used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading At sight of these the joy of Jupiter could scarcely be restrained, but the countenance of his master wore an air of extreme disappointment.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading At sight of these the joy of Jupiter could scarcely be restrained, but the countenance of his master wore an air of extreme disappointment.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At sight of these the joy of Jupiter could scarcely be restrained, but the countenance of his master wore an air of extreme disappointment.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading At sight of these the joy of Jupiter could scarcely be restrained, but the countenance of his master wore an air of extreme disappointment.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading During this interval we had fairly unearthed an oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and wonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing process--perhaps that of the bichloride of mercury.
bichloridenoun
a compound containing two chlorine atoms per molecule
From this reading During this interval we had fairly unearthed an oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and wonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing process--perhaps that of the bichloride of mercury.
bootnounUS /buːt/
footwear that covers the whole foot and lower leg
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
From this reading This box was three feet and a half long, three feet broad, and two and a half feet deep.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading This box was three feet and a half long, three feet broad, and two and a half feet deep.
placed in a grave
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading At sight of these the joy of Jupiter could scarcely be restrained, but the countenance of his master wore an air of extreme disappointment.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
the part of the human torso between the neck and the diaphragm or the corresponding part in other vertebrates
From this reading During this interval we had fairly unearthed an oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and wonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing process--perhaps that of the bichloride of mercury.
continue a certain state, condition, or activity
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading At sight of these the joy of Jupiter could scarcely be restrained, but the countenance of his master wore an air of extreme disappointment.
the appearance conveyed by a person's face
From this reading At sight of these the joy of Jupiter could scarcely be restrained, but the countenance of his master wore an air of extreme disappointment.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading This box was three feet and a half long, three feet broad, and two and a half feet deep.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading We now worked in earnest, and never did I pass ten minutes of more intense excitement.
a feeling of dissatisfaction that results when your expectations are not realized
From this reading At sight of these the joy of Jupiter could scarcely be restrained, but the countenance of his master wore an air of extreme disappointment.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading During this interval we had fairly unearthed an oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and wonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing process--perhaps that of the bichloride of mercury.
characterized by a firm and humorless belief in the validity of your opinions
From this reading We now worked in earnest, and never did I pass ten minutes of more intense excitement.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading We now worked in earnest, and never did I pass ten minutes of more intense excitement.
exertionsnounUS /ɪɡˈzɜːrʃənz/
plural of “exertion” — use of physical or mental energy; hard work
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity
From this reading At sight of these the joy of Jupiter could scarcely be restrained, but the countenance of his master wore an air of extreme disappointment.
to certain extent or degree
From this reading During this interval we had fairly unearthed an oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and wonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing process--perhaps that of the bichloride of mercury.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading This box was three feet and a half long, three feet broad, and two and a half feet deep.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading During this interval we had fairly unearthed an oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and wonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing process--perhaps that of the bichloride of mercury.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading During this interval we had fairly unearthed an oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and wonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing process--perhaps that of the bichloride of mercury.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
only a very short time before
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
hardnessnounUS /ˈhɑːrdnəs/
the property of being rigid and resistant to pressure; not easily scratched; measured on Mohs scale
From this reading During this interval we had fairly unearthed an oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and wonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing process--perhaps that of the bichloride of mercury.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading At sight of these the joy of Jupiter could scarcely be restrained, but the countenance of his master wore an air of extreme disappointment.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree
From this reading We now worked in earnest, and never did I pass ten minutes of more intense excitement.
intervalnounUS /ˈɪntərvəl/
a definite length of time marked off by two instants
From this reading During this interval we had fairly unearthed an oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and wonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing process--perhaps that of the bichloride of mercury.
a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading During this interval we had fairly unearthed an oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and wonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing process--perhaps that of the bichloride of mercury.
the emotion of great happiness
From this reading At sight of these the joy of Jupiter could scarcely be restrained, but the countenance of his master wore an air of extreme disappointment.
