Chapter III

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

From this reading Seated on a daïs at the end of the room was Professor PLUMBOSS, the chief examiner, the same who had ploughed no fewer than 5428 candidates at the last examination.

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

From this reading Seated on a daïs at the end of the room was Professor PLUMBOSS, the chief examiner, the same who had ploughed no fewer than 5428 candidates at the last examination.

surrounded by; in the company of

From this reading Amongst these was plainly visible the heroic form of STREPHON SMITH.

plural of “answer” — a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

eagerly desirous

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

an attack intended to ruin someone's reputation

From this reading Perhaps it was the effect of the constant terror of assassination in which he lived, but on this particular morning the Professor seemed ill-at-ease.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading The great examination had begun.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Perhaps it was the effect of the constant terror of assassination in which he lived, but on this particular morning the Professor seemed ill-at-ease.

plural of “candidate” — a politician who is running for public office

From this reading Seated on a daïs at the end of the room was Professor PLUMBOSS, the chief examiner, the same who had ploughed no fewer than 5428 candidates at the last examination.

a person who is in charge

From this reading Seated on a daïs at the end of the room was Professor PLUMBOSS, the chief examiner, the same who had ploughed no fewer than 5428 candidates at the last examination.

inflected form of “con” — deprive of by deceit

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

unvarying in nature

From this reading Perhaps it was the effect of the constant terror of assassination in which he lived, but on this particular morning the Professor seemed ill-at-ease.

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

From this reading Seated on a daïs at the end of the room was Professor PLUMBOSS, the chief examiner, the same who had ploughed no fewer than 5428 candidates at the last examination.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading Perhaps it was the effect of the constant terror of assassination in which he lived, but on this particular morning the Professor seemed ill-at-ease.

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading Seated on a daïs at the end of the room was Professor PLUMBOSS, the chief examiner, the same who had ploughed no fewer than 5428 candidates at the last examination.

possessive form of “england” — a division of the United Kingdom

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

the act of examining something closely (as for mistakes)

From this reading The great examination had begun.

someone who administers a test to determine your qualifications

From this reading Seated on a daïs at the end of the room was Professor PLUMBOSS, the chief examiner, the same who had ploughed no fewer than 5428 candidates at the last examination.

superlative of “fair” — free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

marked by intense agitation or emotion

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

(comparative of “few” used with count nouns) quantifier meaning a smaller number of

From this reading Seated on a daïs at the end of the room was Professor PLUMBOSS, the chief examiner, the same who had ploughed no fewer than 5428 candidates at the last examination.

the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something

From this reading Amongst these was plainly visible the heroic form of STREPHON SMITH.

spectators at a golf or tennis match

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading The great examination had begun.

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

From this reading The great examination had begun.

overly eager speed (and possible carelessness)

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

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

From this reading Perhaps it was the effect of the constant terror of assassination in which he lived, but on this particular morning the Professor seemed ill-at-ease.

very imposing or impressive; surpassing the ordinary (especially in size or scale)

From this reading Amongst these was plainly visible the heroic form of STREPHON SMITH.

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

From this reading Perhaps it was the effect of the constant terror of assassination in which he lived, but on this particular morning the Professor seemed ill-at-ease.

in a beseeching manner

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

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

From this reading Perhaps it was the effect of the constant terror of assassination in which he lived, but on this particular morning the Professor seemed ill-at-ease.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Perhaps it was the effect of the constant terror of assassination in which he lived, but on this particular morning the Professor seemed ill-at-ease.

immediately past

From this reading Seated on a daïs at the end of the room was Professor PLUMBOSS, the chief examiner, the same who had ploughed no fewer than 5428 candidates at the last examination.

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading Perhaps it was the effect of the constant terror of assassination in which he lived, but on this particular morning the Professor seemed ill-at-ease.

