Chapter III

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

From this reading Down the Silver Ladder For a long, long time I gazed into the abyss, lost in the wonder and the mystery of it.

a bottomless gulf or pit; any unfathomable (or apparently unfathomable) cavity or chasm or void extending below (often used figuratively)

From this reading Down the Silver Ladder For a long, long time I gazed into the abyss, lost in the wonder and the mystery of it.

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading The scene was so vast, so strange, so wildly beautiful and unearthly, that it seemed almost a dream, instead of an ominous reality.

Having no one else present.

From this reading It was hard to realize that somewhere upon the red plain, or along the shores of the Silver Lake, or perhaps beneath the banks of mist beyond, Austen was--or had been--alone, and in distress.

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading It was hard to realize that somewhere upon the red plain, or along the shores of the Silver Lake, or perhaps beneath the banks of mist beyond, Austen was--or had been--alone, and in distress.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading The scene was so vast, so strange, so wildly beautiful and unearthly, that it seemed almost a dream, instead of an ominous reality.

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

From this reading Down the Silver Ladder For a long, long time I gazed into the abyss, lost in the wonder and the mystery of it.

English novelist noted for her insightful portrayals of middle-class families (1775-1817)

From this reading It was hard to realize that somewhere upon the red plain, or along the shores of the Silver Lake, or perhaps beneath the banks of mist beyond, Austen was--or had been--alone, and in distress.

English botanist who accompanied Captain Cook on his first voyage to the Pacific Ocean (1743-1820)

From this reading It was hard to realize that somewhere upon the red plain, or along the shores of the Silver Lake, or perhaps beneath the banks of mist beyond, Austen was--or had been--alone, and in distress.

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading The scene was so vast, so strange, so wildly beautiful and unearthly, that it seemed almost a dream, instead of an ominous reality.

for the reason that

From this reading Meanwhile the sun climbed over and lit the farther rim, which still was black or dully red, because of the dark colors of the volcanic rocks of which it is composed.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading It was hard to realize that somewhere upon the red plain, or along the shores of the Silver Lake, or perhaps beneath the banks of mist beyond, Austen was--or had been--alone, and in distress.

Directly under; in or to a lower position than.

From this reading It was hard to realize that somewhere upon the red plain, or along the shores of the Silver Lake, or perhaps beneath the banks of mist beyond, Austen was--or had been--alone, and in distress.

on the far side of; further than

From this reading It was hard to realize that somewhere upon the red plain, or along the shores of the Silver Lake, or perhaps beneath the banks of mist beyond, Austen was--or had been--alone, and in distress.

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading Meanwhile the sun climbed over and lit the farther rim, which still was black or dully red, because of the dark colors of the volcanic rocks of which it is composed.

past form of “climb” — go upward with gradual or continuous progress

From this reading Meanwhile the sun climbed over and lit the farther rim, which still was black or dully red, because of the dark colors of the volcanic rocks of which it is composed.

a flag that shows its nationality

From this reading Meanwhile the sun climbed over and lit the farther rim, which still was black or dully red, because of the dark colors of the volcanic rocks of which it is composed.

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading I wondered, too, from what part of this strange world had come the thing of the whistling sound and the red light, which had taken the ponies.

serenely self-possessed and free from agitation especially in times of stress

From this reading Meanwhile the sun climbed over and lit the farther rim, which still was black or dully red, because of the dark colors of the volcanic rocks of which it is composed.

absence of light or illumination

From this reading Meanwhile the sun climbed over and lit the farther rim, which still was black or dully red, because of the dark colors of the volcanic rocks of which it is composed.

psychological suffering

From this reading It was hard to realize that somewhere upon the red plain, or along the shores of the Silver Lake, or perhaps beneath the banks of mist beyond, Austen was--or had been--alone, and in distress.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Down the Silver Ladder For a long, long time I gazed into the abyss, lost in the wonder and the mystery of it.

A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.

From this reading The scene was so vast, so strange, so wildly beautiful and unearthly, that it seemed almost a dream, instead of an ominous reality.

without liveliness

From this reading Meanwhile the sun climbed over and lit the farther rim, which still was black or dully red, because of the dark colors of the volcanic rocks of which it is composed.

more distant in especially space or time

From this reading Meanwhile the sun climbed over and lit the farther rim, which still was black or dully red, because of the dark colors of the volcanic rocks of which it is composed.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Down the Silver Ladder For a long, long time I gazed into the abyss, lost in the wonder and the mystery of it.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading I wondered, too, from what part of this strange world had come the thing of the whistling sound and the red light, which had taken the ponies.

past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes

From this reading Down the Silver Ladder For a long, long time I gazed into the abyss, lost in the wonder and the mystery of it.

