Chapter I · Chapter 1

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

From this reading A swarm of children was playing on the damp floor of the shaft.

from one side of something to the other

From this reading They hung from the lower portions of the timber-work, or ran in and out between the upright supports, humming tunes, with bread-and-dripping in their hands; or they sat on the ground and pushed themselves forward across the sticky flagstones.

anew

From this reading Yet out of the tunnel- like passage which led to the street there blew now and again a warm breath of air and the fragrance of budding trees—from the world that lay behind those surrounding walls.

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading The air hung clammy and raw, as it does in an old well, and already it had made the little voices husky, and had marked their faces with the scars of scrofula.

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading The air hung clammy and raw, as it does in an old well, and already it had made the little voices husky, and had marked their faces with the scars of scrofula.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading The air hung clammy and raw, as it does in an old well, and already it had made the little voices husky, and had marked their faces with the scars of scrofula.

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

From this reading They hung from the lower portions of the timber-work, or ran in and out between the upright supports, humming tunes, with bread-and-dripping in their hands; or they sat on the ground and pushed themselves forward across the sticky flagstones.

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

From this reading The air hung clammy and raw, as it does in an old well, and already it had made the little voices husky, and had marked their faces with the scars of scrofula.

at or toward the back of something

From this reading Yet out of the tunnel- like passage which led to the street there blew now and again a warm breath of air and the fragrance of budding trees—from the world that lay behind those surrounding walls.

French physiologist noted for research on secretions of the alimentary canal and the glycogenic function of the liver (1813-1878)

From this reading Translated from the Danish by Bernard Miall.

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading They hung from the lower portions of the timber-work, or ran in and out between the upright supports, humming tunes, with bread-and-dripping in their hands; or they sat on the ground and pushed themselves forward across the sticky flagstones.

inflected form of “blow” — exhale hard

From this reading Yet out of the tunnel- like passage which led to the street there blew now and again a warm breath of air and the fragrance of budding trees—from the world that lay behind those surrounding walls.

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

From this reading They hung from the lower portions of the timber-work, or ran in and out between the upright supports, humming tunes, with bread-and-dripping in their hands; or they sat on the ground and pushed themselves forward across the sticky flagstones.

the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing

From this reading Yet out of the tunnel- like passage which led to the street there blew now and again a warm breath of air and the fragrance of budding trees—from the world that lay behind those surrounding walls.

reproduction of some unicellular organisms (such as yeasts) by growth and specialization followed by the separation by constriction of a part of the parent

From this reading Yet out of the tunnel- like passage which led to the street there blew now and again a warm breath of air and the fragrance of budding trees—from the world that lay behind those surrounding walls.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Translated from the Danish by Bernard Miall.

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading A swarm of children was playing on the damp floor of the shaft.

unpleasantly cool and humid

From this reading The air hung clammy and raw, as it does in an old well, and already it had made the little voices husky, and had marked their faces with the scars of scrofula.

slightly wet

From this reading A swarm of children was playing on the damp floor of the shaft.

a Scandinavian language that is the official language of Denmark

From this reading Translated from the Danish by Bernard Miall.

the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The air hung clammy and raw, as it does in an old well, and already it had made the little voices husky, and had marked their faces with the scars of scrofula.

plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading The air hung clammy and raw, as it does in an old well, and already it had made the little voices husky, and had marked their faces with the scars of scrofula.

plural of “flagstone” — stratified stone that splits into pieces suitable as paving stones

From this reading They hung from the lower portions of the timber-work, or ran in and out between the upright supports, humming tunes, with bread-and-dripping in their hands; or they sat on the ground and pushed themselves forward across the sticky flagstones.

the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)

From this reading A swarm of children was playing on the damp floor of the shaft.

at or to or toward the front

From this reading They hung from the lower portions of the timber-work, or ran in and out between the upright supports, humming tunes, with bread-and-dripping in their hands; or they sat on the ground and pushed themselves forward across the sticky flagstones.

a distinctive odor that is pleasant

From this reading Yet out of the tunnel- like passage which led to the street there blew now and again a warm breath of air and the fragrance of budding trees—from the world that lay behind those surrounding walls.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Translated from the Danish by Bernard Miall.

the solid part of the earth's surface

From this reading They hung from the lower portions of the timber-work, or ran in and out between the upright supports, humming tunes, with bread-and-dripping in their hands; or they sat on the ground and pushed themselves forward across the sticky flagstones.

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

From this reading The air hung clammy and raw, as it does in an old well, and already it had made the little voices husky, and had marked their faces with the scars of scrofula.

