Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

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

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading And then, very fine and small and weak, something that knew it was Rose Stanton--Rose Stanton lying in a bed with people about her.

from one side of something to the other

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

anew

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

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

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

gymnastic apparatus consisting of two parallel wooden rods supported on uprights

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading And then, very fine and small and weak, something that knew it was Rose Stanton--Rose Stanton lying in a bed with people about her.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Rectangles of light, which, had they kept still, would have been windows--a mirror.

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

a state of extreme confusion and disorder

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

absence of light or illumination

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of

From this reading She let her eyes fall heavily shut again lest they should discover she was there and want her to speak or think.

showing effects of much strong drink

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

continuing forever without end

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

opinion or judgment

From this reading She let her eyes fall heavily shut again lest they should discover she was there and want her to speak or think.

descend in free fall under the influence of gravity

From this reading She let her eyes fall heavily shut again lest they should discover she was there and want her to speak or think.

an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading And then, very fine and small and weak, something that knew it was Rose Stanton--Rose Stanton lying in a bed with people about her.

the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases)

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

a light within the field of vision that is brighter than the brightness to which the eyes are adapted

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

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

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

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

From this reading Rectangles of light, which, had they kept still, would have been windows--a mirror.

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Rectangles of light, which, had they kept still, would have been windows--a mirror.

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

to a considerable degree

From this reading She let her eyes fall heavily shut again lest they should discover she was there and want her to speak or think.

lacking in or deprived of strength or power

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading And then, very fine and small and weak, something that knew it was Rose Stanton--Rose Stanton lying in a bed with people about her.

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

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

emitting light as a result of being heated

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

a person who inhabits a particular place

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded

From this reading Rectangles of light, which, had they kept still, would have been windows--a mirror.

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 And then, very fine and small and weak, something that knew it was Rose Stanton--Rose Stanton lying in a bed with people about her.

in order that something should not happen

From this reading She let her eyes fall heavily shut again lest they should discover she was there and want her to speak or think.

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading She let her eyes fall heavily shut again lest they should discover she was there and want her to speak or think.

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading Rectangles of light, which, had they kept still, would have been windows--a mirror.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

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

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

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 And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

for more time

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

the deliberate act of deviating from the truth

From this reading And then, very fine and small and weak, something that knew it was Rose Stanton--Rose Stanton lying in a bed with people about her.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

polished surface that forms images by reflecting light

From this reading Rectangles of light, which, had they kept still, would have been windows--a mirror.

not any; not one

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

something having the property of being analogous to something else

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading And then, very fine and small and weak, something that knew it was Rose Stanton--Rose Stanton lying in a bed with people about her.

without mercy or pity

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

of or relating to or resembling the physical or orbital characteristics of a planet or the planets

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

plural of “play” — a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

plural of “rectangle” — a parallelogram with four right angles

From this reading Rectangles of light, which, had they kept still, would have been windows--a mirror.

-ing form of “reel” — walk as if unable to control one's movements

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

get or find back; recover the use of

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

From this reading And then, very fine and small and weak, something that knew it was Rose Stanton--Rose Stanton lying in a bed with people about her.

A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She let her eyes fall heavily shut again lest they should discover she was there and want her to speak or think.

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading She let her eyes fall heavily shut again lest they should discover she was there and want her to speak or think.

move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut

From this reading She let her eyes fall heavily shut again lest they should discover she was there and want her to speak or think.

affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

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

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

the underside of footwear or a golf club

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

a thing, without saying which

From this reading And then, very fine and small and weak, something that knew it was Rose Stanton--Rose Stanton lying in a bed with people about her.

the unlimited expanse in which everything is located

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

express in speech

From this reading She let her eyes fall heavily shut again lest they should discover she was there and want her to speak or think.

United States suffragist and feminist; called for reform of the practices that perpetuated sexual inequality (1815-1902)

From this reading And then, very fine and small and weak, something that knew it was Rose Stanton--Rose Stanton lying in a bed with people about her.

not in physical motion

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

past form of “struggle” — make a strenuous or labored effort

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

plural of “struggle” — an energetic attempt to achieve something

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

engaged in a struggle to overcome especially poverty or obscurity

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

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

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

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

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

in or at that place or location

From this reading She let her eyes fall heavily shut again lest they should discover she was there and want her to speak or think.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Rectangles of light, which, had they kept still, would have been windows--a mirror.

a special situation

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading She let her eyes fall heavily shut again lest they should discover she was there and want her to speak or think.

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

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

unsteady in gait as from infirmity or old age

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

the act of going from one place to another

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

precisely as stated

From this reading And then, very fine and small and weak, something that knew it was Rose Stanton--Rose Stanton lying in a bed with people about her.

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading She let her eyes fall heavily shut again lest they should discover she was there and want her to speak or think.

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

From this reading And then, very fine and small and weak, something that knew it was Rose Stanton--Rose Stanton lying in a bed with people about her.

past form of “watch” — look attentively

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

wanting in physical strength

From this reading And then, very fine and small and weak, something that knew it was Rose Stanton--Rose Stanton lying in a bed with people about her.

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

From this reading Rectangles of light, which, had they kept still, would have been windows--a mirror.

past form of “whirl” — turn in a twisting or spinning motion

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

the act of rotating in a circle or spiral

From this reading And then a great ball whirling in planetary space, half dark, half incandescent white, having for its sole inhabitant, the small harried thing that struggled to keep in the dark out of the glare of that pitiless white pain.--One watched its struggles from a long way off--like God.--But the ball whirled drunkenly and it made one sick to look.--And then a supervening chaos--no longer a ball but still whirling, reeling, tottering.

a Caucasian

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.

(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface

From this reading Rectangles of light, which, had they kept still, would have been windows--a mirror.

in the company of; together with

From this reading And then, very fine and small and weak, something that knew it was Rose Stanton--Rose Stanton lying in a bed with people about her.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Rectangles of light, which, had they kept still, would have been windows--a mirror.

a locally circumscribed place characterized by some distinctive features

From this reading FATE PLAYS A JOKE Traveling bars flowing along parallel, black and white; the white ones incandescent;--and a small helpless harried thing struggling to keep in the shadow of the black ones, or to regain it again across the pitiless zone of white that the little helpless thing called pain.--Traveling bars flowing along endlessly.