Chapter XXIX

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading For perhaps half an hour he sat motionless, his brow furrowed, his eyes questioning, his whole attitude that of a man who seeks to solve a problem which again and again comes around to the same starting point, and at the last still eludes him.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading The lights gleamed faintly through the haze--half mist, half rain--and the passing crowds, as they hurried by, seemed somehow to have about them an air of being shadowy, ghostlike, unreal.

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading THE HAND OF MAN The governor stood by the window of the inner office, gazing out with unseeing eyes into the fast gathering twilight of the short November afternoon.

anew

From this reading For perhaps half an hour he sat motionless, his brow furrowed, his eyes questioning, his whole attitude that of a man who seeks to solve a problem which again and again comes around to the same starting point, and at the last still eludes him.

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading The lights gleamed faintly through the haze--half mist, half rain--and the passing crowds, as they hurried by, seemed somehow to have about them an air of being shadowy, ghostlike, unreal.

engaged in or accustomed to close observation

From this reading Finally, with a sudden gesture of decision, he raised his head; the faraway expression left his eyes, and he was once again his old, alert, every-day self.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading The lights gleamed faintly through the haze--half mist, half rain--and the passing crowds, as they hurried by, seemed somehow to have about them an air of being shadowy, ghostlike, unreal.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading The lights gleamed faintly through the haze--half mist, half rain--and the passing crowds, as they hurried by, seemed somehow to have about them an air of being shadowy, ghostlike, unreal.

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading For perhaps half an hour he sat motionless, his brow furrowed, his eyes questioning, his whole attitude that of a man who seeks to solve a problem which again and again comes around to the same starting point, and at the last still eludes him.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading The lights gleamed faintly through the haze--half mist, half rain--and the passing crowds, as they hurried by, seemed somehow to have about them an air of being shadowy, ghostlike, unreal.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Slowly the governor turned away from the window, and seated himself at his desk.

a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways

From this reading For perhaps half an hour he sat motionless, his brow furrowed, his eyes questioning, his whole attitude that of a man who seeks to solve a problem which again and again comes around to the same starting point, and at the last still eludes him.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Slowly the governor turned away from the window, and seated himself at his desk.

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading The lights gleamed faintly through the haze--half mist, half rain--and the passing crowds, as they hurried by, seemed somehow to have about them an air of being shadowy, ghostlike, unreal.

the part of the face above the eyes

From this reading For perhaps half an hour he sat motionless, his brow furrowed, his eyes questioning, his whole attitude that of a man who seeks to solve a problem which again and again comes around to the same starting point, and at the last still eludes him.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading THE HAND OF MAN The governor stood by the window of the inner office, gazing out with unseeing eyes into the fast gathering twilight of the short November afternoon.

plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract

From this reading For perhaps half an hour he sat motionless, his brow furrowed, his eyes questioning, his whole attitude that of a man who seeks to solve a problem which again and again comes around to the same starting point, and at the last still eludes him.

plural of “crowd” — a large number of things or people considered together

From this reading The lights gleamed faintly through the haze--half mist, half rain--and the passing crowds, as they hurried by, seemed somehow to have about them an air of being shadowy, ghostlike, unreal.

the act of making up your mind about something

From this reading Finally, with a sudden gesture of decision, he raised his head; the faraway expression left his eyes, and he was once again his old, alert, every-day self.

a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments

From this reading Slowly the governor turned away from the window, and seated himself at his desk.

third-person singular of “elude” — escape, either physically or mentally

From this reading For perhaps half an hour he sat motionless, his brow furrowed, his eyes questioning, his whole attitude that of a man who seeks to solve a problem which again and again comes around to the same starting point, and at the last still eludes him.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Finally, with a sudden gesture of decision, he raised his head; the faraway expression left his eyes, and he was once again his old, alert, every-day self.

the feelings expressed on a person's face

From this reading Finally, with a sudden gesture of decision, he raised his head; the faraway expression left his eyes, and he was once again his old, alert, every-day self.

opinion or judgment

From this reading THE HAND OF MAN The governor stood by the window of the inner office, gazing out with unseeing eyes into the fast gathering twilight of the short November afternoon.

to a faint degree or weakly perceived

From this reading The lights gleamed faintly through the haze--half mist, half rain--and the passing crowds, as they hurried by, seemed somehow to have about them an air of being shadowy, ghostlike, unreal.

