Chapter III · The Wand of War

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

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

possessive form of “a” — a metric unit of length equal to one ten billionth of a meter (or 0.0001 micron); used to specify wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation

From this reading She had no difficulty, therefore, in recognizing from the too broad tops of the a’s, the too pointed c’s and the loops which twice crossed the t’s that the writer had been educated first to write German.

a native or inhabitant of the United States

From this reading Like everyone else, Ruth knew German families; and, like many other American girls who had been in high schools before the outbreak of the war, she had chosen German for a modern language course.

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

From this reading Like everyone else, Ruth knew German families; and, like many other American girls who had been in high schools before the outbreak of the war, she had chosen German for a modern language course.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Like everyone else, Ruth knew German families; and, like many other American girls who had been in high schools before the outbreak of the war, she had chosen German for a modern language course.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Like everyone else, Ruth knew German families; and, like many other American girls who had been in high schools before the outbreak of the war, she had chosen German for a modern language course.

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading She had no difficulty, therefore, in recognizing from the too broad tops of the a’s, the too pointed c’s and the loops which twice crossed the t’s that the writer had been educated first to write German.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Indeed, she had learned German well enough so that when confronted by the question on her War Registration card, _What foreign languages do you read well?_ she had written, _German_.

possessive form of “c” — a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature

From this reading She had no difficulty, therefore, in recognizing from the too broad tops of the a’s, the too pointed c’s and the loops which twice crossed the t’s that the writer had been educated first to write German.

one of a set of small pieces of stiff paper marked in various ways and used for playing games or for telling fortunes

From this reading Indeed, she had learned German well enough so that when confronted by the question on her War Registration card, _What foreign languages do you read well?_ she had written, _German_.

plural of “character” — an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

one who is the object of choice; who is given preference

From this reading Like everyone else, Ruth knew German families; and, like many other American girls who had been in high schools before the outbreak of the war, she had chosen German for a modern language course.

without doubt or question

From this reading That formation, clearly, was German script.

past form of “confront” — oppose, as in hostility or a competition

From this reading Indeed, she had learned German well enough so that when confronted by the question on her War Registration card, _What foreign languages do you read well?_ she had written, _German_.

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading Like everyone else, Ruth knew German families; and, like many other American girls who had been in high schools before the outbreak of the war, she had chosen German for a modern language course.

a natural object that covers or envelops

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

placed crosswise

From this reading She had no difficulty, therefore, in recognizing from the too broad tops of the a’s, the too pointed c’s and the loops which twice crossed the t’s that the writer had been educated first to write German.

carefully thought out in advance

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

-ing form of “differentiate” — mark as different

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

an effort that is inconvenient

From this reading She had no difficulty, therefore, in recognizing from the too broad tops of the a’s, the too pointed c’s and the loops which twice crossed the t’s that the writer had been educated first to write German.

(often followed by “from”) not alike; different in nature or quality

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Indeed, she had learned German well enough so that when confronted by the question on her War Registration card, _What foreign languages do you read well?_ she had written, _German_.

possessing an education (especially having more than average knowledge)

From this reading She had no difficulty, therefore, in recognizing from the too broad tops of the a’s, the too pointed c’s and the loops which twice crossed the t’s that the writer had been educated first to write German.

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

From this reading Like everyone else, Ruth knew German families; and, like many other American girls who had been in high schools before the outbreak of the war, she had chosen German for a modern language course.

an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading Indeed, she had learned German well enough so that when confronted by the question on her War Registration card, _What foreign languages do you read well?_ she had written, _German_.

every person

From this reading Like everyone else, Ruth knew German families; and, like many other American girls who had been in high schools before the outbreak of the war, she had chosen German for a modern language course.

clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

well known or easily recognized

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

plural of “family” — a social unit living together

From this reading Like everyone else, Ruth knew German families; and, like many other American girls who had been in high schools before the outbreak of the war, she had chosen German for a modern language course.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading She had no difficulty, therefore, in recognizing from the too broad tops of the a’s, the too pointed c’s and the loops which twice crossed the t’s that the writer had been educated first to write German.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Like everyone else, Ruth knew German families; and, like many other American girls who had been in high schools before the outbreak of the war, she had chosen German for a modern language course.

of concern to or concerning the affairs of other nations (other than your own)

From this reading Indeed, she had learned German well enough so that when confronted by the question on her War Registration card, _What foreign languages do you read well?_ she had written, _German_.

an arrangement of people or things acting as a unit

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

having or given a form or shape

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

a person of German nationality

From this reading That formation, clearly, was German script.

plural of “girl” — a young female

From this reading Like everyone else, Ruth knew German families; and, like many other American girls who had been in high schools before the outbreak of the war, she had chosen German for a modern language course.

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

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

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

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Indeed, she had learned German well enough so that when confronted by the question on her War Registration card, _What foreign languages do you read well?_ she had written, _German_.

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading Like everyone else, Ruth knew German families; and, like many other American girls who had been in high schools before the outbreak of the war, she had chosen German for a modern language course.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

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

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

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

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading Indeed, she had learned German well enough so that when confronted by the question on her War Registration card, _What foreign languages do you read well?_ she had written, _German_.

a manual usually accompanying a technical device and explaining how to install or operate it

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to 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 Like everyone else, Ruth knew German families; and, like many other American girls who had been in high schools before the outbreak of the war, she had chosen German for a modern language course.

a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols

From this reading Like everyone else, Ruth knew German families; and, like many other American girls who had been in high schools before the outbreak of the war, she had chosen German for a modern language course.

plural of “language” — a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols

From this reading Indeed, she had learned German well enough so that when confronted by the question on her War Registration card, _What foreign languages do you read well?_ she had written, _German_.

having or showing profound knowledge

From this reading Indeed, she had learned German well enough so that when confronted by the question on her War Registration card, _What foreign languages do you read well?_ she had written, _German_.

the literary culture

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Like everyone else, Ruth knew German families; and, like many other American girls who had been in high schools before the outbreak of the war, she had chosen German for a modern language course.

plural of “loop” — fastener consisting of a metal ring for lining a small hole to permit the attachment of cords or lines

From this reading She had no difficulty, therefore, in recognizing from the too broad tops of the a’s, the too pointed c’s and the loops which twice crossed the t’s that the writer had been educated first to write German.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading Like everyone else, Ruth knew German families; and, like many other American girls who had been in high schools before the outbreak of the war, she had chosen German for a modern language course.

belonging to the modern era; since the Middle Ages

From this reading Like everyone else, Ruth knew German families; and, like many other American girls who had been in high schools before the outbreak of the war, she had chosen German for a modern language course.

in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

a condition requiring relief

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

not any; not one

From this reading She had no difficulty, therefore, in recognizing from the too broad tops of the a’s, the too pointed c’s and the loops which twice crossed the t’s that the writer had been educated first to write German.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Indeed, she had learned German well enough so that when confronted by the question on her War Registration card, _What foreign languages do you read well?_ she had written, _German_.

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading Like everyone else, Ruth knew German families; and, like many other American girls who had been in high schools before the outbreak of the war, she had chosen German for a modern language course.

a sudden violent spontaneous occurrence (usually of some undesirable condition)

From this reading Like everyone else, Ruth knew German families; and, like many other American girls who had been in high schools before the outbreak of the war, she had chosen German for a modern language course.

an effortful attempt to attain a goal

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

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

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

a human being

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

having a point

From this reading She had no difficulty, therefore, in recognizing from the too broad tops of the a’s, the too pointed c’s and the loops which twice crossed the t’s that the writer had been educated first to write German.

challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading Indeed, she had learned German well enough so that when confronted by the question on her War Registration card, _What foreign languages do you read well?_ she had written, _German_.

