used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading From the window, through which he had come, a broad shaft of tempered luminance fell across the fountain and laid a zone of soft light athwart the low stone benches surrounding it.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading From the window, through which he had come, a broad shaft of tempered luminance fell across the fountain and laid a zone of soft light athwart the low stone benches surrounding it.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading IN WHICH THE SPHINX BREAKS SILENCE Left alone, Benton spent ten minutes in the room, then passed through the window to the balcony and went down into the miniature garden.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading IN WHICH THE SPHINX BREAKS SILENCE Left alone, Benton spent ten minutes in the room, then passed through the window to the balcony and went down into the miniature garden.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Then it caught, and faintly edged with its glow, the granite balustrade at the shoulder of the cliff.
athwartadverbUS /əˈθwɔːrt/
at right angles to the center line of a ship
From this reading From the window, through which he had come, a broad shaft of tempered luminance fell across the fountain and laid a zone of soft light athwart the low stone benches surrounding it.
balconynounUS /ˈbælkəni/
an upper floor projecting from the rear over the main floor in an auditorium
From this reading IN WHICH THE SPHINX BREAKS SILENCE Left alone, Benton spent ten minutes in the room, then passed through the window to the balcony and went down into the miniature garden.
balustradenoun
a railing at the side of a staircase or balcony to prevent people from falling
From this reading Then it caught, and faintly edged with its glow, the granite balustrade at the shoulder of the cliff.
benchesnounUS /ˈbentʃɪz/
plural of “bench” — a long seat for more than one person
From this reading From the window, through which he had come, a broad shaft of tempered luminance fell across the fountain and laid a zone of soft light athwart the low stone benches surrounding it.
BentonnounUS /ˈbentən/
United States artist whose paintings portrayed life in the Midwest and South (1889-1975)
From this reading IN WHICH THE SPHINX BREAKS SILENCE Left alone, Benton spent ten minutes in the room, then passed through the window to the balcony and went down into the miniature garden.
BREAKSnounUS /breɪks/
plural of “break” — some abrupt occurrence that interrupts an ongoing activity
From this reading IN WHICH THE SPHINX BREAKS SILENCE Left alone, Benton spent ten minutes in the room, then passed through the window to the balcony and went down into the miniature garden.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading From the window, through which he had come, a broad shaft of tempered luminance fell across the fountain and laid a zone of soft light athwart the low stone benches surrounding it.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading Then it caught, and faintly edged with its glow, the granite balustrade at the shoulder of the cliff.
cliffnounUS /klɪf/
a steep high face of rock
From this reading Then it caught, and faintly edged with its glow, the granite balustrade at the shoulder of the cliff.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading From the window, through which he had come, a broad shaft of tempered luminance fell across the fountain and laid a zone of soft light athwart the low stone benches surrounding it.
neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat
From this reading The garden was gratefully cool and quiet.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading IN WHICH THE SPHINX BREAKS SILENCE Left alone, Benton spent ten minutes in the room, then passed through the window to the balcony and went down into the miniature garden.
edgedadjectiveUS /edʒd/
having a specified kind of border or edge
From this reading Then it caught, and faintly edged with its glow, the granite balustrade at the shoulder of the cliff.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading His face was hot and his pulses heightened.
faintlyadverbUS /ˈfeɪntli/
to a faint degree or weakly perceived
From this reading Then it caught, and faintly edged with its glow, the granite balustrade at the shoulder of the cliff.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading From the window, through which he had come, a broad shaft of tempered luminance fell across the fountain and laid a zone of soft light athwart the low stone benches surrounding it.
fountainnounUS /ˈfaʊntən/
a structure from which an artificially produced jet of water arises
From this reading From the window, through which he had come, a broad shaft of tempered luminance fell across the fountain and laid a zone of soft light athwart the low stone benches surrounding it.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading From the window, through which he had come, a broad shaft of tempered luminance fell across the fountain and laid a zone of soft light athwart the low stone benches surrounding it.
a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading IN WHICH THE SPHINX BREAKS SILENCE Left alone, Benton spent ten minutes in the room, then passed through the window to the balcony and went down into the miniature garden.
an alert and refreshed state
From this reading Then it caught, and faintly edged with its glow, the granite balustrade at the shoulder of the cliff.
granitenounUS /ˈɡrænət/
plutonic igneous rock having visibly crystalline texture; generally composed of feldspar and mica and quartz
From this reading Then it caught, and faintly edged with its glow, the granite balustrade at the shoulder of the cliff.
gratefullyadverbUS /ˈɡreɪtfəli/
with appreciation; in a grateful manner
From this reading The garden was gratefully cool and quiet.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading From the window, through which he had come, a broad shaft of tempered luminance fell across the fountain and laid a zone of soft light athwart the low stone benches surrounding it.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading From the window, through which he had come, a broad shaft of tempered luminance fell across the fountain and laid a zone of soft light athwart the low stone benches surrounding it.
heightenedverbUS /ˈhaɪtənd/
past form of “heighten” — become more extreme
From this reading His face was hot and his pulses heightened.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His face was hot and his pulses heightened.
used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning
From this reading His face was hot and his pulses heightened.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN WHICH THE SPHINX BREAKS SILENCE Left alone, Benton spent ten minutes in the room, then passed through the window to the balcony and went down into the miniature garden.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading IN WHICH THE SPHINX BREAKS SILENCE Left alone, Benton spent ten minutes in the room, then passed through the window to the balcony and went down into the miniature garden.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading From the window, through which he had come, a broad shaft of tempered luminance fell across the fountain and laid a zone of soft light athwart the low stone benches surrounding it.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Then it caught, and faintly edged with its glow, the granite balustrade at the shoulder of the cliff.
