Chapter IX

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

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

the state of being absent

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

giving or marked by complete attention to

From this reading He sat at his desk absorbed, sleepless, with that steady application which made possible the enormous total of his life's work.

(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 On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

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

From this reading He was an old man now, but a giant in frame, a giant in mind, a giant in industry as well.

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

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

the act of bringing something to bear; using it for a particular purpose

From this reading He sat at his desk absorbed, sleepless, with that steady application which made possible the enormous total of his life's work.

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

From this reading He was an old man now, but a giant in frame, a giant in mind, a giant in industry as well.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading He sat at his desk absorbed, sleepless, with that steady application which made possible the enormous total of his life's work.

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading THOMAS JEFFERSON Not in fifty years, said Thomas Jefferson in the last days of his life, had the sun caught him in bed.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He was an old man now, but a giant in frame, a giant in mind, a giant in industry as well.

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

From this reading THOMAS JEFFERSON Not in fifty years, said Thomas Jefferson in the last days of his life, had the sun caught him in bed.

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading THOMAS JEFFERSON Not in fifty years, said Thomas Jefferson in the last days of his life, had the sun caught him in bed.

a beloved person; used as terms of endearment

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

having ones attention or mind or energy engaged

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

extraordinarily large in size or extent or amount or power or degree

From this reading He sat at his desk absorbed, sleepless, with that steady application which made possible the enormous total of his life's work.

a purposeful or industrious undertaking (especially one that requires effort or boldness)

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

past form of “entrust” — confer a trust upon

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five

From this reading THOMAS JEFFERSON Not in fifty years, said Thomas Jefferson in the last days of his life, had the sun caught him in bed.

about to be mentioned or specified

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

enclose in or as if in a frame

From this reading He was an old man now, but a giant in frame, a giant in mind, a giant in industry as well.

any creature of exceptional size

From this reading He was an old man now, but a giant in frame, a giant in mind, a giant in industry as well.

a farewell remark

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

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

From this reading THOMAS JEFFERSON Not in fifty years, said Thomas Jefferson in the last days of his life, had the sun caught him in bed.

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

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

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

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

made warm or hot (“het” is a dialectal variant of “heated”)

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

comparative of “heavy” — of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

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

From this reading THOMAS JEFFERSON Not in fifty years, said Thomas Jefferson in the last days of his life, had the sun caught him in bed.

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

From this reading THOMAS JEFFERSON Not in fifty years, said Thomas Jefferson in the last days of his life, had the sun caught him in bed.

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

From this reading THOMAS JEFFERSON Not in fifty years, said Thomas Jefferson in the last days of his life, had the sun caught him in bed.

the people or companies engaged in a particular kind of commercial enterprise

From this reading He was an old man now, but a giant in frame, a giant in mind, a giant in industry as well.

3rd President of the United States; chief drafter of the Declaration of Independence; made the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and sent out the Lewis and Clark Expedition to explore it (1743-1826)

From this reading THOMAS JEFFERSON Not in fifty years, said Thomas Jefferson in the last days of his life, had the sun caught him in bed.

plural of “labor” — a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

immediately past

From this reading THOMAS JEFFERSON Not in fifty years, said Thomas Jefferson in the last days of his life, had the sun caught him in bed.

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading THOMAS JEFFERSON Not in fifty years, said Thomas Jefferson in the last days of his life, had the sun caught him in bed.

possessive form of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading He sat at his desk absorbed, sleepless, with that steady application which made possible the enormous total of his life's work.

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

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

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 On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading He sat at his desk absorbed, sleepless, with that steady application which made possible the enormous total of his life's work.

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

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading He was an old man now, but a giant in frame, a giant in mind, a giant in industry as well.

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

a form of address for a man

From this reading MR.

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

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading THOMAS JEFFERSON Not in fifty years, said Thomas Jefferson in the last days of his life, had the sun caught him in bed.

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

From this reading He was an old man now, but a giant in frame, a giant in mind, a giant in industry as well.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THOMAS JEFFERSON Not in fifty years, said Thomas Jefferson in the last days of his life, had the sun caught him in bed.

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

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

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

From this reading He was an old man now, but a giant in frame, a giant in mind, a giant in industry as well.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

capable of happening or existing

From this reading He sat at his desk absorbed, sleepless, with that steady application which made possible the enormous total of his life's work.

past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading THOMAS JEFFERSON Not in fifty years, said Thomas Jefferson in the last days of his life, had the sun caught him in bed.

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading He sat at his desk absorbed, sleepless, with that steady application which made possible the enormous total of his life's work.

possessive form of “secretary” — a person who is head of an administrative department of government

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

experiencing or accompanied by sleeplessness

From this reading He sat at his desk absorbed, sleepless, with that steady application which made possible the enormous total of his life's work.

depleted of energy, force, or strength

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

make steady

From this reading He sat at his desk absorbed, sleepless, with that steady application which made possible the enormous total of his life's work.

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading THOMAS JEFFERSON Not in fifty years, said Thomas Jefferson in the last days of his life, had the sun caught him in bed.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He sat at his desk absorbed, sleepless, with that steady application which made possible the enormous total of his life's work.

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

From this reading THOMAS JEFFERSON Not in fifty years, said Thomas Jefferson in the last days of his life, had the sun caught him in bed.

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

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

United States clockmaker who introduced mass production (1785-1859)

From this reading THOMAS JEFFERSON Not in fifty years, said Thomas Jefferson in the last days of his life, had the sun caught him in bed.

in every part of a place, or for the whole of a period

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

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

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

add up in number or quantity

From this reading He sat at his desk absorbed, sleepless, with that steady application which made possible the enormous total of his life's work.

moved around an axis or center

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

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

From this reading He was an old man now, but a giant in frame, a giant in mind, a giant in industry as well.

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading He was an old man now, but a giant in frame, a giant in mind, a giant in industry as well.

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

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

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

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

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

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

belonging to which person

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

in the company of; together with

From this reading He sat at his desk absorbed, sleepless, with that steady application which made possible the enormous total of his life's work.

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading On this morning, having said good-by to the man to whose hands he had entrusted the dearest enterprise of all his life, he turned back to his desk in the little office-room, and throughout the long and heated day, following a night spent wholly without sleep, he remained engaged in his usual labors, which were the heavier in his secretary's absence.

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading He sat at his desk absorbed, sleepless, with that steady application which made possible the enormous total of his life's work.

a late time of life

From this reading THOMAS JEFFERSON Not in fifty years, said Thomas Jefferson in the last days of his life, had the sun caught him in bed.