Chapter XXI · Reunion

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

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading The last rays of the descending sun, balanced on the edge of the world and about to sink below the horizon, shot almost straight across the desert.

from one side of something to the other

From this reading The last rays of the descending sun, balanced on the edge of the world and about to sink below the horizon, shot almost straight across the desert.

an aircraft that has a fixed wing and is powered by propellers or jets

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading The last rays of the descending sun, balanced on the edge of the world and about to sink below the horizon, shot almost straight across the desert.

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

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

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

From this reading The last rays of the descending sun, balanced on the edge of the world and about to sink below the horizon, shot almost straight across the desert.

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

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Low sand dunes of so little height as to seem almost invisible at noon, now shot lengthy grotesque shadows to the east.

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

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

-ing form of “await” — look forward to the probable occurrence of

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

being in a state of proper equilibrium

From this reading The last rays of the descending sun, balanced on the edge of the world and about to sink below the horizon, shot almost straight across the desert.

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading The last rays of the descending sun, balanced on the edge of the world and about to sink below the horizon, shot almost straight across the desert.

the act of delivering or distributing something (as goods or mail)

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

a special group delegated to consider some matter

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

past form of “descend” — move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

coming down or downward

From this reading The last rays of the descending sun, balanced on the edge of the world and about to sink below the horizon, shot almost straight across the desert.

leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

plural of “dune” — a ridge of sand created by the wind; found in deserts or near lakes and oceans

From this reading Low sand dunes of so little height as to seem almost invisible at noon, now shot lengthy grotesque shadows to the east.

the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees

From this reading Low sand dunes of so little height as to seem almost invisible at noon, now shot lengthy grotesque shadows to the east.

the boundary of a surface

From this reading The last rays of the descending sun, balanced on the edge of the world and about to sink below the horizon, shot almost straight across the desert.

at any time

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading The face of the Great Mountain Wall, solid unbroken gray rock, glowed in a misty golden light.

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

set up or found

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

past form of “glow” — emit a steady even light without flames

From this reading The face of the Great Mountain Wall, solid unbroken gray rock, glowed in a misty golden light.

having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

From this reading The face of the Great Mountain Wall, solid unbroken gray rock, glowed in a misty golden light.

a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black

From this reading The face of the Great Mountain Wall, solid unbroken gray rock, glowed in a misty golden light.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

past form of “greet” — express greetings upon meeting someone

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

distorted and unnatural in shape or size; abnormal and hideous

From this reading Low sand dunes of so little height as to seem almost invisible at noon, now shot lengthy grotesque shadows to the east.

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

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

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

the vertical dimension of extension; distance from the base of something to the top

From this reading Low sand dunes of so little height as to seem almost invisible at noon, now shot lengthy grotesque shadows to the east.

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

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

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

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

the line at which the sky and Earth appear to meet

From this reading The last rays of the descending sun, balanced on the edge of the world and about to sink below the horizon, shot almost straight across the desert.

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading It was near the hour of sunset.

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

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

impossible or nearly impossible to see; imperceptible by the eye

From this reading Low sand dunes of so little height as to seem almost invisible at noon, now shot lengthy grotesque shadows to the east.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was near the hour of sunset.

an intermediate platform in a staircase

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

immediately past

From this reading The last rays of the descending sun, balanced on the edge of the world and about to sink below the horizon, shot almost straight across the desert.

an accidental hole that allows something (fluid or light etc.) to enter or escape

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

relatively long in duration; tediously protracted

From this reading Low sand dunes of so little height as to seem almost invisible at noon, now shot lengthy grotesque shadows to the east.

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading The face of the Great Mountain Wall, solid unbroken gray rock, glowed in a misty golden light.

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

From this reading Low sand dunes of so little height as to seem almost invisible at noon, now shot lengthy grotesque shadows to the east.

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 When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading Low sand dunes of so little height as to seem almost invisible at noon, now shot lengthy grotesque shadows to the east.

filled or abounding with fog or mist

From this reading The face of the Great Mountain Wall, solid unbroken gray rock, glowed in a misty golden light.

a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill

From this reading The face of the Great Mountain Wall, solid unbroken gray rock, glowed in a misty golden light.

the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading It was near the hour of sunset.

the middle of the day

From this reading Low sand dunes of so little height as to seem almost invisible at noon, now shot lengthy grotesque shadows to the east.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

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

From this reading Low sand dunes of so little height as to seem almost invisible at noon, now shot lengthy grotesque shadows to the east.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

any object that radiates energy

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

plural of “ray” — a column of light (as from a beacon)

From this reading The last rays of the descending sun, balanced on the edge of the world and about to sink below the horizon, shot almost straight across the desert.

the manner in which something is greeted

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

past form of “repair” — restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading The face of the Great Mountain Wall, solid unbroken gray rock, glowed in a misty golden light.

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

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral

From this reading Low sand dunes of so little height as to seem almost invisible at noon, now shot lengthy grotesque shadows to the east.

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading Low sand dunes of so little height as to seem almost invisible at noon, now shot lengthy grotesque shadows to the east.

plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries

From this reading Low sand dunes of so little height as to seem almost invisible at noon, now shot lengthy grotesque shadows to the east.

the act of firing a projectile

From this reading The last rays of the descending sun, balanced on the edge of the world and about to sink below the horizon, shot almost straight across the desert.

fall or descend to a lower place or level

From this reading The last rays of the descending sun, balanced on the edge of the world and about to sink below the horizon, shot almost straight across the desert.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Low sand dunes of so little height as to seem almost invisible at noon, now shot lengthy grotesque shadows to the east.

characterized by good substantial quality

From this reading The face of the Great Mountain Wall, solid unbroken gray rock, glowed in a misty golden light.

a plane curve traced by a point circling about the center but at increasing distances from the center

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

successive (without a break)

From this reading The last rays of the descending sun, balanced on the edge of the world and about to sink below the horizon, shot almost straight across the desert.

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

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

From this reading The last rays of the descending sun, balanced on the edge of the world and about to sink below the horizon, shot almost straight across the desert.

the time in the evening at which the sun begins to fall below the horizon

From this reading It was near the hour of sunset.

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

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

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

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

marked by continuous or uninterrupted extension in space or time or sequence

From this reading The face of the Great Mountain Wall, solid unbroken gray rock, glowed in a misty golden light.

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 The face of the Great Mountain Wall, solid unbroken gray rock, glowed in a misty golden light.

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

From this reading It was near the hour of sunset.

at the time that

From this reading When Roy Stone, having repaired the leak in his radiator, descended in a long spiral, bringing his airplane to rest on the desert not far from the mouth of the Great Road, he found as strange a reception committee awaiting him as ever greeted an aviator’s landing.

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading The last rays of the descending sun, balanced on the edge of the world and about to sink below the horizon, shot almost straight across the desert.