUS /ʃəˈkɑːɡoʊ/
largest city in Illinois; a bustling Great Lakes port that extends 26 miles along the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
circularadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrkjələr/
having the shape or form of a circle
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
cordonnounUS /ˈkɔːrdən/
a series of sentinels or of military posts enclosing or guarding some place or thing
From this reading And farther out--well out--a cordon of diesel-powered detector ships swept space to the full limit of their prodigious reach.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading The navigating officers of those vessels knew to a nicety the place and course of every ship lawfully in the ether, and the appearance of even one unscheduled trace would set in motion a long succession of carefully-planned events.
the skilled practice of a practical occupation
From this reading And a dozen or so other craft, cruisers and such, whose officers were out to put space-time in their logs, were flitting aimlessly about; but never very far away from the flagship.
cruisersnounUS /ˈkruːzərz/
plural of “cruiser” — a car in which policemen cruise the streets; equipped with radiotelephonic communications to headquarters
From this reading And a dozen or so other craft, cruisers and such, whose officers were out to put space-time in their logs, were flitting aimlessly about; but never very far away from the flagship.
detectornounUS /dɪˈtektər/
any device that receives a signal or stimulus (as heat or pressure or light or motion etc.) and responds to it in a distinctive manner
From this reading And farther out--well out--a cordon of diesel-powered detector ships swept space to the full limit of their prodigious reach.
diesel-powered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And farther out--well out--a cordon of diesel-powered detector ships swept space to the full limit of their prodigious reach.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading And a dozen or so other craft, cruisers and such, whose officers were out to put space-time in their logs, were flitting aimlessly about; but never very far away from the flagship.
Earth'snounUS /ɜːrθs/
possessive form of “earth” — the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
ethernounUS /ˈiːθər/
the fifth and highest element after air and earth and fire and water; was believed to be the substance composing all heavenly bodies
From this reading The navigating officers of those vessels knew to a nicety the place and course of every ship lawfully in the ether, and the appearance of even one unscheduled trace would set in motion a long succession of carefully-planned events.
divisible by two
From this reading The navigating officers of those vessels knew to a nicety the place and course of every ship lawfully in the ether, and the appearance of even one unscheduled trace would set in motion a long succession of carefully-planned events.
plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time
From this reading The navigating officers of those vessels knew to a nicety the place and course of every ship lawfully in the ether, and the appearance of even one unscheduled trace would set in motion a long succession of carefully-planned events.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading The navigating officers of those vessels knew to a nicety the place and course of every ship lawfully in the ether, and the appearance of even one unscheduled trace would set in motion a long succession of carefully-planned events.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading And a dozen or so other craft, cruisers and such, whose officers were out to put space-time in their logs, were flitting aimlessly about; but never very far away from the flagship.
more distant in especially space or time
From this reading And farther out--well out--a cordon of diesel-powered detector ships swept space to the full limit of their prodigious reach.
flagshipnounUS /ˈflæɡʃɪp/
the chief one of a related group
From this reading And a dozen or so other craft, cruisers and such, whose officers were out to put space-time in their logs, were flitting aimlessly about; but never very far away from the flagship.
flittingverbUS /ˈflɪtɪŋ/
inflected form of “flit” — move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
From this reading And a dozen or so other craft, cruisers and such, whose officers were out to put space-time in their logs, were flitting aimlessly about; but never very far away from the flagship.
FortyadjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrti/
being ten more than thirty
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading And farther out--well out--a cordon of diesel-powered detector ships swept space to the full limit of their prodigious reach.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading And a dozen or so other craft, cruisers and such, whose officers were out to put space-time in their logs, were flitting aimlessly about; but never very far away from the flagship.
inertadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈnɜːrt/
unable to move or resist motion
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Nor was it by chance that both Virgil Samms and Roderick Kinnison were aboard.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
Kinnison
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nor was it by chance that both Virgil Samms and Roderick Kinnison were aboard.
