Chapter IV

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

From this reading This again opened the way for the making of steel, a discovery that placed in the hands of man a source of power which enabled him to overcome many natural difficulties.

a proposal for an appropriate course of action

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

anew

From this reading This again opened the way for the making of steel, a discovery that placed in the hands of man a source of power which enabled him to overcome many natural difficulties.

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

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading One improvement led the way to another, and made other improvements possible.

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

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

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

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

plural of “beginning” — the event consisting of the start of something

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

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

From this reading The early discovery, by some unknown persons or persons, of the making of bronze and the hardening of it, led up to stone and woodcutting, perhaps to the breaking-up and smelting of iron ore, and the extraction of the metals.

an alloy of copper and tin and sometimes other elements; also any copper-base alloy containing other elements in place of tin

From this reading The early discovery, by some unknown persons or persons, of the making of bronze and the hardening of it, led up to stone and woodcutting, perhaps to the breaking-up and smelting of iron ore, and the extraction of the metals.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The early discovery, by some unknown persons or persons, of the making of bronze and the hardening of it, led up to stone and woodcutting, perhaps to the breaking-up and smelting of iron ore, and the extraction of the metals.

plural of “century” — a period of 100 years

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

in a relative manner; by comparison to something else

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

the specified day of the month

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

act of improving by expanding or enlarging or refining

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

plural of “difficulty” — an effort that is inconvenient

From this reading This again opened the way for the making of steel, a discovery that placed in the hands of man a source of power which enabled him to overcome many natural difficulties.

plural of “discovery” — the act of discovering something

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

the act of discovering something

From this reading The early discovery, by some unknown persons or persons, of the making of bronze and the hardening of it, led up to stone and woodcutting, perhaps to the breaking-up and smelting of iron ore, and the extraction of the metals.

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading The early discovery, by some unknown persons or persons, of the making of bronze and the hardening of it, led up to stone and woodcutting, perhaps to the breaking-up and smelting of iron ore, and the extraction of the metals.

past form of “enable” — render capable or able for some task

From this reading This again opened the way for the making of steel, a discovery that placed in the hands of man a source of power which enabled him to overcome many natural difficulties.

found in the ordinary course of events

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

the process of obtaining something from a mixture or compound by chemical or physical or mechanical means

From this reading The early discovery, by some unknown persons or persons, of the making of bronze and the hardening of it, led up to stone and woodcutting, perhaps to the breaking-up and smelting of iron ore, and the extraction of the metals.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading This again opened the way for the making of steel, a discovery that placed in the hands of man a source of power which enabled him to overcome many natural difficulties.

proceeding in small stages

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

highest in quality

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

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

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading This again opened the way for the making of steel, a discovery that placed in the hands of man a source of power which enabled him to overcome many natural difficulties.

abnormal hardening or thickening of tissue

From this reading The early discovery, by some unknown persons or persons, of the making of bronze and the hardening of it, led up to stone and woodcutting, perhaps to the breaking-up and smelting of iron ore, and the extraction of the metals.

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

From this reading This again opened the way for the making of steel, a discovery that placed in the hands of man a source of power which enabled him to overcome many natural difficulties.

of or relating to the study of history

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

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

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

a change for the better; progress in development

From this reading One improvement led the way to another, and made other improvements possible.

plural of “improvement” — a change for the better; progress in development

From this reading One improvement led the way to another, and made other improvements possible.

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

From this reading This again opened the way for the making of steel, a discovery that placed in the hands of man a source of power which enabled him to overcome many natural difficulties.

an occurrence of something

From this reading Take locomotives and steamboats for instance.

plural of “invention” — the creation of something in the mind

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood

From this reading The early discovery, by some unknown persons or persons, of the making of bronze and the hardening of it, led up to stone and woodcutting, perhaps to the breaking-up and smelting of iron ore, and the extraction of the metals.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The early discovery, by some unknown persons or persons, of the making of bronze and the hardening of it, led up to stone and woodcutting, perhaps to the breaking-up and smelting of iron ore, and the extraction of the metals.

diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used

From this reading The early discovery, by some unknown persons or persons, of the making of bronze and the hardening of it, led up to stone and woodcutting, perhaps to the breaking-up and smelting of iron ore, and the extraction of the metals.

plural of “locomotive” — a wheeled vehicle consisting of a self-propelled engine that is used to draw trains along railway tracks

From this reading Take locomotives and steamboats for instance.

plural of “machine” — any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of human tasks

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading One improvement led the way to another, and made other improvements possible.

the act that results in something coming to be

From this reading The early discovery, by some unknown persons or persons, of the making of bronze and the hardening of it, led up to stone and woodcutting, perhaps to the breaking-up and smelting of iron ore, and the extraction of the metals.

