from one side of something to the other
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
afieldadverbUS /əˈfiːld/
far away from home or one's usual surroundings
From this reading He wondered again why people thought it necessary to go so far afield to know the Desert.
anew
From this reading He wondered again why people thought it necessary to go so far afield to know the Desert.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading This side of the pyramids he saw the Nile meander among palm groves and tilled fields.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Here, within half an hour of Cairo, it lay breathing solemnly at his very doors.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And from his bedroom windows he watched the sun dip into gold and crimson behind the swelling Libyan sands.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Here, within half an hour of Cairo, it lay breathing solemnly at his very doors.
balconynounUS /ˈbælkəni/
an upper floor projecting from the rear over the main floor in an auditorium
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
a room used primarily for sleeping
From this reading And from his bedroom windows he watched the sun dip into gold and crimson behind the swelling Libyan sands.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading And from his bedroom windows he watched the sun dip into gold and crimson behind the swelling Libyan sands.
next to; at the side of
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
the bodily process of inhalation and exhalation; the process of taking in oxygen from inhaled air and releasing carbon dioxide by exhalation
From this reading Here, within half an hour of Cairo, it lay breathing solemnly at his very doors.
CaironounUS /ˈkaɪroʊ/
a town at the southern tip of Illinois at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers
From this reading Here, within half an hour of Cairo, it lay breathing solemnly at his very doors.
carpetedadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːrpətɪd/
covered with or as if with carpeting or with carpeting as specified; often used in combination
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
constellationsnounUS /ˌkɑːnstəˈleɪʃənz/
plural of “constellation” — an arrangement of parts or elements
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
crimsonadjectiveUS /ˈkrɪmzən/
of a color at the end of the color spectrum (next to orange); resembling the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies
From this reading And from his bedroom windows he watched the sun dip into gold and crimson behind the swelling Libyan sands.
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading He wondered again why people thought it necessary to go so far afield to know the Desert.
dipverbUS /dɪp/
immerse briefly into a liquid so as to wet, coat, or saturate
From this reading And from his bedroom windows he watched the sun dip into gold and crimson behind the swelling Libyan sands.
plural of “door” — a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Here, within half an hour of Cairo, it lay breathing solemnly at his very doors.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
fearful expectation or anticipation
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
plural of “dream” — a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
EgyptnounUS /ˈiːdʒəpt/
a republic in northeastern Africa known as the United Arab Republic until 1971; site of an ancient civilization that flourished from 2600 to 30 BC
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
EgyptiannounUS /ɪˈdʒɪpʃən/
a native or inhabitant of Egypt
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading He wondered again why people thought it necessary to go so far afield to know the Desert.
United States comedian and film actor (1880-1946)
From this reading This side of the pyramids he saw the Nile meander among palm groves and tilled fields.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading And from his bedroom windows he watched the sun dip into gold and crimson behind the swelling Libyan sands.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading He wondered again why people thought it necessary to go so far afield to know the Desert.
coins made of gold
From this reading And from his bedroom windows he watched the sun dip into gold and crimson behind the swelling Libyan sands.
grovesnounUS /ɡroʊvz/
United States general who served as military director of the atomic bomb project (1896-1970)
From this reading This side of the pyramids he saw the Nile meander among palm groves and tilled fields.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading Here, within half an hour of Cairo, it lay breathing solemnly at his very doors.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And from his bedroom windows he watched the sun dip into gold and crimson behind the swelling Libyan sands.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Here, within half an hour of Cairo, it lay breathing solemnly at his very doors.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading And from his bedroom windows he watched the sun dip into gold and crimson behind the swelling Libyan sands.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading Here, within half an hour of Cairo, it lay breathing solemnly at his very doors.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading And from his bedroom windows he watched the sun dip into gold and crimson behind the swelling Libyan sands.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He wondered again why people thought it necessary to go so far afield to know the Desert.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading He wondered again why people thought it necessary to go so far afield to know the Desert.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Here, within half an hour of Cairo, it lay breathing solemnly at his very doors.