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

From this reading It was hard to realize that somewhere upon the red plain, or along the shores of the Silver Lake, or perhaps beneath the banks of mist beyond, Austen was--or had been--alone, and in distress.

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading It was hard to realize that somewhere upon the red plain, or along the shores of the Silver Lake, or perhaps beneath the banks of mist beyond, Austen was--or had been--alone, and in distress.

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

From this reading Down the Silver Ladder For a long, long time I gazed into the abyss, lost in the wonder and the mystery of it.

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

From this reading Down the Silver Ladder For a long, long time I gazed into the abyss, lost in the wonder and the mystery of it.

in place of, or as an alternative to

From this reading The scene was so vast, so strange, so wildly beautiful and unearthly, that it seemed almost a dream, instead of an ominous reality.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Down the Silver Ladder For a long, long time I gazed into the abyss, lost in the wonder and the mystery of it.

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

From this reading Meanwhile the sun climbed over and lit the farther rim, which still was black or dully red, because of the dark colors of the volcanic rocks of which it is composed.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Down the Silver Ladder For a long, long time I gazed into the abyss, lost in the wonder and the mystery of it.

steps consisting of two parallel members connected by rungs; for climbing up or down

From this reading Down the Silver Ladder For a long, long time I gazed into the abyss, lost in the wonder and the mystery of it.

a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land

From this reading It was hard to realize that somewhere upon the red plain, or along the shores of the Silver Lake, or perhaps beneath the banks of mist beyond, Austen was--or had been--alone, and in distress.

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading I wondered, too, from what part of this strange world had come the thing of the whistling sound and the red light, which had taken the ponies.

provided with artificial light

From this reading Meanwhile the sun climbed over and lit the farther rim, which still was black or dully red, because of the dark colors of the volcanic rocks of which it is composed.

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading Down the Silver Ladder For a long, long time I gazed into the abyss, lost in the wonder and the mystery of it.

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading Down the Silver Ladder For a long, long time I gazed into the abyss, lost in the wonder and the mystery of it.

at the same time but in another place

From this reading Meanwhile the sun climbed over and lit the farther rim, which still was black or dully red, because of the dark colors of the volcanic rocks of which it is composed.

become covered with mist

From this reading It was hard to realize that somewhere upon the red plain, or along the shores of the Silver Lake, or perhaps beneath the banks of mist beyond, Austen was--or had been--alone, and in distress.

something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained

From this reading Down the Silver Ladder For a long, long time I gazed into the abyss, lost in the wonder and the mystery of it.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Down the Silver Ladder For a long, long time I gazed into the abyss, lost in the wonder and the mystery of it.

threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments

From this reading The scene was so vast, so strange, so wildly beautiful and unearthly, that it seemed almost a dream, instead of an ominous reality.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Meanwhile the sun climbed over and lit the farther rim, which still was black or dully red, because of the dark colors of the volcanic rocks of which it is composed.

above and across; more than

From this reading Meanwhile the sun climbed over and lit the farther rim, which still was black or dully red, because of the dark colors of the volcanic rocks of which it is composed.

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading I wondered, too, from what part of this strange world had come the thing of the whistling sound and the red light, which had taken the ponies.

by chance

From this reading It was hard to realize that somewhere upon the red plain, or along the shores of the Silver Lake, or perhaps beneath the banks of mist beyond, Austen was--or had been--alone, and in distress.

clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

From this reading It was hard to realize that somewhere upon the red plain, or along the shores of the Silver Lake, or perhaps beneath the banks of mist beyond, Austen was--or had been--alone, and in distress.

plural of “pony” — a range horse of the western United States

From this reading I wondered, too, from what part of this strange world had come the thing of the whistling sound and the red light, which had taken the ponies.

all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you

From this reading The scene was so vast, so strange, so wildly beautiful and unearthly, that it seemed almost a dream, instead of an ominous reality.

be fully aware or cognizant of

From this reading It was hard to realize that somewhere upon the red plain, or along the shores of the Silver Lake, or perhaps beneath the banks of mist beyond, Austen was--or had been--alone, and in distress.

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

From this reading Meanwhile the sun climbed over and lit the farther rim, which still was black or dully red, because of the dark colors of the volcanic rocks of which it is composed.

the shape of a raised edge of a more or less circular object

From this reading Meanwhile the sun climbed over and lit the farther rim, which still was black or dully red, because of the dark colors of the volcanic rocks of which it is composed.

plural of “rock” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading Meanwhile the sun climbed over and lit the farther rim, which still was black or dully red, because of the dark colors of the volcanic rocks of which it is composed.

the place where some action occurs

From this reading The scene was so vast, so strange, so wildly beautiful and unearthly, that it seemed almost a dream, instead of an ominous reality.

