used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE WEED OF MADNESS In my absence Craig had set to work on a peculiar apparatus, as though he were distilling something from several of the other cigarette stubs.
the state of being absent
From this reading THE WEED OF MADNESS In my absence Craig had set to work on a peculiar apparatus, as though he were distilling something from several of the other cigarette stubs.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading It was well along toward morning when he obtained in a test-tube a few drops of a colorless, almost odorless liquid.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading It was well along toward morning when he obtained in a test-tube a few drops of a colorless, almost odorless liquid.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I placed the cat in a basket and watched Craig until finally he seemed to be rewarded for his patient labors.
apparatusnounUS /ˌæpərˈætəs/
equipment designed to serve a specific function
From this reading THE WEED OF MADNESS In my absence Craig had set to work on a peculiar apparatus, as though he were distilling something from several of the other cigarette stubs.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading I watched him curiously as he picked the cat out of the basket and held it gently in his arms.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading THE WEED OF MADNESS In my absence Craig had set to work on a peculiar apparatus, as though he were distilling something from several of the other cigarette stubs.
a container that is usually woven and has handles
From this reading I placed the cat in a basket and watched Craig until finally he seemed to be rewarded for his patient labors.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading I placed the cat in a basket and watched Craig until finally he seemed to be rewarded for his patient labors.
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading With a dropper he sucked up a bit of the liquid from the test-tube.
feline mammal usually having thick soft fur and no ability to roar: domestic cats; wildcats
From this reading I placed the cat in a basket and watched Craig until finally he seemed to be rewarded for his patient labors.
cigarettenounUS /ˌsɪɡərˈet/
finely ground tobacco wrapped in paper; for smoking
From this reading THE WEED OF MADNESS In my absence Craig had set to work on a peculiar apparatus, as though he were distilling something from several of the other cigarette stubs.
colorlessadjectiveUS /ˈkʌlərləs/
lacking in variety and interest
From this reading It was well along toward morning when he obtained in a test-tube a few drops of a colorless, almost odorless liquid.
Craig
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE WEED OF MADNESS In my absence Craig had set to work on a peculiar apparatus, as though he were distilling something from several of the other cigarette stubs.
in a manner differing from the usual or expected
From this reading I watched him curiously as he picked the cat out of the basket and held it gently in his arms.
distillingverbUS /dɪˈstɪlɪŋ/
inflected form of “distil” — undergo condensation; change from a gaseous to a liquid state and fall in drops
From this reading THE WEED OF MADNESS In my absence Craig had set to work on a peculiar apparatus, as though he were distilling something from several of the other cigarette stubs.
droppernounUS /ˈdrɑːpər/
pipet consisting of a small tube with a vacuum bulb at one end for drawing liquid in and releasing it a drop at a time
From this reading With a dropper he sucked up a bit of the liquid from the test-tube.
dropsnounUS /drɑːps/
plural of “drop” — a shape that is spherical and small
From this reading It was well along toward morning when he obtained in a test-tube a few drops of a colorless, almost odorless liquid.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading It was well along toward morning when he obtained in a test-tube a few drops of a colorless, almost odorless liquid.
after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay
From this reading I placed the cat in a basket and watched Craig until finally he seemed to be rewarded for his patient labors.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I placed the cat in a basket and watched Craig until finally he seemed to be rewarded for his patient labors.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading THE WEED OF MADNESS In my absence Craig had set to work on a peculiar apparatus, as though he were distilling something from several of the other cigarette stubs.
in a gradual manner
From this reading I watched him curiously as he picked the cat out of the basket and held it gently in his arms.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE WEED OF MADNESS In my absence Craig had set to work on a peculiar apparatus, as though he were distilling something from several of the other cigarette stubs.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE WEED OF MADNESS In my absence Craig had set to work on a peculiar apparatus, as though he were distilling something from several of the other cigarette stubs.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading I watched him curiously as he picked the cat out of the basket and held it gently in his arms.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I watched him curiously as he picked the cat out of the basket and held it gently in his arms.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading I placed the cat in a basket and watched Craig until finally he seemed to be rewarded for his patient labors.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I placed the cat in a basket and watched Craig until finally he seemed to be rewarded for his patient labors.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE WEED OF MADNESS In my absence Craig had set to work on a peculiar apparatus, as though he were distilling something from several of the other cigarette stubs.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was well along toward morning when he obtained in a test-tube a few drops of a colorless, almost odorless liquid.
laborsnounUS /ˈleɪbərz/
plural of “labor” — a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages
From this reading I placed the cat in a basket and watched Craig until finally he seemed to be rewarded for his patient labors.
liquidadjectiveUS /ˈlɪkwəd/
existing as or having characteristics of a liquid; especially tending to flow
From this reading It was well along toward morning when he obtained in a test-tube a few drops of a colorless, almost odorless liquid.
