1954
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This etext was produced from If Worlds of Science Fiction July 1954.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
adjustingverbUS /əˈdʒʌstɪŋ/
-ing form of “adjust” — alter or regulate so as to achieve accuracy or conform to a standard
From this reading Then, there were only instants, shocking-clear, brief: finding himself standing before the main damper control, discovering himself adjusting complex dials, instants that flickered uncertainly only to become memories brought to life when awareness came again.
anew
From this reading Then, there were only instants, shocking-clear, brief: finding himself standing before the main damper control, discovering himself adjusting complex dials, instants that flickered uncertainly only to become memories brought to life when awareness came again.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
awarenessnounUS /əˈwernəs/
having knowledge of
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
bafflingadjectiveUS /ˈbæfəlɪŋ/
making great mental demands; hard to comprehend or solve or believe
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading Then, there were only instants, shocking-clear, brief: finding himself standing before the main damper control, discovering himself adjusting complex dials, instants that flickered uncertainly only to become memories brought to life when awareness came again.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Then, there were only instants, shocking-clear, brief: finding himself standing before the main damper control, discovering himself adjusting complex dials, instants that flickered uncertainly only to become memories brought to life when awareness came again.
of short duration or distance
From this reading Then, there were only instants, shocking-clear, brief: finding himself standing before the main damper control, discovering himself adjusting complex dials, instants that flickered uncertainly only to become memories brought to life when awareness came again.
brieflyadverbUS /ˈbriːfli/
for a short time
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading Then, there were only instants, shocking-clear, brief: finding himself standing before the main damper control, discovering himself adjusting complex dials, instants that flickered uncertainly only to become memories brought to life when awareness came again.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
ClintonnounUS /ˈklɪntən/
wife of President Clinton and later a woman member of the United States Senate (1947-)
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
complexnounUS /ˈkɑːmpleks/
a conceptual whole made up of complicated and related parts
From this reading Then, there were only instants, shocking-clear, brief: finding himself standing before the main damper control, discovering himself adjusting complex dials, instants that flickered uncertainly only to become memories brought to life when awareness came again.
intentionally conceived
From this reading He was a kind of infant, conscious briefly that he was, yet unaware of what he was.
power to direct or determine
From this reading Then, there were only instants, shocking-clear, brief: finding himself standing before the main damper control, discovering himself adjusting complex dials, instants that flickered uncertainly only to become memories brought to life when awareness came again.
copyrightnounUS /ˈkɑːpiraɪt/
a document granting exclusive right to publish and sell literary or musical or artistic work
From this reading Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
dampernounUS /ˈdæmpər/
a movable iron plate that regulates the draft in a stove or chimney or furnace
From this reading Then, there were only instants, shocking-clear, brief: finding himself standing before the main damper control, discovering himself adjusting complex dials, instants that flickered uncertainly only to become memories brought to life when awareness came again.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
dialsnounUS /ˈdaɪəlz/
plural of “dial” — the face of a timepiece; graduated to show the hours
From this reading Then, there were only instants, shocking-clear, brief: finding himself standing before the main damper control, discovering himself adjusting complex dials, instants that flickered uncertainly only to become memories brought to life when awareness came again.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
discoveringverbUS /dɪˈskʌvərɪŋ/
-ing form of “discover” — discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading Then, there were only instants, shocking-clear, brief: finding himself standing before the main damper control, discovering himself adjusting complex dials, instants that flickered uncertainly only to become memories brought to life when awareness came again.
EdnounUS /ed/
impotence resulting from a man's inability to have or maintain an erection of his penis
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
etext
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This etext was produced from If Worlds of Science Fiction July 1954.
your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief
From this reading Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
ExtensiveadjectiveUS /ɪkˈstensɪv/
large in spatial extent or range or scope or quantity
From this reading Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
FictionnounUS /ˈfɪkʃən/
a literary work based on the imagination and not necessarily on fact
From this reading This etext was produced from If Worlds of Science Fiction July 1954.
the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation
From this reading Then, there were only instants, shocking-clear, brief: finding himself standing before the main damper control, discovering himself adjusting complex dials, instants that flickered uncertainly only to become memories brought to life when awareness came again.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
flaringadjectiveUS /ˈflerɪŋ/
streaming or flapping or spreading wide as if in a current of air
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
flickeredverbUS /ˈflɪkərd/
past form of “flicker” — move back and forth very rapidly
From this reading Then, there were only instants, shocking-clear, brief: finding himself standing before the main damper control, discovering himself adjusting complex dials, instants that flickered uncertainly only to become memories brought to life when awareness came again.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
set up or found
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
the condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading This etext was produced from If Worlds of Science Fiction July 1954.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Then, there were only instants, shocking-clear, brief: finding himself standing before the main damper control, discovering himself adjusting complex dials, instants that flickered uncertainly only to become memories brought to life when awareness came again.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading This etext was produced from If Worlds of Science Fiction July 1954.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
infantnounUS /ˈɪnfənt/
a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading He was a kind of infant, conscious briefly that he was, yet unaware of what he was.
instants
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then, there were only instants, shocking-clear, brief: finding himself standing before the main damper control, discovering himself adjusting complex dials, instants that flickered uncertainly only to become memories brought to life when awareness came again.
