Chapter XXX

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

From this reading From the sea Colon had looked pretty and mysterious; gauzy vapours floated over the town, and all we could see were the outlines of palms, a few roofs, and behind the surrounding forest the dim shadows of the distant hills.

from one side of something to the other

From this reading ASPINWALL—RAILWAY ACROSS ISTHMUS—SCENES ON THE ISTHMUS—TELEGRAPH POSTS—HOLY GHOST ORCHID—PANAMA HATS—PARADISE—MOUNT ANCON—PACIFIC MAIL STEAMER—ON THE WHARF AT PANAMA—PANAMA FROM THE SEA—LAST LOOKS.

(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 From the sea Colon had looked pretty and mysterious; gauzy vapours floated over the town, and all we could see were the outlines of palms, a few roofs, and behind the surrounding forest the dim shadows of the distant hills.

plural of “american” — a native or inhabitant of the United States

From this reading We stepped from the shelter of the roofed wharf, and in the dirty, decayed village that lay before us beheld Colon, or the city of Aspinwall as it is called by the Americans.

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

From this reading ASPINWALL—RAILWAY ACROSS ISTHMUS—SCENES ON THE ISTHMUS—TELEGRAPH POSTS—HOLY GHOST ORCHID—PANAMA HATS—PARADISE—MOUNT ANCON—PACIFIC MAIL STEAMER—ON THE WHARF AT PANAMA—PANAMA FROM THE SEA—LAST LOOKS.

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

From this reading COLON—DEPARTURE—COLUMBUS AND MR.

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

From this reading We stepped from the shelter of the roofed wharf, and in the dirty, decayed village that lay before us beheld Colon, or the city of Aspinwall as it is called by the Americans.

a port city at the Caribbean entrance to the Panama Canal

From this reading ASPINWALL—RAILWAY ACROSS ISTHMUS—SCENES ON THE ISTHMUS—TELEGRAPH POSTS—HOLY GHOST ORCHID—PANAMA HATS—PARADISE—MOUNT ANCON—PACIFIC MAIL STEAMER—ON THE WHARF AT PANAMA—PANAMA FROM THE SEA—LAST LOOKS.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading ASPINWALL—RAILWAY ACROSS ISTHMUS—SCENES ON THE ISTHMUS—TELEGRAPH POSTS—HOLY GHOST ORCHID—PANAMA HATS—PARADISE—MOUNT ANCON—PACIFIC MAIL STEAMER—ON THE WHARF AT PANAMA—PANAMA FROM THE SEA—LAST LOOKS.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading We stepped from the shelter of the roofed wharf, and in the dirty, decayed village that lay before us beheld Colon, or the city of Aspinwall as it is called by the Americans.

inflected form of “behold” — see with attention

From this reading We stepped from the shelter of the roofed wharf, and in the dirty, decayed village that lay before us beheld Colon, or the city of Aspinwall as it is called by the Americans.

at or toward the back of something

From this reading From the sea Colon had looked pretty and mysterious; gauzy vapours floated over the town, and all we could see were the outlines of palms, a few roofs, and behind the surrounding forest the dim shadows of the distant hills.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading We stepped from the shelter of the roofed wharf, and in the dirty, decayed village that lay before us beheld Colon, or the city of Aspinwall as it is called by the Americans.

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading We stepped from the shelter of the roofed wharf, and in the dirty, decayed village that lay before us beheld Colon, or the city of Aspinwall as it is called by the Americans.

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading We stepped from the shelter of the roofed wharf, and in the dirty, decayed village that lay before us beheld Colon, or the city of Aspinwall as it is called by the Americans.

the part of the large intestine between the cecum and the rectum; it extracts moisture from food residues before they are excreted

From this reading COLON—DEPARTURE—COLUMBUS AND MR.

the state capital of Ohio; located in the center of the state; site of Ohio State University

From this reading COLON—DEPARTURE—COLUMBUS AND MR.

