Chapter IV · Chapter 4

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

From this reading And he had found a clear block of some kind of greenish crystal, in the heart of which threadlike lines of color wove patterns which were utterly strange.

later than; following

From this reading Once when Dalgard had been very small he had raided his father's trip bag after the next to the last exploring journey the elder Nordis had made.

not contained in or deriving from the essential nature of something

From this reading And when he had watched them intently it had seemed that something happened inside his mind and he knew, here and there, a word, a fragment of alien thought--just as he normally communicated with the cub who was Sssuri or the hoppers of the field.

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

From this reading And he had found a clear block of some kind of greenish crystal, in the heart of which threadlike lines of color wove patterns which were utterly strange.

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

From this reading And when he had watched them intently it had seemed that something happened inside his mind and he knew, here and there, a word, a fragment of alien thought--just as he normally communicated with the cub who was Sssuri or the hoppers of the field.

a flexible container with a single opening

From this reading Once when Dalgard had been very small he had raided his father's trip bag after the next to the last exploring journey the elder Nordis had made.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Once when Dalgard had been very small he had raided his father's trip bag after the next to the last exploring journey the elder Nordis had made.

a solid piece of something (usually having flat rectangular sides)

From this reading And he had found a clear block of some kind of greenish crystal, in the heart of which threadlike lines of color wove patterns which were utterly strange.

made or become different in nature or form

From this reading When he had turned the block in his hand, those lines had whirled and changed to form new and intricate designs.

rid of obstructions

From this reading And he had found a clear block of some kind of greenish crystal, in the heart of which threadlike lines of color wove patterns which were utterly strange.

a visual attribute of things that results from the light they emit or transmit or reflect

From this reading And he had found a clear block of some kind of greenish crystal, in the heart of which threadlike lines of color wove patterns which were utterly strange.

past form of “communicate” — transmit information

From this reading And when he had watched them intently it had seemed that something happened inside his mind and he knew, here and there, a word, a fragment of alien thought--just as he normally communicated with the cub who was Sssuri or the hoppers of the field.

a solid formed by the solidification of a chemical and having a highly regular atomic structure

From this reading And he had found a clear block of some kind of greenish crystal, in the heart of which threadlike lines of color wove patterns which were utterly strange.

an awkward and inexperienced youth

From this reading And when he had watched them intently it had seemed that something happened inside his mind and he knew, here and there, a word, a fragment of alien thought--just as he normally communicated with the cub who was Sssuri or the hoppers of the field.

a hexahedron with six equal squares as faces

From this reading And his surprise had been so great that he had gone running to his father with the cube and the story of what happened when one watched it.

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

From this reading Once when Dalgard had been very small he had raided his father's trip bag after the next to the last exploring journey the elder Nordis had made.

plural of “design” — the act of working out the form of something (as by making a sketch or outline or plan)

From this reading When he had turned the block in his hand, those lines had whirled and changed to form new and intricate designs.

a person who is older than you are

From this reading Once when Dalgard had been very small he had raided his father's trip bag after the next to the last exploring journey the elder Nordis had made.

-ing form of “explore” — inquire into

From this reading Once when Dalgard had been very small he had raided his father's trip bag after the next to the last exploring journey the elder Nordis had made.

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading And his surprise had been so great that he had gone running to his father with the cube and the story of what happened when one watched it.

possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading Once when Dalgard had been very small he had raided his father's trip bag after the next to the last exploring journey the elder Nordis had made.

a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed

From this reading And when he had watched them intently it had seemed that something happened inside his mind and he knew, here and there, a word, a fragment of alien thought--just as he normally communicated with the cub who was Sssuri or the hoppers of the field.

the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something

From this reading When he had turned the block in his hand, those lines had whirled and changed to form new and intricate designs.

set up or found

From this reading And he had found a clear block of some kind of greenish crystal, in the heart of which threadlike lines of color wove patterns which were utterly strange.

A small part broken or separated off something larger.

From this reading And when he had watched them intently it had seemed that something happened inside his mind and he knew, here and there, a word, a fragment of alien thought--just as he normally communicated with the cub who was Sssuri or the hoppers of the field.

destroyed or killed

From this reading And his surprise had been so great that he had gone running to his father with the cube and the story of what happened when one watched it.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading And his surprise had been so great that he had gone running to his father with the cube and the story of what happened when one watched it.

of the color between blue and yellow in the color spectrum; similar to the color of fresh grass

From this reading And he had found a clear block of some kind of greenish crystal, in the heart of which threadlike lines of color wove patterns which were utterly strange.

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

From this reading Once when Dalgard had been very small he had raided his father's trip bag after the next to the last exploring journey the elder Nordis had made.

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading When he had turned the block in his hand, those lines had whirled and changed to form new and intricate designs.

past form of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading And when he had watched them intently it had seemed that something happened inside his mind and he knew, here and there, a word, a fragment of alien thought--just as he normally communicated with the cub who was Sssuri or the hoppers of the field.

