Chapter XXIII

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

From this reading The smoke which poured out of the funny old bulging smoke-stack was instantly swallowed in the thicker fog; it could be seen only as a kind of restless mass at its point of issuance from the stack.

anew

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading EN ROUTE Along the lonely Snailsdale branch of the Drerie Railroad crawled the five forty-two, three hours and fifty-seven minutes late.

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

From this reading EN ROUTE Along the lonely Snailsdale branch of the Drerie Railroad crawled the five forty-two, three hours and fifty-seven minutes late.

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading It must have seemed odd to the cautious engineer that his locomotive could be forever moving into this solid mass without any noise of the collision.

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

From this reading The smoke which poured out of the funny old bulging smoke-stack was instantly swallowed in the thicker fog; it could be seen only as a kind of restless mass at its point of issuance from the stack.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The smoke which poured out of the funny old bulging smoke-stack was instantly swallowed in the thicker fog; it could be seen only as a kind of restless mass at its point of issuance from the stack.

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

From this reading The smoke which poured out of the funny old bulging smoke-stack was instantly swallowed in the thicker fog; it could be seen only as a kind of restless mass at its point of issuance from the stack.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.

sealed vessel where water is converted to steam

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.

a category falling within certain defined limits

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.

a division of some larger or more complex organization

From this reading EN ROUTE Along the lonely Snailsdale branch of the Drerie Railroad crawled the five forty-two, three hours and fifty-seven minutes late.

lacking funds

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.

curving or bulging outward

From this reading The smoke which poured out of the funny old bulging smoke-stack was instantly swallowed in the thicker fog; it could be seen only as a kind of restless mass at its point of issuance from the stack.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.

showing careful forethought

From this reading It must have seemed odd to the cautious engineer that his locomotive could be forever moving into this solid mass without any noise of the collision.

(physics) a brief event in which two or more bodies come together

From this reading It must have seemed odd to the cautious engineer that his locomotive could be forever moving into this solid mass without any noise of the collision.

a small cosmetics case with a mirror; to be carried in a woman's purse

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.

gathered together or made less diffuse

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.

undergo condensation; change from a gaseous to a liquid state and fall in drops

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.

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

From this reading The smoke which poured out of the funny old bulging smoke-stack was instantly swallowed in the thicker fog; it could be seen only as a kind of restless mass at its point of issuance from the stack.

past form of “crawl” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground

From this reading EN ROUTE Along the lonely Snailsdale branch of the Drerie Railroad crawled the five forty-two, three hours and fifty-seven minutes late.

the property created by the space between two objects or points

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.

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

From this reading EN ROUTE Along the lonely Snailsdale branch of the Drerie Railroad crawled the five forty-two, three hours and fifty-seven minutes late.

having or showing keen interest or intense desire or impatient expectancy

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.

feeling or caused to feel ill at ease or self-conscious or ashamed

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.

half the width of an em

From this reading EN ROUTE Along the lonely Snailsdale branch of the Drerie Railroad crawled the five forty-two, three hours and fifty-seven minutes late.

a person who uses scientific knowledge to solve practical problems

From this reading It must have seemed odd to the cautious engineer that his locomotive could be forever moving into this solid mass without any noise of the collision.

possessive form of “engineer” — a person who uses scientific knowledge to solve practical problems

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.

divisible by two

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.

being seven more than fifty

From this reading EN ROUTE Along the lonely Snailsdale branch of the Drerie Railroad crawled the five forty-two, three hours and fifty-seven minutes late.

the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

From this reading EN ROUTE Along the lonely Snailsdale branch of the Drerie Railroad crawled the five forty-two, three hours and fifty-seven minutes late.

droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground

From this reading The smoke which poured out of the funny old bulging smoke-stack was instantly swallowed in the thicker fog; it could be seen only as a kind of restless mass at its point of issuance from the stack.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.

for a limitless time

From this reading It must have seemed odd to the cautious engineer that his locomotive could be forever moving into this solid mass without any noise of the collision.

being two more than forty

From this reading EN ROUTE Along the lonely Snailsdale branch of the Drerie Railroad crawled the five forty-two, three hours and fifty-seven minutes late.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The smoke which poured out of the funny old bulging smoke-stack was instantly swallowed in the thicker fog; it could be seen only as a kind of restless mass at its point of issuance from the stack.

arousing or provoking laughter

From this reading The smoke which poured out of the funny old bulging smoke-stack was instantly swallowed in the thicker fog; it could be seen only as a kind of restless mass at its point of issuance from the stack.

a long fixed look

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading It must have seemed odd to the cautious engineer that his locomotive could be forever moving into this solid mass without any noise of the collision.

a powerful light with reflector; attached to the front of an automobile or locomotive

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.