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 The navigating officers of those vessels knew to a nicety the place and course of every ship lawfully in the ether, and the appearance of even one unscheduled trace would set in motion a long succession of carefully-planned events.
lawfullyadverbUS /ˈlɔːfəli/
in a manner acceptable to common custom
From this reading The navigating officers of those vessels knew to a nicety the place and course of every ship lawfully in the ether, and the appearance of even one unscheduled trace would set in motion a long succession of carefully-planned events.
limitnounUS /ˈlɪmət/
the greatest possible degree of something
From this reading And farther out--well out--a cordon of diesel-powered detector ships swept space to the full limit of their prodigious reach.
loafed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
logsnounUS /lɔːɡz/
plural of “log” — a segment of the trunk of a tree when stripped of branches
From this reading And a dozen or so other craft, cruisers and such, whose officers were out to put space-time in their logs, were flitting aimlessly about; but never very far away from the flagship.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading The navigating officers of those vessels knew to a nicety the place and course of every ship lawfully in the ether, and the appearance of even one unscheduled trace would set in motion a long succession of carefully-planned events.
being nothing more than specified
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals
From this reading The navigating officers of those vessels knew to a nicety the place and course of every ship lawfully in the ether, and the appearance of even one unscheduled trace would set in motion a long succession of carefully-planned events.
navigatingverbUS /ˈnævəɡeɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “navigate” — travel on water propelled by wind or by other means
From this reading The navigating officers of those vessels knew to a nicety the place and course of every ship lawfully in the ether, and the appearance of even one unscheduled trace would set in motion a long succession of carefully-planned events.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading And a dozen or so other craft, cruisers and such, whose officers were out to put space-time in their logs, were flitting aimlessly about; but never very far away from the flagship.
nicetynounUS /ˈnaɪsɪti/
conformity with some esthetic standard of correctness or propriety
From this reading The navigating officers of those vessels knew to a nicety the place and course of every ship lawfully in the ether, and the appearance of even one unscheduled trace would set in motion a long succession of carefully-planned events.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading Nor was it by chance that both Virgil Samms and Roderick Kinnison were aboard.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And farther out--well out--a cordon of diesel-powered detector ships swept space to the full limit of their prodigious reach.
plural of “officer” — any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command
From this reading And a dozen or so other craft, cruisers and such, whose officers were out to put space-time in their logs, were flitting aimlessly about; but never very far away from the flagship.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The navigating officers of those vessels knew to a nicety the place and course of every ship lawfully in the ether, and the appearance of even one unscheduled trace would set in motion a long succession of carefully-planned events.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading And a dozen or so other craft, cruisers and such, whose officers were out to put space-time in their logs, were flitting aimlessly about; but never very far away from the flagship.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading And a dozen or so other craft, cruisers and such, whose officers were out to put space-time in their logs, were flitting aimlessly about; but never very far away from the flagship.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading And a dozen or so other craft, cruisers and such, whose officers were out to put space-time in their logs, were flitting aimlessly about; but never very far away from the flagship.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading The navigating officers of those vessels knew to a nicety the place and course of every ship lawfully in the ether, and the appearance of even one unscheduled trace would set in motion a long succession of carefully-planned events.
planet'snounUS /ˈplænəts/
possessive form of “planet” — (astronomy) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around the sun and shine by reflected light
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
practicallyadverbUS /ˈpræktɪkli/
almost; nearly
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
prodigiousadjectiveUS /prəˈdɪdʒəs/
so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe
From this reading And farther out--well out--a cordon of diesel-powered detector ships swept space to the full limit of their prodigious reach.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading And a dozen or so other craft, cruisers and such, whose officers were out to put space-time in their logs, were flitting aimlessly about; but never very far away from the flagship.
reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading And farther out--well out--a cordon of diesel-powered detector ships swept space to the full limit of their prodigious reach.
Roderick
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nor was it by chance that both Virgil Samms and Roderick Kinnison were aboard.
