used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When Neale turned out his Welsbach burner and rolled into bed, he encountered a strange, new sensation, an immense relief just to lay himself down, and to have darkness about him.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading When Neale turned out his Welsbach burner and rolled into bed, he encountered a strange, new sensation, an immense relief just to lay himself down, and to have darkness about him.
adultnounUS /əˈdʌlt/
a fully developed person from maturity onward
From this reading For the first time in his life he was consciously very tired, for the first time he knew the adult sensation of having lived to the point of weariness, for the first time he felt the passive sweetness of the resigned adult welcome of repose which is perhaps a premonition of our ultimate weariness and our ultimate welcome to death.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading When Neale turned out his Welsbach burner and rolled into bed, he encountered a strange, new sensation, an immense relief just to lay himself down, and to have darkness about him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When Neale turned out his Welsbach burner and rolled into bed, he encountered a strange, new sensation, an immense relief just to lay himself down, and to have darkness about him.
the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising
From this reading For a moment Neale lay there, drowned in astonishment at this new, unguessed-at pleasure.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading For a moment Neale lay there, drowned in astonishment at this new, unguessed-at pleasure.
bathnounUS /bæθ/
a vessel containing liquid in which something is immersed (as to process it or to maintain it at a constant temperature or to lubricate it)
From this reading * * * * * The next morning, his father, passing on the way to his cold bath, looked in and saw the boy, sunk fathoms deep in sleep, the bright new sunlight of the early morning shining full on his face.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading When Neale turned out his Welsbach burner and rolled into bed, he encountered a strange, new sensation, an immense relief just to lay himself down, and to have darkness about him.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading Then, without warning, the thick cloud of a boy's sleep dropped over him like black velvet.
a youthful male person
From this reading * * * * * The next morning, his father, passing on the way to his cold bath, looked in and saw the boy, sunk fathoms deep in sleep, the bright new sunlight of the early morning shining full on his face.
boy'snounUS /bɔɪz/
possessive form of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading Then, without warning, the thick cloud of a boy's sleep dropped over him like black velvet.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading * * * * * The next morning, his father, passing on the way to his cold bath, looked in and saw the boy, sunk fathoms deep in sleep, the bright new sunlight of the early morning shining full on his face.
burnernounUS /ˈbɜːrnər/
an apparatus for burning fuel (or refuse)
From this reading When Neale turned out his Welsbach burner and rolled into bed, he encountered a strange, new sensation, an immense relief just to lay himself down, and to have darkness about him.
make overcast or cloudy
From this reading Then, without warning, the thick cloud of a boy's sleep dropped over him like black velvet.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading * * * * * The next morning, his father, passing on the way to his cold bath, looked in and saw the boy, sunk fathoms deep in sleep, the bright new sunlight of the early morning shining full on his face.
consciouslyadverbUS /ˈkɑːnʃəsli/
with awareness
From this reading For the first time in his life he was consciously very tired, for the first time he knew the adult sensation of having lived to the point of weariness, for the first time he felt the passive sweetness of the resigned adult welcome of repose which is perhaps a premonition of our ultimate weariness and our ultimate welcome to death.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading When Neale turned out his Welsbach burner and rolled into bed, he encountered a strange, new sensation, an immense relief just to lay himself down, and to have darkness about him.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading For the first time in his life he was consciously very tired, for the first time he knew the adult sensation of having lived to the point of weariness, for the first time he felt the passive sweetness of the resigned adult welcome of repose which is perhaps a premonition of our ultimate weariness and our ultimate welcome to death.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading * * * * * The next morning, his father, passing on the way to his cold bath, looked in and saw the boy, sunk fathoms deep in sleep, the bright new sunlight of the early morning shining full on his face.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading When Neale turned out his Welsbach burner and rolled into bed, he encountered a strange, new sensation, an immense relief just to lay himself down, and to have darkness about him.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading Then, without warning, the thick cloud of a boy's sleep dropped over him like black velvet.
