used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He plunged into the stream of pedestrians and it struck him how thickly, heavily clothed they were; the street resembled a sluggish river of dark liquid; he struggled through it, immersed to his shoulders.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading And the flock of curious, elusive thoughts, half-formed, fluttered above his mind just near enough to drop their shadows before they scattered and passed on.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading 'A new language is wanted,' he decided, 'a flying language, with a rapid air vocabulary, condensed, intense.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He plunged into the stream of pedestrians and it struck him how thickly, heavily clothed they were; the street resembled a sluggish river of dark liquid; he struggled through it, immersed to his shoulders.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Much as a kitten pounces on the shadow of shifting foliage on a lawn his brain pursued and pounced upon them, bringing up the best words available, yet that did not suit because the necessary words do not exist.
availableadjectiveUS /əˈveɪləbəl/
obtainable or accessible and ready for use or service
From this reading Much as a kitten pounces on the shadow of shifting foliage on a lawn his brain pursued and pounced upon them, bringing up the best words available, yet that did not suit because the necessary words do not exist.
for the reason that
From this reading Much as a kitten pounces on the shadow of shifting foliage on a lawn his brain pursued and pounced upon them, bringing up the best words available, yet that did not suit because the necessary words do not exist.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading And the flock of curious, elusive thoughts, half-formed, fluttered above his mind just near enough to drop their shadows before they scattered and passed on.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading Much as a kitten pounces on the shadow of shifting foliage on a lawn his brain pursued and pounced upon them, bringing up the best words available, yet that did not suit because the necessary words do not exist.
that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord
From this reading Much as a kitten pounces on the shadow of shifting foliage on a lawn his brain pursued and pounced upon them, bringing up the best words available, yet that did not suit because the necessary words do not exist.
the act of delivering or distributing something (as goods or mail)
From this reading Much as a kitten pounces on the shadow of shifting foliage on a lawn his brain pursued and pounced upon them, bringing up the best words available, yet that did not suit because the necessary words do not exist.
capturedverbUS /ˈkæptʃərd/
past form of “capture” — succeed in representing or expressing something intangible
From this reading It was only the shadow of the ideas he captured.
clothedadjectiveUS /kloʊðd/
wearing or provided with clothing; sometimes used in combination
From this reading He plunged into the stream of pedestrians and it struck him how thickly, heavily clothed they were; the street resembled a sluggish river of dark liquid; he struggled through it, immersed to his shoulders.
condensedverbUS /kənˈdenst/
past form of “condense” — undergo condensation; change from a gaseous to a liquid state and fall in drops
From this reading 'A new language is wanted,' he decided, 'a flying language, with a rapid air vocabulary, condensed, intense.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading And the flock of curious, elusive thoughts, half-formed, fluttered above his mind just near enough to drop their shadows before they scattered and passed on.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading He plunged into the stream of pedestrians and it struck him how thickly, heavily clothed they were; the street resembled a sluggish river of dark liquid; he struggled through it, immersed to his shoulders.
recognizable; marked
From this reading 'A new language is wanted,' he decided, 'a flying language, with a rapid air vocabulary, condensed, intense.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Much as a kitten pounces on the shadow of shifting foliage on a lawn his brain pursued and pounced upon them, bringing up the best words available, yet that did not suit because the necessary words do not exist.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Much as a kitten pounces on the shadow of shifting foliage on a lawn his brain pursued and pounced upon them, bringing up the best words available, yet that did not suit because the necessary words do not exist.
let fall to the ground
From this reading And the flock of curious, elusive thoughts, half-formed, fluttered above his mind just near enough to drop their shadows before they scattered and passed on.
elusiveadjectiveUS /ɪˈluːsɪv/
difficult to describe
From this reading And the flock of curious, elusive thoughts, half-formed, fluttered above his mind just near enough to drop their shadows before they scattered and passed on.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading And the flock of curious, elusive thoughts, half-formed, fluttered above his mind just near enough to drop their shadows before they scattered and passed on.
existverbUS /ɪɡˈzɪst/
have an existence, be extant
From this reading Much as a kitten pounces on the shadow of shifting foliage on a lawn his brain pursued and pounced upon them, bringing up the best words available, yet that did not suit because the necessary words do not exist.
