used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading At the moment he was looking down with one eye through the high-power immersion lens of his microscope at two tiny blobs of life in a drop of water.
abnormaladjectiveUS /æbˈnɔːrməl/
not normal; not typical or usual or regular or conforming to a norm
From this reading Every day he was passing in review scores of slides on which the elemental reaction to abnormal conditions was unfolding itself for his observation.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Each drop of water was a world where the vital spark was struggling against the harshness of nature.
alteredadjectiveUS /ˈɔːltərd/
changed in form or character without becoming something else
From this reading From day to day the salinity of the water was being slowly altered, and this was only one of thousands of experiments he had planned on the effect of changing conditions of life on the elemental organisms.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading From day to day the salinity of the water was being slowly altered, and this was only one of thousands of experiments he had planned on the effect of changing conditions of life on the elemental organisms.
apparatusnounUS /ˌæpərˈætəs/
equipment designed to serve a specific function
From this reading CONFESSION Riviere was at his glass-topped, bevel-edged bench in the private biological laboratory at Wiesbaden, surrounded by his apparatus of experiment.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading CONFESSION Riviere was at his glass-topped, bevel-edged bench in the private biological laboratory at Wiesbaden, surrounded by his apparatus of experiment.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading From day to day the salinity of the water was being slowly altered, and this was only one of thousands of experiments he had planned on the effect of changing conditions of life on the elemental organisms.
a long seat for more than one person
From this reading CONFESSION Riviere was at his glass-topped, bevel-edged bench in the private biological laboratory at Wiesbaden, surrounded by his apparatus of experiment.
bevel-edged
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading CONFESSION Riviere was at his glass-topped, bevel-edged bench in the private biological laboratory at Wiesbaden, surrounded by his apparatus of experiment.
biologicaladjectiveUS /ˌbaɪəˈlɑːdʒɪkəl/
pertaining to biology or to life and living things
From this reading CONFESSION Riviere was at his glass-topped, bevel-edged bench in the private biological laboratory at Wiesbaden, surrounded by his apparatus of experiment.
blobsnounUS /blɑːbz/
plural of “blob” — an indistinct shapeless form
From this reading At the moment he was looking down with one eye through the high-power immersion lens of his microscope at two tiny blobs of life in a drop of water.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading CONFESSION Riviere was at his glass-topped, bevel-edged bench in the private biological laboratory at Wiesbaden, surrounded by his apparatus of experiment.
changingadjectiveUS /ˈtʃeɪndʒɪŋ/
marked by continuous change or effective action
From this reading From day to day the salinity of the water was being slowly altered, and this was only one of thousands of experiments he had planned on the effect of changing conditions of life on the elemental organisms.
the prevailing context that influences the performance or the outcome of a process
From this reading From day to day the salinity of the water was being slowly altered, and this was only one of thousands of experiments he had planned on the effect of changing conditions of life on the elemental organisms.
an admission of misdeeds or faults
From this reading CONFESSION Riviere was at his glass-topped, bevel-edged bench in the private biological laboratory at Wiesbaden, surrounded by his apparatus of experiment.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading From day to day the salinity of the water was being slowly altered, and this was only one of thousands of experiments he had planned on the effect of changing conditions of life on the elemental organisms.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading At the moment he was looking down with one eye through the high-power immersion lens of his microscope at two tiny blobs of life in a drop of water.
let fall to the ground
From this reading At the moment he was looking down with one eye through the high-power immersion lens of his microscope at two tiny blobs of life in a drop of water.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading Each drop of water was a world where the vital spark was struggling against the harshness of nature.
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading From day to day the salinity of the water was being slowly altered, and this was only one of thousands of experiments he had planned on the effect of changing conditions of life on the elemental organisms.
elementaladjectiveUS /ˌeləˈmentəl/
relating to or being an element
From this reading From day to day the salinity of the water was being slowly altered, and this was only one of thousands of experiments he had planned on the effect of changing conditions of life on the elemental organisms.
EverydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Every day he was passing in review scores of slides on which the elemental reaction to abnormal conditions was unfolding itself for his observation.
experimentnounUS /ɪkˈsperəmənt/
the act of conducting a controlled test or investigation
From this reading CONFESSION Riviere was at his glass-topped, bevel-edged bench in the private biological laboratory at Wiesbaden, surrounded by his apparatus of experiment.
experimentsnounUS /ɪkˈsperəmənts/
plural of “experiment” — the act of conducting a controlled test or investigation
From this reading From day to day the salinity of the water was being slowly altered, and this was only one of thousands of experiments he had planned on the effect of changing conditions of life on the elemental organisms.
the organ of sight
From this reading At the moment he was looking down with one eye through the high-power immersion lens of his microscope at two tiny blobs of life in a drop of water.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Every day he was passing in review scores of slides on which the elemental reaction to abnormal conditions was unfolding itself for his observation.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading From day to day the salinity of the water was being slowly altered, and this was only one of thousands of experiments he had planned on the effect of changing conditions of life on the elemental organisms.
glass-topped
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading CONFESSION Riviere was at his glass-topped, bevel-edged bench in the private biological laboratory at Wiesbaden, surrounded by his apparatus of experiment.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading From day to day the salinity of the water was being slowly altered, and this was only one of thousands of experiments he had planned on the effect of changing conditions of life on the elemental organisms.
harshnessnounUS /ˈhɑːrʃnəs/
the roughness of a substance that causes abrasions
From this reading Each drop of water was a world where the vital spark was struggling against the harshness of nature.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading At the moment he was looking down with one eye through the high-power immersion lens of his microscope at two tiny blobs of life in a drop of water.
high-poweradjective
vigorously energetic or forceful
From this reading At the moment he was looking down with one eye through the high-power immersion lens of his microscope at two tiny blobs of life in a drop of water.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading CONFESSION Riviere was at his glass-topped, bevel-edged bench in the private biological laboratory at Wiesbaden, surrounded by his apparatus of experiment.
immersionnounUS /ˌɪˈmɜːrʒən/
sinking until covered completely with water
From this reading At the moment he was looking down with one eye through the high-power immersion lens of his microscope at two tiny blobs of life in a drop of water.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading CONFESSION Riviere was at his glass-topped, bevel-edged bench in the private biological laboratory at Wiesbaden, surrounded by his apparatus of experiment.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading Every day he was passing in review scores of slides on which the elemental reaction to abnormal conditions was unfolding itself for his observation.
laboratorynounUS /ˈlæbrətɔːri/
a workplace for the conduct of scientific research
From this reading CONFESSION Riviere was at his glass-topped, bevel-edged bench in the private biological laboratory at Wiesbaden, surrounded by his apparatus of experiment.
lensnounUS /lenz/
a transparent optical device used to converge or diverge transmitted light and to form images
From this reading At the moment he was looking down with one eye through the high-power immersion lens of his microscope at two tiny blobs of life in a drop of water.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading At the moment he was looking down with one eye through the high-power immersion lens of his microscope at two tiny blobs of life in a drop of water.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading At the moment he was looking down with one eye through the high-power immersion lens of his microscope at two tiny blobs of life in a drop of water.
microscopenounUS /ˈmaɪkrəskoʊp/
magnifier of the image of small objects
From this reading At the moment he was looking down with one eye through the high-power immersion lens of his microscope at two tiny blobs of life in a drop of water.
a particular point in time
From this reading At the moment he was looking down with one eye through the high-power immersion lens of his microscope at two tiny blobs of life in a drop of water.
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading Each drop of water was a world where the vital spark was struggling against the harshness of nature.
the act of making and recording a measurement
From this reading Every day he was passing in review scores of slides on which the elemental reaction to abnormal conditions was unfolding itself for his observation.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading CONFESSION Riviere was at his glass-topped, bevel-edged bench in the private biological laboratory at Wiesbaden, surrounded by his apparatus of experiment.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading From day to day the salinity of the water was being slowly altered, and this was only one of thousands of experiments he had planned on the effect of changing conditions of life on the elemental organisms.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading At the moment he was looking down with one eye through the high-power immersion lens of his microscope at two tiny blobs of life in a drop of water.
and nothing more
From this reading From day to day the salinity of the water was being slowly altered, and this was only one of thousands of experiments he had planned on the effect of changing conditions of life on the elemental organisms.
organismsnounUS /ˈɔːrɡənɪzəmz/
plural of “organism” — a living thing that has (or can develop) the ability to act or function independently
From this reading From day to day the salinity of the water was being slowly altered, and this was only one of thousands of experiments he had planned on the effect of changing conditions of life on the elemental organisms.