drownedverbUS /draʊnd/
past form of “drown” — cover completely or make imperceptible
From this reading For a moment Neale lay there, drowned in astonishment at this new, unguessed-at pleasure.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading * * * * * The next morning, his father, passing on the way to his cold bath, looked in and saw the boy, sunk fathoms deep in sleep, the bright new sunlight of the early morning shining full on his face.
encounteredverbUS /ɪnˈkaʊntərd/
past form of “encounter” — come together
From this reading When Neale turned out his Welsbach burner and rolled into bed, he encountered a strange, new sensation, an immense relief just to lay himself down, and to have darkness about him.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading * * * * * The next morning, his father, passing on the way to his cold bath, looked in and saw the boy, sunk fathoms deep in sleep, the bright new sunlight of the early morning shining full on his face.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading * * * * * The next morning, his father, passing on the way to his cold bath, looked in and saw the boy, sunk fathoms deep in sleep, the bright new sunlight of the early morning shining full on his face.
fathomsnounUS /ˈfæðəmz/
plural of “fathom” — a linear unit of measurement (equal to 6 feet) for water depth
From this reading * * * * * The next morning, his father, passing on the way to his cold bath, looked in and saw the boy, sunk fathoms deep in sleep, the bright new sunlight of the early morning shining full on his face.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading For the first time in his life he was consciously very tired, for the first time he knew the adult sensation of having lived to the point of weariness, for the first time he felt the passive sweetness of the resigned adult welcome of repose which is perhaps a premonition of our ultimate weariness and our ultimate welcome to death.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading For the first time in his life he was consciously very tired, for the first time he knew the adult sensation of having lived to the point of weariness, for the first time he felt the passive sweetness of the resigned adult welcome of repose which is perhaps a premonition of our ultimate weariness and our ultimate welcome to death.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For the first time in his life he was consciously very tired, for the first time he knew the adult sensation of having lived to the point of weariness, for the first time he felt the passive sweetness of the resigned adult welcome of repose which is perhaps a premonition of our ultimate weariness and our ultimate welcome to death.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading * * * * * The next morning, his father, passing on the way to his cold bath, looked in and saw the boy, sunk fathoms deep in sleep, the bright new sunlight of the early morning shining full on his face.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading When Neale turned out his Welsbach burner and rolled into bed, he encountered a strange, new sensation, an immense relief just to lay himself down, and to have darkness about him.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading For the first time in his life he was consciously very tired, for the first time he knew the adult sensation of having lived to the point of weariness, for the first time he felt the passive sweetness of the resigned adult welcome of repose which is perhaps a premonition of our ultimate weariness and our ultimate welcome to death.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When Neale turned out his Welsbach burner and rolled into bed, he encountered a strange, new sensation, an immense relief just to lay himself down, and to have darkness about him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading When Neale turned out his Welsbach burner and rolled into bed, he encountered a strange, new sensation, an immense relief just to lay himself down, and to have darkness about him.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading When Neale turned out his Welsbach burner and rolled into bed, he encountered a strange, new sensation, an immense relief just to lay himself down, and to have darkness about him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When Neale turned out his Welsbach burner and rolled into bed, he encountered a strange, new sensation, an immense relief just to lay himself down, and to have darkness about him.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading When Neale turned out his Welsbach burner and rolled into bed, he encountered a strange, new sensation, an immense relief just to lay himself down, and to have darkness about him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading For the first time in his life he was consciously very tired, for the first time he knew the adult sensation of having lived to the point of weariness, for the first time he felt the passive sweetness of the resigned adult welcome of repose which is perhaps a premonition of our ultimate weariness and our ultimate welcome to death.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading When Neale turned out his Welsbach burner and rolled into bed, he encountered a strange, new sensation, an immense relief just to lay himself down, and to have darkness about him.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For the first time in his life he was consciously very tired, for the first time he knew the adult sensation of having lived to the point of weariness, for the first time he felt the passive sweetness of the resigned adult welcome of repose which is perhaps a premonition of our ultimate weariness and our ultimate welcome to death.