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

From this reading Once when Dalgard had been very small he had raided his father's trip bag after the next to the last exploring journey the elder Nordis had made.

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading And he had found a clear block of some kind of greenish crystal, in the heart of which threadlike lines of color wove patterns which were utterly strange.

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading And when he had watched them intently it had seemed that something happened inside his mind and he knew, here and there, a word, a fragment of alien thought--just as he normally communicated with the cub who was Sssuri or the hoppers of the field.

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

From this reading Once when Dalgard had been very small he had raided his father's trip bag after the next to the last exploring journey the elder Nordis had made.

plural of “hopper” — funnel-shaped receptacle; contents pass by gravity into a receptacle below

From this reading And when he had watched them intently it had seemed that something happened inside his mind and he knew, here and there, a word, a fragment of alien thought--just as he normally communicated with the cub who was Sssuri or the hoppers of the field.

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

From this reading And he had found a clear block of some kind of greenish crystal, in the heart of which threadlike lines of color wove patterns which were utterly strange.

relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space

From this reading And when he had watched them intently it had seemed that something happened inside his mind and he knew, here and there, a word, a fragment of alien thought--just as he normally communicated with the cub who was Sssuri or the hoppers of the field.

with strained or eager attention

From this reading And when he had watched them intently it had seemed that something happened inside his mind and he knew, here and there, a word, a fragment of alien thought--just as he normally communicated with the cub who was Sssuri or the hoppers of the field.

having many complexly arranged elements; elaborate

From this reading When he had turned the block in his hand, those lines had whirled and changed to form new and intricate designs.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading And when he had watched them intently it had seemed that something happened inside his mind and he knew, here and there, a word, a fragment of alien thought--just as he normally communicated with the cub who was Sssuri or the hoppers of the field.

undertake a journey or trip

From this reading Once when Dalgard had been very small he had raided his father's trip bag after the next to the last exploring journey the elder Nordis had made.

and nothing more

From this reading And when he had watched them intently it had seemed that something happened inside his mind and he knew, here and there, a word, a fragment of alien thought--just as he normally communicated with the cub who was Sssuri or the hoppers of the field.

having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading And he had found a clear block of some kind of greenish crystal, in the heart of which threadlike lines of color wove patterns which were utterly strange.

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 And when he had watched them intently it had seemed that something happened inside his mind and he knew, here and there, a word, a fragment of alien thought--just as he normally communicated with the cub who was Sssuri or the hoppers of the field.

immediately past

From this reading Once when Dalgard had been very small he had raided his father's trip bag after the next to the last exploring journey the elder Nordis had made.

plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading And he had found a clear block of some kind of greenish crystal, in the heart of which threadlike lines of color wove patterns which were utterly strange.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Once when Dalgard had been very small he had raided his father's trip bag after the next to the last exploring journey the elder Nordis had made.

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading And when he had watched them intently it had seemed that something happened inside his mind and he knew, here and there, a word, a fragment of alien thought--just as he normally communicated with the cub who was Sssuri or the hoppers of the field.

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading When he had turned the block in his hand, those lines had whirled and changed to form new and intricate designs.

immediately following in time or order

From this reading Once when Dalgard had been very small he had raided his father's trip bag after the next to the last exploring journey the elder Nordis had made.

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

From this reading Once when Dalgard had been very small he had raided his father's trip bag after the next to the last exploring journey the elder Nordis had made.

under normal conditions

From this reading And when he had watched them intently it had seemed that something happened inside his mind and he knew, here and there, a word, a fragment of alien thought--just as he normally communicated with the cub who was Sssuri or the hoppers of the field.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading And he had found a clear block of some kind of greenish crystal, in the heart of which threadlike lines of color wove patterns which were utterly strange.

on one occasion

From this reading Once when Dalgard had been very small he had raided his father's trip bag after the next to the last exploring journey the elder Nordis had made.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading And his surprise had been so great that he had gone running to his father with the cube and the story of what happened when one watched it.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading And when he had watched them intently it had seemed that something happened inside his mind and he knew, here and there, a word, a fragment of alien thought--just as he normally communicated with the cub who was Sssuri or the hoppers of the field.

plural of “pattern” — a perceptual structure

From this reading And he had found a clear block of some kind of greenish crystal, in the heart of which threadlike lines of color wove patterns which were utterly strange.

past form of “raid” — search without warning, make a sudden surprise attack on

From this reading Once when Dalgard had been very small he had raided his father's trip bag after the next to the last exploring journey the elder Nordis had made.

(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream

From this reading And his surprise had been so great that he had gone running to his father with the cube and the story of what happened when one watched it.

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading And when he had watched them intently it had seemed that something happened inside his mind and he knew, here and there, a word, a fragment of alien thought--just as he normally communicated with the cub who was Sssuri or the hoppers of the field.

