used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The steady pulse of the airmakers kept rhythm with the heartbeats of the young men seated in a semi-circle, listening with glistening eyes to these ancient tales of an Earth they'd never seen--the home of their species.
airmakers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The steady pulse of the airmakers kept rhythm with the heartbeats of the young men seated in a semi-circle, listening with glistening eyes to these ancient tales of an Earth they'd never seen--the home of their species.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The steady pulse of the airmakers kept rhythm with the heartbeats of the young men seated in a semi-circle, listening with glistening eyes to these ancient tales of an Earth they'd never seen--the home of their species.
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading The steady pulse of the airmakers kept rhythm with the heartbeats of the young men seated in a semi-circle, listening with glistening eyes to these ancient tales of an Earth they'd never seen--the home of their species.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The grizzled old space veteran leaned back in his chair and stared up through the transparent dome.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading They stared hungrily at the old man's face.
a particular environment or surrounding influence
From this reading In the black sky myriad white specks gleamed without twinkling, their light unbent by atmosphere or dust.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading There was a silvery spot on the chin where Venusian fungus had nearly gotten into his bloodstream and had had to be burned away.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading The grizzled old space veteran leaned back in his chair and stared up through the transparent dome.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading There was a silvery spot on the chin where Venusian fungus had nearly gotten into his bloodstream and had had to be burned away.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading In the black sky myriad white specks gleamed without twinkling, their light unbent by atmosphere or dust.
bloodstreamnounUS /ˈblʌdstriːm/
the blood flowing through the circulatory system
From this reading There was a silvery spot on the chin where Venusian fungus had nearly gotten into his bloodstream and had had to be burned away.
treated by heating to a high temperature but below the melting or fusing point
From this reading There was a silvery spot on the chin where Venusian fungus had nearly gotten into his bloodstream and had had to be burned away.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading In the black sky myriad white specks gleamed without twinkling, their light unbent by atmosphere or dust.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading The grizzled old space veteran leaned back in his chair and stared up through the transparent dome.
the protruding part of the lower jaw
From this reading There was a silvery spot on the chin where Venusian fungus had nearly gotten into his bloodstream and had had to be burned away.
domenounUS /doʊm/
a concave shape whose distinguishing characteristic is that the concavity faces downward
From this reading The grizzled old space veteran leaned back in his chair and stared up through the transparent dome.
remove the dust from
From this reading In the black sky myriad white specks gleamed without twinkling, their light unbent by atmosphere or dust.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading The steady pulse of the airmakers kept rhythm with the heartbeats of the young men seated in a semi-circle, listening with glistening eyes to these ancient tales of an Earth they'd never seen--the home of their species.
opinion or judgment
From this reading The steady pulse of the airmakers kept rhythm with the heartbeats of the young men seated in a semi-circle, listening with glistening eyes to these ancient tales of an Earth they'd never seen--the home of their species.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading They stared hungrily at the old man's face.
fungusnounUS /ˈfʌŋɡəs/
an organism of the kingdom Fungi lacking chlorophyll and feeding on organic matter; ranging from unicellular or multicellular organisms to spore-bearing syncytia
From this reading There was a silvery spot on the chin where Venusian fungus had nearly gotten into his bloodstream and had had to be burned away.
gleamedverbUS /ɡliːmd/
past form of “gleam” — be shiny, as if wet
From this reading In the black sky myriad white specks gleamed without twinkling, their light unbent by atmosphere or dust.
glisteningadjectiveUS /ˈɡlɪsənɪŋ/
reflecting light
From this reading The steady pulse of the airmakers kept rhythm with the heartbeats of the young men seated in a semi-circle, listening with glistening eyes to these ancient tales of an Earth they'd never seen--the home of their species.
gottenverbUS /ˈɡɑːtən/
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading There was a silvery spot on the chin where Venusian fungus had nearly gotten into his bloodstream and had had to be burned away.
grizzledadjectiveUS /ˈɡrɪzəld/
having dark hairs mixed with grey or white
From this reading The grizzled old space veteran leaned back in his chair and stared up through the transparent dome.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading There was a silvery spot on the chin where Venusian fungus had nearly gotten into his bloodstream and had had to be burned away.