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

plural of “lover” — a person who loves someone or is loved by someone

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

the childhood of a girl

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading Perhaps it was the effect of the constant terror of assassination in which he lived, but on this particular morning the Professor seemed ill-at-ease.

not any; not one

From this reading Seated on a daïs at the end of the room was Professor PLUMBOSS, the chief examiner, the same who had ploughed no fewer than 5428 candidates at the last examination.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Seated on a daïs at the end of the room was Professor PLUMBOSS, the chief examiner, the same who had ploughed no fewer than 5428 candidates at the last examination.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

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

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

causing physical or psychological pain

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

unique or specific to a person or thing or category

From this reading Perhaps it was the effect of the constant terror of assassination in which he lived, but on this particular morning the Professor seemed ill-at-ease.

by chance

From this reading Perhaps it was the effect of the constant terror of assassination in which he lived, but on this particular morning the Professor seemed ill-at-ease.

trouble or confusion resulting from complexity

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)

From this reading Amongst these was plainly visible the heroic form of STREPHON SMITH.

(of farmland) broken and turned over with a plow

From this reading Seated on a daïs at the end of the room was Professor PLUMBOSS, the chief examiner, the same who had ploughed no fewer than 5428 candidates at the last examination.

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

From this reading Seated on a daïs at the end of the room was Professor PLUMBOSS, the chief examiner, the same who had ploughed no fewer than 5428 candidates at the last examination.

someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university

From this reading Seated on a daïs at the end of the room was Professor PLUMBOSS, the chief examiner, the same who had ploughed no fewer than 5428 candidates at the last examination.

past form of “range” — change or be different within limits

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

past form of “regard” — deem to be

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading Seated on a daïs at the end of the room was Professor PLUMBOSS, the chief examiner, the same who had ploughed no fewer than 5428 candidates at the last examination.

plural of “row” — an arrangement of objects or people side by side in a line

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

Identical; not different.

From this reading Seated on a daïs at the end of the room was Professor PLUMBOSS, the chief examiner, the same who had ploughed no fewer than 5428 candidates at the last examination.

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

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

past form of “scribble” — write down quickly without much attention to detail

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks

From this reading Seated on a daïs at the end of the room was Professor PLUMBOSS, the chief examiner, the same who had ploughed no fewer than 5428 candidates at the last examination.

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

From this reading Perhaps it was the effect of the constant terror of assassination in which he lived, but on this particular morning the Professor seemed ill-at-ease.

Rhodesian statesman who declared independence of Zimbabwe from Great Britain (born in 1919)

From this reading Amongst these was plainly visible the heroic form of STREPHON SMITH.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

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

From this reading Amongst these was plainly visible the heroic form of STREPHON SMITH.

plural of “table” — a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety

From this reading Perhaps it was the effect of the constant terror of assassination in which he lived, but on this particular morning the Professor seemed ill-at-ease.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Seated on a daïs at the end of the room was Professor PLUMBOSS, the chief examiner, the same who had ploughed no fewer than 5428 candidates at the last examination.

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

From this reading The great examination had begun.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading Amongst these was plainly visible the heroic form of STREPHON SMITH.

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

From this reading Perhaps it was the effect of the constant terror of assassination in which he lived, but on this particular morning the Professor seemed ill-at-ease.

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

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

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

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

capable of being seen; or open to easy view

From this reading Amongst these was plainly visible the heroic form of STREPHON SMITH.

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

From this reading Amongst these was plainly visible the heroic form of STREPHON SMITH.

an old word meaning “from where”

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

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

From this reading Perhaps it was the effect of the constant terror of assassination in which he lived, but on this particular morning the Professor seemed ill-at-ease.

during the time that

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.

which person or people

From this reading Seated on a daïs at the end of the room was Professor PLUMBOSS, the chief examiner, the same who had ploughed no fewer than 5428 candidates at the last examination.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Ranged at the long rows of tables sat the fairest of England's maidenhood; some conning the paper with painful perplexity, while others scribbled down the answers with feverish haste, or gazed imploringly up to the gallery whence their anxious lovers regarded them.