Chapter I

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

From this reading Somewhere within its fragile cortex, a tiny pulse of life beat.

(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 [Sidenote: Are you one of those people who save the best things for the last ... who eat all the chocolate sundae away from under the maraschino cherry?

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

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

separated or at a distance in place or position or time

From this reading As the normal human heart beats seventy-two times a minute, so did this tiny swelling of tube contract once each hundred years; fifty tireless years of contraction, then fifty soothing years of relaxation, bringing the walls of the slender tube together, then letting them ease apart.

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

From this reading [Sidenote: Are you one of those people who save the best things for the last ... who eat all the chocolate sundae away from under the maraschino cherry?

disposed or placed in a particular kind of order

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

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

From this reading As the normal human heart beats seventy-two times a minute, so did this tiny swelling of tube contract once each hundred years; fifty tireless years of contraction, then fifty soothing years of relaxation, bringing the walls of the slender tube together, then letting them ease apart.

(sometimes followed by “of”) having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception

From this reading It was a feeble pulse, to be sure, and one that a man, unless he could observe it for a thousand years without blinking, would not be aware of.

having knowledge of

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

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

From this reading [Sidenote: Are you one of those people who save the best things for the last ... who eat all the chocolate sundae away from under the maraschino cherry?

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

From this reading It was a feeble pulse, to be sure, and one that a man, unless he could observe it for a thousand years without blinking, would not be aware of.

come out better in a competition, race, or conflict

From this reading Somewhere within its fragile cortex, a tiny pulse of life beat.

a United States youth subculture of the 1950s; rejected possessions or regular work or traditional dress; for communal living and psychedelic drugs and anarchism; favored modern forms of jazz (e.g., bebop)

From this reading As the normal human heart beats seventy-two times a minute, so did this tiny swelling of tube contract once each hundred years; fifty tireless years of contraction, then fifty soothing years of relaxation, bringing the walls of the slender tube together, then letting them ease apart.

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading [Sidenote: Are you one of those people who save the best things for the last ... who eat all the chocolate sundae away from under the maraschino cherry?

closing the eyes intermittently and rapidly

From this reading It was a feeble pulse, to be sure, and one that a man, unless he could observe it for a thousand years without blinking, would not be aware of.

the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

the act of delivering or distributing something (as goods or mail)

From this reading As the normal human heart beats seventy-two times a minute, so did this tiny swelling of tube contract once each hundred years; fifty tireless years of contraction, then fifty soothing years of relaxation, bringing the walls of the slender tube together, then letting them ease apart.

plural of “cell” — any small compartment

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

wood of any of various cherry trees especially the black cherry

From this reading [Sidenote: Are you one of those people who save the best things for the last ... who eat all the chocolate sundae away from under the maraschino cherry?

a beverage made from cocoa powder and milk and sugar; usually drunk hot

From this reading [Sidenote: Are you one of those people who save the best things for the last ... who eat all the chocolate sundae away from under the maraschino cherry?

something that interests you because it is important or affects you

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

enter into a contractual arrangement

From this reading As the normal human heart beats seventy-two times a minute, so did this tiny swelling of tube contract once each hundred years; fifty tireless years of contraction, then fifty soothing years of relaxation, bringing the walls of the slender tube together, then letting them ease apart.

(physiology) a shortening or tensing of a part or organ (especially of a muscle or muscle fiber)

From this reading As the normal human heart beats seventy-two times a minute, so did this tiny swelling of tube contract once each hundred years; fifty tireless years of contraction, then fifty soothing years of relaxation, bringing the walls of the slender tube together, then letting them ease apart.

the layer of unmyelinated neurons (the grey matter) forming the cortex of the cerebrum

From this reading Somewhere within its fragile cortex, a tiny pulse of life beat.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading It was a feeble pulse, to be sure, and one that a man, unless he could observe it for a thousand years without blinking, would not be aware of.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

(of solid matter) reduced to a liquid form

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading As the normal human heart beats seventy-two times a minute, so did this tiny swelling of tube contract once each hundred years; fifty tireless years of contraction, then fifty soothing years of relaxation, bringing the walls of the slender tube together, then letting them ease apart.

move gently or carefully

From this reading As the normal human heart beats seventy-two times a minute, so did this tiny swelling of tube contract once each hundred years; fifty tireless years of contraction, then fifty soothing years of relaxation, bringing the walls of the slender tube together, then letting them ease apart.

take in solid food

From this reading [Sidenote: Are you one of those people who save the best things for the last ... who eat all the chocolate sundae away from under the maraschino cherry?

pathetically lacking in force or effectiveness

From this reading It was a feeble pulse, to be sure, and one that a man, unless he could observe it for a thousand years without blinking, would not be aware of.

the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five

From this reading As the normal human heart beats seventy-two times a minute, so did this tiny swelling of tube contract once each hundred years; fifty tireless years of contraction, then fifty soothing years of relaxation, bringing the walls of the slender tube together, then letting them ease apart.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading [Sidenote: Are you one of those people who save the best things for the last ... who eat all the chocolate sundae away from under the maraschino cherry?

easily broken or damaged or destroyed

From this reading Somewhere within its fragile cortex, a tiny pulse of life beat.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading [Sidenote: Are you one of those people who save the best things for the last ... who eat all the chocolate sundae away from under the maraschino cherry?

