used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Cylindrical walls enclosed it, and a transparent plastic dome held it back from the sky and the stars.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading It towered as gleaming and as uncorroded as it had when it was first built, long ago, when men had bustled about it and in it, their shouting and their laughter and the sound of their tools ringing against the metallic plates._ _Now few men ever came to it.
anew
From this reading It waited, while night changed to day and back again, while the seasons merged one into another, and the years, and the centuries.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading It towered as gleaming and as uncorroded as it had when it was first built, long ago, when men had bustled about it and in it, their shouting and their laughter and the sound of their tools ringing against the metallic plates._ _Now few men ever came to it.
in the past
From this reading It towered as gleaming and as uncorroded as it had when it was first built, long ago, when men had bustled about it and in it, their shouting and their laughter and the sound of their tools ringing against the metallic plates._ _Now few men ever came to it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading [Sidenote: _The world of the new race was peaceful, comfortable, lovely--and completely static.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading It waited, while night changed to day and back again, while the seasons merged one into another, and the years, and the centuries.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It towered as gleaming and as uncorroded as it had when it was first built, long ago, when men had bustled about it and in it, their shouting and their laughter and the sound of their tools ringing against the metallic plates._ _Now few men ever came to it.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Cylindrical walls enclosed it, and a transparent plastic dome held it back from the sky and the stars.
(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness
From this reading It towered as gleaming and as uncorroded as it had when it was first built, long ago, when men had bustled about it and in it, their shouting and their laughter and the sound of their tools ringing against the metallic plates._ _Now few men ever came to it.
bustled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It towered as gleaming and as uncorroded as it had when it was first built, long ago, when men had bustled about it and in it, their shouting and their laughter and the sound of their tools ringing against the metallic plates._ _Now few men ever came to it.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading It towered as gleaming and as uncorroded as it had when it was first built, long ago, when men had bustled about it and in it, their shouting and their laughter and the sound of their tools ringing against the metallic plates._ _Now few men ever came to it.
inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading Only Eric knew the haunting loneliness that had carried the old race to the stars, and he couldn't communicate it, even if he had dared to!_] _The starship waited.
centuriesnounUS /ˈsentʃəriz/
plural of “century” — a period of 100 years
From this reading It waited, while night changed to day and back again, while the seasons merged one into another, and the years, and the centuries.
made or become different in nature or form
From this reading It waited, while night changed to day and back again, while the seasons merged one into another, and the years, and the centuries.
providing or experiencing physical well-being or relief (“comfy” is informal)
From this reading [Sidenote: _The world of the new race was peaceful, comfortable, lovely--and completely static.
communicateverbUS /kəˈmjuːnəkeɪt/
transmit information
From this reading Only Eric knew the haunting loneliness that had carried the old race to the stars, and he couldn't communicate it, even if he had dared to!_] _The starship waited.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading [Sidenote: _The world of the new race was peaceful, comfortable, lovely--and completely static.
couldn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Only Eric knew the haunting loneliness that had carried the old race to the stars, and he couldn't communicate it, even if he had dared to!_] _The starship waited.
CylindricaladjectiveUS /səˈlɪndrɪkəl/
having the form of a cylinder
From this reading Cylindrical walls enclosed it, and a transparent plastic dome held it back from the sky and the stars.
past form of “dare” — take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading Only Eric knew the haunting loneliness that had carried the old race to the stars, and he couldn't communicate it, even if he had dared to!_] _The starship waited.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading It waited, while night changed to day and back again, while the seasons merged one into another, and the years, and the centuries.
domenounUS /doʊm/
a concave shape whose distinguishing characteristic is that the concavity faces downward
From this reading Cylindrical walls enclosed it, and a transparent plastic dome held it back from the sky and the stars.
enclosedadjectiveUS /enˈkloʊzd/
closed in or surrounded or included within
From this reading Cylindrical walls enclosed it, and a transparent plastic dome held it back from the sky and the stars.
Eric
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Only Eric knew the haunting loneliness that had carried the old race to the stars, and he couldn't communicate it, even if he had dared to!_] _The starship waited.
divisible by two
From this reading Only Eric knew the haunting loneliness that had carried the old race to the stars, and he couldn't communicate it, even if he had dared to!_] _The starship waited.
at any time
From this reading It towered as gleaming and as uncorroded as it had when it was first built, long ago, when men had bustled about it and in it, their shouting and their laughter and the sound of their tools ringing against the metallic plates._ _Now few men ever came to it.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading It towered as gleaming and as uncorroded as it had when it was first built, long ago, when men had bustled about it and in it, their shouting and their laughter and the sound of their tools ringing against the metallic plates._ _Now few men ever came to it.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading It towered as gleaming and as uncorroded as it had when it was first built, long ago, when men had bustled about it and in it, their shouting and their laughter and the sound of their tools ringing against the metallic plates._ _Now few men ever came to it.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Cylindrical walls enclosed it, and a transparent plastic dome held it back from the sky and the stars.
