adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Thousands of feet above us the mighty cylinder uprose, and in the lessened circle that was its mouth I glimpsed the bright stars; and knew by this it opened into the free air.
againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading They were, in color, replicas of that I had glimpsed before our descent into this place and against whose gleaming cataracts the outlines of the incredible city had lowered.
airnounUS /er/
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Thousands of feet above us the mighty cylinder uprose, and in the lessened circle that was its mouth I glimpsed the bright stars; and knew by this it opened into the free air.
AlladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(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 All of half a mile in diameter was this shaft, and ringed regularly along its height by wide amethystine bands--like rings of a hollow piston.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading All of half a mile in diameter was this shaft, and ringed regularly along its height by wide amethystine bands--like rings of a hollow piston.
amethystineadjective
containing or resembling amethyst
From this reading All of half a mile in diameter was this shaft, and ringed regularly along its height by wide amethystine bands--like rings of a hollow piston.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Thousands of feet above us the mighty cylinder uprose, and in the lessened circle that was its mouth I glimpsed the bright stars; and knew by this it opened into the free air.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
bandsnounUS /bændz/
plural of “band” — an unofficial association of people or groups
From this reading All of half a mile in diameter was this shaft, and ringed regularly along its height by wide amethystine bands--like rings of a hollow piston.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading They were, in color, replicas of that I had glimpsed before our descent into this place and against whose gleaming cataracts the outlines of the incredible city had lowered.
brightadjectiveUS /braɪt/
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading Thousands of feet above us the mighty cylinder uprose, and in the lessened circle that was its mouth I glimpsed the bright stars; and knew by this it opened into the free air.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Thousands of feet above us the mighty cylinder uprose, and in the lessened circle that was its mouth I glimpsed the bright stars; and knew by this it opened into the free air.
cataractsnounUS /ˈkætərækts/
plural of “cataract” — an eye disease that involves the clouding or opacification of the natural lens of the eye
From this reading They were, in color, replicas of that I had glimpsed before our descent into this place and against whose gleaming cataracts the outlines of the incredible city had lowered.
circlenounUS /ˈsɜːrkəl/
ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point
From this reading Thousands of feet above us the mighty cylinder uprose, and in the lessened circle that was its mouth I glimpsed the bright stars; and knew by this it opened into the free air.
citynounUS /ˈsɪti/
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading They were, in color, replicas of that I had glimpsed before our descent into this place and against whose gleaming cataracts the outlines of the incredible city had lowered.
closeradverbUS /ˈkloʊsər/
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
colornounUS /ˈkʌlər/
a visual attribute of things that results from the light they emit or transmit or reflect
From this reading They were, in color, replicas of that I had glimpsed before our descent into this place and against whose gleaming cataracts the outlines of the incredible city had lowered.
comeverbUS /kʌm/
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
compactnounUS /ˈkɑːmpækt/
a small cosmetics case with a mirror; to be carried in a woman's purse
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
corpuscles
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
cylindernounUS /ˈsɪləndər/
a solid bounded by a cylindrical surface and two parallel planes (the bases)
From this reading Thousands of feet above us the mighty cylinder uprose, and in the lessened circle that was its mouth I glimpsed the bright stars; and knew by this it opened into the free air.
descentnounUS /dɪˈsent/
An action of moving downward, dropping, or falling into a deeper place.
From this reading They were, in color, replicas of that I had glimpsed before our descent into this place and against whose gleaming cataracts the outlines of the incredible city had lowered.
diameternounUS /daɪˈæmətər/
the length of a straight line passing through the center of a circle and connecting two points on the circumference
From this reading All of half a mile in diameter was this shaft, and ringed regularly along its height by wide amethystine bands--like rings of a hollow piston.
edgenounUS /edʒ/
the boundary of a surface
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
faradverbUS /fɑːr/
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
feetnounUS /fiːt/
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Thousands of feet above us the mighty cylinder uprose, and in the lessened circle that was its mouth I glimpsed the bright stars; and knew by this it opened into the free air.
fineradjectiveUS /ˈfaɪnər/
(comparative of “fine”) greater in quality or excellence
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
freeverbUS /friː/
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading Thousands of feet above us the mighty cylinder uprose, and in the lessened circle that was its mouth I glimpsed the bright stars; and knew by this it opened into the free air.