very far away in space or time

From this reading Finally, with a sudden gesture of decision, he raised his head; the faraway expression left his eyes, and he was once again his old, alert, every-day self.

quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)

From this reading THE HAND OF MAN The governor stood by the window of the inner office, gazing out with unseeing eyes into the fast gathering twilight of the short November afternoon.

after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay

From this reading Finally, with a sudden gesture of decision, he raised his head; the faraway expression left his eyes, and he was once again his old, alert, every-day self.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For perhaps half an hour he sat motionless, his brow furrowed, his eyes questioning, his whole attitude that of a man who seeks to solve a problem which again and again comes around to the same starting point, and at the last still eludes him.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Slowly the governor turned away from the window, and seated himself at his desk.

having long narrow shallow depressions (as grooves or wrinkles) in the surface

From this reading For perhaps half an hour he sat motionless, his brow furrowed, his eyes questioning, his whole attitude that of a man who seeks to solve a problem which again and again comes around to the same starting point, and at the last still eludes him.

a group of persons together in one place

From this reading THE HAND OF MAN The governor stood by the window of the inner office, gazing out with unseeing eyes into the fast gathering twilight of the short November afternoon.

-ing form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes

From this reading THE HAND OF MAN The governor stood by the window of the inner office, gazing out with unseeing eyes into the fast gathering twilight of the short November afternoon.

motion of hands or body to emphasize or help to express a thought or feeling

From this reading Finally, with a sudden gesture of decision, he raised his head; the faraway expression left his eyes, and he was once again his old, alert, every-day self.

resembling or characteristic of a phantom

From this reading The lights gleamed faintly through the haze--half mist, half rain--and the passing crowds, as they hurried by, seemed somehow to have about them an air of being shadowy, ghostlike, unreal.

past form of “gleam” — be shiny, as if wet

From this reading The lights gleamed faintly through the haze--half mist, half rain--and the passing crowds, as they hurried by, seemed somehow to have about them an air of being shadowy, ghostlike, unreal.

the head of a state government

From this reading THE HAND OF MAN The governor stood by the window of the inner office, gazing out with unseeing eyes into the fast gathering twilight of the short November afternoon.

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading The lights gleamed faintly through the haze--half mist, half rain--and the passing crowds, as they hurried by, seemed somehow to have about them an air of being shadowy, ghostlike, unreal.

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading THE HAND OF MAN The governor stood by the window of the inner office, gazing out with unseeing eyes into the fast gathering twilight of the short November afternoon.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The lights gleamed faintly through the haze--half mist, half rain--and the passing crowds, as they hurried by, seemed somehow to have about them an air of being shadowy, ghostlike, unreal.

atmospheric moisture or dust or smoke that causes reduced visibility

From this reading The lights gleamed faintly through the haze--half mist, half rain--and the passing crowds, as they hurried by, seemed somehow to have about them an air of being shadowy, ghostlike, unreal.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading For perhaps half an hour he sat motionless, his brow furrowed, his eyes questioning, his whole attitude that of a man who seeks to solve a problem which again and again comes around to the same starting point, and at the last still eludes him.

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading Finally, with a sudden gesture of decision, he raised his head; the faraway expression left his eyes, and he was once again his old, alert, every-day self.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading For perhaps half an hour he sat motionless, his brow furrowed, his eyes questioning, his whole attitude that of a man who seeks to solve a problem which again and again comes around to the same starting point, and at the last still eludes him.

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading Slowly the governor turned away from the window, and seated himself at his desk.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Slowly the governor turned away from the window, and seated himself at his desk.

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading For perhaps half an hour he sat motionless, his brow furrowed, his eyes questioning, his whole attitude that of a man who seeks to solve a problem which again and again comes around to the same starting point, and at the last still eludes him.

moving rapidly or performed quickly or in great haste

From this reading The lights gleamed faintly through the haze--half mist, half rain--and the passing crowds, as they hurried by, seemed somehow to have about them an air of being shadowy, ghostlike, unreal.

located inward

From this reading THE HAND OF MAN The governor stood by the window of the inner office, gazing out with unseeing eyes into the fast gathering twilight of the short November afternoon.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading THE HAND OF MAN The governor stood by the window of the inner office, gazing out with unseeing eyes into the fast gathering twilight of the short November afternoon.

immediately past

From this reading For perhaps half an hour he sat motionless, his brow furrowed, his eyes questioning, his whole attitude that of a man who seeks to solve a problem which again and again comes around to the same starting point, and at the last still eludes him.