JupiternounUS /ˈdʒuːpətər/
the largest planet and the 5th from the sun; has many satellites and is one of the brightest objects in the night sky
From this reading At sight of these the joy of Jupiter could scarcely be restrained, but the countenance of his master wore an air of extreme disappointment.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
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 This box was three feet and a half long, three feet broad, and two and a half feet deep.
not compact or dense in structure or arrangement
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
an artist of consummate skill
From this reading At sight of these the joy of Jupiter could scarcely be restrained, but the countenance of his master wore an air of extreme disappointment.
mercurynounUS /ˈmɜːrkjəri/
a heavy silvery toxic univalent and bivalent metallic element; the only metal that is liquid at ordinary temperatures
From this reading During this interval we had fairly unearthed an oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and wonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing process--perhaps that of the bichloride of mercury.
mineralizing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading During this interval we had fairly unearthed an oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and wonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing process--perhaps that of the bichloride of mercury.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading We now worked in earnest, and never did I pass ten minutes of more intense excitement.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading We now worked in earnest, and never did I pass ten minutes of more intense excitement.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading We now worked in earnest, and never did I pass ten minutes of more intense excitement.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading We now worked in earnest, and never did I pass ten minutes of more intense excitement.
oblongadjectiveUS /ˈɑːblɔːŋ/
(of a leaf shape) having a somewhat elongated form with approximately parallel sides
From this reading During this interval we had fairly unearthed an oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and wonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing process--perhaps that of the bichloride of mercury.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At sight of these the joy of Jupiter could scarcely be restrained, but the countenance of his master wore an air of extreme disappointment.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
go across or through
From this reading We now worked in earnest, and never did I pass ten minutes of more intense excitement.
being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish
From this reading During this interval we had fairly unearthed an oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and wonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing process--perhaps that of the bichloride of mercury.
by chance
From this reading During this interval we had fairly unearthed an oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and wonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing process--perhaps that of the bichloride of mercury.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading During this interval we had fairly unearthed an oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and wonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing process--perhaps that of the bichloride of mercury.
preservationnounUS /ˌprezərˈveɪʃən/
the activity of protecting something from loss or danger
From this reading During this interval we had fairly unearthed an oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and wonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing process--perhaps that of the bichloride of mercury.
subject to a process or treatment, with the aim of readying for some purpose, improving, or remedying a condition
From this reading During this interval we had fairly unearthed an oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and wonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing process--perhaps that of the bichloride of mercury.
restrainedadjectiveUS /riˈstreɪnd/
cool and formal in manner
From this reading At sight of these the joy of Jupiter could scarcely be restrained, but the countenance of his master wore an air of extreme disappointment.
sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
only a very short time before
From this reading At sight of these the joy of Jupiter could scarcely be restrained, but the countenance of his master wore an air of extreme disappointment.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading At sight of these the joy of Jupiter could scarcely be restrained, but the countenance of his master wore an air of extreme disappointment.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading During this interval we had fairly unearthed an oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and wonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing process--perhaps that of the bichloride of mercury.
stumbledverbUS /ˈstʌmbəld/
past form of “stumble” — walk unsteadily
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
subjectedverbUS /səbˈdʒektɪd/
past form of “subject” — cause to experience or suffer or make liable or vulnerable to
From this reading During this interval we had fairly unearthed an oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and wonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing process--perhaps that of the bichloride of mercury.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading We now worked in earnest, and never did I pass ten minutes of more intense excitement.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading At sight of these the joy of Jupiter could scarcely be restrained, but the countenance of his master wore an air of extreme disappointment.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading At sight of these the joy of Jupiter could scarcely be restrained, but the countenance of his master wore an air of extreme disappointment.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading During this interval we had fairly unearthed an oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and wonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing process--perhaps that of the bichloride of mercury.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading This box was three feet and a half long, three feet broad, and two and a half feet deep.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
toenounUS /toʊ/
one of the digits of the foot
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading This box was three feet and a half long, three feet broad, and two and a half feet deep.
unearthedverbUS /əˈnɜːrθt/
past form of “unearth” — bring to light
From this reading During this interval we had fairly unearthed an oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and wonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing process--perhaps that of the bichloride of mercury.
past form of “urge” — force or impel in an indicated direction
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
communicated in words
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This box was three feet and a half long, three feet broad, and two and a half feet deep.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We now worked in earnest, and never did I pass ten minutes of more intense excitement.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
at the time that
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading During this interval we had fairly unearthed an oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and wonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing process--perhaps that of the bichloride of mercury.
extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers
From this reading During this interval we had fairly unearthed an oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and wonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing process--perhaps that of the bichloride of mercury.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading During this interval we had fairly unearthed an oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and wonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing process--perhaps that of the bichloride of mercury.
the words that are spoken
From this reading He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.
inflected form of “wear” — be dressed in
From this reading At sight of these the joy of Jupiter could scarcely be restrained, but the countenance of his master wore an air of extreme disappointment.
past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading We now worked in earnest, and never did I pass ten minutes of more intense excitement.