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading They hung from the lower portions of the timber-work, or ran in and out between the upright supports, humming tunes, with bread-and-dripping in their hands; or they sat on the ground and pushed themselves forward across the sticky flagstones.

a humming noise

From this reading They hung from the lower portions of the timber-work, or ran in and out between the upright supports, humming tunes, with bread-and-dripping in their hands; or they sat on the ground and pushed themselves forward across the sticky flagstones.

inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging

From this reading They hung from the lower portions of the timber-work, or ran in and out between the upright supports, humming tunes, with bread-and-dripping in their hands; or they sat on the ground and pushed themselves forward across the sticky flagstones.

muscular and heavily built

From this reading The air hung clammy and raw, as it does in an old well, and already it had made the little voices husky, and had marked their faces with the scars of scrofula.

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

From this reading They hung from the lower portions of the timber-work, or ran in and out between the upright supports, humming tunes, with bread-and-dripping in their hands; or they sat on the ground and pushed themselves forward across the sticky flagstones.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The air hung clammy and raw, as it does in an old well, and already it had made the little voices husky, and had marked their faces with the scars of scrofula.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Yet out of the tunnel- like passage which led to the street there blew now and again a warm breath of air and the fragrance of budding trees—from the world that lay behind those surrounding walls.

diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used

From this reading Yet out of the tunnel- like passage which led to the street there blew now and again a warm breath of air and the fragrance of budding trees—from the world that lay behind those surrounding walls.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Yet out of the tunnel- like passage which led to the street there blew now and again a warm breath of air and the fragrance of budding trees—from the world that lay behind those surrounding walls.

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

From this reading The air hung clammy and raw, as it does in an old well, and already it had made the little voices husky, and had marked their faces with the scars of scrofula.

move something or somebody to a lower position

From this reading They hung from the lower portions of the timber-work, or ran in and out between the upright supports, humming tunes, with bread-and-dripping in their hands; or they sat on the ground and pushed themselves forward across the sticky flagstones.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading The air hung clammy and raw, as it does in an old well, and already it had made the little voices husky, and had marked their faces with the scars of scrofula.

strongly marked; easily noticeable

From this reading The air hung clammy and raw, as it does in an old well, and already it had made the little voices husky, and had marked their faces with the scars of scrofula.

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

From this reading Translated from the Danish by Bernard Miall.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Yet out of the tunnel- like passage which led to the street there blew now and again a warm breath of air and the fragrance of budding trees—from the world that lay behind those surrounding walls.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A swarm of children was playing on the damp floor of the shaft.

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

From this reading The air hung clammy and raw, as it does in an old well, and already it had made the little voices husky, and had marked their faces with the scars of scrofula.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading A swarm of children was playing on the damp floor of the shaft.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading They hung from the lower portions of the timber-work, or ran in and out between the upright supports, humming tunes, with bread-and-dripping in their hands; or they sat on the ground and pushed themselves forward across the sticky flagstones.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading They hung from the lower portions of the timber-work, or ran in and out between the upright supports, humming tunes, with bread-and-dripping in their hands; or they sat on the ground and pushed themselves forward across the sticky flagstones.

the act of passing from one state or place to the next

From this reading Yet out of the tunnel- like passage which led to the street there blew now and again a warm breath of air and the fragrance of budding trees—from the world that lay behind those surrounding walls.

the act of playing a musical instrument

From this reading A swarm of children was playing on the damp floor of the shaft.

plural of “portion” — something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading They hung from the lower portions of the timber-work, or ran in and out between the upright supports, humming tunes, with bread-and-dripping in their hands; or they sat on the ground and pushed themselves forward across the sticky flagstones.

past form of “push” — move with force

From this reading They hung from the lower portions of the timber-work, or ran in and out between the upright supports, humming tunes, with bread-and-dripping in their hands; or they sat on the ground and pushed themselves forward across the sticky flagstones.

inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading They hung from the lower portions of the timber-work, or ran in and out between the upright supports, humming tunes, with bread-and-dripping in their hands; or they sat on the ground and pushed themselves forward across the sticky flagstones.

(used especially of commodities) being unprocessed or manufactured using only simple or minimal processes

From this reading The air hung clammy and raw, as it does in an old well, and already it had made the little voices husky, and had marked their faces with the scars of scrofula.

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading They hung from the lower portions of the timber-work, or ran in and out between the upright supports, humming tunes, with bread-and-dripping in their hands; or they sat on the ground and pushed themselves forward across the sticky flagstones.

plural of “scar” — a mark left (usually on the skin) by the healing of injured tissue

From this reading The air hung clammy and raw, as it does in an old well, and already it had made the little voices husky, and had marked their faces with the scars of scrofula.

a form of tuberculosis characterized by swellings of the lymphatic glands

From this reading The air hung clammy and raw, as it does in an old well, and already it had made the little voices husky, and had marked their faces with the scars of scrofula.

a line that forms the length of an arrow pointer

From this reading A swarm of children was playing on the damp floor of the shaft.

having the sticky properties of an adhesive

From this reading They hung from the lower portions of the timber-work, or ran in and out between the upright supports, humming tunes, with bread-and-dripping in their hands; or they sat on the ground and pushed themselves forward across the sticky flagstones.

