Chapter XVII

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

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

an unfortunate mishap; especially one causing damage or injury

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

from one side of something to the other

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

(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 For a moment I seemed to realize how small an atom was my human frame compared to all these things made by a wise ruler to complete the universe.

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

From this reading “A torrent of water swelled by the heavy rains of the night before into an angry turbulent stream, rushed down the mountain and away across the track, as if bent upon an evil mission instigated by some wild spirit of the forest.

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

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

feeling or showing anger

From this reading “A torrent of water swelled by the heavy rains of the night before into an angry turbulent stream, rushed down the mountain and away across the track, as if bent upon an evil mission instigated by some wild spirit of the forest.

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

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

(physics and chemistry) the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element

From this reading For a moment I seemed to realize how small an atom was my human frame compared to all these things made by a wise ruler to complete the universe.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading “A torrent of water swelled by the heavy rains of the night before into an angry turbulent stream, rushed down the mountain and away across the track, as if bent upon an evil mission instigated by some wild spirit of the forest.

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

From this reading It had been loosened from its bed far up the mountain side, and the course it had taken could be plainly discerned by the broken trees, and the freshly disturbed earth left in its track.

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading It had been loosened from its bed far up the mountain side, and the course it had taken could be plainly discerned by the broken trees, and the freshly disturbed earth left in its track.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading It had been loosened from its bed far up the mountain side, and the course it had taken could be plainly discerned by the broken trees, and the freshly disturbed earth left in its track.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading “A torrent of water swelled by the heavy rains of the night before into an angry turbulent stream, rushed down the mountain and away across the track, as if bent upon an evil mission instigated by some wild spirit of the forest.

a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

a large smooth mass of rock detached from its place of origin

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split

From this reading It had been loosened from its bed far up the mountain side, and the course it had taken could be plainly discerned by the broken trees, and the freshly disturbed earth left in its track.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading It had been loosened from its bed far up the mountain side, and the course it had taken could be plainly discerned by the broken trees, and the freshly disturbed earth left in its track.

past form of “compare” — examine and note the similarities or differences of

From this reading For a moment I seemed to realize how small an atom was my human frame compared to all these things made by a wise ruler to complete the universe.

come or bring to a finish or an end

From this reading For a moment I seemed to realize how small an atom was my human frame compared to all these things made by a wise ruler to complete the universe.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading It had been loosened from its bed far up the mountain side, and the course it had taken could be plainly discerned by the broken trees, and the freshly disturbed earth left in its track.

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading It had been loosened from its bed far up the mountain side, and the course it had taken could be plainly discerned by the broken trees, and the freshly disturbed earth left in its track.

past form of “descend” — move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

past form of “discern” — detect with the senses

From this reading It had been loosened from its bed far up the mountain side, and the course it had taken could be plainly discerned by the broken trees, and the freshly disturbed earth left in its track.

thrown into a state of disarray or confusion

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

having the place or position changed

From this reading It had been loosened from its bed far up the mountain side, and the course it had taken could be plainly discerned by the broken trees, and the freshly disturbed earth left in its track.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading “A torrent of water swelled by the heavy rains of the night before into an angry turbulent stream, rushed down the mountain and away across the track, as if bent upon an evil mission instigated by some wild spirit of the forest.

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading It had been loosened from its bed far up the mountain side, and the course it had taken could be plainly discerned by the broken trees, and the freshly disturbed earth left in its track.

motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

morally objectionable behavior

From this reading “A torrent of water swelled by the heavy rains of the night before into an angry turbulent stream, rushed down the mountain and away across the track, as if bent upon an evil mission instigated by some wild spirit of the forest.

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading It had been loosened from its bed far up the mountain side, and the course it had taken could be plainly discerned by the broken trees, and the freshly disturbed earth left in its track.

being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For a moment I seemed to realize how small an atom was my human frame compared to all these things made by a wise ruler to complete the universe.