heartbeatsnounUS /ˈhɑːrtbiːts/
plural of “heartbeat” — the rhythmic contraction and expansion of the arteries with each beat of the heart
From this reading The steady pulse of the airmakers kept rhythm with the heartbeats of the young men seated in a semi-circle, listening with glistening eyes to these ancient tales of an Earth they'd never seen--the home of their species.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The grizzled old space veteran leaned back in his chair and stared up through the transparent dome.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading The steady pulse of the airmakers kept rhythm with the heartbeats of the young men seated in a semi-circle, listening with glistening eyes to these ancient tales of an Earth they'd never seen--the home of their species.
hungrilyadverbUS /ˈhʌŋɡrəli/
in the manner of someone who is very hungry
From this reading They stared hungrily at the old man's face.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The grizzled old space veteran leaned back in his chair and stared up through the transparent dome.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading There was a silvery spot on the chin where Venusian fungus had nearly gotten into his bloodstream and had had to be burned away.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading The steady pulse of the airmakers kept rhythm with the heartbeats of the young men seated in a semi-circle, listening with glistening eyes to these ancient tales of an Earth they'd never seen--the home of their species.
past form of “lean” — to incline or bend from a vertical position
From this reading The grizzled old space veteran leaned back in his chair and stared up through the transparent dome.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading In the black sky myriad white specks gleamed without twinkling, their light unbent by atmosphere or dust.
the act of hearing attentively
From this reading The steady pulse of the airmakers kept rhythm with the heartbeats of the young men seated in a semi-circle, listening with glistening eyes to these ancient tales of an Earth they'd never seen--the home of their species.
man'snounUS /mænz/
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading They stared hungrily at the old man's face.
the force of workers available
From this reading The steady pulse of the airmakers kept rhythm with the heartbeats of the young men seated in a semi-circle, listening with glistening eyes to these ancient tales of an Earth they'd never seen--the home of their species.
myriadnounUS /ˈmɪriəd/
a large indefinite number
From this reading In the black sky myriad white specks gleamed without twinkling, their light unbent by atmosphere or dust.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading There was a silvery spot on the chin where Venusian fungus had nearly gotten into his bloodstream and had had to be burned away.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading The steady pulse of the airmakers kept rhythm with the heartbeats of the young men seated in a semi-circle, listening with glistening eyes to these ancient tales of an Earth they'd never seen--the home of their species.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The steady pulse of the airmakers kept rhythm with the heartbeats of the young men seated in a semi-circle, listening with glistening eyes to these ancient tales of an Earth they'd never seen--the home of their species.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The grizzled old space veteran leaned back in his chair and stared up through the transparent dome.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading There was a silvery spot on the chin where Venusian fungus had nearly gotten into his bloodstream and had had to be burned away.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading In the black sky myriad white specks gleamed without twinkling, their light unbent by atmosphere or dust.
pulsenounUS /pʌls/
(electronics) a sharp transient wave in the normal electrical state (or a series of such transients)
From this reading The steady pulse of the airmakers kept rhythm with the heartbeats of the young men seated in a semi-circle, listening with glistening eyes to these ancient tales of an Earth they'd never seen--the home of their species.
rhythmnounUS /ˈrɪðəm/
the basic rhythmic unit in a piece of music
From this reading The steady pulse of the airmakers kept rhythm with the heartbeats of the young men seated in a semi-circle, listening with glistening eyes to these ancient tales of an Earth they'd never seen--the home of their species.