MADNESSnounUS /ˈmædnəs/
obsolete terms for legal insanity
From this reading THE WEED OF MADNESS In my absence Craig had set to work on a peculiar apparatus, as though he were distilling something from several of the other cigarette stubs.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading It was well along toward morning when he obtained in a test-tube a few drops of a colorless, almost odorless liquid.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading THE WEED OF MADNESS In my absence Craig had set to work on a peculiar apparatus, as though he were distilling something from several of the other cigarette stubs.
past form of “obtain” — come into possession of
From this reading It was well along toward morning when he obtained in a test-tube a few drops of a colorless, almost odorless liquid.
odorlessadjectiveUS /ˈoʊdərləs/
having no odor
From this reading It was well along toward morning when he obtained in a test-tube a few drops of a colorless, almost odorless liquid.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE WEED OF MADNESS In my absence Craig had set to work on a peculiar apparatus, as though he were distilling something from several of the other cigarette stubs.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading THE WEED OF MADNESS In my absence Craig had set to work on a peculiar apparatus, as though he were distilling something from several of the other cigarette stubs.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading THE WEED OF MADNESS In my absence Craig had set to work on a peculiar apparatus, as though he were distilling something from several of the other cigarette stubs.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading I watched him curiously as he picked the cat out of the basket and held it gently in his arms.
a person who requires medical care
From this reading I placed the cat in a basket and watched Craig until finally he seemed to be rewarded for his patient labors.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading THE WEED OF MADNESS In my absence Craig had set to work on a peculiar apparatus, as though he were distilling something from several of the other cigarette stubs.
past form of “pick” — select carefully from a group
From this reading I watched him curiously as he picked the cat out of the basket and held it gently in his arms.
situated in a particular spot or position
From this reading I placed the cat in a basket and watched Craig until finally he seemed to be rewarded for his patient labors.
rewardedverbUS /rɪˈwɔːrdɪd/
past form of “reward” — bestow honor or rewards upon
From this reading I placed the cat in a basket and watched Craig until finally he seemed to be rewarded for his patient labors.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading I placed the cat in a basket and watched Craig until finally he seemed to be rewarded for his patient labors.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading THE WEED OF MADNESS In my absence Craig had set to work on a peculiar apparatus, as though he were distilling something from several of the other cigarette stubs.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading THE WEED OF MADNESS In my absence Craig had set to work on a peculiar apparatus, as though he were distilling something from several of the other cigarette stubs.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading THE WEED OF MADNESS In my absence Craig had set to work on a peculiar apparatus, as though he were distilling something from several of the other cigarette stubs.
stubsnounUS /stʌbz/
plural of “stub” — a short piece remaining on a trunk or stem where a branch is lost
From this reading THE WEED OF MADNESS In my absence Craig had set to work on a peculiar apparatus, as though he were distilling something from several of the other cigarette stubs.
suckedverbUS /sʌkt/
past form of “suck” — draw into the mouth by creating a practical vacuum in the mouth
From this reading With a dropper he sucked up a bit of the liquid from the test-tube.
test-tube
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was well along toward morning when he obtained in a test-tube a few drops of a colorless, almost odorless liquid.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE WEED OF MADNESS In my absence Craig had set to work on a peculiar apparatus, as though he were distilling something from several of the other cigarette stubs.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading THE WEED OF MADNESS In my absence Craig had set to work on a peculiar apparatus, as though he were distilling something from several of the other cigarette stubs.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE WEED OF MADNESS In my absence Craig had set to work on a peculiar apparatus, as though he were distilling something from several of the other cigarette stubs.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading It was well along toward morning when he obtained in a test-tube a few drops of a colorless, almost odorless liquid.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading I placed the cat in a basket and watched Craig until finally he seemed to be rewarded for his patient labors.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading With a dropper he sucked up a bit of the liquid from the test-tube.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was well along toward morning when he obtained in a test-tube a few drops of a colorless, almost odorless liquid.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading I placed the cat in a basket and watched Craig until finally he seemed to be rewarded for his patient labors.
WEEDnounUS /wiːd/
any plant that crowds out cultivated plants
From this reading THE WEED OF MADNESS In my absence Craig had set to work on a peculiar apparatus, as though he were distilling something from several of the other cigarette stubs.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading It was well along toward morning when he obtained in a test-tube a few drops of a colorless, almost odorless liquid.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading THE WEED OF MADNESS In my absence Craig had set to work on a peculiar apparatus, as though he were distilling something from several of the other cigarette stubs.
at the time that
From this reading It was well along toward morning when he obtained in a test-tube a few drops of a colorless, almost odorless liquid.
in the company of; together with
From this reading With a dropper he sucked up a bit of the liquid from the test-tube.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading THE WEED OF MADNESS In my absence Craig had set to work on a peculiar apparatus, as though he were distilling something from several of the other cigarette stubs.