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading “A torrent of water swelled by the heavy rains of the night before into an angry turbulent stream, rushed down the mountain and away across the track, as if bent upon an evil mission instigated by some wild spirit of the forest.

for a limitless time

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

enclose in or as if in a frame

From this reading For a moment I seemed to realize how small an atom was my human frame compared to all these things made by a wise ruler to complete the universe.

very recently

From this reading It had been loosened from its bed far up the mountain side, and the course it had taken could be plainly discerned by the broken trees, and the freshly disturbed earth left in its track.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading It had been loosened from its bed far up the mountain side, and the course it had taken could be plainly discerned by the broken trees, and the freshly disturbed earth left in its track.

the quality of being magnificent or splendid or grand

From this reading “The grandeur of the scene impressed me.

plutonic igneous rock having visibly crystalline texture; generally composed of feldspar and mica and quartz

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

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

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

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

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

a collection of objects laid on top of each other

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading “A torrent of water swelled by the heavy rains of the night before into an angry turbulent stream, rushed down the mountain and away across the track, as if bent upon an evil mission instigated by some wild spirit of the forest.

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

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

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

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

characteristic of humanity

From this reading For a moment I seemed to realize how small an atom was my human frame compared to all these things made by a wise ruler to complete the universe.

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

From this reading For a moment I seemed to realize how small an atom was my human frame compared to all these things made by a wise ruler to complete the universe.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading “A torrent of water swelled by the heavy rains of the night before into an angry turbulent stream, rushed down the mountain and away across the track, as if bent upon an evil mission instigated by some wild spirit of the forest.

deeply or markedly affected or influenced

From this reading “The grandeur of the scene impressed me.

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

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

past form of “instigate” — provoke or stir up

From this reading “A torrent of water swelled by the heavy rains of the night before into an angry turbulent stream, rushed down the mountain and away across the track, as if bent upon an evil mission instigated by some wild spirit of the forest.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It had been loosened from its bed far up the mountain side, and the course it had taken could be plainly discerned by the broken trees, and the freshly disturbed earth left in its track.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading It had been loosened from its bed far up the mountain side, and the course it had taken could be plainly discerned by the broken trees, and the freshly disturbed earth left in its track.

straightened out

From this reading It had been loosened from its bed far up the mountain side, and the course it had taken could be plainly discerned by the broken trees, and the freshly disturbed earth left in its track.

the deliberate act of deviating from the truth

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading “The grandeur of the scene impressed me.

having or showing great strength or force or intensity

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

an organization of missionaries in a foreign land sent to carry on religious work

From this reading “A torrent of water swelled by the heavy rains of the night before into an angry turbulent stream, rushed down the mountain and away across the track, as if bent upon an evil mission instigated by some wild spirit of the forest.

a particular point in time

From this reading For a moment I seemed to realize how small an atom was my human frame compared to all these things made by a wise ruler to complete the universe.

a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill

From this reading It had been loosened from its bed far up the mountain side, and the course it had taken could be plainly discerned by the broken trees, and the freshly disturbed earth left in its track.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading For a moment I seemed to realize how small an atom was my human frame compared to all these things made by a wise ruler to complete the universe.

make or become more narrow or restricted

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading “A torrent of water swelled by the heavy rains of the night before into an angry turbulent stream, rushed down the mountain and away across the track, as if bent upon an evil mission instigated by some wild spirit of the forest.

inflected form of “occur” — come to pass

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

go across or through

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)

From this reading It had been loosened from its bed far up the mountain side, and the course it had taken could be plainly discerned by the broken trees, and the freshly disturbed earth left in its track.

slow and laborious because of weight

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

plural of “rain” — water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere

From this reading “A torrent of water swelled by the heavy rains of the night before into an angry turbulent stream, rushed down the mountain and away across the track, as if bent upon an evil mission instigated by some wild spirit of the forest.

be fully aware or cognizant of

From this reading For a moment I seemed to realize how small an atom was my human frame compared to all these things made by a wise ruler to complete the universe.

a person who rules or commands

From this reading For a moment I seemed to realize how small an atom was my human frame compared to all these things made by a wise ruler to complete the universe.

done under pressure

From this reading “A torrent of water swelled by the heavy rains of the night before into an angry turbulent stream, rushed down the mountain and away across the track, as if bent upon an evil mission instigated by some wild spirit of the forest.

the place where some action occurs

From this reading “The grandeur of the scene impressed me.

