Chapter XXXIX

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

From this reading Out in the sacred courtyard where all had been babel and noise, a terrible stillness had come—every head thrown back, every startled black eye strained to the sky.

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Out in the sacred courtyard where all had been babel and noise, a terrible stillness had come—every head thrown back, every startled black eye strained to the sky.

changed in form or character without becoming something else

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

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

From this reading Out in the sacred courtyard where all had been babel and noise, a terrible stillness had come—every head thrown back, every startled black eye strained to the sky.

a native or inhabitant of Asia

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

(Genesis 11:1-11) a tower built by Noah's descendants (probably in Babylon) who intended it to reach up to heaven; God foiled them by confusing their language so they could no longer understand one another

From this reading Out in the sacred courtyard where all had been babel and noise, a terrible stillness had come—every head thrown back, every startled black eye strained to the sky.

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Out in the sacred courtyard where all had been babel and noise, a terrible stillness had come—every head thrown back, every startled black eye strained to the sky.

plural of “back” — the posterior part of a human (or animal) body from the neck to the end of the spine

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

an army unit usually consisting of a headquarters and three or more companies

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Out in the sacred courtyard where all had been babel and noise, a terrible stillness had come—every head thrown back, every startled black eye strained to the sky.

past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

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

From this reading Out in the sacred courtyard where all had been babel and noise, a terrible stillness had come—every head thrown back, every startled black eye strained to the sky.

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

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

bedding that keeps a person warm in bed

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

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

From this reading Out in the sacred courtyard where all had been babel and noise, a terrible stillness had come—every head thrown back, every startled black eye strained to the sky.

An unroofed area that is completely or partially enclosed by the walls of a house.

From this reading Out in the sacred courtyard where all had been babel and noise, a terrible stillness had come—every head thrown back, every startled black eye strained to the sky.

inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

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

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

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

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

a division of the United Kingdom

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Out in the sacred courtyard where all had been babel and noise, a terrible stillness had come—every head thrown back, every startled black eye strained to the sky.

apart from; not including

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

the organ of sight

From this reading Out in the sacred courtyard where all had been babel and noise, a terrible stillness had come—every head thrown back, every startled black eye strained to the sky.

opinion or judgment

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

so thin as to transmit light

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

a formation of aircraft in flight

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

a church congregation guided by a pastor

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

a long fixed look

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

an alert and refreshed state

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

coins made of gold

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

characterized by unusual lightness and delicacy

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

a barrier that has parallel or crossed bars blocking a passage but admitting air

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

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

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

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

From this reading Out in the sacred courtyard where all had been babel and noise, a terrible stillness had come—every head thrown back, every startled black eye strained to the sky.

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

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading Out in the sacred courtyard where all had been babel and noise, a terrible stillness had come—every head thrown back, every startled black eye strained to the sky.

an important or influential (and often overbearing) person

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

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

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

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

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

characteristic of humanity

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

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

From this reading Out in the sacred courtyard where all had been babel and noise, a terrible stillness had come—every head thrown back, every startled black eye strained to the sky.

becoming greater or larger

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

with strained or eager attention

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was true.

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 Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

moving slowly and gently

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

the act of hearing attentively

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

move something or somebody to a lower position

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

an imaginary creature usually having various human and animal parts

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

not any; not one

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)

From this reading Out in the sacred courtyard where all had been babel and noise, a terrible stillness had come—every head thrown back, every startled black eye strained to the sky.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Out in the sacred courtyard where all had been babel and noise, a terrible stillness had come—every head thrown back, every startled black eye strained to the sky.

past form of “peep” — look furtively

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

by chance

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

inflected form of “petrify” — cause to become stonelike or stiff or dazed and stunned from fright

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

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

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

plural of “priest” — a clergyman in Christian churches who has the authority to perform or administer various religious rites; one of the Holy Orders

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

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

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

-ing form of “quake” — shake with fast, tremulous movements

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

a prince or king in India

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

with speed

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

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

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

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

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

of or relating to or indicative of or issued or performed by a king or queen or other monarch

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

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

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

concerned with religion or religious purposes

From this reading Out in the sacred courtyard where all had been babel and noise, a terrible stillness had come—every head thrown back, every startled black eye strained to the sky.

an educational institution

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading Out in the sacred courtyard where all had been babel and noise, a terrible stillness had come—every head thrown back, every startled black eye strained to the sky.

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

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement

From this reading Out in the sacred courtyard where all had been babel and noise, a terrible stillness had come—every head thrown back, every startled black eye strained to the sky.

at a steady rate or pace

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

(poetic) tranquil silence

From this reading Out in the sacred courtyard where all had been babel and noise, a terrible stillness had come—every head thrown back, every startled black eye strained to the sky.

lacking natural ease

From this reading Out in the sacred courtyard where all had been babel and noise, a terrible stillness had come—every head thrown back, every startled black eye strained to the sky.

the time in the evening at which the sun begins to fall below the horizon

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

past form of “swoop” — move down on as if in an attack

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

-ing form of “swoop” — move down on as if in an attack

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

causing fear or dread or terror

From this reading Out in the sacred courtyard where all had been babel and noise, a terrible stillness had come—every head thrown back, every startled black eye strained to the sky.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

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

From this reading Out in the sacred courtyard where all had been babel and noise, a terrible stillness had come—every head thrown back, every startled black eye strained to the sky.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

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

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

pulsate or pound with abnormal force

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

caused to fall to the ground

From this reading Out in the sacred courtyard where all had been babel and noise, a terrible stillness had come—every head thrown back, every startled black eye strained to the sky.

up to a particular time

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

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

From this reading Out in the sacred courtyard where all had been babel and noise, a terrible stillness had come—every head thrown back, every startled black eye strained to the sky.

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading It was true.

not known

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

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

From this reading It was true.

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

From this reading Like a flight of dragon-flies—gray, far and filmy, the plane-birds came, then like a school of black-bellied fish with backs of gold and rose in the sunset glow, then like some flock of monster well-trained birds, a battalion perhaps of the great rocs the mazed people believed them, nearer and nearer they came, lower and lower they swooped.

any or all of a kind, it does not matter which

From this reading Through the royal, blue blanket of the Asian sky England had peeped, and whatever his priests and people thought, the Raja of Rukh—he’d not altered his attitude, except to gaze steadily up, listening intently, he’d not let his face or his eyes change—knew that England swooping puissantly down had cried to him, “Hold!

in or at the place that

From this reading Out in the sacred courtyard where all had been babel and noise, a terrible stillness had come—every head thrown back, every startled black eye strained to the sky.

make a soft swishing sound

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

a means of flight or ascent

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Through the silence—human noise petrified by quaking fear of the unknown—came a faint, but rapidly increasing whirr and throb, no more at first than the gossamer sound of lazy dragon-fly wings, then more and more, till the air reeked with the high-up grating sound.