used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading But at the same time he became conscious of a weapon in his power which they had never known: his force....
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading He was superior neither in character nor in mind: he had many aptitudes, none of which rose above the level of elegant mediocrity.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
a quantity of money
From this reading And yet, without any effort on his part, he found himself at the outset of his career several grades higher than his father, who, in his short life, had expended an incalculable amount of intellect and energy.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading And yet, without any effort on his part, he found himself at the outset of his career several grades higher than his father, who, in his short life, had expended an incalculable amount of intellect and energy.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And yet, without any effort on his part, he found himself at the outset of his career several grades higher than his father, who, in his short life, had expended an incalculable amount of intellect and energy.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading And yet, without any effort on his part, he found himself at the outset of his career several grades higher than his father, who, in his short life, had expended an incalculable amount of intellect and energy.
aptitudesnounUS /ˈæptətuːdz/
plural of “aptitude” — inherent ability
From this reading He was superior neither in character nor in mind: he had many aptitudes, none of which rose above the level of elegant mediocrity.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading And yet, without any effort on his part, he found himself at the outset of his career several grades higher than his father, who, in his short life, had expended an incalculable amount of intellect and energy.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading But at the same time he became conscious of a weapon in his power which they had never known: his force....
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But at the same time he became conscious of a weapon in his power which they had never known: his force....
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
the particular occupation for which you are trained
From this reading And yet, without any effort on his part, he found himself at the outset of his career several grades higher than his father, who, in his short life, had expended an incalculable amount of intellect and energy.
an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading He was superior neither in character nor in mind: he had many aptitudes, none of which rose above the level of elegant mediocrity.
intentionally conceived
From this reading But at the same time he became conscious of a weapon in his power which they had never known: his force....
contradictoryadjectiveUS /ˌkɑːntrəˈdɪktəri/
of words or propositions so related that both cannot be true and both cannot be false
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Whence did he have it?...
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading And yet, without any effort on his part, he found himself at the outset of his career several grades higher than his father, who, in his short life, had expended an incalculable amount of intellect and energy.
elegantadjectiveUS /ˈeləɡənt/
refined and tasteful in appearance or behavior or style
From this reading He was superior neither in character nor in mind: he had many aptitudes, none of which rose above the level of elegant mediocrity.
(physics) a thermodynamic quantity equivalent to the capacity of a physical system to do work; the units of energy are joules or ergs
From this reading And yet, without any effort on his part, he found himself at the outset of his career several grades higher than his father, who, in his short life, had expended an incalculable amount of intellect and energy.
errorsnounUS /ˈerərz/
plural of “error” — a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
expendedverbUS /ɪkˈspendɪd/
past form of “expend” — use up, consume fully
From this reading And yet, without any effort on his part, he found himself at the outset of his career several grades higher than his father, who, in his short life, had expended an incalculable amount of intellect and energy.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading And yet, without any effort on his part, he found himself at the outset of his career several grades higher than his father, who, in his short life, had expended an incalculable amount of intellect and energy.
father'snounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/
possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
feverishlyadverbUS /ˈfevərɪʃli/
in a feverish manner
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
a powerful effect or influence
From this reading But at the same time he became conscious of a weapon in his power which they had never known: his force....
set up or found
From this reading And yet, without any effort on his part, he found himself at the outset of his career several grades higher than his father, who, in his short life, had expended an incalculable amount of intellect and energy.
generationnounUS /ˌdʒenərˈeɪʃən/
all the people living at the same time or of approximately the same age
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
gleamsnounUS /ɡliːmz/
plural of “gleam” — an appearance of reflected light
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
gradesnounUS /ɡreɪdz/
plural of “grade” — a body of students who are taught together
From this reading And yet, without any effort on his part, he found himself at the outset of his career several grades higher than his father, who, in his short life, had expended an incalculable amount of intellect and energy.
gropedverbUS /ɡroʊpt/
past form of “grope” — feel about uncertainly or blindly
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He was superior neither in character nor in mind: he had many aptitudes, none of which rose above the level of elegant mediocrity.
only a very short time before
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Whence did he have it?...
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was superior neither in character nor in mind: he had many aptitudes, none of which rose above the level of elegant mediocrity.
heaped-up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
advanced in complexity or elaboration
From this reading And yet, without any effort on his part, he found himself at the outset of his career several grades higher than his father, who, in his short life, had expended an incalculable amount of intellect and energy.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading And yet, without any effort on his part, he found himself at the outset of his career several grades higher than his father, who, in his short life, had expended an incalculable amount of intellect and energy.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading And yet, without any effort on his part, he found himself at the outset of his career several grades higher than his father, who, in his short life, had expended an incalculable amount of intellect and energy.
the lack of knowledge or education
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He was superior neither in character nor in mind: he had many aptitudes, none of which rose above the level of elegant mediocrity.
incalculableadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈkælkjələbəl/
not able to be computed or enumerated
From this reading And yet, without any effort on his part, he found himself at the outset of his career several grades higher than his father, who, in his short life, had expended an incalculable amount of intellect and energy.
