Chapter I · Chapter 1

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

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

an airfield equipped with control tower and hangars as well as accommodations for passengers and cargo

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

plural of “american” — a native or inhabitant of the United States

From this reading The crowd was quiet, and the mayor didn't seem quite as at-ease as he'd been on his last big welcoming--for Corporal Berringer, one of the crew of the spaceship _Washington_, first to set Americans upon Mars.

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

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

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

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

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

From this reading The crowd was quiet, and the mayor didn't seem quite as at-ease as he'd been on his last big welcoming--for Corporal Berringer, one of the crew of the spaceship _Washington_, first to set Americans upon Mars.

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

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

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

From this reading The crowd was quiet, and the mayor didn't seem quite as at-ease as he'd been on his last big welcoming--for Corporal Berringer, one of the crew of the spaceship _Washington_, first to set Americans upon Mars.

on the far side of; further than

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading The crowd was quiet, and the mayor didn't seem quite as at-ease as he'd been on his last big welcoming--for Corporal Berringer, one of the crew of the spaceship _Washington_, first to set Americans upon Mars.

plural of “boundary” — the line or plane indicating the limit or extent of something

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

a widely known person

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration

From this reading His Honor's handclasp was somewhat moist and cold.

a noncommissioned officer in the Army or Air Force or Marines

From this reading The crowd was quiet, and the mayor didn't seem quite as at-ease as he'd been on his last big welcoming--for Corporal Berringer, one of the crew of the spaceship _Washington_, first to set Americans upon Mars.

the men and women who man a vehicle (ship, aircraft, etc.)

From this reading The crowd was quiet, and the mayor didn't seem quite as at-ease as he'd been on his last big welcoming--for Corporal Berringer, one of the crew of the spaceship _Washington_, first to set Americans upon Mars.

grown in many varieties for their brightly colored foliage; widely cultivated as a houseplant

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

cause to herd, drive, or crowd together

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

a state in which you want to learn more about something

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

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

From this reading The crowd was quiet, and the mayor didn't seem quite as at-ease as he'd been on his last big welcoming--for Corporal Berringer, one of the crew of the spaceship _Washington_, first to set Americans upon Mars.

past form of “engulf” — devote (oneself) fully to

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

all things; all of a situation

From this reading But everything wasn't usual.

opinion or judgment

From this reading His Honor's eyes held a trace of remoteness.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

a wilderness at the edge of a settled area of a country

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

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

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

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

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

grasping and shaking a person's hand (as to acknowledge an introduction or to agree on a contract)

From this reading His Honor's handclasp was somewhat moist and cold.

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

From this reading The crowd was quiet, and the mayor didn't seem quite as at-ease as he'd been on his last big welcoming--for Corporal Berringer, one of the crew of the spaceship _Washington_, first to set Americans upon Mars.

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading His Honor's eyes held a trace of remoteness.

a man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

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

From this reading The crowd was quiet, and the mayor didn't seem quite as at-ease as he'd been on his last big welcoming--for Corporal Berringer, one of the crew of the spaceship _Washington_, first to set Americans upon Mars.

possessive form of “honor” — a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction

From this reading His Honor's handclasp was somewhat moist and cold.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

immediately past

From this reading The crowd was quiet, and the mayor didn't seem quite as at-ease as he'd been on his last big welcoming--for Corporal Berringer, one of the crew of the spaceship _Washington_, first to set Americans upon Mars.

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

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

a small reddish planet that is the 4th from the sun and is periodically visible to the naked eye; minerals rich in iron cover its surface and are responsible for its characteristic color

From this reading The crowd was quiet, and the mayor didn't seem quite as at-ease as he'd been on his last big welcoming--for Corporal Berringer, one of the crew of the spaceship _Washington_, first to set Americans upon Mars.

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

the head of a city government

From this reading The crowd was quiet, and the mayor didn't seem quite as at-ease as he'd been on his last big welcoming--for Corporal Berringer, one of the crew of the spaceship _Washington_, first to set Americans upon Mars.

inflected form of “meet” — come together

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

slightly wet

From this reading His Honor's handclasp was somewhat moist and cold.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The crowd was quiet, and the mayor didn't seem quite as at-ease as he'd been on his last big welcoming--for Corporal Berringer, one of the crew of the spaceship _Washington_, first to set Americans upon Mars.

on one occasion

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The crowd was quiet, and the mayor didn't seem quite as at-ease as he'd been on his last big welcoming--for Corporal Berringer, one of the crew of the spaceship _Washington_, first to set Americans upon Mars.

relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

situated in a particular spot or position

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

plural of “politician” — a leader engaged in civil administration

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity

From this reading The crowd was quiet, and the mayor didn't seem quite as at-ease as he'd been on his last big welcoming--for Corporal Berringer, one of the crew of the spaceship _Washington_, first to set Americans upon Mars.

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading The crowd was quiet, and the mayor didn't seem quite as at-ease as he'd been on his last big welcoming--for Corporal Berringer, one of the crew of the spaceship _Washington_, first to set Americans upon Mars.

on the contrary

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

the property of being remote

From this reading His Honor's eyes held a trace of remoteness.

go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading The crowd was quiet, and the mayor didn't seem quite as at-ease as he'd been on his last big welcoming--for Corporal Berringer, one of the crew of the spaceship _Washington_, first to set Americans upon Mars.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading The crowd was quiet, and the mayor didn't seem quite as at-ease as he'd been on his last big welcoming--for Corporal Berringer, one of the crew of the spaceship _Washington_, first to set Americans upon Mars.

from a time in the past until now

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

to a small degree or extent

From this reading His Honor's handclasp was somewhat moist and cold.

a spacecraft designed to carry a crew into interstellar space (especially in science fiction)

From this reading The crowd was quiet, and the mayor didn't seem quite as at-ease as he'd been on his last big welcoming--for Corporal Berringer, one of the crew of the spaceship _Washington_, first to set Americans upon Mars.

plural of “speech” — the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

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

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

in or at that place or location

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

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

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

a just detectable amount

From this reading His Honor's eyes held a trace of remoteness.

the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading The crowd was quiet, and the mayor didn't seem quite as at-ease as he'd been on his last big welcoming--for Corporal Berringer, one of the crew of the spaceship _Washington_, first to set Americans upon Mars.

occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

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

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

the capital of the United States in the District of Columbia and a tourist mecca; George Washington commissioned Charles L'Enfant to lay out the city in 1791

From this reading The crowd was quiet, and the mayor didn't seem quite as at-ease as he'd been on his last big welcoming--for Corporal Berringer, one of the crew of the spaceship _Washington_, first to set Americans upon Mars.

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

From this reading But everything wasn't usual.

past form of “welcome” — accept gladly

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

very cordial

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

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

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

which person or people

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading _The first man to return from beyond the Great Frontier may be welcomed ... but will it be as a curiosity, rather than as a hero...?_ There was the usual welcoming crowd for a celebrity, and the usual speeches by the usual politicians who met him at the airport which had once been twenty miles outside of Croton, but which the growing city had since engulfed and placed well within its boundaries.