Samms
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nor was it by chance that both Virgil Samms and Roderick Kinnison were aboard.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The navigating officers of those vessels knew to a nicety the place and course of every ship lawfully in the ether, and the appearance of even one unscheduled trace would set in motion a long succession of carefully-planned events.
transport commercially
From this reading The navigating officers of those vessels knew to a nicety the place and course of every ship lawfully in the ether, and the appearance of even one unscheduled trace would set in motion a long succession of carefully-planned events.
plural of “ship” — a vessel that carries passengers or freight
From this reading And farther out--well out--a cordon of diesel-powered detector ships swept space to the full limit of their prodigious reach.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading And a dozen or so other craft, cruisers and such, whose officers were out to put space-time in their logs, were flitting aimlessly about; but never very far away from the flagship.
the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading And farther out--well out--a cordon of diesel-powered detector ships swept space to the full limit of their prodigious reach.
space-timenounUS /ˈspeɪstaɪm/
the four-dimensional coordinate system (3 dimensions of space and 1 of time) in which physical events are located
From this reading And a dozen or so other craft, cruisers and such, whose officers were out to put space-time in their logs, were flitting aimlessly about; but never very far away from the flagship.
move hurridly
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
stationaryadjectiveUS /ˈsteɪʃəneri/
standing still
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
successionnounUS /səkˈseʃən/
a following of one thing after another in time
From this reading The navigating officers of those vessels knew to a nicety the place and course of every ship lawfully in the ether, and the appearance of even one unscheduled trace would set in motion a long succession of carefully-planned events.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading And a dozen or so other craft, cruisers and such, whose officers were out to put space-time in their logs, were flitting aimlessly about; but never very far away from the flagship.
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
possessing sweep
From this reading And farther out--well out--a cordon of diesel-powered detector ships swept space to the full limit of their prodigious reach.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Nor was it by chance that both Virgil Samms and Roderick Kinnison were aboard.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading And a dozen or so other craft, cruisers and such, whose officers were out to put space-time in their logs, were flitting aimlessly about; but never very far away from the flagship.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading The navigating officers of those vessels knew to a nicety the place and course of every ship lawfully in the ether, and the appearance of even one unscheduled trace would set in motion a long succession of carefully-planned events.
the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading And a dozen or so other craft, cruisers and such, whose officers were out to put space-time in their logs, were flitting aimlessly about; but never very far away from the flagship.
a just detectable amount
From this reading The navigating officers of those vessels knew to a nicety the place and course of every ship lawfully in the ether, and the appearance of even one unscheduled trace would set in motion a long succession of carefully-planned events.
unscheduledadjectiveUS /ənˈskedʒuːld/
not scheduled or not on a regular schedule
From this reading The navigating officers of those vessels knew to a nicety the place and course of every ship lawfully in the ether, and the appearance of even one unscheduled trace would set in motion a long succession of carefully-planned events.
precisely as stated
From this reading And a dozen or so other craft, cruisers and such, whose officers were out to put space-time in their logs, were flitting aimlessly about; but never very far away from the flagship.
vesselsnounUS /ˈvesəlz/
plural of “vessel” — a tube in which a body fluid circulates
From this reading The navigating officers of those vessels knew to a nicety the place and course of every ship lawfully in the ether, and the appearance of even one unscheduled trace would set in motion a long succession of carefully-planned events.
VirgilnounUS /ˈvɜːrdʒəl/
a Roman poet; author of the epic poem “Aeneid” (70-19 BC)
From this reading Nor was it by chance that both Virgil Samms and Roderick Kinnison were aboard.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Nor was it by chance that both Virgil Samms and Roderick Kinnison were aboard.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading And farther out--well out--a cordon of diesel-powered detector ships swept space to the full limit of their prodigious reach.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Nor was it by chance that both Virgil Samms and Roderick Kinnison were aboard.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Forty thousand miles from Earth's center the _Chicago_ loafed along a circular arc, inert, at a mere ten thousand miles an hour; a speed which, and not by accident, kept her practically stationary above a certain point on the planet's surface.
belonging to which person
From this reading And a dozen or so other craft, cruisers and such, whose officers were out to put space-time in their logs, were flitting aimlessly about; but never very far away from the flagship.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The navigating officers of those vessels knew to a nicety the place and course of every ship lawfully in the ether, and the appearance of even one unscheduled trace would set in motion a long succession of carefully-planned events.