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading Finally, with a sudden gesture of decision, he raised his head; the faraway expression left his eyes, and he was once again his old, alert, every-day self.

plural of “light” — (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation

From this reading The lights gleamed faintly through the haze--half mist, half rain--and the passing crowds, as they hurried by, seemed somehow to have about them an air of being shadowy, ghostlike, unreal.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading THE HAND OF MAN The governor stood by the window of the inner office, gazing out with unseeing eyes into the fast gathering twilight of the short November afternoon.

become covered with mist

From this reading The lights gleamed faintly through the haze--half mist, half rain--and the passing crowds, as they hurried by, seemed somehow to have about them an air of being shadowy, ghostlike, unreal.

not in physical motion

From this reading For perhaps half an hour he sat motionless, his brow furrowed, his eyes questioning, his whole attitude that of a man who seeks to solve a problem which again and again comes around to the same starting point, and at the last still eludes him.

the month following October and preceding December

From this reading THE HAND OF MAN The governor stood by the window of the inner office, gazing out with unseeing eyes into the fast gathering twilight of the short November afternoon.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE HAND OF MAN The governor stood by the window of the inner office, gazing out with unseeing eyes into the fast gathering twilight of the short November afternoon.

place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed

From this reading THE HAND OF MAN The governor stood by the window of the inner office, gazing out with unseeing eyes into the fast gathering twilight of the short November afternoon.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Finally, with a sudden gesture of decision, he raised his head; the faraway expression left his eyes, and he was once again his old, alert, every-day self.

on one occasion

From this reading Finally, with a sudden gesture of decision, he raised his head; the faraway expression left his eyes, and he was once again his old, alert, every-day self.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading THE HAND OF MAN The governor stood by the window of the inner office, gazing out with unseeing eyes into the fast gathering twilight of the short November afternoon.

(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate

From this reading The lights gleamed faintly through the haze--half mist, half rain--and the passing crowds, as they hurried by, seemed somehow to have about them an air of being shadowy, ghostlike, unreal.

by chance

From this reading For perhaps half an hour he sat motionless, his brow furrowed, his eyes questioning, his whole attitude that of a man who seeks to solve a problem which again and again comes around to the same starting point, and at the last still eludes him.

a geometric element that has position but no extension

From this reading For perhaps half an hour he sat motionless, his brow furrowed, his eyes questioning, his whole attitude that of a man who seeks to solve a problem which again and again comes around to the same starting point, and at the last still eludes him.

a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved

From this reading For perhaps half an hour he sat motionless, his brow furrowed, his eyes questioning, his whole attitude that of a man who seeks to solve a problem which again and again comes around to the same starting point, and at the last still eludes him.

perplexed (as if being expected to know something that you do not know)

From this reading For perhaps half an hour he sat motionless, his brow furrowed, his eyes questioning, his whole attitude that of a man who seeks to solve a problem which again and again comes around to the same starting point, and at the last still eludes him.

water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere

From this reading The lights gleamed faintly through the haze--half mist, half rain--and the passing crowds, as they hurried by, seemed somehow to have about them an air of being shadowy, ghostlike, unreal.

located or moved above the surround or above the normal position

From this reading Finally, with a sudden gesture of decision, he raised his head; the faraway expression left his eyes, and he was once again his old, alert, every-day self.

Identical; not different.

From this reading For perhaps half an hour he sat motionless, his brow furrowed, his eyes questioning, his whole attitude that of a man who seeks to solve a problem which again and again comes around to the same starting point, and at the last still eludes him.

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading For perhaps half an hour he sat motionless, his brow furrowed, his eyes questioning, his whole attitude that of a man who seeks to solve a problem which again and again comes around to the same starting point, and at the last still eludes him.

(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks

From this reading Slowly the governor turned away from the window, and seated himself at his desk.

plural of “seek” — the movement of a read/write head to a specific data track on a disk

From this reading For perhaps half an hour he sat motionless, his brow furrowed, his eyes questioning, his whole attitude that of a man who seeks to solve a problem which again and again comes around to the same starting point, and at the last still eludes him.

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading The lights gleamed faintly through the haze--half mist, half rain--and the passing crowds, as they hurried by, seemed somehow to have about them an air of being shadowy, ghostlike, unreal.

your consciousness of your own identity

From this reading Finally, with a sudden gesture of decision, he raised his head; the faraway expression left his eyes, and he was once again his old, alert, every-day self.

filled with shade

From this reading The lights gleamed faintly through the haze--half mist, half rain--and the passing crowds, as they hurried by, seemed somehow to have about them an air of being shadowy, ghostlike, unreal.