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

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

From this reading It was a feeble pulse, to be sure, and one that a man, unless he could observe it for a thousand years without blinking, would not be aware of.

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading As the normal human heart beats seventy-two times a minute, so did this tiny swelling of tube contract once each hundred years; fifty tireless years of contraction, then fifty soothing years of relaxation, bringing the walls of the slender tube together, then letting them ease apart.

characteristic of humanity

From this reading As the normal human heart beats seventy-two times a minute, so did this tiny swelling of tube contract once each hundred years; fifty tireless years of contraction, then fifty soothing years of relaxation, bringing the walls of the slender tube together, then letting them ease apart.

ten 10s

From this reading As the normal human heart beats seventy-two times a minute, so did this tiny swelling of tube contract once each hundred years; fifty tireless years of contraction, then fifty soothing years of relaxation, bringing the walls of the slender tube together, then letting them ease apart.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

immediately past

From this reading [Sidenote: Are you one of those people who save the best things for the last ... who eat all the chocolate sundae away from under the maraschino cherry?

property that is leased or rented out or let

From this reading As the normal human heart beats seventy-two times a minute, so did this tiny swelling of tube contract once each hundred years; fifty tireless years of contraction, then fifty soothing years of relaxation, bringing the walls of the slender tube together, then letting them ease apart.

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading Somewhere within its fragile cortex, a tiny pulse of life beat.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

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

From this reading It was a feeble pulse, to be sure, and one that a man, unless he could observe it for a thousand years without blinking, would not be aware of.

distilled from fermented juice of bitter wild marasca cherries

From this reading [Sidenote: Are you one of those people who save the best things for the last ... who eat all the chocolate sundae away from under the maraschino cherry?

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

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

plural of “millennium” — a span of 1000 years

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour

From this reading As the normal human heart beats seventy-two times a minute, so did this tiny swelling of tube contract once each hundred years; fifty tireless years of contraction, then fifty soothing years of relaxation, bringing the walls of the slender tube together, then letting them ease apart.

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

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

not any; not one

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

conforming with or constituting a norm or standard or level or type or social norm; not abnormal

From this reading As the normal human heart beats seventy-two times a minute, so did this tiny swelling of tube contract once each hundred years; fifty tireless years of contraction, then fifty soothing years of relaxation, bringing the walls of the slender tube together, then letting them ease apart.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of

From this reading It was a feeble pulse, to be sure, and one that a man, unless he could observe it for a thousand years without blinking, would not be aware of.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading [Sidenote: Are you one of those people who save the best things for the last ... who eat all the chocolate sundae away from under the maraschino cherry?

on one occasion

From this reading As the normal human heart beats seventy-two times a minute, so did this tiny swelling of tube contract once each hundred years; fifty tireless years of contraction, then fifty soothing years of relaxation, bringing the walls of the slender tube together, then letting them ease apart.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading [Sidenote: Are you one of those people who save the best things for the last ... who eat all the chocolate sundae away from under the maraschino cherry?

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading [Sidenote: Are you one of those people who save the best things for the last ... who eat all the chocolate sundae away from under the maraschino cherry?

disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

plural of “pod” — the vessel that contains the seeds of a plant (not the seeds themselves)

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

(electronics) a sharp transient wave in the normal electrical state (or a series of such transients)

From this reading Somewhere within its fragile cortex, a tiny pulse of life beat.

(physiology) the gradual lengthening of inactive muscle or muscle fibers

From this reading As the normal human heart beats seventy-two times a minute, so did this tiny swelling of tube contract once each hundred years; fifty tireless years of contraction, then fifty soothing years of relaxation, bringing the walls of the slender tube together, then letting them ease apart.

plural of “remnant” — a small part or portion that remains after the main part no longer exists

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

except for; apart from

From this reading [Sidenote: Are you one of those people who save the best things for the last ... who eat all the chocolate sundae away from under the maraschino cherry?

established or decided beyond dispute or doubt

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

being two more than seventy

From this reading As the normal human heart beats seventy-two times a minute, so did this tiny swelling of tube contract once each hundred years; fifty tireless years of contraction, then fifty soothing years of relaxation, bringing the walls of the slender tube together, then letting them ease apart.

continuously varying

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

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

From this reading [Sidenote: Are you one of those people who save the best things for the last ... who eat all the chocolate sundae away from under the maraschino cherry?