flocknounUS /flɑːk/
a church congregation guided by a pastor
From this reading And the flock of curious, elusive thoughts, half-formed, fluttered above his mind just near enough to drop their shadows before they scattered and passed on.
flutteredverbUS /ˈflʌtərd/
past form of “flutter” — move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
From this reading And the flock of curious, elusive thoughts, half-formed, fluttered above his mind just near enough to drop their shadows before they scattered and passed on.
moving swiftly
From this reading 'A new language is wanted,' he decided, 'a flying language, with a rapid air vocabulary, condensed, intense.
foliagenounUS /ˈfoʊlɪdʒ/
the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading Much as a kitten pounces on the shadow of shifting foliage on a lawn his brain pursued and pounced upon them, bringing up the best words available, yet that did not suit because the necessary words do not exist.
half-formed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And the flock of curious, elusive thoughts, half-formed, fluttered above his mind just near enough to drop their shadows before they scattered and passed on.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He plunged into the stream of pedestrians and it struck him how thickly, heavily clothed they were; the street resembled a sluggish river of dark liquid; he struggled through it, immersed to his shoulders.
to a considerable degree
From this reading He plunged into the stream of pedestrians and it struck him how thickly, heavily clothed they were; the street resembled a sluggish river of dark liquid; he struggled through it, immersed to his shoulders.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He plunged into the stream of pedestrians and it struck him how thickly, heavily clothed they were; the street resembled a sluggish river of dark liquid; he struggled through it, immersed to his shoulders.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He plunged into the stream of pedestrians and it struck him how thickly, heavily clothed they were; the street resembled a sluggish river of dark liquid; he struggled through it, immersed to his shoulders.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He plunged into the stream of pedestrians and it struck him how thickly, heavily clothed they were; the street resembled a sluggish river of dark liquid; he struggled through it, immersed to his shoulders.
plural of “idea” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading It was only the shadow of the ideas he captured.
immersedverbUS /ˌɪˈmɜːrst/
past form of “immerse” — thrust or throw into
From this reading He plunged into the stream of pedestrians and it struck him how thickly, heavily clothed they were; the street resembled a sluggish river of dark liquid; he struggled through it, immersed to his shoulders.
possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree
From this reading 'A new language is wanted,' he decided, 'a flying language, with a rapid air vocabulary, condensed, intense.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading He plunged into the stream of pedestrians and it struck him how thickly, heavily clothed they were; the street resembled a sluggish river of dark liquid; he struggled through it, immersed to his shoulders.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading 'A new language is wanted,' he decided, 'a flying language, with a rapid air vocabulary, condensed, intense.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He plunged into the stream of pedestrians and it struck him how thickly, heavily clothed they were; the street resembled a sluggish river of dark liquid; he struggled through it, immersed to his shoulders.
and nothing more
From this reading And the flock of curious, elusive thoughts, half-formed, fluttered above his mind just near enough to drop their shadows before they scattered and passed on.
kittennounUS /ˈkɪtən/
young domestic cat
From this reading Much as a kitten pounces on the shadow of shifting foliage on a lawn his brain pursued and pounced upon them, bringing up the best words available, yet that did not suit because the necessary words do not exist.
a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols
From this reading 'A new language is wanted,' he decided, 'a flying language, with a rapid air vocabulary, condensed, intense.
lawnnounUS /lɔːn/
a field of cultivated and mowed grass
From this reading Much as a kitten pounces on the shadow of shifting foliage on a lawn his brain pursued and pounced upon them, bringing up the best words available, yet that did not suit because the necessary words do not exist.
liquidadjectiveUS /ˈlɪkwəd/
existing as or having characteristics of a liquid; especially tending to flow
From this reading He plunged into the stream of pedestrians and it struck him how thickly, heavily clothed they were; the street resembled a sluggish river of dark liquid; he struggled through it, immersed to his shoulders.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading And the flock of curious, elusive thoughts, half-formed, fluttered above his mind just near enough to drop their shadows before they scattered and passed on.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Much as a kitten pounces on the shadow of shifting foliage on a lawn his brain pursued and pounced upon them, bringing up the best words available, yet that did not suit because the necessary words do not exist.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading And the flock of curious, elusive thoughts, half-formed, fluttered above his mind just near enough to drop their shadows before they scattered and passed on.
