used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A Midsummer Night's Work The dense and total darkness was broken in one place, and one only, by a plateful of light proceeding from a tiny bulb of incandescence in its centre.
perfect or complete or pure
From this reading Sometimes his face bent over it, and I could watch its absolute concentration.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A Midsummer Night's Work The dense and total darkness was broken in one place, and one only, by a plateful of light proceeding from a tiny bulb of incandescence in its centre.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It was Raffles at his latest deviltry.
atomnounUS /ˈætəm/
(physics and chemistry) the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element
From this reading This blinding atom of white heat lit up a hand hardly moving, a pen continually poised, over a disc of snowy paper; and on the other side, something that lay handy on the table, reflecting the light in its plated parts.
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading Sometimes his face bent over it, and I could watch its absolute concentration.
blindingadjectiveUS /ˈblaɪndɪŋ/
shining intensely
From this reading This blinding atom of white heat lit up a hand hardly moving, a pen continually poised, over a disc of snowy paper; and on the other side, something that lay handy on the table, reflecting the light in its plated parts.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading A Midsummer Night's Work The dense and total darkness was broken in one place, and one only, by a plateful of light proceeding from a tiny bulb of incandescence in its centre.
bulbnounUS /bʌlb/
a modified bud consisting of a thickened globular underground stem serving as a reproductive structure
From this reading A Midsummer Night's Work The dense and total darkness was broken in one place, and one only, by a plateful of light proceeding from a tiny bulb of incandescence in its centre.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He had not heard me, and he could not see; but for that matter he never looked up from his task.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading A Midsummer Night's Work The dense and total darkness was broken in one place, and one only, by a plateful of light proceeding from a tiny bulb of incandescence in its centre.
a low-lying region in central France
From this reading A Midsummer Night's Work The dense and total darkness was broken in one place, and one only, by a plateful of light proceeding from a tiny bulb of incandescence in its centre.
concentrationnounUS /ˌkɑːnsənˈtreɪʃən/
the strength of a solution; number of molecules of a substance in a given volume
From this reading Sometimes his face bent over it, and I could watch its absolute concentration.
seemingly without interruption
From this reading This blinding atom of white heat lit up a hand hardly moving, a pen continually poised, over a disc of snowy paper; and on the other side, something that lay handy on the table, reflecting the light in its plated parts.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He had not heard me, and he could not see; but for that matter he never looked up from his task.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading A Midsummer Night's Work The dense and total darkness was broken in one place, and one only, by a plateful of light proceeding from a tiny bulb of incandescence in its centre.
denseadjectiveUS /dens/
permitting little if any light to pass through because of denseness of matter
From this reading A Midsummer Night's Work The dense and total darkness was broken in one place, and one only, by a plateful of light proceeding from a tiny bulb of incandescence in its centre.
deviltrynoun
wicked and cruel behavior
From this reading It was Raffles at his latest deviltry.
discnounUS /dɪsk/
sound recording consisting of a disk with a continuous groove; used to reproduce music by rotating while a phonograph needle tracks in the groove
From this reading This blinding atom of white heat lit up a hand hardly moving, a pen continually poised, over a disc of snowy paper; and on the other side, something that lay handy on the table, reflecting the light in its plated parts.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Sometimes his face bent over it, and I could watch its absolute concentration.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He had not heard me, and he could not see; but for that matter he never looked up from his task.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A Midsummer Night's Work The dense and total darkness was broken in one place, and one only, by a plateful of light proceeding from a tiny bulb of incandescence in its centre.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had not heard me, and he could not see; but for that matter he never looked up from his task.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading This blinding atom of white heat lit up a hand hardly moving, a pen continually poised, over a disc of snowy paper; and on the other side, something that lay handy on the table, reflecting the light in its plated parts.
handyadjectiveUS /ˈhændi/
easy to reach
From this reading This blinding atom of white heat lit up a hand hardly moving, a pen continually poised, over a disc of snowy paper; and on the other side, something that lay handy on the table, reflecting the light in its plated parts.
only a very short time before
From this reading This blinding atom of white heat lit up a hand hardly moving, a pen continually poised, over a disc of snowy paper; and on the other side, something that lay handy on the table, reflecting the light in its plated parts.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had not heard me, and he could not see; but for that matter he never looked up from his task.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading He had not heard me, and he could not see; but for that matter he never looked up from his task.
