used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a small, bare, windowless cell of the same blue stone.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Dull light came from the walls themselves, a waste-disposal hole opened downward, a porous circle in the ceiling breathed fresh air.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading When the black guards had urged the humans through and the dilated wall had returned to a blank barrier, they were alone.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Beyond the chamber was another hall, and at its end was another room.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading Beyond the chamber was another hall, and at its end was another room.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Beyond the chamber was another hall, and at its end was another room.
completely unclothed
From this reading It was a small, bare, windowless cell of the same blue stone.
barriernounUS /ˈbæriər/
a structure or object that impedes free movement
From this reading When the black guards had urged the humans through and the dilated wall had returned to a blank barrier, they were alone.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading Beyond the chamber was another hall, and at its end was another room.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading When the black guards had urged the humans through and the dilated wall had returned to a blank barrier, they were alone.
blankadjectiveUS /blæŋk/
(of a surface) not written or printed on
From this reading When the black guards had urged the humans through and the dilated wall had returned to a blank barrier, they were alone.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading It was a small, bare, windowless cell of the same blue stone.
uttered without voice
From this reading Dull light came from the walls themselves, a waste-disposal hole opened downward, a porous circle in the ceiling breathed fresh air.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Dull light came from the walls themselves, a waste-disposal hole opened downward, a porous circle in the ceiling breathed fresh air.
ceilingnounUS /ˈsiːlɪŋ/
the overhead upper surface of a covered space
From this reading Dull light came from the walls themselves, a waste-disposal hole opened downward, a porous circle in the ceiling breathed fresh air.
cellnounUS /sel/
A small stone room in a prison where an inmate is locked behind iron bars.
From this reading It was a small, bare, windowless cell of the same blue stone.
a natural or artificial enclosed space
From this reading Beyond the chamber was another hall, and at its end was another room.
ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point
From this reading Dull light came from the walls themselves, a waste-disposal hole opened downward, a porous circle in the ceiling breathed fresh air.
dilatedverbUS /ˌdaɪˈleɪtɪd/
past form of “dilate” — become wider
From this reading When the black guards had urged the humans through and the dilated wall had returned to a blank barrier, they were alone.
downwardadjectiveUS /ˈdaʊnwərd/
extending or moving from a higher to a lower place
From this reading Dull light came from the walls themselves, a waste-disposal hole opened downward, a porous circle in the ceiling breathed fresh air.
lacking in liveliness or animation
From this reading Dull light came from the walls themselves, a waste-disposal hole opened downward, a porous circle in the ceiling breathed fresh air.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading Beyond the chamber was another hall, and at its end was another room.
featurelessadjectiveUS /ˈfiːtʃərləs/
lacking distinguishing characteristics or features
From this reading Otherwise the place was featureless.
recently made, produced, or harvested
From this reading Dull light came from the walls themselves, a waste-disposal hole opened downward, a porous circle in the ceiling breathed fresh air.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Dull light came from the walls themselves, a waste-disposal hole opened downward, a porous circle in the ceiling breathed fresh air.
guardsnounUS /ɡɑːrdz/
plural of “guard” — a person who keeps watch over something or someone
From this reading When the black guards had urged the humans through and the dilated wall had returned to a blank barrier, they were alone.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading When the black guards had urged the humans through and the dilated wall had returned to a blank barrier, they were alone.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading Beyond the chamber was another hall, and at its end was another room.
an opening into or through something
From this reading Dull light came from the walls themselves, a waste-disposal hole opened downward, a porous circle in the ceiling breathed fresh air.
humansnounUS /ˈhjuːmənz/
all of the living human inhabitants of the earth
From this reading When the black guards had urged the humans through and the dilated wall had returned to a blank barrier, they were alone.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Dull light came from the walls themselves, a waste-disposal hole opened downward, a porous circle in the ceiling breathed fresh air.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a small, bare, windowless cell of the same blue stone.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Beyond the chamber was another hall, and at its end was another room.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Dull light came from the walls themselves, a waste-disposal hole opened downward, a porous circle in the ceiling breathed fresh air.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was a small, bare, windowless cell of the same blue stone.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading Dull light came from the walls themselves, a waste-disposal hole opened downward, a porous circle in the ceiling breathed fresh air.
in other respects or ways
From this reading Otherwise the place was featureless.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Otherwise the place was featureless.
porousadjectiveUS /ˈpɔːrəs/
able to absorb fluids
From this reading Dull light came from the walls themselves, a waste-disposal hole opened downward, a porous circle in the ceiling breathed fresh air.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading When the black guards had urged the humans through and the dilated wall had returned to a blank barrier, they were alone.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Beyond the chamber was another hall, and at its end was another room.
Identical; not different.
From this reading It was a small, bare, windowless cell of the same blue stone.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading It was a small, bare, windowless cell of the same blue stone.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading It was a small, bare, windowless cell of the same blue stone.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Beyond the chamber was another hall, and at its end was another room.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading Dull light came from the walls themselves, a waste-disposal hole opened downward, a porous circle in the ceiling breathed fresh air.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When the black guards had urged the humans through and the dilated wall had returned to a blank barrier, they were alone.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading When the black guards had urged the humans through and the dilated wall had returned to a blank barrier, they were alone.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When the black guards had urged the humans through and the dilated wall had returned to a blank barrier, they were alone.
past form of “urge” — force or impel in an indicated direction
From this reading When the black guards had urged the humans through and the dilated wall had returned to a blank barrier, they were alone.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading When the black guards had urged the humans through and the dilated wall had returned to a blank barrier, they were alone.
plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading Dull light came from the walls themselves, a waste-disposal hole opened downward, a porous circle in the ceiling breathed fresh air.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Beyond the chamber was another hall, and at its end was another room.
waste-disposal
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dull light came from the walls themselves, a waste-disposal hole opened downward, a porous circle in the ceiling breathed fresh air.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading When the black guards had urged the humans through and the dilated wall had returned to a blank barrier, they were alone.
at the time that
From this reading When the black guards had urged the humans through and the dilated wall had returned to a blank barrier, they were alone.
windowless
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a small, bare, windowless cell of the same blue stone.