and nothing more
From this reading When Neale turned out his Welsbach burner and rolled into bed, he encountered a strange, new sensation, an immense relief just to lay himself down, and to have darkness about him.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading For the first time in his life he was consciously very tired, for the first time he knew the adult sensation of having lived to the point of weariness, for the first time he felt the passive sweetness of the resigned adult welcome of repose which is perhaps a premonition of our ultimate weariness and our ultimate welcome to death.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading When Neale turned out his Welsbach burner and rolled into bed, he encountered a strange, new sensation, an immense relief just to lay himself down, and to have darkness about him.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading For the first time in his life he was consciously very tired, for the first time he knew the adult sensation of having lived to the point of weariness, for the first time he felt the passive sweetness of the resigned adult welcome of repose which is perhaps a premonition of our ultimate weariness and our ultimate welcome to death.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Then, without warning, the thick cloud of a boy's sleep dropped over him like black velvet.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading For the first time in his life he was consciously very tired, for the first time he knew the adult sensation of having lived to the point of weariness, for the first time he felt the passive sweetness of the resigned adult welcome of repose which is perhaps a premonition of our ultimate weariness and our ultimate welcome to death.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading * * * * * The next morning, his father, passing on the way to his cold bath, looked in and saw the boy, sunk fathoms deep in sleep, the bright new sunlight of the early morning shining full on his face.
a particular point in time
From this reading For a moment Neale lay there, drowned in astonishment at this new, unguessed-at pleasure.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading * * * * * The next morning, his father, passing on the way to his cold bath, looked in and saw the boy, sunk fathoms deep in sleep, the bright new sunlight of the early morning shining full on his face.
Neale
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Neale turned out his Welsbach burner and rolled into bed, he encountered a strange, new sensation, an immense relief just to lay himself down, and to have darkness about him.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading When Neale turned out his Welsbach burner and rolled into bed, he encountered a strange, new sensation, an immense relief just to lay himself down, and to have darkness about him.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading * * * * * The next morning, his father, passing on the way to his cold bath, looked in and saw the boy, sunk fathoms deep in sleep, the bright new sunlight of the early morning shining full on his face.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading For the first time in his life he was consciously very tired, for the first time he knew the adult sensation of having lived to the point of weariness, for the first time he felt the passive sweetness of the resigned adult welcome of repose which is perhaps a premonition of our ultimate weariness and our ultimate welcome to death.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading * * * * * The next morning, his father, passing on the way to his cold bath, looked in and saw the boy, sunk fathoms deep in sleep, the bright new sunlight of the early morning shining full on his face.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading For the first time in his life he was consciously very tired, for the first time he knew the adult sensation of having lived to the point of weariness, for the first time he felt the passive sweetness of the resigned adult welcome of repose which is perhaps a premonition of our ultimate weariness and our ultimate welcome to death.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading When Neale turned out his Welsbach burner and rolled into bed, he encountered a strange, new sensation, an immense relief just to lay himself down, and to have darkness about him.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Then, without warning, the thick cloud of a boy's sleep dropped over him like black velvet.
(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate
From this reading * * * * * The next morning, his father, passing on the way to his cold bath, looked in and saw the boy, sunk fathoms deep in sleep, the bright new sunlight of the early morning shining full on his face.
passiveadjectiveUS /ˈpæsɪv/
lacking in energy or will
From this reading For the first time in his life he was consciously very tired, for the first time he knew the adult sensation of having lived to the point of weariness, for the first time he felt the passive sweetness of the resigned adult welcome of repose which is perhaps a premonition of our ultimate weariness and our ultimate welcome to death.
by chance
From this reading For the first time in his life he was consciously very tired, for the first time he knew the adult sensation of having lived to the point of weariness, for the first time he felt the passive sweetness of the resigned adult welcome of repose which is perhaps a premonition of our ultimate weariness and our ultimate welcome to death.