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

From this reading Once when Dalgard had been very small he had raided his father's trip bag after the next to the last exploring journey the elder Nordis had made.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading And his surprise had been so great that he had gone running to his father with the cube and the story of what happened when one watched it.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading And he had found a clear block of some kind of greenish crystal, in the heart of which threadlike lines of color wove patterns which were utterly strange.

a thing, without saying which

From this reading And when he had watched them intently it had seemed that something happened inside his mind and he knew, here and there, a word, a fragment of alien thought--just as he normally communicated with the cub who was Sssuri or the hoppers of the field.

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

From this reading And when he had watched them intently it had seemed that something happened inside his mind and he knew, here and there, a word, a fragment of alien thought--just as he normally communicated with the cub who was Sssuri or the hoppers of the field.

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading And his surprise had been so great that he had gone running to his father with the cube and the story of what happened when one watched it.

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading And he had found a clear block of some kind of greenish crystal, in the heart of which threadlike lines of color wove patterns which were utterly strange.

the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you

From this reading And his surprise had been so great that he had gone running to his father with the cube and the story of what happened when one watched it.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading And when he had watched them intently it had seemed that something happened inside his mind and he knew, here and there, a word, a fragment of alien thought--just as he normally communicated with the cub who was Sssuri or the hoppers of the field.

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

From this reading Once when Dalgard had been very small he had raided his father's trip bag after the next to the last exploring journey the elder Nordis had made.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading And when he had watched them intently it had seemed that something happened inside his mind and he knew, here and there, a word, a fragment of alien thought--just as he normally communicated with the cub who was Sssuri or the hoppers of the field.

in or at that place or location

From this reading And when he had watched them intently it had seemed that something happened inside his mind and he knew, here and there, a word, a fragment of alien thought--just as he normally communicated with the cub who was Sssuri or the hoppers of the field.

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading When he had turned the block in his hand, those lines had whirled and changed to form new and intricate designs.

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading And when he had watched them intently it had seemed that something happened inside his mind and he knew, here and there, a word, a fragment of alien thought--just as he normally communicated with the cub who was Sssuri or the hoppers of the field.

thin in diameter; resembling a thread

From this reading And he had found a clear block of some kind of greenish crystal, in the heart of which threadlike lines of color wove patterns which were utterly strange.

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

From this reading Once when Dalgard had been very small he had raided his father's trip bag after the next to the last exploring journey the elder Nordis had made.

a journey for some purpose (usually including the return)

From this reading Once when Dalgard had been very small he had raided his father's trip bag after the next to the last exploring journey the elder Nordis had made.

moved around an axis or center

From this reading When he had turned the block in his hand, those lines had whirled and changed to form new and intricate designs.

completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers

From this reading And he had found a clear block of some kind of greenish crystal, in the heart of which threadlike lines of color wove patterns which were utterly strange.

precisely as stated

From this reading Once when Dalgard had been very small he had raided his father's trip bag after the next to the last exploring journey the elder Nordis had made.

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

From this reading And when he had watched them intently it had seemed that something happened inside his mind and he knew, here and there, a word, a fragment of alien thought--just as he normally communicated with the cub who was Sssuri or the hoppers of the field.

past form of “watch” — look attentively

From this reading And when he had watched them intently it had seemed that something happened inside his mind and he knew, here and there, a word, a fragment of alien thought--just as he normally communicated with the cub who was Sssuri or the hoppers of the field.

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

From this reading And he had found a clear block of some kind of greenish crystal, in the heart of which threadlike lines of color wove patterns which were utterly strange.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading And his surprise had been so great that he had gone running to his father with the cube and the story of what happened when one watched it.

at the time that

From this reading Once when Dalgard had been very small he had raided his father's trip bag after the next to the last exploring journey the elder Nordis had made.

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

From this reading And he had found a clear block of some kind of greenish crystal, in the heart of which threadlike lines of color wove patterns which were utterly strange.

past form of “whirl” — turn in a twisting or spinning motion

From this reading When he had turned the block in his hand, those lines had whirled and changed to form new and intricate designs.

which person or people

From this reading And when he had watched them intently it had seemed that something happened inside his mind and he knew, here and there, a word, a fragment of alien thought--just as he normally communicated with the cub who was Sssuri or the hoppers of the field.

in the company of; together with

From this reading And when he had watched them intently it had seemed that something happened inside his mind and he knew, here and there, a word, a fragment of alien thought--just as he normally communicated with the cub who was Sssuri or the hoppers of the field.

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading And when he had watched them intently it had seemed that something happened inside his mind and he knew, here and there, a word, a fragment of alien thought--just as he normally communicated with the cub who was Sssuri or the hoppers of the field.

inflected form of “weave” — interlace by or as if by weaving

From this reading And he had found a clear block of some kind of greenish crystal, in the heart of which threadlike lines of color wove patterns which were utterly strange.