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

From this reading From the sea Colon had looked pretty and mysterious; gauzy vapours floated over the town, and all we could see were the outlines of palms, a few roofs, and behind the surrounding forest the dim shadows of the distant hills.

damaged by decay; hence unsound and useless

From this reading We stepped from the shelter of the roofed wharf, and in the dirty, decayed village that lay before us beheld Colon, or the city of Aspinwall as it is called by the Americans.

the act of departing

From this reading COLON—DEPARTURE—COLUMBUS AND MR.

lacking in light; not bright or harsh

From this reading From the sea Colon had looked pretty and mysterious; gauzy vapours floated over the town, and all we could see were the outlines of palms, a few roofs, and behind the surrounding forest the dim shadows of the distant hills.

soiled or likely to soil with dirt or grime

From this reading We stepped from the shelter of the roofed wharf, and in the dirty, decayed village that lay before us beheld Colon, or the city of Aspinwall as it is called by the Americans.

past form of “disappear” — get lost, as without warning or explanation

From this reading We landed, and with the vanished mists all romance disappeared.

separated in space or coming from or going to a distance

From this reading From the sea Colon had looked pretty and mysterious; gauzy vapours floated over the town, and all we could see were the outlines of palms, a few roofs, and behind the surrounding forest the dim shadows of the distant hills.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading From the sea Colon had looked pretty and mysterious; gauzy vapours floated over the town, and all we could see were the outlines of palms, a few roofs, and behind the surrounding forest the dim shadows of the distant hills.

past form of “float” — be in motion due to some air or water current

From this reading From the sea Colon had looked pretty and mysterious; gauzy vapours floated over the town, and all we could see were the outlines of palms, a few roofs, and behind the surrounding forest the dim shadows of the distant hills.

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading From the sea Colon had looked pretty and mysterious; gauzy vapours floated over the town, and all we could see were the outlines of palms, a few roofs, and behind the surrounding forest the dim shadows of the distant hills.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading ASPINWALL—RAILWAY ACROSS ISTHMUS—SCENES ON THE ISTHMUS—TELEGRAPH POSTS—HOLY GHOST ORCHID—PANAMA HATS—PARADISE—MOUNT ANCON—PACIFIC MAIL STEAMER—ON THE WHARF AT PANAMA—PANAMA FROM THE SEA—LAST LOOKS.

so thin as to transmit light

From this reading From the sea Colon had looked pretty and mysterious; gauzy vapours floated over the town, and all we could see were the outlines of palms, a few roofs, and behind the surrounding forest the dim shadows of the distant hills.

a mental representation of some haunting experience

From this reading ASPINWALL—RAILWAY ACROSS ISTHMUS—SCENES ON THE ISTHMUS—TELEGRAPH POSTS—HOLY GHOST ORCHID—PANAMA HATS—PARADISE—MOUNT ANCON—PACIFIC MAIL STEAMER—ON THE WHARF AT PANAMA—PANAMA FROM THE SEA—LAST LOOKS.

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

From this reading From the sea Colon had looked pretty and mysterious; gauzy vapours floated over the town, and all we could see were the outlines of palms, a few roofs, and behind the surrounding forest the dim shadows of the distant hills.

plural of “hat” — headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim

From this reading ASPINWALL—RAILWAY ACROSS ISTHMUS—SCENES ON THE ISTHMUS—TELEGRAPH POSTS—HOLY GHOST ORCHID—PANAMA HATS—PARADISE—MOUNT ANCON—PACIFIC MAIL STEAMER—ON THE WHARF AT PANAMA—PANAMA FROM THE SEA—LAST LOOKS.

plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading From the sea Colon had looked pretty and mysterious; gauzy vapours floated over the town, and all we could see were the outlines of palms, a few roofs, and behind the surrounding forest the dim shadows of the distant hills.

a sacred place of pilgrimage

From this reading ASPINWALL—RAILWAY ACROSS ISTHMUS—SCENES ON THE ISTHMUS—TELEGRAPH POSTS—HOLY GHOST ORCHID—PANAMA HATS—PARADISE—MOUNT ANCON—PACIFIC MAIL STEAMER—ON THE WHARF AT PANAMA—PANAMA FROM THE SEA—LAST LOOKS.

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

From this reading We stepped from the shelter of the roofed wharf, and in the dirty, decayed village that lay before us beheld Colon, or the city of Aspinwall as it is called by the Americans.