a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature
From this reading This blinding atom of white heat lit up a hand hardly moving, a pen continually poised, over a disc of snowy paper; and on the other side, something that lay handy on the table, reflecting the light in its plated parts.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It was Raffles at his latest deviltry.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Sometimes his face bent over it, and I could watch its absolute concentration.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A Midsummer Night's Work The dense and total darkness was broken in one place, and one only, by a plateful of light proceeding from a tiny bulb of incandescence in its centre.
incandescencenoun
the phenomenon of light emission by a body as its temperature is raised
From this reading A Midsummer Night's Work The dense and total darkness was broken in one place, and one only, by a plateful of light proceeding from a tiny bulb of incandescence in its centre.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was Raffles at his latest deviltry.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading A Midsummer Night's Work The dense and total darkness was broken in one place, and one only, by a plateful of light proceeding from a tiny bulb of incandescence in its centre.
latestadjectiveUS /ˈleɪtəst/
up to the immediate present; most recent or most up-to-date
From this reading It was Raffles at his latest deviltry.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading This blinding atom of white heat lit up a hand hardly moving, a pen continually poised, over a disc of snowy paper; and on the other side, something that lay handy on the table, reflecting the light in its plated parts.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading A Midsummer Night's Work The dense and total darkness was broken in one place, and one only, by a plateful of light proceeding from a tiny bulb of incandescence in its centre.
provided with artificial light
From this reading This blinding atom of white heat lit up a hand hardly moving, a pen continually poised, over a disc of snowy paper; and on the other side, something that lay handy on the table, reflecting the light in its plated parts.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He had not heard me, and he could not see; but for that matter he never looked up from his task.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading He had not heard me, and he could not see; but for that matter he never looked up from his task.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He had not heard me, and he could not see; but for that matter he never looked up from his task.
MidsummernounUS /ˈmɪdˈsʌmər/
June 21, when the sun is at its northernmost point
From this reading A Midsummer Night's Work The dense and total darkness was broken in one place, and one only, by a plateful of light proceeding from a tiny bulb of incandescence in its centre.
in motion
From this reading This blinding atom of white heat lit up a hand hardly moving, a pen continually poised, over a disc of snowy paper; and on the other side, something that lay handy on the table, reflecting the light in its plated parts.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading He had not heard me, and he could not see; but for that matter he never looked up from his task.
Night'snounUS /naɪts/
possessive form of “night” — the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading A Midsummer Night's Work The dense and total darkness was broken in one place, and one only, by a plateful of light proceeding from a tiny bulb of incandescence in its centre.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He had not heard me, and he could not see; but for that matter he never looked up from his task.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A Midsummer Night's Work The dense and total darkness was broken in one place, and one only, by a plateful of light proceeding from a tiny bulb of incandescence in its centre.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading This blinding atom of white heat lit up a hand hardly moving, a pen continually poised, over a disc of snowy paper; and on the other side, something that lay handy on the table, reflecting the light in its plated parts.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading A Midsummer Night's Work The dense and total darkness was broken in one place, and one only, by a plateful of light proceeding from a tiny bulb of incandescence in its centre.
and nothing more
From this reading A Midsummer Night's Work The dense and total darkness was broken in one place, and one only, by a plateful of light proceeding from a tiny bulb of incandescence in its centre.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading This blinding atom of white heat lit up a hand hardly moving, a pen continually poised, over a disc of snowy paper; and on the other side, something that lay handy on the table, reflecting the light in its plated parts.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading This blinding atom of white heat lit up a hand hardly moving, a pen continually poised, over a disc of snowy paper; and on the other side, something that lay handy on the table, reflecting the light in its plated parts.
a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses
From this reading This blinding atom of white heat lit up a hand hardly moving, a pen continually poised, over a disc of snowy paper; and on the other side, something that lay handy on the table, reflecting the light in its plated parts.
the local environment
From this reading This blinding atom of white heat lit up a hand hardly moving, a pen continually poised, over a disc of snowy paper; and on the other side, something that lay handy on the table, reflecting the light in its plated parts.
a writing implement with a point from which ink flows
From this reading This blinding atom of white heat lit up a hand hardly moving, a pen continually poised, over a disc of snowy paper; and on the other side, something that lay handy on the table, reflecting the light in its plated parts.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading A Midsummer Night's Work The dense and total darkness was broken in one place, and one only, by a plateful of light proceeding from a tiny bulb of incandescence in its centre.
