Chapter III · Chapter 3

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

From this reading It seized hold of them; in their brains was a little spot of madness which understood this frenzy.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Even the butcher became silent, and the toothless philosophers lowered their gray heads before the eyes that roved about.

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

From this reading And those who watched this suddenly felt their hearts throb, noticed how hotness rose into their cheeks and how their breathing grew difficult.

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

From this reading It seemed as if something cold was growing out beneath their scalps, and their knees grew weak.

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

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading Even the butcher became silent, and the toothless philosophers lowered their gray heads before the eyes that roved about.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

Directly under; in or to a lower position than.

From this reading It seemed as if something cold was growing out beneath their scalps, and their knees grew weak.

The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

plural of “brain” — that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord

From this reading It seized hold of them; in their brains was a little spot of madness which understood this frenzy.

the bodily process of inhalation and exhalation; the process of taking in oxygen from inhaled air and releasing carbon dioxide by exhalation

From this reading And those who watched this suddenly felt their hearts throb, noticed how hotness rose into their cheeks and how their breathing grew difficult.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

kill (animals) usually for food consumption

From this reading Even the butcher became silent, and the toothless philosophers lowered their gray heads before the eyes that roved about.

(usually followed by “of”) having capacity or ability

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

plural of “cheek” — either side of the face below the eyes

From this reading And those who watched this suddenly felt their hearts throb, noticed how hotness rose into their cheeks and how their breathing grew difficult.

having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration

From this reading It seemed as if something cold was growing out beneath their scalps, and their knees grew weak.

any supernatural being worshipped as controlling some part of the world or some aspect of life or who is the personification of a force

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading And those who watched this suddenly felt their hearts throb, noticed how hotness rose into their cheeks and how their breathing grew difficult.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

divisible by two

From this reading Even the butcher became silent, and the toothless philosophers lowered their gray heads before the eyes that roved about.

opinion or judgment

From this reading Even the butcher became silent, and the toothless philosophers lowered their gray heads before the eyes that roved about.

undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading And those who watched this suddenly felt their hearts throb, noticed how hotness rose into their cheeks and how their breathing grew difficult.

state of violent mental agitation

From this reading It seized hold of them; in their brains was a little spot of madness which understood this frenzy.

soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

a flash of light (especially reflected light)

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black

From this reading Even the butcher became silent, and the toothless philosophers lowered their gray heads before the eyes that roved about.

inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading And those who watched this suddenly felt their hearts throb, noticed how hotness rose into their cheeks and how their breathing grew difficult.

(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level

From this reading It seemed as if something cold was growing out beneath their scalps, and their knees grew weak.

unpleasantly stern

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading Even the butcher became silent, and the toothless philosophers lowered their gray heads before the eyes that roved about.

a form of whist in which players avoid winning tricks containing hearts or the queen of spades

From this reading And those who watched this suddenly felt their hearts throb, noticed how hotness rose into their cheeks and how their breathing grew difficult.

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

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading It seized hold of them; in their brains was a little spot of madness which understood this frenzy.

the presence of heat

From this reading And those who watched this suddenly felt their hearts throb, noticed how hotness rose into their cheeks and how their breathing grew difficult.

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

From this reading And those who watched this suddenly felt their hearts throb, noticed how hotness rose into their cheeks and how their breathing grew difficult.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading It seemed as if something cold was growing out beneath their scalps, and their knees grew weak.