a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience
From this reading For a moment Neale lay there, drowned in astonishment at this new, unguessed-at pleasure.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading For the first time in his life he was consciously very tired, for the first time he knew the adult sensation of having lived to the point of weariness, for the first time he felt the passive sweetness of the resigned adult welcome of repose which is perhaps a premonition of our ultimate weariness and our ultimate welcome to death.
premonitionnounUS /preməˈnɪʃən/
a feeling of evil to come
From this reading For the first time in his life he was consciously very tired, for the first time he knew the adult sensation of having lived to the point of weariness, for the first time he felt the passive sweetness of the resigned adult welcome of repose which is perhaps a premonition of our ultimate weariness and our ultimate welcome to death.
the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced
From this reading When Neale turned out his Welsbach burner and rolled into bed, he encountered a strange, new sensation, an immense relief just to lay himself down, and to have darkness about him.
reposeverbUS /riˈpoʊz/
put or confide something in a person or thing
From this reading For the first time in his life he was consciously very tired, for the first time he knew the adult sensation of having lived to the point of weariness, for the first time he felt the passive sweetness of the resigned adult welcome of repose which is perhaps a premonition of our ultimate weariness and our ultimate welcome to death.
resignedverbUS /rɪˈzaɪnd/
past form of “resign” — leave (a job, post, or position) voluntarily
From this reading For the first time in his life he was consciously very tired, for the first time he knew the adult sensation of having lived to the point of weariness, for the first time he felt the passive sweetness of the resigned adult welcome of repose which is perhaps a premonition of our ultimate weariness and our ultimate welcome to death.
especially of petals or leaves in bud; having margins rolled inward
From this reading When Neale turned out his Welsbach burner and rolled into bed, he encountered a strange, new sensation, an immense relief just to lay himself down, and to have darkness about him.
cut with a saw
From this reading * * * * * The next morning, his father, passing on the way to his cold bath, looked in and saw the boy, sunk fathoms deep in sleep, the bright new sunlight of the early morning shining full on his face.
an unelaborated elementary awareness of stimulation
From this reading When Neale turned out his Welsbach burner and rolled into bed, he encountered a strange, new sensation, an immense relief just to lay himself down, and to have darkness about him.
marked by exceptional merit
From this reading * * * * * The next morning, his father, passing on the way to his cold bath, looked in and saw the boy, sunk fathoms deep in sleep, the bright new sunlight of the early morning shining full on his face.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading Then, without warning, the thick cloud of a boy's sleep dropped over him like black velvet.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading When Neale turned out his Welsbach burner and rolled into bed, he encountered a strange, new sensation, an immense relief just to lay himself down, and to have darkness about him.
sunkadjectiveUS /sʌŋk/
doomed to extinction
From this reading * * * * * The next morning, his father, passing on the way to his cold bath, looked in and saw the boy, sunk fathoms deep in sleep, the bright new sunlight of the early morning shining full on his face.
the rays of the sun
From this reading * * * * * The next morning, his father, passing on the way to his cold bath, looked in and saw the boy, sunk fathoms deep in sleep, the bright new sunlight of the early morning shining full on his face.
sweetnessnounUS /ˈswiːtnəs/
the taste experience when sugar dissolves in the mouth
From this reading For the first time in his life he was consciously very tired, for the first time he knew the adult sensation of having lived to the point of weariness, for the first time he felt the passive sweetness of the resigned adult welcome of repose which is perhaps a premonition of our ultimate weariness and our ultimate welcome to death.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading For the first time in his life he was consciously very tired, for the first time he knew the adult sensation of having lived to the point of weariness, for the first time he felt the passive sweetness of the resigned adult welcome of repose which is perhaps a premonition of our ultimate weariness and our ultimate welcome to death.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then, without warning, the thick cloud of a boy's sleep dropped over him like black velvet.
in or at that place or location
From this reading For a moment Neale lay there, drowned in astonishment at this new, unguessed-at pleasure.