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

From this reading It must have seemed odd to the cautious engineer that his locomotive could be forever moving into this solid mass without any noise of the collision.

a period of time assigned for work

From this reading EN ROUTE Along the lonely Snailsdale branch of the Drerie Railroad crawled the five forty-two, three hours and fifty-seven minutes late.

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

From this reading The smoke which poured out of the funny old bulging smoke-stack was instantly swallowed in the thicker fog; it could be seen only as a kind of restless mass at its point of issuance from the stack.

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

From this reading The smoke which poured out of the funny old bulging smoke-stack was instantly swallowed in the thicker fog; it could be seen only as a kind of restless mass at its point of issuance from the stack.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading It must have seemed odd to the cautious engineer that his locomotive could be forever moving into this solid mass without any noise of the collision.

the act of providing an item for general use or for official purposes (usually in quantity)

From this reading The smoke which poured out of the funny old bulging smoke-stack was instantly swallowed in the thicker fog; it could be seen only as a kind of restless mass at its point of issuance from the stack.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It rumbled and jerked along, unashamed.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading The smoke which poured out of the funny old bulging smoke-stack was instantly swallowed in the thicker fog; it could be seen only as a kind of restless mass at its point of issuance from the stack.

past form of “jerk” — pull, or move with a sudden movement

From this reading It rumbled and jerked along, unashamed.

a flammable hydrocarbon oil used as fuel in lamps and heaters

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.

having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading The smoke which poured out of the funny old bulging smoke-stack was instantly swallowed in the thicker fog; it could be seen only as a kind of restless mass at its point of issuance from the stack.

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading EN ROUTE Along the lonely Snailsdale branch of the Drerie Railroad crawled the five forty-two, three hours and fifty-seven minutes late.

a wheeled vehicle consisting of a self-propelled engine that is used to draw trains along railway tracks

From this reading It must have seemed odd to the cautious engineer that his locomotive could be forever moving into this solid mass without any noise of the collision.

lacking companions or companionship

From this reading EN ROUTE Along the lonely Snailsdale branch of the Drerie Railroad crawled the five forty-two, three hours and fifty-seven minutes late.

the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field

From this reading The smoke which poured out of the funny old bulging smoke-stack was instantly swallowed in the thicker fog; it could be seen only as a kind of restless mass at its point of issuance from the stack.

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading EN ROUTE Along the lonely Snailsdale branch of the Drerie Railroad crawled the five forty-two, three hours and fifty-seven minutes late.

become covered with mist

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.

in motion

From this reading It must have seemed odd to the cautious engineer that his locomotive could be forever moving into this solid mass without any noise of the collision.

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading It must have seemed odd to the cautious engineer that his locomotive could be forever moving into this solid mass without any noise of the collision.

sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)

From this reading It must have seemed odd to the cautious engineer that his locomotive could be forever moving into this solid mass without any noise of the collision.

not divisible by two

From this reading It must have seemed odd to the cautious engineer that his locomotive could be forever moving into this solid mass without any noise of the collision.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading EN ROUTE Along the lonely Snailsdale branch of the Drerie Railroad crawled the five forty-two, three hours and fifty-seven minutes late.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading The smoke which poured out of the funny old bulging smoke-stack was instantly swallowed in the thicker fog; it could be seen only as a kind of restless mass at its point of issuance from the stack.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.

and nothing more

From this reading The smoke which poured out of the funny old bulging smoke-stack was instantly swallowed in the thicker fog; it could be seen only as a kind of restless mass at its point of issuance from the stack.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading The smoke which poured out of the funny old bulging smoke-stack was instantly swallowed in the thicker fog; it could be seen only as a kind of restless mass at its point of issuance from the stack.

