used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Then, gradually, I saw less and less of the concrete machinery of our safety and slipped almost wholly into the work of control from a distance.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading Lists, sheets of figures, graphs, letters dictated or read, telephonic communications, reports from factory managers, all surged up before me in a daily deluge.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Then, gradually, I saw less and less of the concrete machinery of our safety and slipped almost wholly into the work of control from a distance.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading In the earlier stages I had been oscillating between my office, with its ever-accumulating mass of papers, on the one hand; and the grime and clangour of the factories and furnaces upon the other.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading My meals were eaten hurriedly at a side-table in my office; and my lights burned far into the morning in the attempt to cope with the torrent which I had to control.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading My meals were eaten hurriedly at a side-table in my office; and my lights burned far into the morning in the attempt to cope with the torrent which I had to control.
have
From this reading Intermezzo In order to understand the impression which that evening left upon me, it is necessary to bear in mind the conditions under which I had been living for the last few weeks.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Intermezzo In order to understand the impression which that evening left upon me, it is necessary to bear in mind the conditions under which I had been living for the last few weeks.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Lists, sheets of figures, graphs, letters dictated or read, telephonic communications, reports from factory managers, all surged up before me in a daily deluge.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading In the earlier stages I had been oscillating between my office, with its ever-accumulating mass of papers, on the one hand; and the grime and clangour of the factories and furnaces upon the other.
treated by heating to a high temperature but below the melting or fusing point
From this reading My meals were eaten hurriedly at a side-table in my office; and my lights burned far into the morning in the attempt to cope with the torrent which I had to control.
clangournoun
a loud resonant repeating noise
From this reading In the earlier stages I had been oscillating between my office, with its ever-accumulating mass of papers, on the one hand; and the grime and clangour of the factories and furnaces upon the other.
communicationsnounUS /kəˌmjuːnəˈkeɪʃənz/
the discipline that studies the principles of transmiting information and the methods by which it is delivered (as print or radio or television etc.)
From this reading Lists, sheets of figures, graphs, letters dictated or read, telephonic communications, reports from factory managers, all surged up before me in a daily deluge.
concreteadjectiveUS /kənˈkriːt/
capable of being perceived by the senses; not abstract or imaginary
From this reading Then, gradually, I saw less and less of the concrete machinery of our safety and slipped almost wholly into the work of control from a distance.
the prevailing context that influences the performance or the outcome of a process
From this reading Intermezzo In order to understand the impression which that evening left upon me, it is necessary to bear in mind the conditions under which I had been living for the last few weeks.
power to direct or determine
From this reading Then, gradually, I saw less and less of the concrete machinery of our safety and slipped almost wholly into the work of control from a distance.
copeverbUS /koʊp/
succeed in doing, achieving, or producing (something) with the limited or inadequate means available
From this reading My meals were eaten hurriedly at a side-table in my office; and my lights burned far into the morning in the attempt to cope with the torrent which I had to control.
every day; without missing a day
From this reading Lists, sheets of figures, graphs, letters dictated or read, telephonic communications, reports from factory managers, all surged up before me in a daily deluge.
delugenounUS /ˈdeljuːdʒ/
an overwhelming number or amount
From this reading Lists, sheets of figures, graphs, letters dictated or read, telephonic communications, reports from factory managers, all surged up before me in a daily deluge.
dictatedadjectiveUS /dɪkˈteɪtɪd/
determined or decided upon as by an authority
From this reading Lists, sheets of figures, graphs, letters dictated or read, telephonic communications, reports from factory managers, all surged up before me in a daily deluge.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading Then, gradually, I saw less and less of the concrete machinery of our safety and slipped almost wholly into the work of control from a distance.
earlier in time; previously
From this reading In the earlier stages I had been oscillating between my office, with its ever-accumulating mass of papers, on the one hand; and the grime and clangour of the factories and furnaces upon the other.
inflected form of “eat” — take in solid food
From this reading My meals were eaten hurriedly at a side-table in my office; and my lights burned far into the morning in the attempt to cope with the torrent which I had to control.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading Intermezzo In order to understand the impression which that evening left upon me, it is necessary to bear in mind the conditions under which I had been living for the last few weeks.