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 Then, without warning, the thick cloud of a boy's sleep dropped over him like black velvet.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading For a moment Neale lay there, drowned in astonishment at this new, unguessed-at pleasure.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading For the first time in his life he was consciously very tired, for the first time he knew the adult sensation of having lived to the point of weariness, for the first time he felt the passive sweetness of the resigned adult welcome of repose which is perhaps a premonition of our ultimate weariness and our ultimate welcome to death.
tiredadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərd/
depleted of strength or energy
From this reading For the first time in his life he was consciously very tired, for the first time he knew the adult sensation of having lived to the point of weariness, for the first time he felt the passive sweetness of the resigned adult welcome of repose which is perhaps a premonition of our ultimate weariness and our ultimate welcome to death.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When Neale turned out his Welsbach burner and rolled into bed, he encountered a strange, new sensation, an immense relief just to lay himself down, and to have darkness about him.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading When Neale turned out his Welsbach burner and rolled into bed, he encountered a strange, new sensation, an immense relief just to lay himself down, and to have darkness about him.
ultimateadjectiveUS /ˈʌltəmət/
furthest or highest in degree or order; utmost or extreme
From this reading For the first time in his life he was consciously very tired, for the first time he knew the adult sensation of having lived to the point of weariness, for the first time he felt the passive sweetness of the resigned adult welcome of repose which is perhaps a premonition of our ultimate weariness and our ultimate welcome to death.
unguessed-at
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a moment Neale lay there, drowned in astonishment at this new, unguessed-at pleasure.
velvetnounUS /ˈvelvət/
a silky densely piled fabric with a plain back
From this reading Then, without warning, the thick cloud of a boy's sleep dropped over him like black velvet.
precisely as stated
From this reading For the first time in his life he was consciously very tired, for the first time he knew the adult sensation of having lived to the point of weariness, for the first time he felt the passive sweetness of the resigned adult welcome of repose which is perhaps a premonition of our ultimate weariness and our ultimate welcome to death.
a message informing of danger
From this reading Then, without warning, the thick cloud of a boy's sleep dropped over him like black velvet.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For the first time in his life he was consciously very tired, for the first time he knew the adult sensation of having lived to the point of weariness, for the first time he felt the passive sweetness of the resigned adult welcome of repose which is perhaps a premonition of our ultimate weariness and our ultimate welcome to death.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading * * * * * The next morning, his father, passing on the way to his cold bath, looked in and saw the boy, sunk fathoms deep in sleep, the bright new sunlight of the early morning shining full on his face.
wearinessnounUS /ˈwɪrinəs/
temporary loss of strength and energy resulting from hard physical or mental work
From this reading For the first time in his life he was consciously very tired, for the first time he knew the adult sensation of having lived to the point of weariness, for the first time he felt the passive sweetness of the resigned adult welcome of repose which is perhaps a premonition of our ultimate weariness and our ultimate welcome to death.
accept gladly
From this reading For the first time in his life he was consciously very tired, for the first time he knew the adult sensation of having lived to the point of weariness, for the first time he felt the passive sweetness of the resigned adult welcome of repose which is perhaps a premonition of our ultimate weariness and our ultimate welcome to death.
Welsbach
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Neale turned out his Welsbach burner and rolled into bed, he encountered a strange, new sensation, an immense relief just to lay himself down, and to have darkness about him.
at the time that
From this reading When Neale turned out his Welsbach burner and rolled into bed, he encountered a strange, new sensation, an immense relief just to lay himself down, and to have darkness about him.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading For the first time in his life he was consciously very tired, for the first time he knew the adult sensation of having lived to the point of weariness, for the first time he felt the passive sweetness of the resigned adult welcome of repose which is perhaps a premonition of our ultimate weariness and our ultimate welcome to death.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Then, without warning, the thick cloud of a boy's sleep dropped over him like black velvet.
