Chapter XXIII

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

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

at or in the front

From this reading But hardly had this flight begun before, to their great surprise, both lost their fear of falling, and, indeed, forgot that they were going in any direction except straight ahead.

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

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading But hardly had this flight begun before, to their great surprise, both lost their fear of falling, and, indeed, forgot that they were going in any direction except straight ahead.

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

From this reading They were headed straight down, and Zuzu and Lulu caught their breath as the coach dived off and began to drop as fast as lightning, down and down.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

a stringed instrument of the guitar family that has long neck and circular body

From this reading The Enchanted Banjo now looked perfectly happy.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading But hardly had this flight begun before, to their great surprise, both lost their fear of falling, and, indeed, forgot that they were going in any direction except straight ahead.

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading They were headed straight down, and Zuzu and Lulu caught their breath as the coach dived off and began to drop as fast as lightning, down and down.

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading But hardly had this flight begun before, to their great surprise, both lost their fear of falling, and, indeed, forgot that they were going in any direction except straight ahead.

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading They flew on and on, as fast as a bird and as easily, the bumblebee horses galloping steadily without stopping to draw a breath, the coachman flirting his whip now and then, and the footman sitting up very straight and stern.

the two together, not just one

From this reading But hardly had this flight begun before, to their great surprise, both lost their fear of falling, and, indeed, forgot that they were going in any direction except straight ahead.

the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing

From this reading They were headed straight down, and Zuzu and Lulu caught their breath as the coach dived off and began to drop as fast as lightning, down and down.

robust hairy social bee of temperate regions

From this reading They flew on and on, as fast as a bird and as easily, the bumblebee horses galloping steadily without stopping to draw a breath, the coachman flirting his whip now and then, and the footman sitting up very straight and stern.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But hardly had this flight begun before, to their great surprise, both lost their fear of falling, and, indeed, forgot that they were going in any direction except straight ahead.

inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading They were headed straight down, and Zuzu and Lulu caught their breath as the coach dived off and began to drop as fast as lightning, down and down.

teach and supervise (someone); act as a trainer or coach (to), as in sports

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

a man who drives a coach (or carriage)

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

a line leading to a place or point

From this reading But hardly had this flight begun before, to their great surprise, both lost their fear of falling, and, indeed, forgot that they were going in any direction except straight ahead.

past form of “dive” — drop steeply

From this reading They were headed straight down, and Zuzu and Lulu caught their breath as the coach dived off and began to drop as fast as lightning, down and down.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading They were headed straight down, and Zuzu and Lulu caught their breath as the coach dived off and began to drop as fast as lightning, down and down.

cause to move by pulling

From this reading They flew on and on, as fast as a bird and as easily, the bumblebee horses galloping steadily without stopping to draw a breath, the coachman flirting his whip now and then, and the footman sitting up very straight and stern.

let fall to the ground

From this reading They were headed straight down, and Zuzu and Lulu caught their breath as the coach dived off and began to drop as fast as lightning, down and down.

with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)

From this reading They flew on and on, as fast as a bird and as easily, the bumblebee horses galloping steadily without stopping to draw a breath, the coachman flirting his whip now and then, and the footman sitting up very straight and stern.

Filled with or placed under the influence of magical power or charm.

From this reading The Enchanted Banjo now looked perfectly happy.

apart from; not including

From this reading But hardly had this flight begun before, to their great surprise, both lost their fear of falling, and, indeed, forgot that they were going in any direction except straight ahead.

plural of “fairy” — a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

decreasing in amount or degree

From this reading But hardly had this flight begun before, to their great surprise, both lost their fear of falling, and, indeed, forgot that they were going in any direction except straight ahead.

quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)

From this reading They were headed straight down, and Zuzu and Lulu caught their breath as the coach dived off and began to drop as fast as lightning, down and down.

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

From this reading But hardly had this flight begun before, to their great surprise, both lost their fear of falling, and, indeed, forgot that they were going in any direction except straight ahead.

inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne

From this reading They flew on and on, as fast as a bird and as easily, the bumblebee horses galloping steadily without stopping to draw a breath, the coachman flirting his whip now and then, and the footman sitting up very straight and stern.

a formation of aircraft in flight

From this reading But hardly had this flight begun before, to their great surprise, both lost their fear of falling, and, indeed, forgot that they were going in any direction except straight ahead.

playful behavior intended to arouse sexual interest

From this reading They flew on and on, as fast as a bird and as easily, the bumblebee horses galloping steadily without stopping to draw a breath, the coachman flirting his whip now and then, and the footman sitting up very straight and stern.

a man employed as a servant in a large establishment (as a palace) to run errands and do chores

From this reading They flew on and on, as fast as a bird and as easily, the bumblebee horses galloping steadily without stopping to draw a breath, the coachman flirting his whip now and then, and the footman sitting up very straight and stern.

inflected form of “forget” — dismiss from the mind; stop remembering

From this reading But hardly had this flight begun before, to their great surprise, both lost their fear of falling, and, indeed, forgot that they were going in any direction except straight ahead.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

-ing form of “gallop” — ride at a galloping pace

From this reading They flew on and on, as fast as a bird and as easily, the bumblebee horses galloping steadily without stopping to draw a breath, the coachman flirting his whip now and then, and the footman sitting up very straight and stern.

the act of departing

From this reading But hardly had this flight begun before, to their great surprise, both lost their fear of falling, and, indeed, forgot that they were going in any direction except straight ahead.

having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

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

From this reading But hardly had this flight begun before, to their great surprise, both lost their fear of falling, and, indeed, forgot that they were going in any direction except straight ahead.