(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks
From this reading The steady pulse of the airmakers kept rhythm with the heartbeats of the young men seated in a semi-circle, listening with glistening eyes to these ancient tales of an Earth they'd never seen--the home of their species.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading The steady pulse of the airmakers kept rhythm with the heartbeats of the young men seated in a semi-circle, listening with glistening eyes to these ancient tales of an Earth they'd never seen--the home of their species.
semi-circle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The steady pulse of the airmakers kept rhythm with the heartbeats of the young men seated in a semi-circle, listening with glistening eyes to these ancient tales of an Earth they'd never seen--the home of their species.
silveryadjectiveUS /ˈsɪlvəri/
resembling or reminiscent of silver
From this reading There was a silvery spot on the chin where Venusian fungus had nearly gotten into his bloodstream and had had to be burned away.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading In the black sky myriad white specks gleamed without twinkling, their light unbent by atmosphere or dust.
the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading The grizzled old space veteran leaned back in his chair and stared up through the transparent dome.
speciesnounUS /ˈspiːʃiz/
(biology) taxonomic group whose members can interbreed
From this reading The steady pulse of the airmakers kept rhythm with the heartbeats of the young men seated in a semi-circle, listening with glistening eyes to these ancient tales of an Earth they'd never seen--the home of their species.
specksnounUS /speks/
plural of “speck” — a very small spot
From this reading In the black sky myriad white specks gleamed without twinkling, their light unbent by atmosphere or dust.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading There was a silvery spot on the chin where Venusian fungus had nearly gotten into his bloodstream and had had to be burned away.
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading The grizzled old space veteran leaned back in his chair and stared up through the transparent dome.
make steady
From this reading The steady pulse of the airmakers kept rhythm with the heartbeats of the young men seated in a semi-circle, listening with glistening eyes to these ancient tales of an Earth they'd never seen--the home of their species.
plural of “tale” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading The steady pulse of the airmakers kept rhythm with the heartbeats of the young men seated in a semi-circle, listening with glistening eyes to these ancient tales of an Earth they'd never seen--the home of their species.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The grizzled old space veteran leaned back in his chair and stared up through the transparent dome.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading In the black sky myriad white specks gleamed without twinkling, their light unbent by atmosphere or dust.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was a silvery spot on the chin where Venusian fungus had nearly gotten into his bloodstream and had had to be burned away.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading The steady pulse of the airmakers kept rhythm with the heartbeats of the young men seated in a semi-circle, listening with glistening eyes to these ancient tales of an Earth they'd never seen--the home of their species.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They stared hungrily at the old man's face.
they'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The steady pulse of the airmakers kept rhythm with the heartbeats of the young men seated in a semi-circle, listening with glistening eyes to these ancient tales of an Earth they'd never seen--the home of their species.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The grizzled old space veteran leaned back in his chair and stared up through the transparent dome.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The steady pulse of the airmakers kept rhythm with the heartbeats of the young men seated in a semi-circle, listening with glistening eyes to these ancient tales of an Earth they'd never seen--the home of their species.
transparentadjectiveUS /trænˈsperənt/
transmitting light; able to be seen through with clarity
From this reading The grizzled old space veteran leaned back in his chair and stared up through the transparent dome.
twinklingnounUS /ˈtwɪŋkəlɪŋ/
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading In the black sky myriad white specks gleamed without twinkling, their light unbent by atmosphere or dust.
unbentadjective
not bent
From this reading In the black sky myriad white specks gleamed without twinkling, their light unbent by atmosphere or dust.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The grizzled old space veteran leaned back in his chair and stared up through the transparent dome.
Venusian
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a silvery spot on the chin where Venusian fungus had nearly gotten into his bloodstream and had had to be burned away.
veterannounUS /ˈvetərən/
a serviceman who has seen considerable active service
From this reading The grizzled old space veteran leaned back in his chair and stared up through the transparent dome.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was a silvery spot on the chin where Venusian fungus had nearly gotten into his bloodstream and had had to be burned away.
in or at the place that
From this reading There was a silvery spot on the chin where Venusian fungus had nearly gotten into his bloodstream and had had to be burned away.
a Caucasian
From this reading In the black sky myriad white specks gleamed without twinkling, their light unbent by atmosphere or dust.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The steady pulse of the airmakers kept rhythm with the heartbeats of the young men seated in a semi-circle, listening with glistening eyes to these ancient tales of an Earth they'd never seen--the home of their species.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading In the black sky myriad white specks gleamed without twinkling, their light unbent by atmosphere or dust.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading The steady pulse of the airmakers kept rhythm with the heartbeats of the young men seated in a semi-circle, listening with glistening eyes to these ancient tales of an Earth they'd never seen--the home of their species.