gleamingnounUS /ˈɡliːmɪŋ/
a flash of light (especially reflected light)
From this reading It towered as gleaming and as uncorroded as it had when it was first built, long ago, when men had bustled about it and in it, their shouting and their laughter and the sound of their tools ringing against the metallic plates._ _Now few men ever came to it.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Only Eric knew the haunting loneliness that had carried the old race to the stars, and he couldn't communicate it, even if he had dared to!_] _The starship waited.
hauntingadjectiveUS /ˈhɔːntɪŋ/
continually recurring to the mind
From this reading Only Eric knew the haunting loneliness that had carried the old race to the stars, and he couldn't communicate it, even if he had dared to!_] _The starship waited.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Only Eric knew the haunting loneliness that had carried the old race to the stars, and he couldn't communicate it, even if he had dared to!_] _The starship waited.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading Cylindrical walls enclosed it, and a transparent plastic dome held it back from the sky and the stars.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Only Eric knew the haunting loneliness that had carried the old race to the stars, and he couldn't communicate it, even if he had dared to!_] _The starship waited.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It towered as gleaming and as uncorroded as it had when it was first built, long ago, when men had bustled about it and in it, their shouting and their laughter and the sound of their tools ringing against the metallic plates._ _Now few men ever came to it.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading It waited, while night changed to day and back again, while the seasons merged one into another, and the years, and the centuries.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Only Eric knew the haunting loneliness that had carried the old race to the stars, and he couldn't communicate it, even if he had dared to!_] _The starship waited.
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 Only Eric knew the haunting loneliness that had carried the old race to the stars, and he couldn't communicate it, even if he had dared to!_] _The starship waited.
the sound of laughing
From this reading It towered as gleaming and as uncorroded as it had when it was first built, long ago, when men had bustled about it and in it, their shouting and their laughter and the sound of their tools ringing against the metallic plates._ _Now few men ever came to it.
lonelinessnounUS /ˈloʊnlinəs/
the state of being alone in solitary isolation
From this reading Only Eric knew the haunting loneliness that had carried the old race to the stars, and he couldn't communicate it, even if he had dared to!_] _The starship waited.
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 It towered as gleaming and as uncorroded as it had when it was first built, long ago, when men had bustled about it and in it, their shouting and their laughter and the sound of their tools ringing against the metallic plates._ _Now few men ever came to it.
appealing to the emotions as well as the eye
From this reading [Sidenote: _The world of the new race was peaceful, comfortable, lovely--and completely static.
the force of workers available
From this reading It towered as gleaming and as uncorroded as it had when it was first built, long ago, when men had bustled about it and in it, their shouting and their laughter and the sound of their tools ringing against the metallic plates._ _Now few men ever came to it.
mergedadjectiveUS /mɜːrdʒd/
formed or united into a whole
From this reading It waited, while night changed to day and back again, while the seasons merged one into another, and the years, and the centuries.
metallicadjectiveUS /məˈtælɪk/
containing or made of or resembling or characteristic of a metal
From this reading It towered as gleaming and as uncorroded as it had when it was first built, long ago, when men had bustled about it and in it, their shouting and their laughter and the sound of their tools ringing against the metallic plates._ _Now few men ever came to it.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading [Sidenote: _The world of the new race was peaceful, comfortable, lovely--and completely static.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading It waited, while night changed to day and back again, while the seasons merged one into another, and the years, and the centuries.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading It towered as gleaming and as uncorroded as it had when it was first built, long ago, when men had bustled about it and in it, their shouting and their laughter and the sound of their tools ringing against the metallic plates._ _Now few men ever came to it.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading [Sidenote: _The world of the new race was peaceful, comfortable, lovely--and completely static.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Only Eric knew the haunting loneliness that had carried the old race to the stars, and he couldn't communicate it, even if he had dared to!_] _The starship waited.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading It waited, while night changed to day and back again, while the seasons merged one into another, and the years, and the centuries.
and nothing more
From this reading Only Eric knew the haunting loneliness that had carried the old race to the stars, and he couldn't communicate it, even if he had dared to!_] _The starship waited.
peacefuladjectiveUS /ˈpiːsfəl/
not disturbed by strife or turmoil or war
From this reading [Sidenote: _The world of the new race was peaceful, comfortable, lovely--and completely static.
plasticadjectiveUS /ˈplæstɪk/
capable of being molded or modeled (especially of earth or clay or other soft material)
From this reading Cylindrical walls enclosed it, and a transparent plastic dome held it back from the sky and the stars.