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

From this reading For a moment I seemed to realize how small an atom was my human frame compared to all these things made by a wise ruler to complete the universe.

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading It had been loosened from its bed far up the mountain side, and the course it had taken could be plainly discerned by the broken trees, and the freshly disturbed earth left in its track.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading For a moment I seemed to realize how small an atom was my human frame compared to all these things made by a wise ruler to complete the universe.

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

From this reading “A torrent of water swelled by the heavy rains of the night before into an angry turbulent stream, rushed down the mountain and away across the track, as if bent upon an evil mission instigated by some wild spirit of the forest.

the vital principle or animating force within living things

From this reading “A torrent of water swelled by the heavy rains of the night before into an angry turbulent stream, rushed down the mountain and away across the track, as if bent upon an evil mission instigated by some wild spirit of the forest.

past form of “still” — make calm or still

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth

From this reading “A torrent of water swelled by the heavy rains of the night before into an angry turbulent stream, rushed down the mountain and away across the track, as if bent upon an evil mission instigated by some wild spirit of the forest.

feeling self-importance

From this reading “A torrent of water swelled by the heavy rains of the night before into an angry turbulent stream, rushed down the mountain and away across the track, as if bent upon an evil mission instigated by some wild spirit of the forest.

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading It had been loosened from its bed far up the mountain side, and the course it had taken could be plainly discerned by the broken trees, and the freshly disturbed earth left in its track.

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

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading For a moment I seemed to realize how small an atom was my human frame compared to all these things made by a wise ruler to complete the universe.

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading For a moment I seemed to realize how small an atom was my human frame compared to all these things made by a wise ruler to complete the universe.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

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

From this reading For a moment I seemed to realize how small an atom was my human frame compared to all these things made by a wise ruler to complete the universe.

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

a heavy rain

From this reading “A torrent of water swelled by the heavy rains of the night before into an angry turbulent stream, rushed down the mountain and away across the track, as if bent upon an evil mission instigated by some wild spirit of the forest.

a line or route along which something travels or moves

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading It had been loosened from its bed far up the mountain side, and the course it had taken could be plainly discerned by the broken trees, and the freshly disturbed earth left in its track.

characterized by unrest or disorder or insubordination

From this reading “A torrent of water swelled by the heavy rains of the night before into an angry turbulent stream, rushed down the mountain and away across the track, as if bent upon an evil mission instigated by some wild spirit of the forest.

having an intended meaning altered or misrepresented

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading For a moment I seemed to realize how small an atom was my human frame compared to all these things made by a wise ruler to complete the universe.

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

From this reading It had been loosened from its bed far up the mountain side, and the course it had taken could be plainly discerned by the broken trees, and the freshly disturbed earth left in its track.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading “A torrent of water swelled by the heavy rains of the night before into an angry turbulent stream, rushed down the mountain and away across the track, as if bent upon an evil mission instigated by some wild spirit of the forest.

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

From this reading For a moment I seemed to realize how small an atom was my human frame compared to all these things made by a wise ruler to complete the universe.

binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent

From this reading “A torrent of water swelled by the heavy rains of the night before into an angry turbulent stream, rushed down the mountain and away across the track, as if bent upon an evil mission instigated by some wild spirit of the forest.

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

plural of “wheel” — a simple machine consisting of a circular frame with spokes (or a solid disc) that can rotate on a shaft or axle (as in vehicles or other machines)

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

in or at the place that

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

during the time that

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

marked by extreme lack of restraint or control

From this reading “A torrent of water swelled by the heavy rains of the night before into an angry turbulent stream, rushed down the mountain and away across the track, as if bent upon an evil mission instigated by some wild spirit of the forest.

ligament made of metal and used to fasten things or make cages or fences etc

From this reading “We descended into the narrow pass where lay in a disordered heap the great engine, its mighty breath stilled forever; its ponderous wheels bent and twisted as though made of fine wire, while a huge bowlder of granite lying across the track, told how the accident had occurred.

having or prompted by wisdom or discernment

From this reading For a moment I seemed to realize how small an atom was my human frame compared to all these things made by a wise ruler to complete the universe.