Chapter XIV · Chapter 14

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

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

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

From this reading The Citadel in Space For the first time in many days Brandon and Westfall sat at dinner in the main dining room of the _Sirius_.

plural of “ant” — social insect living in organized colonies; characteristically the males and fertile queen have wings during breeding season; wingless sterile females are the workers

From this reading "But I tell you, Quince, you're full of little red ants, clear to the neck!"

give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

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

From this reading "You must have had help to get that far off--no one man could possibly be as wrong as you are.

plural of “argument” — a fact or assertion offered as evidence that something is true

From this reading Brandon snorted, as Westfall waved one of his arguments aside.

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

From this reading Brandon snorted, as Westfall waved one of his arguments aside.

on or to one side

From this reading Brandon snorted, as Westfall waved one of his arguments aside.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The Citadel in Space For the first time in many days Brandon and Westfall sat at dinner in the main dining room of the _Sirius_.

the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading "You must have had help to get that far off--no one man could possibly be as wrong as you are.

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

From this reading The Citadel in Space For the first time in many days Brandon and Westfall sat at dinner in the main dining room of the _Sirius_.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

A fortress protecting a city, metaphorically representing the invincible inner sanctuary of the rational mind.

From this reading The Citadel in Space For the first time in many days Brandon and Westfall sat at dinner in the main dining room of the _Sirius_.

rid of obstructions

From this reading "But I tell you, Quince, you're full of little red ants, clear to the neck!"

feeling or showing worry or solicitude

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

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

From this reading "You must have had help to get that far off--no one man could possibly be as wrong as you are.

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading The Citadel in Space For the first time in many days Brandon and Westfall sat at dinner in the main dining room of the _Sirius_.

plural of “diagram” — a drawing intended to explain how something works; a drawing showing the relation between the parts

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

plural of “diner” — a person eating a meal (especially in a restaurant)

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

the act of eating dinner

From this reading The Citadel in Space For the first time in many days Brandon and Westfall sat at dinner in the main dining room of the _Sirius_.

the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday

From this reading The Citadel in Space For the first time in many days Brandon and Westfall sat at dinner in the main dining room of the _Sirius_.

showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

-ing form of “enjoy” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

opinion or judgment

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading "You must have had help to get that far off--no one man could possibly be as wrong as you are.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading The Citadel in Space For the first time in many days Brandon and Westfall sat at dinner in the main dining room of the _Sirius_.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The Citadel in Space For the first time in many days Brandon and Westfall sat at dinner in the main dining room of the _Sirius_.

plural of “force” — a powerful effect or influence

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

being in accord with established forms and conventions and requirements (as e.g. of formal dress)

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading "But I tell you, Quince, you're full of little red ants, clear to the neck!"

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading "You must have had help to get that far off--no one man could possibly be as wrong as you are.

to an extraordinary extent or degree

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

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

From this reading "You must have had help to get that far off--no one man could possibly be as wrong as you are.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "You must have had help to get that far off--no one man could possibly be as wrong as you are.

give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading "You must have had help to get that far off--no one man could possibly be as wrong as you are.

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

From this reading Brandon snorted, as Westfall waved one of his arguments aside.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "But I tell you, Quince, you're full of little red ants, clear to the neck!"

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

From this reading The Citadel in Space For the first time in many days Brandon and Westfall sat at dinner in the main dining room of the _Sirius_.

in place of, or as an alternative to

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

in an unhurried way or at one's convenience

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

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

From this reading "But I tell you, Quince, you're full of little red ants, clear to the neck!"

most important element

From this reading The Citadel in Space For the first time in many days Brandon and Westfall sat at dinner in the main dining room of the _Sirius_.

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

From this reading "You must have had help to get that far off--no one man could possibly be as wrong as you are.

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 The Citadel in Space For the first time in many days Brandon and Westfall sat at dinner in the main dining room of the _Sirius_.

the food served and eaten at one time

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading "You must have had help to get that far off--no one man could possibly be as wrong as you are.

the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body

From this reading "But I tell you, Quince, you're full of little red ants, clear to the neck!"

not any; not one

From this reading "You must have had help to get that far off--no one man could possibly be as wrong as you are.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The Citadel in Space For the first time in many days Brandon and Westfall sat at dinner in the main dining room of the _Sirius_.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading "You must have had help to get that far off--no one man could possibly be as wrong as you are.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Brandon snorted, as Westfall waved one of his arguments aside.

marked by the reception of pay

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

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

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

by chance

From this reading "You must have had help to get that far off--no one man could possibly be as wrong as you are.

a prediction made by extrapolating from past observations

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

free of extraneous elements of any kind

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

small Asian tree with pinkish flowers and pear-shaped fruit; widely cultivated

From this reading "But I tell you, Quince, you're full of little red ants, clear to the neck!"

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading "But I tell you, Quince, you're full of little red ants, clear to the neck!"

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading The Citadel in Space For the first time in many days Brandon and Westfall sat at dinner in the main dining room of the _Sirius_.

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading The Citadel in Space For the first time in many days Brandon and Westfall sat at dinner in the main dining room of the _Sirius_.

food that is discarded (as from a kitchen)

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

the brightest star in the sky; in Canis Major

From this reading The Citadel in Space For the first time in many days Brandon and Westfall sat at dinner in the main dining room of the _Sirius_.

past form of “snort” — indicate contempt by breathing noisily and forcefully through the nose

From this reading Brandon snorted, as Westfall waved one of his arguments aside.

the unlimited expanse in which everything is located

From this reading The Citadel in Space For the first time in many days Brandon and Westfall sat at dinner in the main dining room of the _Sirius_.

not in physical motion

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

plural of “subject” — the subject matter of a conversation or discussion

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

exchange thoughts; talk with

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

express in words

From this reading "But I tell you, Quince, you're full of little red ants, clear to the neck!"

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "You must have had help to get that far off--no one man could possibly be as wrong as you are.

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

From this reading The Citadel in Space For the first time in many days Brandon and Westfall sat at dinner in the main dining room of the _Sirius_.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading The Citadel in Space For the first time in many days Brandon and Westfall sat at dinner in the main dining room of the _Sirius_.

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

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

unusual or unfamiliar

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

past form of “wave” — signal with the hands or nod

From this reading Brandon snorted, as Westfall waved one of his arguments aside.

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

From this reading They were enjoying greatly the unaccustomed pleasure of a leisurely, formal meal; but still their talk concerned the projection of pure forces instead of subjects more appropriate to the table; still their eyes paid more attention to diagrams drawn upon scraps of paper than to the diners about them.

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

From this reading The Citadel in Space For the first time in many days Brandon and Westfall sat at dinner in the main dining room of the _Sirius_.

not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth

From this reading "You must have had help to get that far off--no one man could possibly be as wrong as you are.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "But I tell you, Quince, you're full of little red ants, clear to the neck!"

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

From this reading "But I tell you, Quince, you're full of little red ants, clear to the neck!"