set down according to a plan
From this reading From the window, through which he had come, a broad shaft of tempered luminance fell across the fountain and laid a zone of soft light athwart the low stone benches surrounding it.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading IN WHICH THE SPHINX BREAKS SILENCE Left alone, Benton spent ten minutes in the room, then passed through the window to the balcony and went down into the miniature garden.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading From the window, through which he had come, a broad shaft of tempered luminance fell across the fountain and laid a zone of soft light athwart the low stone benches surrounding it.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading From the window, through which he had come, a broad shaft of tempered luminance fell across the fountain and laid a zone of soft light athwart the low stone benches surrounding it.
luminancenounUS /ˈluːmənəns/
the quality of being luminous; emitting or reflecting light
From this reading From the window, through which he had come, a broad shaft of tempered luminance fell across the fountain and laid a zone of soft light athwart the low stone benches surrounding it.
miniaturenounUS /ˈmɪniətʃʊr/
painting or drawing included in a book (especially in illuminated medieval manuscripts)
From this reading IN WHICH THE SPHINX BREAKS SILENCE Left alone, Benton spent ten minutes in the room, then passed through the window to the balcony and went down into the miniature garden.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading IN WHICH THE SPHINX BREAKS SILENCE Left alone, Benton spent ten minutes in the room, then passed through the window to the balcony and went down into the miniature garden.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading From the window, through which he had come, a broad shaft of tempered luminance fell across the fountain and laid a zone of soft light athwart the low stone benches surrounding it.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading IN WHICH THE SPHINX BREAKS SILENCE Left alone, Benton spent ten minutes in the room, then passed through the window to the balcony and went down into the miniature garden.
pulsesnounUS /ˈpʌlsɪz/
plural of “pulse” — (electronics) a sharp transient wave in the normal electrical state (or a series of such transients)
From this reading His face was hot and his pulses heightened.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading The garden was gratefully cool and quiet.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading IN WHICH THE SPHINX BREAKS SILENCE Left alone, Benton spent ten minutes in the room, then passed through the window to the balcony and went down into the miniature garden.
shaftnounUS /ʃæft/
a line that forms the length of an arrow pointer
From this reading From the window, through which he had come, a broad shaft of tempered luminance fell across the fountain and laid a zone of soft light athwart the low stone benches surrounding it.
lift onto one's shoulders
From this reading Then it caught, and faintly edged with its glow, the granite balustrade at the shoulder of the cliff.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading IN WHICH THE SPHINX BREAKS SILENCE Left alone, Benton spent ten minutes in the room, then passed through the window to the balcony and went down into the miniature garden.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading From the window, through which he had come, a broad shaft of tempered luminance fell across the fountain and laid a zone of soft light athwart the low stone benches surrounding it.
depleted of energy, force, or strength
From this reading IN WHICH THE SPHINX BREAKS SILENCE Left alone, Benton spent ten minutes in the room, then passed through the window to the balcony and went down into the miniature garden.
SPHINXnounUS /sfɪŋks/
an inscrutable person who keeps his thoughts and intentions secret
From this reading IN WHICH THE SPHINX BREAKS SILENCE Left alone, Benton spent ten minutes in the room, then passed through the window to the balcony and went down into the miniature garden.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading From the window, through which he had come, a broad shaft of tempered luminance fell across the fountain and laid a zone of soft light athwart the low stone benches surrounding it.
surroundingadjectiveUS /sərˈaʊndɪŋ/
closely encircling
From this reading From the window, through which he had come, a broad shaft of tempered luminance fell across the fountain and laid a zone of soft light athwart the low stone benches surrounding it.
temperedadjectiveUS /ˈtempərd/
made hard or flexible or resilient especially by heat treatment
From this reading From the window, through which he had come, a broad shaft of tempered luminance fell across the fountain and laid a zone of soft light athwart the low stone benches surrounding it.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading IN WHICH THE SPHINX BREAKS SILENCE Left alone, Benton spent ten minutes in the room, then passed through the window to the balcony and went down into the miniature garden.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading IN WHICH THE SPHINX BREAKS SILENCE Left alone, Benton spent ten minutes in the room, then passed through the window to the balcony and went down into the miniature garden.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading IN WHICH THE SPHINX BREAKS SILENCE Left alone, Benton spent ten minutes in the room, then passed through the window to the balcony and went down into the miniature garden.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading IN WHICH THE SPHINX BREAKS SILENCE Left alone, Benton spent ten minutes in the room, then passed through the window to the balcony and went down into the miniature garden.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading IN WHICH THE SPHINX BREAKS SILENCE Left alone, Benton spent ten minutes in the room, then passed through the window to the balcony and went down into the miniature garden.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading His face was hot and his pulses heightened.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading IN WHICH THE SPHINX BREAKS SILENCE Left alone, Benton spent ten minutes in the room, then passed through the window to the balcony and went down into the miniature garden.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading IN WHICH THE SPHINX BREAKS SILENCE Left alone, Benton spent ten minutes in the room, then passed through the window to the balcony and went down into the miniature garden.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading IN WHICH THE SPHINX BREAKS SILENCE Left alone, Benton spent ten minutes in the room, then passed through the window to the balcony and went down into the miniature garden.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Then it caught, and faintly edged with its glow, the granite balustrade at the shoulder of the cliff.
zonenounUS /zoʊn/
a locally circumscribed place characterized by some distinctive features
From this reading From the window, through which he had come, a broad shaft of tempered luminance fell across the fountain and laid a zone of soft light athwart the low stone benches surrounding it.