intellectnounUS /ˈɪntəlekt/
knowledge and intellectual ability
From this reading And yet, without any effort on his part, he found himself at the outset of his career several grades higher than his father, who, in his short life, had expended an incalculable amount of intellect and energy.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Whence did he have it?...
the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading But at the same time he became conscious of a weapon in his power which they had never known: his force....
a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
From this reading He was superior neither in character nor in mind: he had many aptitudes, none of which rose above the level of elegant mediocrity.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading And yet, without any effort on his part, he found himself at the outset of his career several grades higher than his father, who, in his short life, had expended an incalculable amount of intellect and energy.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
luminousadjectiveUS /ˈluːmənəs/
softly bright or radiant
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading He was superior neither in character nor in mind: he had many aptitudes, none of which rose above the level of elegant mediocrity.
massesnounUS /ˈmæsəz/
the common people generally
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
mediocritynounUS /ˌmiːdiˈɑːkrəti/
ordinariness as a consequence of being average and not outstanding
From this reading He was superior neither in character nor in mind: he had many aptitudes, none of which rose above the level of elegant mediocrity.
the force of workers available
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading He was superior neither in character nor in mind: he had many aptitudes, none of which rose above the level of elegant mediocrity.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading He was superior neither in character nor in mind: he had many aptitudes, none of which rose above the level of elegant mediocrity.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading But at the same time he became conscious of a weapon in his power which they had never known: his force....
not one, and not any
From this reading He was superior neither in character nor in mind: he had many aptitudes, none of which rose above the level of elegant mediocrity.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading He was superior neither in character nor in mind: he had many aptitudes, none of which rose above the level of elegant mediocrity.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He was superior neither in character nor in mind: he had many aptitudes, none of which rose above the level of elegant mediocrity.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading And yet, without any effort on his part, he found himself at the outset of his career several grades higher than his father, who, in his short life, had expended an incalculable amount of intellect and energy.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
outsetnounUS /ˈaʊtset/
the time at which something is supposed to begin
From this reading And yet, without any effort on his part, he found himself at the outset of his career several grades higher than his father, who, in his short life, had expended an incalculable amount of intellect and energy.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading And yet, without any effort on his part, he found himself at the outset of his career several grades higher than his father, who, in his short life, had expended an incalculable amount of intellect and energy.
piercedadjectiveUS /pɪrst/
having a hole cut through
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
possession of controlling influence
From this reading But at the same time he became conscious of a weapon in his power which they had never known: his force....
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading He was superior neither in character nor in mind: he had many aptitudes, none of which rose above the level of elegant mediocrity.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
Identical; not different.
From this reading But at the same time he became conscious of a weapon in his power which they had never known: his force....
cut with a saw
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading And yet, without any effort on his part, he found himself at the outset of his career several grades higher than his father, who, in his short life, had expended an incalculable amount of intellect and energy.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading And yet, without any effort on his part, he found himself at the outset of his career several grades higher than his father, who, in his short life, had expended an incalculable amount of intellect and energy.
of high or superior quality or performance
From this reading He was superior neither in character nor in mind: he had many aptitudes, none of which rose above the level of elegant mediocrity.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading And yet, without any effort on his part, he found himself at the outset of his career several grades higher than his father, who, in his short life, had expended an incalculable amount of intellect and energy.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He was superior neither in character nor in mind: he had many aptitudes, none of which rose above the level of elegant mediocrity.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But at the same time he became conscious of a weapon in his power which they had never known: his force....
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading But at the same time he became conscious of a weapon in his power which they had never known: his force....
truthsnounUS /truːθs/
plural of “truth” — a fact that has been verified
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
warringadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːrɪŋ/
engaged in war
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was superior neither in character nor in mind: he had many aptitudes, none of which rose above the level of elegant mediocrity.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
any instrument or instrumentality used in fighting or hunting
From this reading But at the same time he became conscious of a weapon in his power which they had never known: his force....
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Hardly were the eyes of his mind opened upon the light of day than he saw all round him the heaped-up darkness, pierced by luminous gleams, the masses of knowledge and ignorance, warring truths, contradictory errors, in which his father and the men of his father's generation had feverishly groped their way.
an old word meaning “from where”
From this reading Whence did he have it?...
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He was superior neither in character nor in mind: he had many aptitudes, none of which rose above the level of elegant mediocrity.
which person or people
From this reading And yet, without any effort on his part, he found himself at the outset of his career several grades higher than his father, who, in his short life, had expended an incalculable amount of intellect and energy.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading And yet, without any effort on his part, he found himself at the outset of his career several grades higher than his father, who, in his short life, had expended an incalculable amount of intellect and energy.
but in spite of that
From this reading And yet, without any effort on his part, he found himself at the outset of his career several grades higher than his father, who, in his short life, had expended an incalculable amount of intellect and energy.