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

From this reading The scene was so vast, so strange, so wildly beautiful and unearthly, that it seemed almost a dream, instead of an ominous reality.

plural of “shore” — the land along the edge of a body of water

From this reading It was hard to realize that somewhere upon the red plain, or along the shores of the Silver Lake, or perhaps beneath the banks of mist beyond, Austen was--or had been--alone, and in distress.

a soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal; occurs in argentite and in free form; used in coins and jewelry and tableware and photography

From this reading Down the Silver Ladder For a long, long time I gazed into the abyss, lost in the wonder and the mystery of it.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The scene was so vast, so strange, so wildly beautiful and unearthly, that it seemed almost a dream, instead of an ominous reality.

in or at or to some place

From this reading It was hard to realize that somewhere upon the red plain, or along the shores of the Silver Lake, or perhaps beneath the banks of mist beyond, Austen was--or had been--alone, and in distress.

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading I wondered, too, from what part of this strange world had come the thing of the whistling sound and the red light, which had taken the ponies.

not in physical motion

From this reading Meanwhile the sun climbed over and lit the farther rim, which still was black or dully red, because of the dark colors of the volcanic rocks of which it is composed.

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

From this reading The scene was so vast, so strange, so wildly beautiful and unearthly, that it seemed almost a dream, instead of an ominous reality.

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading Meanwhile the sun climbed over and lit the farther rim, which still was black or dully red, because of the dark colors of the volcanic rocks of which it is composed.

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading I wondered, too, from what part of this strange world had come the thing of the whistling sound and the red light, which had taken the ponies.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The scene was so vast, so strange, so wildly beautiful and unearthly, that it seemed almost a dream, instead of an ominous reality.

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

From this reading Down the Silver Ladder For a long, long time I gazed into the abyss, lost in the wonder and the mystery of it.

a special situation

From this reading I wondered, too, from what part of this strange world had come the thing of the whistling sound and the red light, which had taken the ponies.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading I wondered, too, from what part of this strange world had come the thing of the whistling sound and the red light, which had taken the ponies.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Down the Silver Ladder For a long, long time I gazed into the abyss, lost in the wonder and the mystery of it.

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

From this reading It was hard to realize that somewhere upon the red plain, or along the shores of the Silver Lake, or perhaps beneath the banks of mist beyond, Austen was--or had been--alone, and in distress.

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading I wondered, too, from what part of this strange world had come the thing of the whistling sound and the red light, which had taken the ponies.

concerned with or affecting the spirit or soul

From this reading The scene was so vast, so strange, so wildly beautiful and unearthly, that it seemed almost a dream, instead of an ominous reality.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading It was hard to realize that somewhere upon the red plain, or along the shores of the Silver Lake, or perhaps beneath the banks of mist beyond, Austen was--or had been--alone, and in distress.

unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope

From this reading The scene was so vast, so strange, so wildly beautiful and unearthly, that it seemed almost a dream, instead of an ominous reality.

relating to or produced by or consisting of volcanoes

From this reading Meanwhile the sun climbed over and lit the farther rim, which still was black or dully red, because of the dark colors of the volcanic rocks of which it is composed.

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

From this reading Meanwhile the sun climbed over and lit the farther rim, which still was black or dully red, because of the dark colors of the volcanic rocks of which it is composed.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading I wondered, too, from what part of this strange world had come the thing of the whistling sound and the red light, which had taken the ponies.

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

From this reading Meanwhile the sun climbed over and lit the farther rim, which still was black or dully red, because of the dark colors of the volcanic rocks of which it is composed.

the sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam coming out of a small aperture

From this reading I wondered, too, from what part of this strange world had come the thing of the whistling sound and the red light, which had taken the ponies.

to an extreme or greatly exaggerated degree

From this reading The scene was so vast, so strange, so wildly beautiful and unearthly, that it seemed almost a dream, instead of an ominous reality.

the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising

From this reading Down the Silver Ladder For a long, long time I gazed into the abyss, lost in the wonder and the mystery of it.

past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something

From this reading I wondered, too, from what part of this strange world had come the thing of the whistling sound and the red light, which had taken the ponies.

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading I wondered, too, from what part of this strange world had come the thing of the whistling sound and the red light, which had taken the ponies.