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading Indeed, she had learned German well enough so that when confronted by the question on her War Registration card, _What foreign languages do you read well?_ she had written, _German_.

third-person singular of “realize” — be fully aware or cognizant of

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

-ing form of “recognize” — accept (someone) to be what is claimed or accept his power and authority

From this reading She had no difficulty, therefore, in recognizing from the too broad tops of the a’s, the too pointed c’s and the loops which twice crossed the t’s that the writer had been educated first to write German.

the act of enrolling

From this reading Indeed, she had learned German well enough so that when confronted by the question on her War Registration card, _What foreign languages do you read well?_ she had written, _German_.

United States professional baseball player famous for hitting home runs (1895-1948)

From this reading Like everyone else, Ruth knew German families; and, like many other American girls who had been in high schools before the outbreak of the war, she had chosen German for a modern language course.

plural of “school” — an educational institution

From this reading Like everyone else, Ruth knew German families; and, like many other American girls who had been in high schools before the outbreak of the war, she had chosen German for a modern language course.

a written version of a play or other dramatic composition; used in preparing for a performance

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Like everyone else, Ruth knew German families; and, like many other American girls who had been in high schools before the outbreak of the war, she had chosen German for a modern language course.

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

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Indeed, she had learned German well enough so that when confronted by the question on her War Registration card, _What foreign languages do you read well?_ she had written, _German_.

possessive form of “t” — a base found in DNA (but not in RNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine

From this reading She had no difficulty, therefore, in recognizing from the too broad tops of the a’s, the too pointed c’s and the loops which twice crossed the t’s that the writer had been educated first to write German.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

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

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

for that reason; as a result

From this reading She had no difficulty, therefore, in recognizing from the too broad tops of the a’s, the too pointed c’s and the loops which twice crossed the t’s that the writer had been educated first to write German.

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

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading She had no difficulty, therefore, in recognizing from the too broad tops of the a’s, the too pointed c’s and the loops which twice crossed the t’s that the writer had been educated first to write German.

of the highest quality

From this reading She had no difficulty, therefore, in recognizing from the too broad tops of the a’s, the too pointed c’s and the loops which twice crossed the t’s that the writer had been educated first to write German.

two times

From this reading She had no difficulty, therefore, in recognizing from the too broad tops of the a’s, the too pointed c’s and the loops which twice crossed the t’s that the writer had been educated first to write German.

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading Like everyone else, Ruth knew German families; and, like many other American girls who had been in high schools before the outbreak of the war, she had chosen German for a modern language course.

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

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

(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 Indeed, she had learned German well enough so that when confronted by the question on her War Registration card, _What foreign languages do you read well?_ she had written, _German_.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Indeed, she had learned German well enough so that when confronted by the question on her War Registration card, _What foreign languages do you read well?_ she had written, _German_.

at the time that

From this reading Indeed, she had learned German well enough so that when confronted by the question on her War Registration card, _What foreign languages do you read well?_ she had written, _German_.

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

From this reading She had no difficulty, therefore, in recognizing from the too broad tops of the a’s, the too pointed c’s and the loops which twice crossed the t’s that the writer had been educated first to write German.

during the time that

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

which person or people

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

in the company of; together with

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

produce a literary work

From this reading She had no difficulty, therefore, in recognizing from the too broad tops of the a’s, the too pointed c’s and the loops which twice crossed the t’s that the writer had been educated first to write German.

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading She had no difficulty, therefore, in recognizing from the too broad tops of the a’s, the too pointed c’s and the loops which twice crossed the t’s that the writer had been educated first to write German.

set down in writing in any of various ways

From this reading The man who had formed the small, distinct characters covering the paper of instructions had written in English; but while he was quite familiar with English script, it was evident that he had written with the deliberate pains of a person who realizes the need of differentiating his letters from the formation natural to him.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Indeed, she had learned German well enough so that when confronted by the question on her War Registration card, _What foreign languages do you read well?_ she had written, _German_.