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

From this reading But hardly had this flight begun before, to their great surprise, both lost their fear of falling, and, indeed, forgot that they were going in any direction except straight ahead.

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading The Enchanted Banjo now looked perfectly happy.

only a very short time before

From this reading But hardly had this flight begun before, to their great surprise, both lost their fear of falling, and, indeed, forgot that they were going in any direction except straight ahead.

having a heading or course in a certain direction

From this reading They were headed straight down, and Zuzu and Lulu caught their breath as the coach dived off and began to drop as fast as lightning, down and down.

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

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times

From this reading They flew on and on, as fast as a bird and as easily, the bumblebee horses galloping steadily without stopping to draw a breath, the coachman flirting his whip now and then, and the footman sitting up very straight and stern.

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

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading But hardly had this flight begun before, to their great surprise, both lost their fear of falling, and, indeed, forgot that they were going in any direction except straight ahead.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

steps consisting of two parallel members connected by rungs; for climbing up or down

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

abrupt electric discharge from cloud to cloud or from cloud to earth accompanied by the emission of light

From this reading They were headed straight down, and Zuzu and Lulu caught their breath as the coach dived off and began to drop as fast as lightning, down and down.

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

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading The Enchanted Banjo now looked perfectly happy.

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading But hardly had this flight begun before, to their great surprise, both lost their fear of falling, and, indeed, forgot that they were going in any direction except straight ahead.

a very attractive or seductive looking woman

From this reading They were headed straight down, and Zuzu and Lulu caught their breath as the coach dived off and began to drop as fast as lightning, down and down.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

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

From this reading They were headed straight down, and Zuzu and Lulu caught their breath as the coach dived off and began to drop as fast as lightning, down and down.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading They flew on and on, as fast as a bird and as easily, the bumblebee horses galloping steadily without stopping to draw a breath, the coachman flirting his whip now and then, and the footman sitting up very straight and stern.

on one occasion

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers

From this reading The Enchanted Banjo now looked perfectly happy.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

a bar or pair of parallel bars of rolled steel making the railway along which railroad cars or other vehicles can roll

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

appear like; be similar or bear a likeness to

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

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

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)

From this reading They flew on and on, as fast as a bird and as easily, the bumblebee horses galloping steadily without stopping to draw a breath, the coachman flirting his whip now and then, and the footman sitting up very straight and stern.

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

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

at a steady rate or pace

From this reading They flew on and on, as fast as a bird and as easily, the bumblebee horses galloping steadily without stopping to draw a breath, the coachman flirting his whip now and then, and the footman sitting up very straight and stern.

of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect

From this reading They flew on and on, as fast as a bird and as easily, the bumblebee horses galloping steadily without stopping to draw a breath, the coachman flirting his whip now and then, and the footman sitting up very straight and stern.

fastener consisting of a narrow strip of welded metal used to join steel members

From this reading They flew on and on, as fast as a bird and as easily, the bumblebee horses galloping steadily without stopping to draw a breath, the coachman flirting his whip now and then, and the footman sitting up very straight and stern.

successive (without a break)

From this reading They were headed straight down, and Zuzu and Lulu caught their breath as the coach dived off and began to drop as fast as lightning, down and down.

the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you

From this reading But hardly had this flight begun before, to their great surprise, both lost their fear of falling, and, indeed, forgot that they were going in any direction except straight ahead.

a cooperative unit (especially in sports)

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading But hardly had this flight begun before, to their great surprise, both lost their fear of falling, and, indeed, forgot that they were going in any direction except straight ahead.

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

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading They were headed straight down, and Zuzu and Lulu caught their breath as the coach dived off and began to drop as fast as lightning, down and down.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading They flew on and on, as fast as a bird and as easily, the bumblebee horses galloping steadily without stopping to draw a breath, the coachman flirting his whip now and then, and the footman sitting up very straight and stern.

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

From this reading They were headed straight down, and Zuzu and Lulu caught their breath as the coach dived off and began to drop as fast as lightning, down and down.

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

From this reading But hardly had this flight begun before, to their great surprise, both lost their fear of falling, and, indeed, forgot that they were going in any direction except straight ahead.

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

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

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

From this reading They flew on and on, as fast as a bird and as easily, the bumblebee horses galloping steadily without stopping to draw a breath, the coachman flirting his whip now and then, and the footman sitting up very straight and stern.

a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

precisely as stated

From this reading They flew on and on, as fast as a bird and as easily, the bumblebee horses galloping steadily without stopping to draw a breath, the coachman flirting his whip now and then, and the footman sitting up very straight and stern.

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

From this reading They were headed straight down, and Zuzu and Lulu caught their breath as the coach dived off and began to drop as fast as lightning, down and down.

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

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

beat severely with a whip or rod

From this reading They flew on and on, as fast as a bird and as easily, the bumblebee horses galloping steadily without stopping to draw a breath, the coachman flirting his whip now and then, and the footman sitting up very straight and stern.

past form of “whirl” — turn in a twisting or spinning motion

From this reading TO THE VALLEY OF THE FAIRIES At once the coachman whirled his little team out from the small room in the rock, and the coach took its place between the rails of the Golden Ladder, which now seemed to resemble the rails of a railroad.

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading They flew on and on, as fast as a bird and as easily, the bumblebee horses galloping steadily without stopping to draw a breath, the coachman flirting his whip now and then, and the footman sitting up very straight and stern.

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

From this reading They were headed straight down, and Zuzu and Lulu caught their breath as the coach dived off and began to drop as fast as lightning, down and down.