LibyannounUS /ˈlɪbiːən/
a native or inhabitant of Libya
From this reading And from his bedroom windows he watched the sun dip into gold and crimson behind the swelling Libyan sands.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
meanderverbUS /miˈændər/
to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course
From this reading This side of the pyramids he saw the Nile meander among palm groves and tilled fields.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
absolutely essential
From this reading He wondered again why people thought it necessary to go so far afield to know the Desert.
NilenounUS /naɪl/
the world's longest river (4150 miles); flows northward through eastern Africa into the Mediterranean; the Nile River valley in Egypt was the site of the world's first great civilization
From this reading This side of the pyramids he saw the Nile meander among palm groves and tilled fields.
Nubianoun
an ancient region of northeastern Africa (southern Egypt and northern Sudan) on the Nile; much of Nubia is now under Lake Nasser
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading This side of the pyramids he saw the Nile meander among palm groves and tilled fields.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
palmnounUS /pɑːm/
the inner surface of the hand from the wrist to the base of the fingers
From this reading This side of the pyramids he saw the Nile meander among palm groves and tilled fields.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading He wondered again why people thought it necessary to go so far afield to know the Desert.
pyramidsnounUS /ˈpɪrəmɪdz/
plural of “pyramid” — a polyhedron having a polygonal base and triangular sides with a common vertex
From this reading This side of the pyramids he saw the Nile meander among palm groves and tilled fields.
railingsnounUS /ˈreɪlɪŋz/
plural of “railing” — a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
SaharanounUS /səˈherə/
the world's largest desert (3,500,000 square miles) in northern Africa
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
sandsnounUS /sændz/
the region of the shore of a lake or sea or ocean
From this reading And from his bedroom windows he watched the sun dip into gold and crimson behind the swelling Libyan sands.
cut with a saw
From this reading This side of the pyramids he saw the Nile meander among palm groves and tilled fields.
shapingnounUS /ˈʃeɪpɪŋ/
any process serving to define the shape of something
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading This side of the pyramids he saw the Nile meander among palm groves and tilled fields.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He wondered again why people thought it necessary to go so far afield to know the Desert.
solemnlyadverbUS /ˈsɔːləmli/
in a grave and sedate manner
From this reading Here, within half an hour of Cairo, it lay breathing solemnly at his very doors.
the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
plural of “star” — (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading And from his bedroom windows he watched the sun dip into gold and crimson behind the swelling Libyan sands.
swellingnounUS /ˈswelɪŋ/
an abnormal protuberance or localized enlargement
From this reading And from his bedroom windows he watched the sun dip into gold and crimson behind the swelling Libyan sands.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading And from his bedroom windows he watched the sun dip into gold and crimson behind the swelling Libyan sands.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This side of the pyramids he saw the Nile meander among palm groves and tilled fields.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading He wondered again why people thought it necessary to go so far afield to know the Desert.
plural of “thousand” — the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
tilledadjective
turned or stirred by plowing or harrowing or hoeing
From this reading This side of the pyramids he saw the Nile meander among palm groves and tilled fields.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
in the direction of
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
troopedverbUS /truːpt/
past form of “troop” — march in a procession
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
untamable
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
the topmost one of two
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
precisely as stated
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading And from his bedroom windows he watched the sun dip into gold and crimson behind the swelling Libyan sands.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading He wondered again why people thought it necessary to go so far afield to know the Desert.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading And from his bedroom windows he watched the sun dip into gold and crimson behind the swelling Libyan sands.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading Here, within half an hour of Cairo, it lay breathing solemnly at his very doors.
past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something
From this reading He wondered again why people thought it necessary to go so far afield to know the Desert.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading Across his balcony railings the Egyptian stars trooped down beside his very bed, shaping old constellations for his dreams; while, to the south, he looked out upon the vast untamable Body of the sands that carpeted the world for thousands of miles towards Upper Egypt, Nubia, and the dread Sahara itself.
