Chapter XIII · Chapter 13

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

From this reading He started early, at the break of a sweet, singing dawn.

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading The earth was elastic under his feet, the air tingling and mellow with a taste of growth; the flooded river chattered loudly like a creature half beside itself with joy.

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

From this reading The earth was elastic under his feet, the air tingling and mellow with a taste of growth; the flooded river chattered loudly like a creature half beside itself with joy.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading He started early, at the break of a sweet, singing dawn.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading He shook his shoulders before settling them under the load of pelts.

next to; at the side of

From this reading The earth was elastic under his feet, the air tingling and mellow with a taste of growth; the flooded river chattered loudly like a creature half beside itself with joy.

that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord

From this reading Pete came out of the dark and silent cabin in which he had made his tiptoe preparations, and lifted his face, letting the light, soft fingers of the wind, cooler and softer even than Sylvie’s, smooth out the knots of suffering from his tired brain.

terminate

From this reading He started early, at the break of a sweet, singing dawn.

small room on a ship or boat where people sleep

From this reading Pete came out of the dark and silent cabin in which he had made his tiptoe preparations, and lifted his face, letting the light, soft fingers of the wind, cooler and softer even than Sylvie’s, smooth out the knots of suffering from his tired brain.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Pete came out of the dark and silent cabin in which he had made his tiptoe preparations, and lifted his face, letting the light, soft fingers of the wind, cooler and softer even than Sylvie’s, smooth out the knots of suffering from his tired brain.

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

From this reading The earth was elastic under his feet, the air tingling and mellow with a taste of growth; the flooded river chattered loudly like a creature half beside itself with joy.

a refrigerator for cooling liquids

From this reading Pete came out of the dark and silent cabin in which he had made his tiptoe preparations, and lifted his face, letting the light, soft fingers of the wind, cooler and softer even than Sylvie’s, smooth out the knots of suffering from his tired brain.

a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading The earth was elastic under his feet, the air tingling and mellow with a taste of growth; the flooded river chattered loudly like a creature half beside itself with joy.

absence of light or illumination

From this reading Pete came out of the dark and silent cabin in which he had made his tiptoe preparations, and lifted his face, letting the light, soft fingers of the wind, cooler and softer even than Sylvie’s, smooth out the knots of suffering from his tired brain.

the first light of day

From this reading He started early, at the break of a sweet, singing dawn.

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading He started early, at the break of a sweet, singing dawn.

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading The earth was elastic under his feet, the air tingling and mellow with a taste of growth; the flooded river chattered loudly like a creature half beside itself with joy.

capable of resuming original shape after stretching or compression; springy

From this reading The earth was elastic under his feet, the air tingling and mellow with a taste of growth; the flooded river chattered loudly like a creature half beside itself with joy.

divisible by two

From this reading Pete came out of the dark and silent cabin in which he had made his tiptoe preparations, and lifted his face, letting the light, soft fingers of the wind, cooler and softer even than Sylvie’s, smooth out the knots of suffering from his tired brain.

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading Pete came out of the dark and silent cabin in which he had made his tiptoe preparations, and lifted his face, letting the light, soft fingers of the wind, cooler and softer even than Sylvie’s, smooth out the knots of suffering from his tired brain.

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading The earth was elastic under his feet, the air tingling and mellow with a taste of growth; the flooded river chattered loudly like a creature half beside itself with joy.

plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)

From this reading Pete came out of the dark and silent cabin in which he had made his tiptoe preparations, and lifted his face, letting the light, soft fingers of the wind, cooler and softer even than Sylvie’s, smooth out the knots of suffering from his tired brain.

covered with water

From this reading The earth was elastic under his feet, the air tingling and mellow with a taste of growth; the flooded river chattered loudly like a creature half beside itself with joy.

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.

at or to or toward the front

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.

a feeling of liking for another person; enjoyment in their company

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.

(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level

From this reading The earth was elastic under his feet, the air tingling and mellow with a taste of growth; the flooded river chattered loudly like a creature half beside itself with joy.