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

From this reading We stepped from the shelter of the roofed wharf, and in the dirty, decayed village that lay before us beheld Colon, or the city of Aspinwall as it is called by the Americans.

a relatively narrow strip of land (with water on both sides) connecting two larger land areas

From this reading ASPINWALL—RAILWAY ACROSS ISTHMUS—SCENES ON THE ISTHMUS—TELEGRAPH POSTS—HOLY GHOST ORCHID—PANAMA HATS—PARADISE—MOUNT ANCON—PACIFIC MAIL STEAMER—ON THE WHARF AT PANAMA—PANAMA FROM THE SEA—LAST LOOKS.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading We stepped from the shelter of the roofed wharf, and in the dirty, decayed village that lay before us beheld Colon, or the city of Aspinwall as it is called by the Americans.

owning or consisting of land or real estate

From this reading We landed, and with the vanished mists all romance disappeared.

immediately past

From this reading ASPINWALL—RAILWAY ACROSS ISTHMUS—SCENES ON THE ISTHMUS—TELEGRAPH POSTS—HOLY GHOST ORCHID—PANAMA HATS—PARADISE—MOUNT ANCON—PACIFIC MAIL STEAMER—ON THE WHARF AT PANAMA—PANAMA FROM THE SEA—LAST LOOKS.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading We stepped from the shelter of the roofed wharf, and in the dirty, decayed village that lay before us beheld Colon, or the city of Aspinwall as it is called by the Americans.

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading From the sea Colon had looked pretty and mysterious; gauzy vapours floated over the town, and all we could see were the outlines of palms, a few roofs, and behind the surrounding forest the dim shadows of the distant hills.

plural of “look” — the feelings expressed on a person's face

From this reading ASPINWALL—RAILWAY ACROSS ISTHMUS—SCENES ON THE ISTHMUS—TELEGRAPH POSTS—HOLY GHOST ORCHID—PANAMA HATS—PARADISE—MOUNT ANCON—PACIFIC MAIL STEAMER—ON THE WHARF AT PANAMA—PANAMA FROM THE SEA—LAST LOOKS.

the bags of letters and packages that are transported by the postal service

From this reading ASPINWALL—RAILWAY ACROSS ISTHMUS—SCENES ON THE ISTHMUS—TELEGRAPH POSTS—HOLY GHOST ORCHID—PANAMA HATS—PARADISE—MOUNT ANCON—PACIFIC MAIL STEAMER—ON THE WHARF AT PANAMA—PANAMA FROM THE SEA—LAST LOOKS.

plural of “mist” — a thin fog with condensation near the ground

From this reading We landed, and with the vanished mists all romance disappeared.

attach to a support

From this reading ASPINWALL—RAILWAY ACROSS ISTHMUS—SCENES ON THE ISTHMUS—TELEGRAPH POSTS—HOLY GHOST ORCHID—PANAMA HATS—PARADISE—MOUNT ANCON—PACIFIC MAIL STEAMER—ON THE WHARF AT PANAMA—PANAMA FROM THE SEA—LAST LOOKS.

a form of address for a man

From this reading COLON—DEPARTURE—COLUMBUS AND MR.

of an obscure nature

From this reading From the sea Colon had looked pretty and mysterious; gauzy vapours floated over the town, and all we could see were the outlines of palms, a few roofs, and behind the surrounding forest the dim shadows of the distant hills.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading From the sea Colon had looked pretty and mysterious; gauzy vapours floated over the town, and all we could see were the outlines of palms, a few roofs, and behind the surrounding forest the dim shadows of the distant hills.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading ASPINWALL—RAILWAY ACROSS ISTHMUS—SCENES ON THE ISTHMUS—TELEGRAPH POSTS—HOLY GHOST ORCHID—PANAMA HATS—PARADISE—MOUNT ANCON—PACIFIC MAIL STEAMER—ON THE WHARF AT PANAMA—PANAMA FROM THE SEA—LAST LOOKS.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading We stepped from the shelter of the roofed wharf, and in the dirty, decayed village that lay before us beheld Colon, or the city of Aspinwall as it is called by the Americans.

any of numerous plants of the orchid family usually having flowers of unusual shapes and beautiful colors

From this reading ASPINWALL—RAILWAY ACROSS ISTHMUS—SCENES ON THE ISTHMUS—TELEGRAPH POSTS—HOLY GHOST ORCHID—PANAMA HATS—PARADISE—MOUNT ANCON—PACIFIC MAIL STEAMER—ON THE WHARF AT PANAMA—PANAMA FROM THE SEA—LAST LOOKS.

