used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Larger grew the star, and larger, hotter, and brighter with a terrible swiftness now.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Larger grew the star, and larger, hotter, and brighter with a terrible swiftness now.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.
brighteradjectiveUS /ˈbraɪtər/
comparative of “bright” — emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading Larger grew the star, and larger, hotter, and brighter with a terrible swiftness now.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading And then came a wonder.
past form of “cease” — put an end to a state or an activity
From this reading It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.
the 2nd smallest continent (actually a vast peninsula of Eurasia); the British use “Europe” to refer to all of the continent except the British Isles
From this reading It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.
decreasing in amount or degree
From this reading In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.
inflected form of “flee” — run away quickly
From this reading In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.
floodsnounUS /flʌdz/
plural of “flood” — the rising of a body of water and its overflowing onto normally dry land
From this reading In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.
ghostlyadjectiveUS /ˈɡoʊstli/
resembling or characteristic of a phantom
From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading Larger grew the star, and larger, hotter, and brighter with a terrible swiftness now.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.
a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.
hotteradjectiveUS /ˈhɑːtər/
comparative of “hot” — used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning
From this reading Larger grew the star, and larger, hotter, and brighter with a terrible swiftness now.
plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.
incessantlyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈsesəntli/
with unflagging resolve
From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.
large or big relative to something else
From this reading Larger grew the star, and larger, hotter, and brighter with a terrible swiftness now.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Larger grew the star, and larger, hotter, and brighter with a terrible swiftness now.
a large body of water constituting a principal part of the hydrosphere
From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.
phosphorescencenounUS /ˌfɑːsfərˈesəns/
a fluorescence that persists after the bombarding radiation has ceased
From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.
past form of “plunge” — thrust or throw into
From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.
advancing or becoming higher or greater in degree or value or status
From this reading It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.
rotationnounUS /roʊˈteɪʃən/
the act of rotating as if on an axis
From this reading It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.
plural of “ship” — a vessel that carries passengers or freight
From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.
slidingadjectiveUS /ˈslaɪdɪŋ/
being a smooth continuous motion
From this reading In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.
slopesnounUS /sloʊps/
plural of “slope” — an elevated geological formation
From this reading In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.
spacesnounUS /ˈspeɪsəz/
plural of “space” — the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.
speckledadjectiveUS /ˈspekəld/
having a pattern of dots
From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.
(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading Larger grew the star, and larger, hotter, and brighter with a terrible swiftness now.
steamverbUS /stiːm/
travel by means of steam power
From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.
storm-tossedadjective
pounded or hit repeatedly by storms or adversities
From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.
swiftnessnounUS /ˈswɪftnəs/
a rate (usually rapid) at which something happens
From this reading Larger grew the star, and larger, hotter, and brighter with a terrible swiftness now.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading Larger grew the star, and larger, hotter, and brighter with a terrible swiftness now.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Larger grew the star, and larger, hotter, and brighter with a terrible swiftness now.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading And then came a wonder.
an old word meaning “to that place”
From this reading In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.
the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.
tropicaladjectiveUS /ˈtrɑːpɪkəl/
relating to or situated in or characteristic of the tropics (the region on either side of the equator)
From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.
uplandadjectiveUS /ˈʌplənd/
used of high or hilly country
From this reading In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.
characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
From this reading In a thousand open spaces of down and upland the people who had fled thither from the floods and the falling houses and sliding slopes of hill watched for that rising in vain.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.
plural of “wave” — one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)
From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.
whirlingnounUS /ˈwɜːrlɪŋ/
the act of rotating in a circle or spiral
From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.
which person or people
From this reading It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Larger grew the star, and larger, hotter, and brighter with a terrible swiftness now.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading And then came a wonder.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading It seemed to those who in Europe watched for the rising of the star that the world must have ceased its rotation.
wreathsnounUS /riːθs/
plural of “wreath” — flower arrangement consisting of a circular band of foliage or flowers for ornamental purposes
From this reading The tropical ocean had lost its phosphorescence, and the whirling steam rose in ghostly wreaths from the black waves that plunged incessantly, speckled with storm-tossed ships.