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

From this reading It seized hold of them; in their brains was a little spot of madness which understood this frenzy.

the state of being inactive

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading And those who watched this suddenly felt their hearts throb, noticed how hotness rose into their cheeks and how their breathing grew difficult.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It seemed as if something cold was growing out beneath their scalps, and their knees grew weak.

plural of “knee” — hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella

From this reading It seemed as if something cold was growing out beneath their scalps, and their knees grew weak.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading It seized hold of them; in their brains was a little spot of madness which understood this frenzy.

below the surround or below the normal position

From this reading Even the butcher became silent, and the toothless philosophers lowered their gray heads before the eyes that roved about.

in an uncontrolled manner

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

obsolete terms for legal insanity

From this reading It seized hold of them; in their brains was a little spot of madness which understood this frenzy.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

being perceived or observed

From this reading And those who watched this suddenly felt their hearts throb, noticed how hotness rose into their cheeks and how their breathing grew difficult.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It seized hold of them; in their brains was a little spot of madness which understood this frenzy.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading It seemed as if something cold was growing out beneath their scalps, and their knees grew weak.

plural of “philosopher” — a specialist in philosophy

From this reading Even the butcher became silent, and the toothless philosophers lowered their gray heads before the eyes that roved about.

righteousness by virtue of being pious

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

having great power or force or potency or effect

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

the act of communicating with a deity (especially as a petition or in adoration or contrition or thanksgiving)

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

From this reading And those who watched this suddenly felt their hearts throb, noticed how hotness rose into their cheeks and how their breathing grew difficult.

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

From this reading Even the butcher became silent, and the toothless philosophers lowered their gray heads before the eyes that roved about.

plural of “scalp” — the skin that covers the top of the head

From this reading It seemed as if something cold was growing out beneath their scalps, and their knees grew weak.

plural of “scourge” — a whip used to inflict punishment (often used for pedantic humor)

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

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

From this reading It seemed as if something cold was growing out beneath their scalps, and their knees grew weak.

past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab

From this reading It seized hold of them; in their brains was a little spot of madness which understood this frenzy.

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

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

marked by absence of sound

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

plural of “slave” — a person who is owned by someone

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

a thing, without saying which

From this reading It seemed as if something cold was growing out beneath their scalps, and their knees grew weak.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading It seized hold of them; in their brains was a little spot of madness which understood this frenzy.

happening unexpectedly

From this reading And those who watched this suddenly felt their hearts throb, noticed how hotness rose into their cheeks and how their breathing grew difficult.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Even the butcher became silent, and the toothless philosophers lowered their gray heads before the eyes that roved about.

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

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading And those who watched this suddenly felt their hearts throb, noticed how hotness rose into their cheeks and how their breathing grew difficult.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading It seized hold of them; in their brains was a little spot of madness which understood this frenzy.

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

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

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading And those who watched this suddenly felt their hearts throb, noticed how hotness rose into their cheeks and how their breathing grew difficult.

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading And those who watched this suddenly felt their hearts throb, noticed how hotness rose into their cheeks and how their breathing grew difficult.

pulsate or pound with abnormal force

From this reading And those who watched this suddenly felt their hearts throb, noticed how hotness rose into their cheeks and how their breathing grew difficult.

push forcefully

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

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

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

lacking teeth

From this reading Even the butcher became silent, and the toothless philosophers lowered their gray heads before the eyes that roved about.

the cognitive condition of someone who understands

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

fully apprehended as to purport or meaning or explanation

From this reading It seized hold of them; in their brains was a little spot of madness which understood this frenzy.

loud cries made while weeping

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

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

From this reading It seemed as if something cold was growing out beneath their scalps, and their knees grew weak.

past form of “watch” — look attentively

From this reading And those who watched this suddenly felt their hearts throb, noticed how hotness rose into their cheeks and how their breathing grew difficult.

wanting in physical strength

From this reading It seemed as if something cold was growing out beneath their scalps, and their knees grew weak.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

covered or soaked with a liquid such as water

From this reading To feel themselves the slaves of a harsh and powerful deity, to thrust themselves down before His feet; to be His, not in gentle piety, not in the inactivity of silent prayer, but madly, in a frenzy of self-humiliation, in blood, and wailing, beneath wet gleaming scourges--this they were capable of understanding.

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

From this reading It seized hold of them; in their brains was a little spot of madness which understood this frenzy.

which person or people

From this reading And those who watched this suddenly felt their hearts throb, noticed how hotness rose into their cheeks and how their breathing grew difficult.