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

From this reading This again opened the way for the making of steel, a discovery that placed in the hands of man a source of power which enabled him to overcome many natural difficulties.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

plural of “metal” — any of several chemical elements that are usually shiny solids that conduct heat or electricity and can be formed into sheets etc.

From this reading The early discovery, by some unknown persons or persons, of the making of bronze and the hardening of it, led up to stone and woodcutting, perhaps to the breaking-up and smelting of iron ore, and the extraction of the metals.

used to form the superlative

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature

From this reading This again opened the way for the making of steel, a discovery that placed in the hands of man a source of power which enabled him to overcome many natural difficulties.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading One improvement led the way to another, and made other improvements possible.

used of mouth or eyes

From this reading This again opened the way for the making of steel, a discovery that placed in the hands of man a source of power which enabled him to overcome many natural difficulties.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading The early discovery, by some unknown persons or persons, of the making of bronze and the hardening of it, led up to stone and woodcutting, perhaps to the breaking-up and smelting of iron ore, and the extraction of the metals.

a mineral that contains metal that is valuable enough to be mined

From this reading The early discovery, by some unknown persons or persons, of the making of bronze and the hardening of it, led up to stone and woodcutting, perhaps to the breaking-up and smelting of iron ore, and the extraction of the metals.

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading One improvement led the way to another, and made other improvements possible.

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

win a victory over

From this reading This again opened the way for the making of steel, a discovery that placed in the hands of man a source of power which enabled him to overcome many natural difficulties.

by chance

From this reading The early discovery, by some unknown persons or persons, of the making of bronze and the hardening of it, led up to stone and woodcutting, perhaps to the breaking-up and smelting of iron ore, and the extraction of the metals.

plural of “person” — a human being

From this reading The early discovery, by some unknown persons or persons, of the making of bronze and the hardening of it, led up to stone and woodcutting, perhaps to the breaking-up and smelting of iron ore, and the extraction of the metals.

situated in a particular spot or position

From this reading This again opened the way for the making of steel, a discovery that placed in the hands of man a source of power which enabled him to overcome many natural difficulties.

capable of happening or existing

From this reading One improvement led the way to another, and made other improvements possible.

possession of controlling influence

From this reading This again opened the way for the making of steel, a discovery that placed in the hands of man a source of power which enabled him to overcome many natural difficulties.

concerned with actual use or practice

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

new

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

-ing form of “smelt” — extract (metals) by heating

From this reading The early discovery, by some unknown persons or persons, of the making of bronze and the hardening of it, led up to stone and woodcutting, perhaps to the breaking-up and smelting of iron ore, and the extraction of the metals.

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

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

the place where something begins, where it springs into being

From this reading This again opened the way for the making of steel, a discovery that placed in the hands of man a source of power which enabled him to overcome many natural difficulties.

plural of “steamboat” — a boat propelled by a steam engine

From this reading Take locomotives and steamboats for instance.

an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range

From this reading This again opened the way for the making of steel, a discovery that placed in the hands of man a source of power which enabled him to overcome many natural difficulties.

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading The early discovery, by some unknown persons or persons, of the making of bronze and the hardening of it, led up to stone and woodcutting, perhaps to the breaking-up and smelting of iron ore, and the extraction of the metals.

carry out

From this reading Take locomotives and steamboats for instance.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading This again opened the way for the making of steel, a discovery that placed in the hands of man a source of power which enabled him to overcome many natural difficulties.

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

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

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

From this reading This again opened the way for the making of steel, a discovery that placed in the hands of man a source of power which enabled him to overcome many natural difficulties.

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading EVERYDAY MACHINES I SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE Some of our inventions and some of our discoveries are of comparatively recent date, but most of them had their beginnings centuries before historical times, as many of our greatest inventions are the result of gradual growth and development.

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

From this reading The early discovery, by some unknown persons or persons, of the making of bronze and the hardening of it, led up to stone and woodcutting, perhaps to the breaking-up and smelting of iron ore, and the extraction of the metals.

not known

From this reading The early discovery, by some unknown persons or persons, of the making of bronze and the hardening of it, led up to stone and woodcutting, perhaps to the breaking-up and smelting of iron ore, and the extraction of the metals.

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

From this reading The early discovery, by some unknown persons or persons, of the making of bronze and the hardening of it, led up to stone and woodcutting, perhaps to the breaking-up and smelting of iron ore, and the extraction of the metals.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading This again opened the way for the making of steel, a discovery that placed in the hands of man a source of power which enabled him to overcome many natural difficulties.

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

From this reading This again opened the way for the making of steel, a discovery that placed in the hands of man a source of power which enabled him to overcome many natural difficulties.

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

From this reading The early discovery, by some unknown persons or persons, of the making of bronze and the hardening of it, led up to stone and woodcutting, perhaps to the breaking-up and smelting of iron ore, and the extraction of the metals.