a geometric element that has position but no extension

From this reading The smoke which poured out of the funny old bulging smoke-stack was instantly swallowed in the thicker fog; it could be seen only as a kind of restless mass at its point of issuance from the stack.

past form of “pour” — cause to run

From this reading The smoke which poured out of the funny old bulging smoke-stack was instantly swallowed in the thicker fog; it could be seen only as a kind of restless mass at its point of issuance from the stack.

belonging to an early stage of technical development; characterized by simplicity and (often) crudeness

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.

line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight

From this reading EN ROUTE Along the lonely Snailsdale branch of the Drerie Railroad crawled the five forty-two, three hours and fifty-seven minutes late.

worried and uneasy

From this reading The smoke which poured out of the funny old bulging smoke-stack was instantly swallowed in the thicker fog; it could be seen only as a kind of restless mass at its point of issuance from the stack.

an established line of travel or access

From this reading EN ROUTE Along the lonely Snailsdale branch of the Drerie Railroad crawled the five forty-two, three hours and fifty-seven minutes late.

past form of “rumble” — make a low noise

From this reading It rumbled and jerked along, unashamed.

diligent and thorough in inquiry or investigation

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.

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

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading The smoke which poured out of the funny old bulging smoke-stack was instantly swallowed in the thicker fog; it could be seen only as a kind of restless mass at its point of issuance from the stack.

a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas

From this reading The smoke which poured out of the funny old bulging smoke-stack was instantly swallowed in the thicker fog; it could be seen only as a kind of restless mass at its point of issuance from the stack.

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

From this reading The smoke which poured out of the funny old bulging smoke-stack was instantly swallowed in the thicker fog; it could be seen only as a kind of restless mass at its point of issuance from the stack.

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

From this reading EN ROUTE Along the lonely Snailsdale branch of the Drerie Railroad crawled the five forty-two, three hours and fifty-seven minutes late.

characterized by good substantial quality

From this reading It must have seemed odd to the cautious engineer that his locomotive could be forever moving into this solid mass without any noise of the collision.

an orderly pile

From this reading The smoke which poured out of the funny old bulging smoke-stack was instantly swallowed in the thicker fog; it could be seen only as a kind of restless mass at its point of issuance from the stack.

having a supporting base

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.

past form of “swallow” — pass through the esophagus as part of eating or drinking

From this reading The smoke which poured out of the funny old bulging smoke-stack was instantly swallowed in the thicker fog; it could be seen only as a kind of restless mass at its point of issuance from the stack.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.

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

From this reading EN ROUTE Along the lonely Snailsdale branch of the Drerie Railroad crawled the five forty-two, three hours and fifty-seven minutes late.

comparative of “thick” — not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions

From this reading The smoke which poured out of the funny old bulging smoke-stack was instantly swallowed in the thicker fog; it could be seen only as a kind of restless mass at its point of issuance from the stack.

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

From this reading It must have seemed odd to the cautious engineer that his locomotive could be forever moving into this solid mass without any noise of the collision.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading EN ROUTE Along the lonely Snailsdale branch of the Drerie Railroad crawled the five forty-two, three hours and fifty-seven minutes late.

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

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.

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

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.

used of persons or their behavior; feeling no shame

From this reading It rumbled and jerked along, unashamed.

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.

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

From this reading The smoke which poured out of the funny old bulging smoke-stack was instantly swallowed in the thicker fog; it could be seen only as a kind of restless mass at its point of issuance from the stack.

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

From this reading The smoke which poured out of the funny old bulging smoke-stack was instantly swallowed in the thicker fog; it could be seen only as a kind of restless mass at its point of issuance from the stack.

the quality or state of the achromatic color of greatest lightness (bearing the least resemblance to black)

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading It must have seemed odd to the cautious engineer that his locomotive could be forever moving into this solid mass without any noise of the collision.

a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride

From this reading The old kerosene headlight, standing out before the boiler on its primitive bracket, broke the compact whiteness for only a yard or two and even to that distance the engineer’s concentrated, searching gaze was embarrassed by the mist which seemed waiting, eager to condense again.