platedverbUS /ˈpleɪtɪd/
past form of “plate” — coat with a layer of metal
From this reading This blinding atom of white heat lit up a hand hardly moving, a pen continually poised, over a disc of snowy paper; and on the other side, something that lay handy on the table, reflecting the light in its plated parts.
platefulnoun
the quantity contained in a plate
From this reading A Midsummer Night's Work The dense and total darkness was broken in one place, and one only, by a plateful of light proceeding from a tiny bulb of incandescence in its centre.
poisedadjectiveUS /pɔɪzd/
marked by balance or equilibrium and readiness for action
From this reading This blinding atom of white heat lit up a hand hardly moving, a pen continually poised, over a disc of snowy paper; and on the other side, something that lay handy on the table, reflecting the light in its plated parts.
proceedingnounUS /prəˈsiːdɪŋ/
(law) the institution of a sequence of steps by which legal judgments are invoked
From this reading A Midsummer Night's Work The dense and total darkness was broken in one place, and one only, by a plateful of light proceeding from a tiny bulb of incandescence in its centre.
RafflesnounUS /ˈræfəlz/
British colonial administrator who founded Singapore (1781-1826)
From this reading It was Raffles at his latest deviltry.
reflectingadjectiveUS /rɪˈflektɪŋ/
causing reflection or having a device that reflects
From this reading This blinding atom of white heat lit up a hand hardly moving, a pen continually poised, over a disc of snowy paper; and on the other side, something that lay handy on the table, reflecting the light in its plated parts.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading He had not heard me, and he could not see; but for that matter he never looked up from his task.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading This blinding atom of white heat lit up a hand hardly moving, a pen continually poised, over a disc of snowy paper; and on the other side, something that lay handy on the table, reflecting the light in its plated parts.
snowyadjectiveUS /ˈsnoʊi/
marked by the presence of snow
From this reading This blinding atom of white heat lit up a hand hardly moving, a pen continually poised, over a disc of snowy paper; and on the other side, something that lay handy on the table, reflecting the light in its plated parts.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading This blinding atom of white heat lit up a hand hardly moving, a pen continually poised, over a disc of snowy paper; and on the other side, something that lay handy on the table, reflecting the light in its plated parts.
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading Sometimes his face bent over it, and I could watch its absolute concentration.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading This blinding atom of white heat lit up a hand hardly moving, a pen continually poised, over a disc of snowy paper; and on the other side, something that lay handy on the table, reflecting the light in its plated parts.
any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
From this reading He had not heard me, and he could not see; but for that matter he never looked up from his task.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading This blinding atom of white heat lit up a hand hardly moving, a pen continually poised, over a disc of snowy paper; and on the other side, something that lay handy on the table, reflecting the light in its plated parts.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A Midsummer Night's Work The dense and total darkness was broken in one place, and one only, by a plateful of light proceeding from a tiny bulb of incandescence in its centre.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This blinding atom of white heat lit up a hand hardly moving, a pen continually poised, over a disc of snowy paper; and on the other side, something that lay handy on the table, reflecting the light in its plated parts.
very small
From this reading A Midsummer Night's Work The dense and total darkness was broken in one place, and one only, by a plateful of light proceeding from a tiny bulb of incandescence in its centre.
totalverbUS /ˈtoʊtəl/
add up in number or quantity
From this reading A Midsummer Night's Work The dense and total darkness was broken in one place, and one only, by a plateful of light proceeding from a tiny bulb of incandescence in its centre.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading This blinding atom of white heat lit up a hand hardly moving, a pen continually poised, over a disc of snowy paper; and on the other side, something that lay handy on the table, reflecting the light in its plated parts.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A Midsummer Night's Work The dense and total darkness was broken in one place, and one only, by a plateful of light proceeding from a tiny bulb of incandescence in its centre.
look attentively
From this reading Sometimes his face bent over it, and I could watch its absolute concentration.
a Caucasian
From this reading This blinding atom of white heat lit up a hand hardly moving, a pen continually poised, over a disc of snowy paper; and on the other side, something that lay handy on the table, reflecting the light in its plated parts.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading A Midsummer Night's Work The dense and total darkness was broken in one place, and one only, by a plateful of light proceeding from a tiny bulb of incandescence in its centre.