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

From this reading Pete came out of the dark and silent cabin in which he had made his tiptoe preparations, and lifted his face, letting the light, soft fingers of the wind, cooler and softer even than Sylvie’s, smooth out the knots of suffering from his tired brain.

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading The earth was elastic under his feet, the air tingling and mellow with a taste of growth; the flooded river chattered loudly like a creature half beside itself with joy.

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

From this reading He started early, at the break of a sweet, singing dawn.

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

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.

a period of time assigned for work

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.

a lack of patience; irritation with anything that causes delay

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.

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

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading The earth was elastic under his feet, the air tingling and mellow with a taste of growth; the flooded river chattered loudly like a creature half beside itself with joy.

the emotion of great happiness

From this reading The earth was elastic under his feet, the air tingling and mellow with a taste of growth; the flooded river chattered loudly like a creature half beside itself with joy.

plural of “knot” — a tight cluster of people or things

From this reading Pete came out of the dark and silent cabin in which he had made his tiptoe preparations, and lifted his face, letting the light, soft fingers of the wind, cooler and softer even than Sylvie’s, smooth out the knots of suffering from his tired brain.

property that is leased or rented out or let

From this reading Pete came out of the dark and silent cabin in which he had made his tiptoe preparations, and lifted his face, letting the light, soft fingers of the wind, cooler and softer even than Sylvie’s, smooth out the knots of suffering from his tired brain.

held up in the air

From this reading Pete came out of the dark and silent cabin in which he had made his tiptoe preparations, and lifted his face, letting the light, soft fingers of the wind, cooler and softer even than Sylvie’s, smooth out the knots of suffering from his tired brain.

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading Pete came out of the dark and silent cabin in which he had made his tiptoe preparations, and lifted his face, letting the light, soft fingers of the wind, cooler and softer even than Sylvie’s, smooth out the knots of suffering from his tired brain.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading The earth was elastic under his feet, the air tingling and mellow with a taste of growth; the flooded river chattered loudly like a creature half beside itself with joy.

weight to be borne or conveyed

From this reading He shook his shoulders before settling them under the load of pelts.

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

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.

with relatively high volume

From this reading The earth was elastic under his feet, the air tingling and mellow with a taste of growth; the flooded river chattered loudly like a creature half beside itself with joy.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Pete came out of the dark and silent cabin in which he had made his tiptoe preparations, and lifted his face, letting the light, soft fingers of the wind, cooler and softer even than Sylvie’s, smooth out the knots of suffering from his tired brain.

mean or intend to express or convey

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.

unhurried and relaxed

From this reading The earth was elastic under his feet, the air tingling and mellow with a taste of growth; the flooded river chattered loudly like a creature half beside itself with joy.

showing or giving mercy

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Pete came out of the dark and silent cabin in which he had made his tiptoe preparations, and lifted his face, letting the light, soft fingers of the wind, cooler and softer even than Sylvie’s, smooth out the knots of suffering from his tired brain.

plural of “pelt” — the dressed hairy coat of a mammal

From this reading He shook his shoulders before settling them under the load of pelts.

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

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.

plural of “preparation” — the activity of putting or setting in order in advance of some act or purpose

From this reading Pete came out of the dark and silent cabin in which he had made his tiptoe preparations, and lifted his face, letting the light, soft fingers of the wind, cooler and softer even than Sylvie’s, smooth out the knots of suffering from his tired brain.

the force applied to a unit area of surface; measured in pascals (SI unit) or in dynes (cgs unit)

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.

the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.

a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading The earth was elastic under his feet, the air tingling and mellow with a taste of growth; the flooded river chattered loudly like a creature half beside itself with joy.

a gradual sinking to a lower level

From this reading He shook his shoulders before settling them under the load of pelts.

a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment

From this reading He shook his shoulders before settling them under the load of pelts.

plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm

From this reading He shook his shoulders before settling them under the load of pelts.