plural of “outline” — the line that appears to bound an object

From this reading From the sea Colon had looked pretty and mysterious; gauzy vapours floated over the town, and all we could see were the outlines of palms, a few roofs, and behind the surrounding forest the dim shadows of the distant hills.

above and across; more than

From this reading From the sea Colon had looked pretty and mysterious; gauzy vapours floated over the town, and all we could see were the outlines of palms, a few roofs, and behind the surrounding forest the dim shadows of the distant hills.

the largest ocean in the world

From this reading ASPINWALL—RAILWAY ACROSS ISTHMUS—SCENES ON THE ISTHMUS—TELEGRAPH POSTS—HOLY GHOST ORCHID—PANAMA HATS—PARADISE—MOUNT ANCON—PACIFIC MAIL STEAMER—ON THE WHARF AT PANAMA—PANAMA FROM THE SEA—LAST LOOKS.

plural of “palm” — the inner surface of the hand from the wrist to the base of the fingers

From this reading From the sea Colon had looked pretty and mysterious; gauzy vapours floated over the town, and all we could see were the outlines of palms, a few roofs, and behind the surrounding forest the dim shadows of the distant hills.

a republic on the Isthmus of Panama; achieved independence from Colombia in 1903

From this reading ASPINWALL—RAILWAY ACROSS ISTHMUS—SCENES ON THE ISTHMUS—TELEGRAPH POSTS—HOLY GHOST ORCHID—PANAMA HATS—PARADISE—MOUNT ANCON—PACIFIC MAIL STEAMER—ON THE WHARF AT PANAMA—PANAMA FROM THE SEA—LAST LOOKS.

any place of complete bliss and delight and peace

From this reading ASPINWALL—RAILWAY ACROSS ISTHMUS—SCENES ON THE ISTHMUS—TELEGRAPH POSTS—HOLY GHOST ORCHID—PANAMA HATS—PARADISE—MOUNT ANCON—PACIFIC MAIL STEAMER—ON THE WHARF AT PANAMA—PANAMA FROM THE SEA—LAST LOOKS.

plural of “post” — the position where someone (as a guard or sentry) stands or is assigned to stand

From this reading ASPINWALL—RAILWAY ACROSS ISTHMUS—SCENES ON THE ISTHMUS—TELEGRAPH POSTS—HOLY GHOST ORCHID—PANAMA HATS—PARADISE—MOUNT ANCON—PACIFIC MAIL STEAMER—ON THE WHARF AT PANAMA—PANAMA FROM THE SEA—LAST LOOKS.

pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

From this reading From the sea Colon had looked pretty and mysterious; gauzy vapours floated over the town, and all we could see were the outlines of palms, a few roofs, and behind the surrounding forest the dim shadows of the distant hills.

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

From this reading ASPINWALL—RAILWAY ACROSS ISTHMUS—SCENES ON THE ISTHMUS—TELEGRAPH POSTS—HOLY GHOST ORCHID—PANAMA HATS—PARADISE—MOUNT ANCON—PACIFIC MAIL STEAMER—ON THE WHARF AT PANAMA—PANAMA FROM THE SEA—LAST LOOKS.

a relationship between two lovers

From this reading We landed, and with the vanished mists all romance disappeared.

covered with a roof; having a roof as specified (often used in combination)

From this reading We stepped from the shelter of the roofed wharf, and in the dirty, decayed village that lay before us beheld Colon, or the city of Aspinwall as it is called by the Americans.

plural of “roof” — a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building

From this reading From the sea Colon had looked pretty and mysterious; gauzy vapours floated over the town, and all we could see were the outlines of palms, a few roofs, and behind the surrounding forest the dim shadows of the distant hills.

plural of “scene” — the place where some action occurs

From this reading ASPINWALL—RAILWAY ACROSS ISTHMUS—SCENES ON THE ISTHMUS—TELEGRAPH POSTS—HOLY GHOST ORCHID—PANAMA HATS—PARADISE—MOUNT ANCON—PACIFIC MAIL STEAMER—ON THE WHARF AT PANAMA—PANAMA FROM THE SEA—LAST LOOKS.

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading ASPINWALL—RAILWAY ACROSS ISTHMUS—SCENES ON THE ISTHMUS—TELEGRAPH POSTS—HOLY GHOST ORCHID—PANAMA HATS—PARADISE—MOUNT ANCON—PACIFIC MAIL STEAMER—ON THE WHARF AT PANAMA—PANAMA FROM THE SEA—LAST LOOKS.