platesnounUS /pleɪts/
plural of “plate” — (baseball) base consisting of a rubber slab where the batter stands; it must be touched by a base runner in order to score
From this reading It towered as gleaming and as uncorroded as it had when it was first built, long ago, when men had bustled about it and in it, their shouting and their laughter and the sound of their tools ringing against the metallic plates._ _Now few men ever came to it.
any competition
From this reading [Sidenote: _The world of the new race was peaceful, comfortable, lovely--and completely static.
ringingnounUS /ˈrɪŋɪŋ/
the sound of a bell ringing
From this reading It towered as gleaming and as uncorroded as it had when it was first built, long ago, when men had bustled about it and in it, their shouting and their laughter and the sound of their tools ringing against the metallic plates._ _Now few men ever came to it.
seasonsnounUS /ˈsiːzənz/
plural of “season” — a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field
From this reading It waited, while night changed to day and back again, while the seasons merged one into another, and the years, and the centuries.
encouragement in the form of cheers from spectators
From this reading It towered as gleaming and as uncorroded as it had when it was first built, long ago, when men had bustled about it and in it, their shouting and their laughter and the sound of their tools ringing against the metallic plates._ _Now few men ever came to it.
Sidenote
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [Sidenote: _The world of the new race was peaceful, comfortable, lovely--and completely static.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading Cylindrical walls enclosed it, and a transparent plastic dome held it back from the sky and the stars.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading It towered as gleaming and as uncorroded as it had when it was first built, long ago, when men had bustled about it and in it, their shouting and their laughter and the sound of their tools ringing against the metallic plates._ _Now few men ever came to it.
plural of “star” — (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading Only Eric knew the haunting loneliness that had carried the old race to the stars, and he couldn't communicate it, even if he had dared to!_] _The starship waited.
starshipnounUS /ˈstɑːrʃɪp/
a spacecraft designed to carry a crew into interstellar space (especially in science fiction)
From this reading Only Eric knew the haunting loneliness that had carried the old race to the stars, and he couldn't communicate it, even if he had dared to!_] _The starship waited.
staticadjectiveUS /ˈstætɪk/
not in physical motion
From this reading [Sidenote: _The world of the new race was peaceful, comfortable, lovely--and completely static.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Only Eric knew the haunting loneliness that had carried the old race to the stars, and he couldn't communicate it, even if he had dared to!_] _The starship waited.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading [Sidenote: _The world of the new race was peaceful, comfortable, lovely--and completely static.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading It towered as gleaming and as uncorroded as it had when it was first built, long ago, when men had bustled about it and in it, their shouting and their laughter and the sound of their tools ringing against the metallic plates._ _Now few men ever came to it.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Only Eric knew the haunting loneliness that had carried the old race to the stars, and he couldn't communicate it, even if he had dared to!_] _The starship waited.
toolsnounUS /tuːlz/
plural of “tool” — an implement used in the practice of a vocation
From this reading It towered as gleaming and as uncorroded as it had when it was first built, long ago, when men had bustled about it and in it, their shouting and their laughter and the sound of their tools ringing against the metallic plates._ _Now few men ever came to it.
toweredverbUS /ˈtaʊərd/
past form of “tower” — appear very large or occupy a commanding position
From this reading It towered as gleaming and as uncorroded as it had when it was first built, long ago, when men had bustled about it and in it, their shouting and their laughter and the sound of their tools ringing against the metallic plates._ _Now few men ever came to it.
transparentadjectiveUS /trænˈsperənt/
transmitting light; able to be seen through with clarity
From this reading Cylindrical walls enclosed it, and a transparent plastic dome held it back from the sky and the stars.
uncorroded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It towered as gleaming and as uncorroded as it had when it was first built, long ago, when men had bustled about it and in it, their shouting and their laughter and the sound of their tools ringing against the metallic plates._ _Now few men ever came to it.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading Only Eric knew the haunting loneliness that had carried the old race to the stars, and he couldn't communicate it, even if he had dared to!_] _The starship waited.
plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading Cylindrical walls enclosed it, and a transparent plastic dome held it back from the sky and the stars.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading [Sidenote: _The world of the new race was peaceful, comfortable, lovely--and completely static.
at the time that
From this reading It towered as gleaming and as uncorroded as it had when it was first built, long ago, when men had bustled about it and in it, their shouting and their laughter and the sound of their tools ringing against the metallic plates._ _Now few men ever came to it.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading It waited, while night changed to day and back again, while the seasons merged one into another, and the years, and the centuries.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading [Sidenote: _The world of the new race was peaceful, comfortable, lovely--and completely static.
a late time of life
From this reading It waited, while night changed to day and back again, while the seasons merged one into another, and the years, and the centuries.