marked by absence of sound

From this reading Pete came out of the dark and silent cabin in which he had made his tiptoe preparations, and lifted his face, letting the light, soft fingers of the wind, cooler and softer even than Sylvie’s, smooth out the knots of suffering from his tired brain.

the act of singing vocal music

From this reading He started early, at the break of a sweet, singing dawn.

having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities

From this reading Pete came out of the dark and silent cabin in which he had made his tiptoe preparations, and lifted his face, letting the light, soft fingers of the wind, cooler and softer even than Sylvie’s, smooth out the knots of suffering from his tired brain.

yielding readily to pressure or weight

From this reading Pete came out of the dark and silent cabin in which he had made his tiptoe preparations, and lifted his face, letting the light, soft fingers of the wind, cooler and softer even than Sylvie’s, smooth out the knots of suffering from his tired brain.

comparative of “soft” — yielding readily to pressure or weight

From this reading Pete came out of the dark and silent cabin in which he had made his tiptoe preparations, and lifted his face, letting the light, soft fingers of the wind, cooler and softer even than Sylvie’s, smooth out the knots of suffering from his tired brain.

a state of social isolation

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.

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

From this reading He started early, at the break of a sweet, singing dawn.

a state of acute pain

From this reading Pete came out of the dark and silent cabin in which he had made his tiptoe preparations, and lifted his face, letting the light, soft fingers of the wind, cooler and softer even than Sylvie’s, smooth out the knots of suffering from his tired brain.

having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar

From this reading He started early, at the break of a sweet, singing dawn.

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

From this reading Pete came out of the dark and silent cabin in which he had made his tiptoe preparations, and lifted his face, letting the light, soft fingers of the wind, cooler and softer even than Sylvie’s, smooth out the knots of suffering from his tired brain.

To perceive flavor through the mouth.

From this reading The earth was elastic under his feet, the air tingling and mellow with a taste of growth; the flooded river chattered loudly like a creature half beside itself with joy.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Pete came out of the dark and silent cabin in which he had made his tiptoe preparations, and lifted his face, letting the light, soft fingers of the wind, cooler and softer even than Sylvie’s, smooth out the knots of suffering from his tired brain.

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

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading He shook his shoulders before settling them under the load of pelts.

exciting by touching lightly so as to cause laughter or twitching movements

From this reading The earth was elastic under his feet, the air tingling and mellow with a taste of growth; the flooded river chattered loudly like a creature half beside itself with joy.

walk on one's toes

From this reading Pete came out of the dark and silent cabin in which he had made his tiptoe preparations, and lifted his face, letting the light, soft fingers of the wind, cooler and softer even than Sylvie’s, smooth out the knots of suffering from his tired brain.

depleted of strength or energy

From this reading Pete came out of the dark and silent cabin in which he had made his tiptoe preparations, and lifted his face, letting the light, soft fingers of the wind, cooler and softer even than Sylvie’s, smooth out the knots of suffering from his tired brain.

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

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.

unbearable physical pain

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.

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

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.

a track or mark left by something that has passed

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.

a journey for some purpose (usually including the return)

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.

the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading The earth was elastic under his feet, the air tingling and mellow with a taste of growth; the flooded river chattered loudly like a creature half beside itself with joy.

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

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.

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

From this reading The earth was elastic under his feet, the air tingling and mellow with a taste of growth; the flooded river chattered loudly like a creature half beside itself with joy.

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

From this reading Pete came out of the dark and silent cabin in which he had made his tiptoe preparations, and lifted his face, letting the light, soft fingers of the wind, cooler and softer even than Sylvie’s, smooth out the knots of suffering from his tired brain.

intensely zealous or fervid

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading Pete came out of the dark and silent cabin in which he had made his tiptoe preparations, and lifted his face, letting the light, soft fingers of the wind, cooler and softer even than Sylvie’s, smooth out the knots of suffering from his tired brain.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.

the least favorable outcome

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Pete looked forward with white-hot impatience to the day of his trip to the trading-station; twelve hours of relief, it would mean, from the worst pressure of his torment--twelve hours of merciful solitude in the old, voiceful friendliness of his forest trail.