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading From the sea Colon had looked pretty and mysterious; gauzy vapours floated over the town, and all we could see were the outlines of palms, a few roofs, and behind the surrounding forest the dim shadows of the distant hills.

plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries

From this reading From the sea Colon had looked pretty and mysterious; gauzy vapours floated over the town, and all we could see were the outlines of palms, a few roofs, and behind the surrounding forest the dim shadows of the distant hills.

a structure that provides privacy and protection from danger

From this reading We stepped from the shelter of the roofed wharf, and in the dirty, decayed village that lay before us beheld Colon, or the city of Aspinwall as it is called by the Americans.

a clam that is usually steamed in the shell

From this reading ASPINWALL—RAILWAY ACROSS ISTHMUS—SCENES ON THE ISTHMUS—TELEGRAPH POSTS—HOLY GHOST ORCHID—PANAMA HATS—PARADISE—MOUNT ANCON—PACIFIC MAIL STEAMER—ON THE WHARF AT PANAMA—PANAMA FROM THE SEA—LAST LOOKS.

inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step

From this reading We stepped from the shelter of the roofed wharf, and in the dirty, decayed village that lay before us beheld Colon, or the city of Aspinwall as it is called by the Americans.

closely encircling

From this reading From the sea Colon had looked pretty and mysterious; gauzy vapours floated over the town, and all we could see were the outlines of palms, a few roofs, and behind the surrounding forest the dim shadows of the distant hills.

apparatus used to communicate at a distance over a wire (usually in Morse code)

From this reading ASPINWALL—RAILWAY ACROSS ISTHMUS—SCENES ON THE ISTHMUS—TELEGRAPH POSTS—HOLY GHOST ORCHID—PANAMA HATS—PARADISE—MOUNT ANCON—PACIFIC MAIL STEAMER—ON THE WHARF AT PANAMA—PANAMA FROM THE SEA—LAST LOOKS.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading We stepped from the shelter of the roofed wharf, and in the dirty, decayed village that lay before us beheld Colon, or the city of Aspinwall as it is called by the Americans.

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

From this reading ASPINWALL—RAILWAY ACROSS ISTHMUS—SCENES ON THE ISTHMUS—TELEGRAPH POSTS—HOLY GHOST ORCHID—PANAMA HATS—PARADISE—MOUNT ANCON—PACIFIC MAIL STEAMER—ON THE WHARF AT PANAMA—PANAMA FROM THE SEA—LAST LOOKS.

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading From the sea Colon had looked pretty and mysterious; gauzy vapours floated over the town, and all we could see were the outlines of palms, a few roofs, and behind the surrounding forest the dim shadows of the distant hills.

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading We stepped from the shelter of the roofed wharf, and in the dirty, decayed village that lay before us beheld Colon, or the city of Aspinwall as it is called by the Americans.

having passed out of existence

From this reading We landed, and with the vanished mists all romance disappeared.

a state of depression

From this reading From the sea Colon had looked pretty and mysterious; gauzy vapours floated over the town, and all we could see were the outlines of palms, a few roofs, and behind the surrounding forest the dim shadows of the distant hills.

a community of people smaller than a town

From this reading We stepped from the shelter of the roofed wharf, and in the dirty, decayed village that lay before us beheld Colon, or the city of Aspinwall as it is called by the Americans.

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading From the sea Colon had looked pretty and mysterious; gauzy vapours floated over the town, and all we could see were the outlines of palms, a few roofs, and behind the surrounding forest the dim shadows of the distant hills.

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

From this reading From the sea Colon had looked pretty and mysterious; gauzy vapours floated over the town, and all we could see were the outlines of palms, a few roofs, and behind the surrounding forest the dim shadows of the distant hills.

a platform built out from the shore into the water and supported by piles; provides access to ships and boats

From this reading ASPINWALL—RAILWAY ACROSS ISTHMUS—SCENES ON THE ISTHMUS—TELEGRAPH POSTS—HOLY GHOST ORCHID—PANAMA HATS—PARADISE—MOUNT ANCON—PACIFIC MAIL STEAMER—ON THE WHARF AT PANAMA—PANAMA FROM THE SEA—LAST LOOKS.

in the company of; together with

From this reading We landed, and with the vanished mists all romance disappeared.