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading Yet out of the tunnel- like passage which led to the street there blew now and again a warm breath of air and the fragrance of budding trees—from the world that lay behind those surrounding walls.

plural of “support” — the activity of providing for or maintaining by supplying with money or necessities

From this reading They hung from the lower portions of the timber-work, or ran in and out between the upright supports, humming tunes, with bread-and-dripping in their hands; or they sat on the ground and pushed themselves forward across the sticky flagstones.

closely encircling

From this reading Yet out of the tunnel- like passage which led to the street there blew now and again a warm breath of air and the fragrance of budding trees—from the world that lay behind those surrounding walls.

a moving crowd

From this reading A swarm of children was playing on the damp floor of the shaft.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Yet out of the tunnel- like passage which led to the street there blew now and again a warm breath of air and the fragrance of budding trees—from the world that lay behind those surrounding walls.

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

From this reading Translated from the Danish by Bernard Miall.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading They hung from the lower portions of the timber-work, or ran in and out between the upright supports, humming tunes, with bread-and-dripping in their hands; or they sat on the ground and pushed themselves forward across the sticky flagstones.

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading They hung from the lower portions of the timber-work, or ran in and out between the upright supports, humming tunes, with bread-and-dripping in their hands; or they sat on the ground and pushed themselves forward across the sticky flagstones.

in or at that place or location

From this reading Yet out of the tunnel- like passage which led to the street there blew now and again a warm breath of air and the fragrance of budding trees—from the world that lay behind those surrounding walls.

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

From this reading They hung from the lower portions of the timber-work, or ran in and out between the upright supports, humming tunes, with bread-and-dripping in their hands; or they sat on the ground and pushed themselves forward across the sticky flagstones.

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

From this reading Yet out of the tunnel- like passage which led to the street there blew now and again a warm breath of air and the fragrance of budding trees—from the world that lay behind those surrounding walls.

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

From this reading They hung from the lower portions of the timber-work, or ran in and out between the upright supports, humming tunes, with bread-and-dripping in their hands; or they sat on the ground and pushed themselves forward across the sticky flagstones.

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

From this reading Yet out of the tunnel- like passage which led to the street there blew now and again a warm breath of air and the fragrance of budding trees—from the world that lay behind those surrounding walls.

past form of “translate” — restate (words) from one language into another language

From this reading Translated from the Danish by Bernard Miall.

plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading Yet out of the tunnel- like passage which led to the street there blew now and again a warm breath of air and the fragrance of budding trees—from the world that lay behind those surrounding walls.

plural of “tune” — a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence

From this reading They hung from the lower portions of the timber-work, or ran in and out between the upright supports, humming tunes, with bread-and-dripping in their hands; or they sat on the ground and pushed themselves forward across the sticky flagstones.

move through by or as by digging

From this reading Yet out of the tunnel- like passage which led to the street there blew now and again a warm breath of air and the fragrance of budding trees—from the world that lay behind those surrounding walls.

in a vertical position; not sloping

From this reading They hung from the lower portions of the timber-work, or ran in and out between the upright supports, humming tunes, with bread-and-dripping in their hands; or they sat on the ground and pushed themselves forward across the sticky flagstones.

plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading The air hung clammy and raw, as it does in an old well, and already it had made the little voices husky, and had marked their faces with the scars of scrofula.

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 Yet out of the tunnel- like passage which led to the street there blew now and again a warm breath of air and the fragrance of budding trees—from the world that lay behind those surrounding walls.

having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat

From this reading Yet out of the tunnel- like passage which led to the street there blew now and again a warm breath of air and the fragrance of budding trees—from the world that lay behind those surrounding walls.

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

From this reading A swarm of children was playing on the damp floor of the shaft.

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading The air hung clammy and raw, as it does in an old well, and already it had made the little voices husky, and had marked their faces with the scars of scrofula.

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

From this reading Yet out of the tunnel- like passage which led to the street there blew now and again a warm breath of air and the fragrance of budding trees—from the world that lay behind those surrounding walls.

in the company of; together with

From this reading They hung from the lower portions of the timber-work, or ran in and out between the upright supports, humming tunes, with bread-and-dripping in their hands; or they sat on the ground and pushed themselves forward across the sticky flagstones.

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading Yet out of the tunnel- like passage which led to the street there blew now and again a warm breath of air and the fragrance of budding trees—from the world that lay behind those surrounding walls.

but in spite of that

From this reading Yet out of the tunnel- like passage which led to the street there blew now and again a warm breath of air and the fragrance of budding trees—from the world that lay behind those surrounding walls.