Chapter III · Chapter 3

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

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

in a terrible manner

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

later than; following

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

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

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

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

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

(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 They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

more than enough in size or scope or capacity

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

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

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

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

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading He had come back, yes--come back from further away than any man but himself had ever travelled; but it was strange how with this sense what he had come back _to_ seemed really the great thing, and as if his prodigious journey had been all for the sake of it.

money set aside (as by a legislature) for a specific purpose

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

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

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

the season when the leaves fall from the trees

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

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

From this reading He had come back, yes--come back from further away than any man but himself had ever travelled; but it was strange how with this sense what he had come back _to_ seemed really the great thing, and as if his prodigious journey had been all for the sake of it.

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading He had come back, yes--come back from further away than any man but himself had ever travelled; but it was strange how with this sense what he had come back _to_ seemed really the great thing, and as if his prodigious journey had been all for the sake of it.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

movement that causes the formation of a curve

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

lacking hue or shades of grey; part white and part black

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

inflected form of “bear” — have

From this reading Slowly but surely his consciousness grew, his vision of his state thus completing itself; he had been miraculously _carried_ back--lifted and carefully borne as from where he had been picked up, the uttermost end of an interminable grey passage.

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

taking care or paying attention

From this reading Slowly but surely his consciousness grew, his vision of his state thus completing itself; he had been miraculously _carried_ back--lifted and carefully borne as from where he had been picked up, the uttermost end of an interminable grey passage.

inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

From this reading Slowly but surely his consciousness grew, his vision of his state thus completing itself; he had been miraculously _carried_ back--lifted and carefully borne as from where he had been picked up, the uttermost end of an interminable grey passage.

without doubt or question

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

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 They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

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

From this reading He had come back, yes--come back from further away than any man but himself had ever travelled; but it was strange how with this sense what he had come back _to_ seemed really the great thing, and as if his prodigious journey had been all for the sake of it.

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

acting as or providing a complement (something that completes the whole)

From this reading Slowly but surely his consciousness grew, his vision of his state thus completing itself; he had been miraculously _carried_ back--lifted and carefully borne as from where he had been picked up, the uttermost end of an interminable grey passage.

intentionally conceived

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

carefully weighed

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

a mechanical damper; absorbs energy of sudden impulses

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

without deviation

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

(of solid matter) reduced to a liquid form

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

at any time

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

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

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

to a faint degree or weakly perceived

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

a distinctive odor that is pleasant

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)

From this reading He had come back, yes--come back from further away than any man but himself had ever travelled; but it was strange how with this sense what he had come back _to_ seemed really the great thing, and as if his prodigious journey had been all for the sake of it.

an alert and refreshed state

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

with appreciation; in a grateful manner

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

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

From this reading He had come back, yes--come back from further away than any man but himself had ever travelled; but it was strange how with this sense what he had come back _to_ seemed really the great thing, and as if his prodigious journey had been all for the sake of it.

inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading Slowly but surely his consciousness grew, his vision of his state thus completing itself; he had been miraculously _carried_ back--lifted and carefully borne as from where he had been picked up, the uttermost end of an interminable grey passage.

of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black

From this reading Slowly but surely his consciousness grew, his vision of his state thus completing itself; he had been miraculously _carried_ back--lifted and carefully borne as from where he had been picked up, the uttermost end of an interminable grey passage.

the solid part of the earth's surface

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

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

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

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

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

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

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

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

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

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

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

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

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading He had come back, yes--come back from further away than any man but himself had ever travelled; but it was strange how with this sense what he had come back _to_ seemed really the great thing, and as if his prodigious journey had been all for the sake of it.

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

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

tiresomely long; seemingly without end

From this reading Slowly but surely his consciousness grew, his vision of his state thus completing itself; he had been miraculously _carried_ back--lifted and carefully borne as from where he had been picked up, the uttermost end of an interminable grey passage.

past form of “intervene” — get involved, so as to alter or hinder an action, or through force or threat of force

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading Slowly but surely his consciousness grew, his vision of his state thus completing itself; he had been miraculously _carried_ back--lifted and carefully borne as from where he had been picked up, the uttermost end of an interminable grey passage.

undertake a journey or trip

From this reading He had come back, yes--come back from further away than any man but himself had ever travelled; but it was strange how with this sense what he had come back _to_ seemed really the great thing, and as if his prodigious journey had been all for the sake of it.

supporting yourself on your knees

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

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 He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

apprehended with certainty

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

the act of departing

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

held up in the air

From this reading Slowly but surely his consciousness grew, his vision of his state thus completing itself; he had been miraculously _carried_ back--lifted and carefully borne as from where he had been picked up, the uttermost end of an interminable grey passage.

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

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

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

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

lowest in rank or importance

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

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

From this reading He had come back, yes--come back from further away than any man but himself had ever travelled; but it was strange how with this sense what he had come back _to_ seemed really the great thing, and as if his prodigious journey had been all for the sake of it.

a hard crystalline metamorphic rock that takes a high polish; used for sculpture and as building material

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

in a miraculous manner

From this reading Slowly but surely his consciousness grew, his vision of his state thus completing itself; he had been miraculously _carried_ back--lifted and carefully borne as from where he had been picked up, the uttermost end of an interminable grey passage.

