Chapter V · Chapter 5

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

From this reading Something in her voice, vibrating like the rich, full note of a bell, touched his memory ... but only to elude it.

from one side of something to the other

From this reading The Commandant looked at her, across the lantern's ray.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The Commandant looked at her, across the lantern's ray.

bring into balance or equilibrium

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

plural of “band” — an unofficial association of people or groups

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Her eyes, too, would have become a goddess, though just now they condescended to be merry.

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading Her eyes, too, would have become a goddess, though just now they condescended to be merry.

a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck

From this reading Something in her voice, vibrating like the rich, full note of a bell, touched his memory ... but only to elude it.

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

the part of the face above the eyes

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Something in her voice, vibrating like the rich, full note of a bell, touched his memory ... but only to elude it.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading HOW VASHTI CAME TO THE ISLANDS "You do not remember me, Major Vigoureux?"

past form of “challenge” — take exception to

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

an officer in command of a military unit

From this reading The Commandant looked at her, across the lantern's ray.

past form of “condescend” — behave in a patronizing and condescending manner

From this reading Her eyes, too, would have become a goddess, though just now they condescended to be merry.

slightly wet

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

-ing form of “defy” — resist or confront with resistance

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading HOW VASHTI CAME TO THE ISLANDS "You do not remember me, Major Vigoureux?"

escape, either physically or mentally

From this reading Something in her voice, vibrating like the rich, full note of a bell, touched his memory ... but only to elude it.

opinion or judgment

From this reading Her eyes, too, would have become a goddess, though just now they condescended to be merry.

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

the part of the face above the eyes

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading Something in her voice, vibrating like the rich, full note of a bell, touched his memory ... but only to elude it.

befitting or characteristic of a young girl

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

a female deity

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Her eyes, too, would have become a goddess, though just now they condescended to be merry.

of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading The Commandant looked at her, across the lantern's ray.

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

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

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

From this reading Something in her voice, vibrating like the rich, full note of a bell, touched his memory ... but only to elude it.

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

From this reading HOW VASHTI CAME TO THE ISLANDS "You do not remember me, Major Vigoureux?"

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Something in her voice, vibrating like the rich, full note of a bell, touched his memory ... but only to elude it.

plural of “island” — a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water

From this reading HOW VASHTI CAME TO THE ISLANDS "You do not remember me, Major Vigoureux?"

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Something in her voice, vibrating like the rich, full note of a bell, touched his memory ... but only to elude it.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

talk socially without exchanging too much information

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

and nothing more

From this reading Her eyes, too, would have become a goddess, though just now they condescended to be merry.

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

From this reading The Commandant looked at her, across the lantern's ray.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Something in her voice, vibrating like the rich, full note of a bell, touched his memory ... but only to elude it.

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading The Commandant looked at her, across the lantern's ray.

of greater importance or stature or rank

From this reading HOW VASHTI CAME TO THE ISLANDS "You do not remember me, Major Vigoureux?"

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading HOW VASHTI CAME TO THE ISLANDS "You do not remember me, Major Vigoureux?"

The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.

From this reading Something in her voice, vibrating like the rich, full note of a bell, touched his memory ... but only to elude it.

full of or showing high-spirited merriment

From this reading Her eyes, too, would have become a goddess, though just now they condescended to be merry.

in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading HOW VASHTI CAME TO THE ISLANDS "You do not remember me, Major Vigoureux?"

a brief written record

From this reading Something in her voice, vibrating like the rich, full note of a bell, touched his memory ... but only to elude it.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Something in her voice, vibrating like the rich, full note of a bell, touched his memory ... but only to elude it.

and nothing more

From this reading Something in her voice, vibrating like the rich, full note of a bell, touched his memory ... but only to elude it.

a closed plane curve resulting from the intersection of a circular cone and a plane cutting completely through it

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

above and across; more than

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

having a margin incised almost to the base so as to create distinct divisions or lobes

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

a geometric element that has position but no extension

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

on the contrary

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

a column of light (as from a beacon)

From this reading The Commandant looked at her, across the lantern's ray.

To recall to mind.

From this reading HOW VASHTI CAME TO THE ISLANDS "You do not remember me, Major Vigoureux?"

possessing material wealth

From this reading Something in her voice, vibrating like the rich, full note of a bell, touched his memory ... but only to elude it.

uneven by virtue of having wrinkles or waves

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

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

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

a thing, without saying which

From this reading Something in her voice, vibrating like the rich, full note of a bell, touched his memory ... but only to elude it.

the property of being shaped like a square

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

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

From this reading HOW VASHTI CAME TO THE ISLANDS "You do not remember me, Major Vigoureux?"

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

From this reading Her eyes, too, would have become a goddess, though just now they condescended to be merry.

the cardinal number that is the product of ten and three

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Her eyes, too, would have become a goddess, though just now they condescended to be merry.

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

From this reading HOW VASHTI CAME TO THE ISLANDS "You do not remember me, Major Vigoureux?"

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading Her eyes, too, would have become a goddess, though just now they condescended to be merry.

having come into contact

From this reading Something in her voice, vibrating like the rich, full note of a bell, touched his memory ... but only to elude it.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

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

From this reading HOW VASHTI CAME TO THE ISLANDS "You do not remember me, Major Vigoureux?"

-ing form of “vibrate” — shake, quiver, or throb; move back and forth rapidly, usually in an uncontrolled manner

From this reading Something in her voice, vibrating like the rich, full note of a bell, touched his memory ... but only to elude it.

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

From this reading HOW VASHTI CAME TO THE ISLANDS "You do not remember me, Major Vigoureux?"

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading Something in her voice, vibrating like the rich, full note of a bell, touched his memory ... but only to elude it.

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

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

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

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

in the company of; together with

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading The face that challenged him was not girlish; the face, rather, of a beautiful woman of thirty; its shape a short oval, with a slight squareness at the point of the jaw to balance the broad forehead over which her hair (damp now, but rippled with a natural wave, defying the fog) lay parted in two heavy bands--the brow of a goddess.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Her eyes, too, would have become a goddess, though just now they condescended to be merry.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading HOW VASHTI CAME TO THE ISLANDS "You do not remember me, Major Vigoureux?"