ever-accumulating
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the earlier stages I had been oscillating between my office, with its ever-accumulating mass of papers, on the one hand; and the grime and clangour of the factories and furnaces upon the other.
factoriesnounUS /ˈfæktəriz/
plural of “factory” — a plant consisting of one or more buildings with facilities for manufacturing
From this reading In the earlier stages I had been oscillating between my office, with its ever-accumulating mass of papers, on the one hand; and the grime and clangour of the factories and furnaces upon the other.
factorynounUS /ˈfæktəri/
a plant consisting of one or more buildings with facilities for manufacturing
From this reading Lists, sheets of figures, graphs, letters dictated or read, telephonic communications, reports from factory managers, all surged up before me in a daily deluge.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading My meals were eaten hurriedly at a side-table in my office; and my lights burned far into the morning in the attempt to cope with the torrent which I had to control.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Intermezzo In order to understand the impression which that evening left upon me, it is necessary to bear in mind the conditions under which I had been living for the last few weeks.
plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading Lists, sheets of figures, graphs, letters dictated or read, telephonic communications, reports from factory managers, all surged up before me in a daily deluge.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Intermezzo In order to understand the impression which that evening left upon me, it is necessary to bear in mind the conditions under which I had been living for the last few weeks.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Then, gradually, I saw less and less of the concrete machinery of our safety and slipped almost wholly into the work of control from a distance.
furnacesnounUS /ˈfɜːrnʌsɪz/
plural of “furnace” — an enclosed chamber in which heat is produced to heat buildings, destroy refuse, smelt or refine ores, etc.
From this reading In the earlier stages I had been oscillating between my office, with its ever-accumulating mass of papers, on the one hand; and the grime and clangour of the factories and furnaces upon the other.
in a gradual manner
From this reading Then, gradually, I saw less and less of the concrete machinery of our safety and slipped almost wholly into the work of control from a distance.
graphsnounUS /ɡræfs/
plural of “graph” — a visual representation of the relations between certain quantities, represented as points, plotted with reference to a set of axes
From this reading Lists, sheets of figures, graphs, letters dictated or read, telephonic communications, reports from factory managers, all surged up before me in a daily deluge.
grimenounUS /ɡraɪm/
the state of being covered with unclean things
From this reading In the earlier stages I had been oscillating between my office, with its ever-accumulating mass of papers, on the one hand; and the grime and clangour of the factories and furnaces upon the other.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Intermezzo In order to understand the impression which that evening left upon me, it is necessary to bear in mind the conditions under which I had been living for the last few weeks.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading In the earlier stages I had been oscillating between my office, with its ever-accumulating mass of papers, on the one hand; and the grime and clangour of the factories and furnaces upon the other.
hurriedlyadverbUS /ˈhɜːridli/
in a hurried or hasty manner
From this reading My meals were eaten hurriedly at a side-table in my office; and my lights burned far into the morning in the attempt to cope with the torrent which I had to control.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Intermezzo In order to understand the impression which that evening left upon me, it is necessary to bear in mind the conditions under which I had been living for the last few weeks.
a vague idea in which some confidence is placed
From this reading Intermezzo In order to understand the impression which that evening left upon me, it is necessary to bear in mind the conditions under which I had been living for the last few weeks.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Intermezzo In order to understand the impression which that evening left upon me, it is necessary to bear in mind the conditions under which I had been living for the last few weeks.
Intermezzonoun
a short movement coming between the major sections of a symphony
From this reading Intermezzo In order to understand the impression which that evening left upon me, it is necessary to bear in mind the conditions under which I had been living for the last few weeks.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Then, gradually, I saw less and less of the concrete machinery of our safety and slipped almost wholly into the work of control from a distance.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Intermezzo In order to understand the impression which that evening left upon me, it is necessary to bear in mind the conditions under which I had been living for the last few weeks.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Intermezzo In order to understand the impression which that evening left upon me, it is necessary to bear in mind the conditions under which I had been living for the last few weeks.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading In the earlier stages I had been oscillating between my office, with its ever-accumulating mass of papers, on the one hand; and the grime and clangour of the factories and furnaces upon the other.
immediately past
From this reading Intermezzo In order to understand the impression which that evening left upon me, it is necessary to bear in mind the conditions under which I had been living for the last few weeks.