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

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

used to form the superlative

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

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

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

immediately following in time or order

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

above and across; more than

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

the act of passing from one state or place to the next

From this reading Slowly but surely his consciousness grew, his vision of his state thus completing itself; he had been miraculously _carried_ back--lifted and carefully borne as from where he had been picked up, the uttermost end of an interminable grey passage.

lacking in energy or will

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

a human being

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

past form of “pick” — select carefully from a group

From this reading Slowly but surely his consciousness grew, his vision of his state thus completing itself; he had been miraculously _carried_ back--lifted and carefully borne as from where he had been picked up, the uttermost end of an interminable grey passage.

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

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

in the near future

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe

From this reading He had come back, yes--come back from further away than any man but himself had ever travelled; but it was strange how with this sense what he had come back _to_ seemed really the great thing, and as if his prodigious journey had been all for the sake of it.

-ing form of “produce” — bring forth or yield

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading He had come back, yes--come back from further away than any man but himself had ever travelled; but it was strange how with this sense what he had come back _to_ seemed really the great thing, and as if his prodigious journey had been all for the sake of it.

imparting vitality and energy

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

not used up

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

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

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

possessing material wealth

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

a reason for wanting something done

From this reading He had come back, yes--come back from further away than any man but himself had ever travelled; but it was strange how with this sense what he had come back _to_ seemed really the great thing, and as if his prodigious journey had been all for the sake of it.

(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

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

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

a general conscious awareness

From this reading He had come back, yes--come back from further away than any man but himself had ever travelled; but it was strange how with this sense what he had come back _to_ seemed really the great thing, and as if his prodigious journey had been all for the sake of it.

work done by one person or group that benefits another

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

plural of “slab” — block consisting of a thick piece of something

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)

From this reading Slowly but surely his consciousness grew, his vision of his state thus completing itself; he had been miraculously _carried_ back--lifted and carefully borne as from where he had been picked up, the uttermost end of an interminable grey passage.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

the property of giving little resistance to pressure and being easily cut or molded

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

in some unspecified way or manner; or by some unspecified means

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

plural of “square” — (geometry) a plane rectangle with four equal sides and four right angles; a four-sided regular polygon

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading Slowly but surely his consciousness grew, his vision of his state thus completing itself; he had been miraculously _carried_ back--lifted and carefully borne as from where he had been picked up, the uttermost end of an interminable grey passage.

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

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

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

From this reading He had come back, yes--come back from further away than any man but himself had ever travelled; but it was strange how with this sense what he had come back _to_ seemed really the great thing, and as if his prodigious journey had been all for the sake of it.

(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

the activity of providing for or maintaining by supplying with money or necessities

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading Slowly but surely his consciousness grew, his vision of his state thus completing itself; he had been miraculously _carried_ back--lifted and carefully borne as from where he had been picked up, the uttermost end of an interminable grey passage.

a tendency to express warm and affectionate feeling

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading He had come back, yes--come back from further away than any man but himself had ever travelled; but it was strange how with this sense what he had come back _to_ seemed really the great thing, and as if his prodigious journey had been all for the sake of it.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

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

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

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

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

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

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

a special situation

From this reading He had come back, yes--come back from further away than any man but himself had ever travelled; but it was strange how with this sense what he had come back _to_ seemed really the great thing, and as if his prodigious journey had been all for the sake of it.

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

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result

From this reading Slowly but surely his consciousness grew, his vision of his state thus completing itself; he had been miraculously _carried_ back--lifted and carefully borne as from where he had been picked up, the uttermost end of an interminable grey passage.

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

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

familiar with many parts of the world

From this reading He had come back, yes--come back from further away than any man but himself had ever travelled; but it was strange how with this sense what he had come back _to_ seemed really the great thing, and as if his prodigious journey had been all for the sake of it.

accumulated wealth in the form of money or jewels etc.

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

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

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

inflected form of “uphold” — keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity

From this reading Slowly but surely his consciousness grew, his vision of his state thus completing itself; he had been miraculously _carried_ back--lifted and carefully borne as from where he had been picked up, the uttermost end of an interminable grey passage.

a vivid mental image

From this reading Slowly but surely his consciousness grew, his vision of his state thus completing itself; he had been miraculously _carried_ back--lifted and carefully borne as from where he had been picked up, the uttermost end of an interminable grey passage.

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

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

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

in or at the place that

From this reading Slowly but surely his consciousness grew, his vision of his state thus completing itself; he had been miraculously _carried_ back--lifted and carefully borne as from where he had been picked up, the uttermost end of an interminable grey passage.

during the time that

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

in the company of; together with

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

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

From this reading He considered, he wondered, his wit but half at his service; then another face intervened, bending more directly over him, and he finally knew that Alice Staverton had made her lap an ample and perfect cushion to him, and that she had to this end seated herself on the lowest degree of the staircase, the rest of his long person remaining stretched on his old black-and-white slabs.

extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

an affirmative

From this reading What had next brought him back, clearly--though after how long?--was Mrs. Muldoon's voice, coming to him from quite near, from so near that he seemed presently to see her as kneeling on the ground before him while he lay looking up at her; himself not wholly on the ground, but half-raised and upheld--conscious, yes, of tenderness of support and, more particularly, of a head pillowed in extraordinary softness and faintly refreshing fragrance.

but in spite of that

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.

a young person (especially a young man or boy)

From this reading They were cold, these marble squares of his youth; but _he_ somehow was not, in this rich return of consciousness--the most wonderful hour, little by little, that he had ever known, leaving him, as it did, so gratefully, so abysmally passive, and yet as with a treasure of intelligence waiting all round him for quiet appropriation; dissolved, he might call it, in the air of the place and producing the golden glow of a late autumn afternoon.