used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading As these vanes sprang up one after the other, Graham could get transient glimpses of the sky.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
apartmentsnounUS /əˈpɑːrtmənts/
plural of “apartment” — a suite of rooms usually on one floor of an apartment house
From this reading IN THE SILENT ROOMS Presently Graham resumed his examination of his apartments.
aperturenounUS /ˈæpərtʃər/
a device that controls amount of light admitted
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
from appearances alone
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As these vanes sprang up one after the other, Graham could get transient glimpses of the sky.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
ceilingnounUS /ˈsiːlɪŋ/
the overhead upper surface of a covered space
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
a low-lying region in central France
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
rid of obstructions
From this reading The faint humming note of its easy motion was the only clear sound in that quiet place.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading As these vanes sprang up one after the other, Graham could get transient glimpses of the sky.
a state in which you want to learn more about something
From this reading Curiosity kept him moving in spite of his fatigue.
domenounUS /doʊm/
a concave shape whose distinguishing characteristic is that the concavity faces downward
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
having the power of driving or impelling
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading The faint humming note of its easy motion was the only clear sound in that quiet place.
the act of examining something closely (as for mistakes)
From this reading IN THE SILENT ROOMS Presently Graham resumed his examination of his apartments.
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading The faint humming note of its easy motion was the only clear sound in that quiet place.
fatiguenounUS /fəˈtiːɡ/
temporary loss of strength and energy resulting from hard physical or mental work
From this reading Curiosity kept him moving in spite of his fatigue.
funnelnounUS /ˈfʌnəl/
a conical shape with a wider and a narrower opening at the two ends
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading As these vanes sprang up one after the other, Graham could get transient glimpses of the sky.
glimpsesnounUS /ˈɡlɪmpsɪz/
plural of “glimpse” — a quick look
From this reading As these vanes sprang up one after the other, Graham could get transient glimpses of the sky.
GrahamnounUS /ˈɡreɪəm/
United States evangelical preacher famous as a mass evangelist (born in 1918)
From this reading IN THE SILENT ROOMS Presently Graham resumed his examination of his apartments.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Curiosity kept him moving in spite of his fatigue.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading IN THE SILENT ROOMS Presently Graham resumed his examination of his apartments.
hummingnounUS /ˈhʌmɪŋ/
a humming noise
From this reading The faint humming note of its easy motion was the only clear sound in that quiet place.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN THE SILENT ROOMS Presently Graham resumed his examination of his apartments.
located inward
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading Curiosity kept him moving in spite of his fatigue.
the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals
From this reading The faint humming note of its easy motion was the only clear sound in that quiet place.
in motion
From this reading Curiosity kept him moving in spite of his fatigue.
a brief written record
From this reading The faint humming note of its easy motion was the only clear sound in that quiet place.
oblongadjectiveUS /ˈɑːblɔːŋ/
(of a leaf shape) having a somewhat elongated form with approximately parallel sides
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading IN THE SILENT ROOMS Presently Graham resumed his examination of his apartments.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading As these vanes sprang up one after the other, Graham could get transient glimpses of the sky.
and nothing more
From this reading The faint humming note of its easy motion was the only clear sound in that quiet place.
an open or empty space in or between things
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading As these vanes sprang up one after the other, Graham could get transient glimpses of the sky.
detected by instinct or inference rather than by recognized perceptual cues
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading The faint humming note of its easy motion was the only clear sound in that quiet place.
in the near future
From this reading IN THE SILENT ROOMS Presently Graham resumed his examination of his apartments.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading The faint humming note of its easy motion was the only clear sound in that quiet place.
past form of “resume” — take up or begin anew
From this reading IN THE SILENT ROOMS Presently Graham resumed his examination of his apartments.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)
From this reading IN THE SILENT ROOMS Presently Graham resumed his examination of his apartments.
rotatingverbUS /ˈroʊteɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “rotate” — turn on or around an axis or a center
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
shaftnounUS /ʃæft/
a line that forms the length of an arrow pointer
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
shapedadjectiveUS /ʃeɪpt/
shaped to fit by or as if by altering the contours of a pliable mass (as by work or effort)
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading IN THE SILENT ROOMS Presently Graham resumed his examination of his apartments.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading As these vanes sprang up one after the other, Graham could get transient glimpses of the sky.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading The faint humming note of its easy motion was the only clear sound in that quiet place.
feeling a need to see others suffer
From this reading Curiosity kept him moving in spite of his fatigue.
inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading As these vanes sprang up one after the other, Graham could get transient glimpses of the sky.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The faint humming note of its easy motion was the only clear sound in that quiet place.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading IN THE SILENT ROOMS Presently Graham resumed his examination of his apartments.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading As these vanes sprang up one after the other, Graham could get transient glimpses of the sky.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
transientnounUS /ˈtrænʒənt/
one who stays for only a short time
From this reading As these vanes sprang up one after the other, Graham could get transient glimpses of the sky.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
vanesnounUS /veɪnz/
plural of “vane” — mechanical device attached to an elevated structure; rotates freely to show the direction of the wind
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
change directions as if revolving on a pivot
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The inner room, he perceived, was high, and its ceiling dome shaped, with an oblong aperture in the centre, opening into a funnel in which a wheel of broad vanes seemed to be rotating, apparently driving the air up the shaft.