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 Intermezzo In order to understand the impression which that evening left upon me, it is necessary to bear in mind the conditions under which I had been living for the last few weeks.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading Then, gradually, I saw less and less of the concrete machinery of our safety and slipped almost wholly into the work of control from a distance.
the literary culture
From this reading Lists, sheets of figures, graphs, letters dictated or read, telephonic communications, reports from factory managers, all surged up before me in a daily deluge.
plural of “light” — (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation
From this reading My meals were eaten hurriedly at a side-table in my office; and my lights burned far into the morning in the attempt to cope with the torrent which I had to control.
ListsnounUS /lɪsts/
plural of “list” — a database containing an ordered array of items (names or topics)
From this reading Lists, sheets of figures, graphs, letters dictated or read, telephonic communications, reports from factory managers, all surged up before me in a daily deluge.
the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities
From this reading Intermezzo In order to understand the impression which that evening left upon me, it is necessary to bear in mind the conditions under which I had been living for the last few weeks.
machinerynounUS /məˈʃiːnəri/
machines or machine systems collectively
From this reading Then, gradually, I saw less and less of the concrete machinery of our safety and slipped almost wholly into the work of control from a distance.
managersnounUS /ˈmænədʒərz/
plural of “manager” — someone who controls resources and expenditures
From this reading Lists, sheets of figures, graphs, letters dictated or read, telephonic communications, reports from factory managers, all surged up before me in a daily deluge.
the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
From this reading In the earlier stages I had been oscillating between my office, with its ever-accumulating mass of papers, on the one hand; and the grime and clangour of the factories and furnaces upon the other.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Intermezzo In order to understand the impression which that evening left upon me, it is necessary to bear in mind the conditions under which I had been living for the last few weeks.
mealsnounUS /miːlz/
plural of “meal” — the food served and eaten at one time
From this reading My meals were eaten hurriedly at a side-table in my office; and my lights burned far into the morning in the attempt to cope with the torrent which I had to control.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading Intermezzo In order to understand the impression which that evening left upon me, it is necessary to bear in mind the conditions under which I had been living for the last few weeks.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading My meals were eaten hurriedly at a side-table in my office; and my lights burned far into the morning in the attempt to cope with the torrent which I had to control.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading In the earlier stages I had been oscillating between my office, with its ever-accumulating mass of papers, on the one hand; and the grime and clangour of the factories and furnaces upon the other.
absolutely essential
From this reading Intermezzo In order to understand the impression which that evening left upon me, it is necessary to bear in mind the conditions under which I had been living for the last few weeks.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In the earlier stages I had been oscillating between my office, with its ever-accumulating mass of papers, on the one hand; and the grime and clangour of the factories and furnaces upon the other.
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading In the earlier stages I had been oscillating between my office, with its ever-accumulating mass of papers, on the one hand; and the grime and clangour of the factories and furnaces upon the other.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading In the earlier stages I had been oscillating between my office, with its ever-accumulating mass of papers, on the one hand; and the grime and clangour of the factories and furnaces upon the other.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading In the earlier stages I had been oscillating between my office, with its ever-accumulating mass of papers, on the one hand; and the grime and clangour of the factories and furnaces upon the other.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Lists, sheets of figures, graphs, letters dictated or read, telephonic communications, reports from factory managers, all surged up before me in a daily deluge.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading Intermezzo In order to understand the impression which that evening left upon me, it is necessary to bear in mind the conditions under which I had been living for the last few weeks.
oscillatingadjectiveUS /ˈɑːsəleɪtɪŋ/
having periodic vibrations
From this reading In the earlier stages I had been oscillating between my office, with its ever-accumulating mass of papers, on the one hand; and the grime and clangour of the factories and furnaces upon the other.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading In the earlier stages I had been oscillating between my office, with its ever-accumulating mass of papers, on the one hand; and the grime and clangour of the factories and furnaces upon the other.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Then, gradually, I saw less and less of the concrete machinery of our safety and slipped almost wholly into the work of control from a distance.
writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)
From this reading In the earlier stages I had been oscillating between my office, with its ever-accumulating mass of papers, on the one hand; and the grime and clangour of the factories and furnaces upon the other.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading Lists, sheets of figures, graphs, letters dictated or read, telephonic communications, reports from factory managers, all surged up before me in a daily deluge.
reportsnounUS /rɪˈpɔːrts/
plural of “report” — a written document describing the findings of some individual or group
From this reading Lists, sheets of figures, graphs, letters dictated or read, telephonic communications, reports from factory managers, all surged up before me in a daily deluge.
the state of being certain that adverse effects will not be caused by some agent under defined conditions
From this reading Then, gradually, I saw less and less of the concrete machinery of our safety and slipped almost wholly into the work of control from a distance.
cut with a saw
From this reading Then, gradually, I saw less and less of the concrete machinery of our safety and slipped almost wholly into the work of control from a distance.
sheetsnounUS /ʃiːts/
plural of “sheet” — any broad thin expanse or surface
From this reading Lists, sheets of figures, graphs, letters dictated or read, telephonic communications, reports from factory managers, all surged up before me in a daily deluge.
side-table
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My meals were eaten hurriedly at a side-table in my office; and my lights burned far into the morning in the attempt to cope with the torrent which I had to control.
inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily
From this reading Then, gradually, I saw less and less of the concrete machinery of our safety and slipped almost wholly into the work of control from a distance.
stagesnounUS /ˈsteɪdʒəz/
plural of “stage” — any distinct time period in a sequence of events
From this reading In the earlier stages I had been oscillating between my office, with its ever-accumulating mass of papers, on the one hand; and the grime and clangour of the factories and furnaces upon the other.
surgedverbUS /sɜːrdʒd/
past form of “surge” — rise and move, as in waves or billows
From this reading Lists, sheets of figures, graphs, letters dictated or read, telephonic communications, reports from factory managers, all surged up before me in a daily deluge.
telephonicadjectiveUS /ˌteləˈfɑːnɪk/
of or relating to telephony
From this reading Lists, sheets of figures, graphs, letters dictated or read, telephonic communications, reports from factory managers, all surged up before me in a daily deluge.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Intermezzo In order to understand the impression which that evening left upon me, it is necessary to bear in mind the conditions under which I had been living for the last few weeks.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Intermezzo In order to understand the impression which that evening left upon me, it is necessary to bear in mind the conditions under which I had been living for the last few weeks.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then, gradually, I saw less and less of the concrete machinery of our safety and slipped almost wholly into the work of control from a distance.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Intermezzo In order to understand the impression which that evening left upon me, it is necessary to bear in mind the conditions under which I had been living for the last few weeks.
torrentnounUS /ˈtɔːrənt/
a heavy rain
From this reading My meals were eaten hurriedly at a side-table in my office; and my lights burned far into the morning in the attempt to cope with the torrent which I had to control.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Intermezzo In order to understand the impression which that evening left upon me, it is necessary to bear in mind the conditions under which I had been living for the last few weeks.
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading Intermezzo In order to understand the impression which that evening left upon me, it is necessary to bear in mind the conditions under which I had been living for the last few weeks.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Lists, sheets of figures, graphs, letters dictated or read, telephonic communications, reports from factory managers, all surged up before me in a daily deluge.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Intermezzo In order to understand the impression which that evening left upon me, it is necessary to bear in mind the conditions under which I had been living for the last few weeks.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading Intermezzo In order to understand the impression which that evening left upon me, it is necessary to bear in mind the conditions under which I had been living for the last few weeks.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading My meals were eaten hurriedly at a side-table in my office; and my lights burned far into the morning in the attempt to cope with the torrent which I had to control.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Intermezzo In order to understand the impression which that evening left upon me, it is necessary to bear in mind the conditions under which I had been living for the last few weeks.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading Then, gradually, I saw less and less of the concrete machinery of our safety and slipped almost wholly into the work of control from a distance.
in the company of; together with
From this reading In the earlier stages I had been oscillating between my office, with its ever-accumulating mass of papers, on the one hand; and the grime and clangour of the factories and furnaces upon the other.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Then, gradually, I saw less and less of the concrete machinery of our safety and slipped almost wholly into the work of control from a distance.