JrnounUS /ˈdʒuːnjər/
a son who has the same first name as his father
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
JulynounUS /ˌdʒuːˈlaɪ/
the month following June and preceding August
From this reading This etext was produced from If Worlds of Science Fiction July 1954.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading He was a kind of infant, conscious briefly that he was, yet unaware of what he was.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Then, there were only instants, shocking-clear, brief: finding himself standing before the main damper control, discovering himself adjusting complex dials, instants that flickered uncertainly only to become memories brought to life when awareness came again.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
magnificencenoun
splendid or imposing in size or appearance
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
most important element
From this reading Then, there were only instants, shocking-clear, brief: finding himself standing before the main damper control, discovering himself adjusting complex dials, instants that flickered uncertainly only to become memories brought to life when awareness came again.
memoriesnounUS /ˈmɛm.ə.riz/
Recollections of past events.
From this reading Then, there were only instants, shocking-clear, brief: finding himself standing before the main damper control, discovering himself adjusting complex dials, instants that flickered uncertainly only to become memories brought to life when awareness came again.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading This etext was produced from If Worlds of Science Fiction July 1954.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
and nothing more
From this reading Then, there were only instants, shocking-clear, brief: finding himself standing before the main damper control, discovering himself adjusting complex dials, instants that flickered uncertainly only to become memories brought to life when awareness came again.
perfectionnounUS /pərˈfekʃən/
the state of being without a flaw or defect
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
past form of “produce” — bring forth or yield
From this reading This etext was produced from If Worlds of Science Fiction July 1954.
publicationnounUS /ˌpʌblɪˈkeɪʃən/
a copy of a printed work offered for distribution
From this reading Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
renewedadjectiveUS /rɪˈnuːd/
restored to a new condition
From this reading Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
researchnounUS /riˈsɜːrtʃ/
systematic investigation to establish facts
From this reading Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
a particular branch of scientific knowledge
From this reading This etext was produced from If Worlds of Science Fiction July 1954.
shocking-clear
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then, there were only instants, shocking-clear, brief: finding himself standing before the main damper control, discovering himself adjusting complex dials, instants that flickered uncertainly only to become memories brought to life when awareness came again.
sparksnounUS /spɑːrks/
plural of “spark” — a momentary flash of light
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
having a supporting base
From this reading Then, there were only instants, shocking-clear, brief: finding himself standing before the main damper control, discovering himself adjusting complex dials, instants that flickered uncertainly only to become memories brought to life when awareness came again.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then, there were only instants, shocking-clear, brief: finding himself standing before the main damper control, discovering himself adjusting complex dials, instants that flickered uncertainly only to become memories brought to life when awareness came again.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Then, there were only instants, shocking-clear, brief: finding himself standing before the main damper control, discovering himself adjusting complex dials, instants that flickered uncertainly only to become memories brought to life when awareness came again.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This etext was produced from If Worlds of Science Fiction July 1954.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
UnounUS /juː/
a base containing nitrogen that is found in RNA (but not in DNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine
From this reading Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
unawareadjectiveUS /ˌʌnəˈwer/
(often followed by “of”) not aware
From this reading He was a kind of infant, conscious briefly that he was, yet unaware of what he was.
uncertainlyadverbUS /ənˈsɜːrtənli/
in an unsteady manner
From this reading Then, there were only instants, shocking-clear, brief: finding himself standing before the main damper control, discovering himself adjusting complex dials, instants that flickered uncertainly only to become memories brought to life when awareness came again.
uncoververbUS /ənˈkʌvər/
remove all or part of one's clothes to show one's body
From this reading Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This etext was produced from If Worlds of Science Fiction July 1954.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Then, there were only instants, shocking-clear, brief: finding himself standing before the main damper control, discovering himself adjusting complex dials, instants that flickered uncertainly only to become memories brought to life when awareness came again.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading He was a kind of infant, conscious briefly that he was, yet unaware of what he was.
at the time that
From this reading Then, there were only instants, shocking-clear, brief: finding himself standing before the main damper control, discovering himself adjusting complex dials, instants that flickered uncertainly only to become memories brought to life when awareness came again.
in the company of; together with
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading By Ed M. Clinton, Jr. _For all his perfection and magnificence he was but a baby with a new found freedom in a strange and baffling world...._ Like sparks flaring briefly in the darkness, awareness first came to him.
WorldsnounUS /wɜːrldz/
plural of “world” — everything that exists anywhere
From this reading This etext was produced from If Worlds of Science Fiction July 1954.
but in spite of that
From this reading He was a kind of infant, conscious briefly that he was, yet unaware of what he was.