absolutely essential
From this reading Much as a kitten pounces on the shadow of shifting foliage on a lawn his brain pursued and pounced upon them, bringing up the best words available, yet that did not suit because the necessary words do not exist.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading 'A new language is wanted,' he decided, 'a flying language, with a rapid air vocabulary, condensed, intense.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Much as a kitten pounces on the shadow of shifting foliage on a lawn his brain pursued and pounced upon them, bringing up the best words available, yet that did not suit because the necessary words do not exist.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He plunged into the stream of pedestrians and it struck him how thickly, heavily clothed they were; the street resembled a sluggish river of dark liquid; he struggled through it, immersed to his shoulders.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading And the flock of curious, elusive thoughts, half-formed, fluttered above his mind just near enough to drop their shadows before they scattered and passed on.
and nothing more
From this reading It was only the shadow of the ideas he captured.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading And the flock of curious, elusive thoughts, half-formed, fluttered above his mind just near enough to drop their shadows before they scattered and passed on.
pedestriansnounUS /pəˈdestriənz/
plural of “pedestrian” — a person who travels by foot
From this reading He plunged into the stream of pedestrians and it struck him how thickly, heavily clothed they were; the street resembled a sluggish river of dark liquid; he struggled through it, immersed to his shoulders.
past form of “plunge” — thrust or throw into
From this reading He plunged into the stream of pedestrians and it struck him how thickly, heavily clothed they were; the street resembled a sluggish river of dark liquid; he struggled through it, immersed to his shoulders.
pouncedverbUS /paʊnst/
past form of “pounce” — move down on as if in an attack
From this reading Much as a kitten pounces on the shadow of shifting foliage on a lawn his brain pursued and pounced upon them, bringing up the best words available, yet that did not suit because the necessary words do not exist.
pounces
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Much as a kitten pounces on the shadow of shifting foliage on a lawn his brain pursued and pounced upon them, bringing up the best words available, yet that did not suit because the necessary words do not exist.
a person who is being chased
From this reading Much as a kitten pounces on the shadow of shifting foliage on a lawn his brain pursued and pounced upon them, bringing up the best words available, yet that did not suit because the necessary words do not exist.
rapidadjectiveUS /ˈræpəd/
done or occurring in a brief period of time
From this reading 'A new language is wanted,' he decided, 'a flying language, with a rapid air vocabulary, condensed, intense.
resembledverbUS /rɪˈzembəld/
past form of “resemble” — appear like; be similar or bear a likeness to
From this reading He plunged into the stream of pedestrians and it struck him how thickly, heavily clothed they were; the street resembled a sluggish river of dark liquid; he struggled through it, immersed to his shoulders.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading He plunged into the stream of pedestrians and it struck him how thickly, heavily clothed they were; the street resembled a sluggish river of dark liquid; he struggled through it, immersed to his shoulders.
occurring or distributed over widely spaced and irregular intervals in time or space
From this reading And the flock of curious, elusive thoughts, half-formed, fluttered above his mind just near enough to drop their shadows before they scattered and passed on.
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading Much as a kitten pounces on the shadow of shifting foliage on a lawn his brain pursued and pounced upon them, bringing up the best words available, yet that did not suit because the necessary words do not exist.
plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries
From this reading And the flock of curious, elusive thoughts, half-formed, fluttered above his mind just near enough to drop their shadows before they scattered and passed on.
shiftingadjectiveUS /ˈʃɪftɪŋ/
continuously varying
From this reading Much as a kitten pounces on the shadow of shifting foliage on a lawn his brain pursued and pounced upon them, bringing up the best words available, yet that did not suit because the necessary words do not exist.