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading THE HAND OF MAN The governor stood by the window of the inner office, gazing out with unseeing eyes into the fast gathering twilight of the short November afternoon.

without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)

From this reading Slowly the governor turned away from the window, and seated himself at his desk.

find the solution to (a problem or question) or understand the meaning of

From this reading For perhaps half an hour he sat motionless, his brow furrowed, his eyes questioning, his whole attitude that of a man who seeks to solve a problem which again and again comes around to the same starting point, and at the last still eludes him.

in some unspecified way or manner; or by some unspecified means

From this reading The lights gleamed faintly through the haze--half mist, half rain--and the passing crowds, as they hurried by, seemed somehow to have about them an air of being shadowy, ghostlike, unreal.

(especially of eyes) bulging or protruding as with fear

From this reading For perhaps half an hour he sat motionless, his brow furrowed, his eyes questioning, his whole attitude that of a man who seeks to solve a problem which again and again comes around to the same starting point, and at the last still eludes him.

not in physical motion

From this reading For perhaps half an hour he sat motionless, his brow furrowed, his eyes questioning, his whole attitude that of a man who seeks to solve a problem which again and again comes around to the same starting point, and at the last still eludes him.

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading THE HAND OF MAN The governor stood by the window of the inner office, gazing out with unseeing eyes into the fast gathering twilight of the short November afternoon.

happening without warning or in a short space of time

From this reading Finally, with a sudden gesture of decision, he raised his head; the faraway expression left his eyes, and he was once again his old, alert, every-day self.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading For perhaps half an hour he sat motionless, his brow furrowed, his eyes questioning, his whole attitude that of a man who seeks to solve a problem which again and again comes around to the same starting point, and at the last still eludes him.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE HAND OF MAN The governor stood by the window of the inner office, gazing out with unseeing eyes into the fast gathering twilight of the short November afternoon.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The lights gleamed faintly through the haze--half mist, half rain--and the passing crowds, as they hurried by, seemed somehow to have about them an air of being shadowy, ghostlike, unreal.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The lights gleamed faintly through the haze--half mist, half rain--and the passing crowds, as they hurried by, seemed somehow to have about them an air of being shadowy, ghostlike, unreal.

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading The lights gleamed faintly through the haze--half mist, half rain--and the passing crowds, as they hurried by, seemed somehow to have about them an air of being shadowy, ghostlike, unreal.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading The lights gleamed faintly through the haze--half mist, half rain--and the passing crowds, as they hurried by, seemed somehow to have about them an air of being shadowy, ghostlike, unreal.

moved around an axis or center

From this reading Slowly the governor turned away from the window, and seated himself at his desk.

the time of day immediately following sunset

From this reading THE HAND OF MAN The governor stood by the window of the inner office, gazing out with unseeing eyes into the fast gathering twilight of the short November afternoon.

lacking in reality or substance or genuineness; not corresponding to acknowledged facts or criteria

From this reading The lights gleamed faintly through the haze--half mist, half rain--and the passing crowds, as they hurried by, seemed somehow to have about them an air of being shadowy, ghostlike, unreal.

not consciously observing

From this reading THE HAND OF MAN The governor stood by the window of the inner office, gazing out with unseeing eyes into the fast gathering twilight of the short November afternoon.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Finally, with a sudden gesture of decision, he raised his head; the faraway expression left his eyes, and he was once again his old, alert, every-day self.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading For perhaps half an hour he sat motionless, his brow furrowed, his eyes questioning, his whole attitude that of a man who seeks to solve a problem which again and again comes around to the same starting point, and at the last still eludes him.

which person or people

From this reading For perhaps half an hour he sat motionless, his brow furrowed, his eyes questioning, his whole attitude that of a man who seeks to solve a problem which again and again comes around to the same starting point, and at the last still eludes him.

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading For perhaps half an hour he sat motionless, his brow furrowed, his eyes questioning, his whole attitude that of a man who seeks to solve a problem which again and again comes around to the same starting point, and at the last still eludes him.

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading THE HAND OF MAN The governor stood by the window of the inner office, gazing out with unseeing eyes into the fast gathering twilight of the short November afternoon.

in the company of; together with

From this reading THE HAND OF MAN The governor stood by the window of the inner office, gazing out with unseeing eyes into the fast gathering twilight of the short November afternoon.