plural of “silicate” — a salt or ester derived from silicic acid

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

from a time in the past until now

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

being of delicate or slender build

From this reading As the normal human heart beats seventy-two times a minute, so did this tiny swelling of tube contract once each hundred years; fifty tireless years of contraction, then fifty soothing years of relaxation, bringing the walls of the slender tube together, then letting them ease apart.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

the state of being covered with unclean things

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

in or at or to some place

From this reading Somewhere within its fragile cortex, a tiny pulse of life beat.

affording physical relief

From this reading As the normal human heart beats seventy-two times a minute, so did this tiny swelling of tube contract once each hundred years; fifty tireless years of contraction, then fifty soothing years of relaxation, bringing the walls of the slender tube together, then letting them ease apart.

ice cream served with a topping

From this reading [Sidenote: Are you one of those people who save the best things for the last ... who eat all the chocolate sundae away from under the maraschino cherry?

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading It was a feeble pulse, to be sure, and one that a man, unless he could observe it for a thousand years without blinking, would not be aware of.

an abnormal protuberance or localized enlargement

From this reading As the normal human heart beats seventy-two times a minute, so did this tiny swelling of tube contract once each hundred years; fifty tireless years of contraction, then fifty soothing years of relaxation, bringing the walls of the slender tube together, then letting them ease apart.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

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

From this reading [Sidenote: Are you one of those people who save the best things for the last ... who eat all the chocolate sundae away from under the maraschino cherry?

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading As the normal human heart beats seventy-two times a minute, so did this tiny swelling of tube contract once each hundred years; fifty tireless years of contraction, then fifty soothing years of relaxation, bringing the walls of the slender tube together, then letting them ease apart.

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading [Sidenote: Are you one of those people who save the best things for the last ... who eat all the chocolate sundae away from under the maraschino cherry?

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

From this reading As the normal human heart beats seventy-two times a minute, so did this tiny swelling of tube contract once each hundred years; fifty tireless years of contraction, then fifty soothing years of relaxation, bringing the walls of the slender tube together, then letting them ease apart.

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

From this reading [Sidenote: Are you one of those people who save the best things for the last ... who eat all the chocolate sundae away from under the maraschino cherry?

the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading As the normal human heart beats seventy-two times a minute, so did this tiny swelling of tube contract once each hundred years; fifty tireless years of contraction, then fifty soothing years of relaxation, bringing the walls of the slender tube together, then letting them ease apart.

very small

From this reading Somewhere within its fragile cortex, a tiny pulse of life beat.

showing sustained enthusiastic action with unflagging vitality

From this reading As the normal human heart beats seventy-two times a minute, so did this tiny swelling of tube contract once each hundred years; fifty tireless years of contraction, then fifty soothing years of relaxation, bringing the walls of the slender tube together, then letting them ease apart.

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

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading As the normal human heart beats seventy-two times a minute, so did this tiny swelling of tube contract once each hundred years; fifty tireless years of contraction, then fifty soothing years of relaxation, bringing the walls of the slender tube together, then letting them ease apart.

conduit consisting of a long hollow object (usually cylindrical) used to hold and conduct objects or liquids or gases

From this reading As the normal human heart beats seventy-two times a minute, so did this tiny swelling of tube contract once each hundred years; fifty tireless years of contraction, then fifty soothing years of relaxation, bringing the walls of the slender tube together, then letting them ease apart.

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading [Sidenote: Are you one of those people who save the best things for the last ... who eat all the chocolate sundae away from under the maraschino cherry?

except if; if not

From this reading It was a feeble pulse, to be sure, and one that a man, unless he could observe it for a thousand years without blinking, would not be aware of.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

precisely as stated

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

a heavy grey-white metallic element; the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications; it is found in several ores including wolframite and scheelite

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

stay in one place and anticipate or expect something

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

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

From this reading It was a feeble pulse, to be sure, and one that a man, unless he could observe it for a thousand years without blinking, would not be aware of.

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

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

which person or people

From this reading [Sidenote: Are you one of those people who save the best things for the last ... who eat all the chocolate sundae away from under the maraschino cherry?

in the company of; together with

From this reading If so, you are very like the Peter W. Merrill Moonplant.] It had no awareness of time, and so did not know nor concern itself with the millennia that passed since it first drew up the dissolved silicates from the shifting grey remnants of soil and arranged them inside the walls of the thousand green pods that were its body cells, and settled down to wait.

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading Somewhere within its fragile cortex, a tiny pulse of life beat.

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading It was a feeble pulse, to be sure, and one that a man, unless he could observe it for a thousand years without blinking, would not be aware of.

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

From this reading It was a feeble pulse, to be sure, and one that a man, unless he could observe it for a thousand years without blinking, would not be aware of.

a late time of life

From this reading It was a feeble pulse, to be sure, and one that a man, unless he could observe it for a thousand years without blinking, would not be aware of.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading [Sidenote: Are you one of those people who save the best things for the last ... who eat all the chocolate sundae away from under the maraschino cherry?