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading He plunged into the stream of pedestrians and it struck him how thickly, heavily clothed they were; the street resembled a sluggish river of dark liquid; he struggled through it, immersed to his shoulders.
sluggishadjectiveUS /ˈslʌɡɪʃ/
moving slowly
From this reading He plunged into the stream of pedestrians and it struck him how thickly, heavily clothed they were; the street resembled a sluggish river of dark liquid; he struggled through it, immersed to his shoulders.
a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth
From this reading He plunged into the stream of pedestrians and it struck him how thickly, heavily clothed they were; the street resembled a sluggish river of dark liquid; he struggled through it, immersed to his shoulders.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading He plunged into the stream of pedestrians and it struck him how thickly, heavily clothed they were; the street resembled a sluggish river of dark liquid; he struggled through it, immersed to his shoulders.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading He plunged into the stream of pedestrians and it struck him how thickly, heavily clothed they were; the street resembled a sluggish river of dark liquid; he struggled through it, immersed to his shoulders.
struggledverbUS /ˈstrʌɡəld/
past form of “struggle” — make a strenuous or labored effort
From this reading He plunged into the stream of pedestrians and it struck him how thickly, heavily clothed they were; the street resembled a sluggish river of dark liquid; he struggled through it, immersed to his shoulders.
be agreeable or acceptable to
From this reading Much as a kitten pounces on the shadow of shifting foliage on a lawn his brain pursued and pounced upon them, bringing up the best words available, yet that did not suit because the necessary words do not exist.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Much as a kitten pounces on the shadow of shifting foliage on a lawn his brain pursued and pounced upon them, bringing up the best words available, yet that did not suit because the necessary words do not exist.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He plunged into the stream of pedestrians and it struck him how thickly, heavily clothed they were; the street resembled a sluggish river of dark liquid; he struggled through it, immersed to his shoulders.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading And the flock of curious, elusive thoughts, half-formed, fluttered above his mind just near enough to drop their shadows before they scattered and passed on.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Much as a kitten pounces on the shadow of shifting foliage on a lawn his brain pursued and pounced upon them, bringing up the best words available, yet that did not suit because the necessary words do not exist.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He plunged into the stream of pedestrians and it struck him how thickly, heavily clothed they were; the street resembled a sluggish river of dark liquid; he struggled through it, immersed to his shoulders.
thicklyadverbUS /ˈθɪkli/
spoken with poor articulation as if with a thick tongue
From this reading He plunged into the stream of pedestrians and it struck him how thickly, heavily clothed they were; the street resembled a sluggish river of dark liquid; he struggled through it, immersed to his shoulders.
plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading And the flock of curious, elusive thoughts, half-formed, fluttered above his mind just near enough to drop their shadows before they scattered and passed on.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading He plunged into the stream of pedestrians and it struck him how thickly, heavily clothed they were; the street resembled a sluggish river of dark liquid; he struggled through it, immersed to his shoulders.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He plunged into the stream of pedestrians and it struck him how thickly, heavily clothed they were; the street resembled a sluggish river of dark liquid; he struggled through it, immersed to his shoulders.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Much as a kitten pounces on the shadow of shifting foliage on a lawn his brain pursued and pounced upon them, bringing up the best words available, yet that did not suit because the necessary words do not exist.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Much as a kitten pounces on the shadow of shifting foliage on a lawn his brain pursued and pounced upon them, bringing up the best words available, yet that did not suit because the necessary words do not exist.
vocabularynounUS /voʊˈkæbjəleri/
a listing of the words used in some enterprise
From this reading 'A new language is wanted,' he decided, 'a flying language, with a rapid air vocabulary, condensed, intense.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading 'A new language is wanted,' he decided, 'a flying language, with a rapid air vocabulary, condensed, intense.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was only the shadow of the ideas he captured.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He plunged into the stream of pedestrians and it struck him how thickly, heavily clothed they were; the street resembled a sluggish river of dark liquid; he struggled through it, immersed to his shoulders.
in the company of; together with
From this reading 'A new language is wanted,' he decided, 'a flying language, with a rapid air vocabulary, condensed, intense.
the words that are spoken
From this reading Much as a kitten pounces on the shadow of shifting foliage on a lawn his brain pursued and pounced upon them, bringing up the best words available, yet that did not suit because the necessary words do not exist.
but in spite of that
From this reading Much as a kitten pounces on the shadow of shifting foliage on a lawn his brain pursued and pounced upon them, bringing up the best words available, yet that did not suit because the necessary words do not exist.