gleamingnounUS /ˈɡliːmɪŋ/
a flash of light (especially reflected light)
From this reading They were, in color, replicas of that I had glimpsed before our descent into this place and against whose gleaming cataracts the outlines of the incredible city had lowered.
glimpsedverbUS /ɡlɪmpst/
past form of “glimpse” — catch a glimpse of or see briefly
From this reading Thousands of feet above us the mighty cylinder uprose, and in the lessened circle that was its mouth I glimpsed the bright stars; and knew by this it opened into the free air.
grainedverbUS /ɡreɪnd/
past form of “grain” — thoroughly work in
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
greennounUS /ɡriːn/
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
halfadjectiveUS /hæf/
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading All of half a mile in diameter was this shaft, and ringed regularly along its height by wide amethystine bands--like rings of a hollow piston.
heightnounUS /haɪt/
the vertical dimension of extension; distance from the base of something to the top
From this reading All of half a mile in diameter was this shaft, and ringed regularly along its height by wide amethystine bands--like rings of a hollow piston.
hereadverbUS /hiːr/
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
hollowadjectiveUS /ˈhɑːloʊ/
not solid; having a space or gap or cavity
From this reading All of half a mile in diameter was this shaft, and ringed regularly along its height by wide amethystine bands--like rings of a hollow piston.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Thousands of feet above us the mighty cylinder uprose, and in the lessened circle that was its mouth I glimpsed the bright stars; and knew by this it opened into the free air.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Thousands of feet above us the mighty cylinder uprose, and in the lessened circle that was its mouth I glimpsed the bright stars; and knew by this it opened into the free air.
incredibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈkredəbəl/
beyond belief or understanding
From this reading They were, in color, replicas of that I had glimpsed before our descent into this place and against whose gleaming cataracts the outlines of the incredible city had lowered.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Thousands of feet above us the mighty cylinder uprose, and in the lessened circle that was its mouth I glimpsed the bright stars; and knew by this it opened into the free air.
iridescencenoun
the visual property of something having a milky brightness and a play of colors from the surface
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Thousands of feet above us the mighty cylinder uprose, and in the lessened circle that was its mouth I glimpsed the bright stars; and knew by this it opened into the free air.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Thousands of feet above us the mighty cylinder uprose, and in the lessened circle that was its mouth I glimpsed the bright stars; and knew by this it opened into the free air.
justadverbUS /dʒʌst/
and nothing more
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
knewverbUS /nuː/
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Thousands of feet above us the mighty cylinder uprose, and in the lessened circle that was its mouth I glimpsed the bright stars; and knew by this it opened into the free air.
lessenedadjectiveUS /ˈlesənd/
impaired by diminution
From this reading Thousands of feet above us the mighty cylinder uprose, and in the lessened circle that was its mouth I glimpsed the bright stars; and knew by this it opened into the free air.
likeverbUS /laɪk/
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading All of half a mile in diameter was this shaft, and ringed regularly along its height by wide amethystine bands--like rings of a hollow piston.
loweredadjectiveUS /ˈloʊərd/
below the surround or below the normal position
From this reading They were, in color, replicas of that I had glimpsed before our descent into this place and against whose gleaming cataracts the outlines of the incredible city had lowered.
mightyadjectiveUS /ˈmaɪti/
having or showing great strength or force or intensity
From this reading Thousands of feet above us the mighty cylinder uprose, and in the lessened circle that was its mouth I glimpsed the bright stars; and knew by this it opened into the free air.
milenounUS /maɪl/
a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading All of half a mile in diameter was this shaft, and ringed regularly along its height by wide amethystine bands--like rings of a hollow piston.
motionnounUS /ˈmoʊʃən/
the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals
From this reading And they were in motion, spinning smoothly, and swiftly.
mouthnounUS /maʊθ/
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading Thousands of feet above us the mighty cylinder uprose, and in the lessened circle that was its mouth I glimpsed the bright stars; and knew by this it opened into the free air.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
openedadjectiveUS /ˈoʊpənd/
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading Thousands of feet above us the mighty cylinder uprose, and in the lessened circle that was its mouth I glimpsed the bright stars; and knew by this it opened into the free air.
ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading They were, in color, replicas of that I had glimpsed before our descent into this place and against whose gleaming cataracts the outlines of the incredible city had lowered.
outlinesnounUS /ˈaʊtlaɪnz/
plural of “outline” — the line that appears to bound an object
From this reading They were, in color, replicas of that I had glimpsed before our descent into this place and against whose gleaming cataracts the outlines of the incredible city had lowered.
pistonnounUS /ˈpɪstən/
United States neoclassical composer (1894-1976)
From this reading All of half a mile in diameter was this shaft, and ringed regularly along its height by wide amethystine bands--like rings of a hollow piston.
placenounUS /pleɪs/
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading They were, in color, replicas of that I had glimpsed before our descent into this place and against whose gleaming cataracts the outlines of the incredible city had lowered.
regularlyadverbUS /ˈreɡjələrli/
in a regular manner
From this reading All of half a mile in diameter was this shaft, and ringed regularly along its height by wide amethystine bands--like rings of a hollow piston.
replicasnounUS /ˈrepləkəz/
plural of “replica” — copy that is not the original; something that has been copied
From this reading They were, in color, replicas of that I had glimpsed before our descent into this place and against whose gleaming cataracts the outlines of the incredible city had lowered.
ringedadjectiveUS /rɪŋd/
shaped like a ring
From this reading All of half a mile in diameter was this shaft, and ringed regularly along its height by wide amethystine bands--like rings of a hollow piston.
ringsnounUS /rɪŋz/
gymnastic apparatus consisting of a pair of heavy metal circles (usually covered with leather) suspended by ropes; used for gymnastic exercises
From this reading All of half a mile in diameter was this shaft, and ringed regularly along its height by wide amethystine bands--like rings of a hollow piston.
sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/
Identical; not different.
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
shaftnounUS /ʃæft/
a line that forms the length of an arrow pointer
From this reading All of half a mile in diameter was this shaft, and ringed regularly along its height by wide amethystine bands--like rings of a hollow piston.
smoothlyadverbUS /ˈsmuːðli/
with no problems or difficulties
From this reading And they were in motion, spinning smoothly, and swiftly.
spinningnounUS /ˈspɪnɪŋ/
creating thread
From this reading And they were in motion, spinning smoothly, and swiftly.
spunverbUS /spʌn/
inflected form of “spin” — revolve quickly and repeatedly around one's own axis
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
starsnounUS /stɑːrz/
plural of “star” — (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading Thousands of feet above us the mighty cylinder uprose, and in the lessened circle that was its mouth I glimpsed the bright stars; and knew by this it opened into the free air.
stoodverbUS /stʊd/
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
swiftlyadverbUS /ˈswɪftli/
in a swift manner
From this reading And they were in motion, spinning smoothly, and swiftly.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Thousands of feet above us the mighty cylinder uprose, and in the lessened circle that was its mouth I glimpsed the bright stars; and knew by this it opened into the free air.
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
ThousandsnounUS /ˈθaʊzəndz/
plural of “thousand” — the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading Thousands of feet above us the mighty cylinder uprose, and in the lessened circle that was its mouth I glimpsed the bright stars; and knew by this it opened into the free air.
throughprepositionUS /θruː/
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
uprose
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Thousands of feet above us the mighty cylinder uprose, and in the lessened circle that was its mouth I glimpsed the bright stars; and knew by this it opened into the free air.
uspronounUS /ʌs/
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Thousands of feet above us the mighty cylinder uprose, and in the lessened circle that was its mouth I glimpsed the bright stars; and knew by this it opened into the free air.
vaporousadjective
so thin as to transmit light
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
wallsnounUS /wɔːlz/
plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Thousands of feet above us the mighty cylinder uprose, and in the lessened circle that was its mouth I glimpsed the bright stars; and knew by this it opened into the free air.
WepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
welladverbUS /wel/
(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 We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
whosedeterminerUS /huːz/
belonging to which person
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
wideadjectiveUS /waɪd/
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading All of half a mile in diameter was this shaft, and ringed regularly along its height by wide amethystine bands--like rings of a hollow piston.
wovenadjectiveUS /ˈwoʊvən/
made or constructed by interlacing threads or strips of material or other elements into a whole
From this reading We stood at the edge of a well whose walls were of that same green vaporous iridescence through which we had just come, but finer grained, compact; as though here the corpuscles of which they were woven were far closer spun.