(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate
From this reading Every day he was passing in review scores of slides on which the elemental reaction to abnormal conditions was unfolding itself for his observation.
plannedadjectiveUS /plænd/
designed or carried out according to a plan
From this reading From day to day the salinity of the water was being slowly altered, and this was only one of thousands of experiments he had planned on the effect of changing conditions of life on the elemental organisms.
confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy
From this reading CONFESSION Riviere was at his glass-topped, bevel-edged bench in the private biological laboratory at Wiesbaden, surrounded by his apparatus of experiment.
reactionnounUS /riˈækʃən/
(chemistry) a process in which one or more substances are changed into others
From this reading Every day he was passing in review scores of slides on which the elemental reaction to abnormal conditions was unfolding itself for his observation.
reviewnounUS /ˌriːˈvjuː/
a new appraisal or evaluation
From this reading Every day he was passing in review scores of slides on which the elemental reaction to abnormal conditions was unfolding itself for his observation.
Riviere
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading CONFESSION Riviere was at his glass-topped, bevel-edged bench in the private biological laboratory at Wiesbaden, surrounded by his apparatus of experiment.
salinitynounUS /səˈlɪnətiː/
the taste experience when common salt is taken into the mouth
From this reading From day to day the salinity of the water was being slowly altered, and this was only one of thousands of experiments he had planned on the effect of changing conditions of life on the elemental organisms.
scoresnounUS /skɔːrz/
a large number or amount
From this reading Every day he was passing in review scores of slides on which the elemental reaction to abnormal conditions was unfolding itself for his observation.
slidesnounUS /slaɪdz/
plural of “slide” — a small flat rectangular piece of glass on which specimens can be mounted for microscopic study
From this reading Every day he was passing in review scores of slides on which the elemental reaction to abnormal conditions was unfolding itself for his observation.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading From day to day the salinity of the water was being slowly altered, and this was only one of thousands of experiments he had planned on the effect of changing conditions of life on the elemental organisms.
sparknounUS /spɑːrk/
a momentary flash of light
From this reading Each drop of water was a world where the vital spark was struggling against the harshness of nature.
strugglingadjectiveUS /ˈstrʌɡəlɪŋ/
engaged in a struggle to overcome especially poverty or obscurity
From this reading Each drop of water was a world where the vital spark was struggling against the harshness of nature.
confined on all sides
From this reading CONFESSION Riviere was at his glass-topped, bevel-edged bench in the private biological laboratory at Wiesbaden, surrounded by his apparatus of experiment.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading CONFESSION Riviere was at his glass-topped, bevel-edged bench in the private biological laboratory at Wiesbaden, surrounded by his apparatus of experiment.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading From day to day the salinity of the water was being slowly altered, and this was only one of thousands of experiments he had planned on the effect of changing conditions of life on the elemental organisms.
plural of “thousand” — the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading From day to day the salinity of the water was being slowly altered, and this was only one of thousands of experiments he had planned on the effect of changing conditions of life on the elemental organisms.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading At the moment he was looking down with one eye through the high-power immersion lens of his microscope at two tiny blobs of life in a drop of water.
very small
From this reading At the moment he was looking down with one eye through the high-power immersion lens of his microscope at two tiny blobs of life in a drop of water.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading From day to day the salinity of the water was being slowly altered, and this was only one of thousands of experiments he had planned on the effect of changing conditions of life on the elemental organisms.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading At the moment he was looking down with one eye through the high-power immersion lens of his microscope at two tiny blobs of life in a drop of water.
unfoldingnounUS /ənˈfoʊldɪŋ/
a developmental process
From this reading Every day he was passing in review scores of slides on which the elemental reaction to abnormal conditions was unfolding itself for his observation.
vitaladjectiveUS /ˈvaɪtəl/
urgently needed; absolutely necessary
From this reading Each drop of water was a world where the vital spark was struggling against the harshness of nature.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading CONFESSION Riviere was at his glass-topped, bevel-edged bench in the private biological laboratory at Wiesbaden, surrounded by his apparatus of experiment.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading At the moment he was looking down with one eye through the high-power immersion lens of his microscope at two tiny blobs of life in a drop of water.
in or at the place that
From this reading Each drop of water was a world where the vital spark was struggling against the harshness of nature.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Every day he was passing in review scores of slides on which the elemental reaction to abnormal conditions was unfolding itself for his observation.
WiesbadennounUS /ˈwiːsbɑːdən/
a city in western Germany; a spa since Roman times
From this reading CONFESSION Riviere was at his glass-topped, bevel-edged bench in the private biological laboratory at Wiesbaden, surrounded by his apparatus of experiment.
in the company of; together with
From this reading At the moment he was looking down with one eye through the high-power immersion lens of his microscope at two tiny blobs of life in a drop of water.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading Each drop of water was a world where the vital spark was struggling against the harshness of nature.
