Chapter II

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

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading THE SORCERER’S STONE It was dark in the _marea_, yet not so dark but that the Marquis and I could see about us.

commonly used or practiced; usual

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

(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 We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

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

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

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

From this reading THE SORCERER’S STONE It was dark in the _marea_, yet not so dark but that the Marquis and I could see about us.

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

From this reading There were thirty or forty men in it, squatting about the floor, or lying on the bamboo shelves they used as beds.

the hard woody stems of bamboo plants; used in construction and crafts and fishing poles

From this reading There were thirty or forty men in it, squatting about the floor, or lying on the bamboo shelves they used as beds.

tough protective covering of the woody stems and roots of trees and other woody plants

From this reading In the brown dusk of the unwindowed building, they seemed to melt into their surroundings like ghosts, for they were brown too, and wore no clothes save a bark loin-cloth.

a small ball with a hole through the middle

From this reading You could see the whites of their eyes, and their bead necklaces, and the halos of colored feathers they wore in their hair――little more.

plural of “bed” — a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading There were thirty or forty men in it, squatting about the floor, or lying on the bamboo shelves they used as beds.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

an orange of low brightness and saturation

From this reading In the brown dusk of the unwindowed building, they seemed to melt into their surroundings like ghosts, for they were brown too, and wore no clothes save a bark loin-cloth.

a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading THE SORCERER’S STONE It was dark in the _marea_, yet not so dark but that the Marquis and I could see about us.

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

clothing in general

From this reading In the brown dusk of the unwindowed building, they seemed to melt into their surroundings like ghosts, for they were brown too, and wore no clothes save a bark loin-cloth.

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

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

having color or a certain color; sometimes used in combination

From this reading You could see the whites of their eyes, and their bead necklaces, and the halos of colored feathers they wore in their hair――little more.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading THE SORCERER’S STONE It was dark in the _marea_, yet not so dark but that the Marquis and I could see about us.

absence of light or illumination

From this reading THE SORCERER’S STONE It was dark in the _marea_, yet not so dark but that the Marquis and I could see about us.

the time of day immediately following sunset

From this reading In the brown dusk of the unwindowed building, they seemed to melt into their surroundings like ghosts, for they were brown too, and wore no clothes save a bark loin-cloth.

opinion or judgment

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

plural of “feather” — the light horny waterproof structure forming the external covering of birds

From this reading You could see the whites of their eyes, and their bead necklaces, and the halos of colored feathers they wore in their hair――little more.

the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)

From this reading There were thirty or forty men in it, squatting about the floor, or lying on the bamboo shelves they used as beds.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

being ten more than thirty

From this reading There were thirty or forty men in it, squatting about the floor, or lying on the bamboo shelves they used as beds.

the act of acquiring something

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

plural of “ghost” — a mental representation of some haunting experience

From this reading In the brown dusk of the unwindowed building, they seemed to melt into their surroundings like ghosts, for they were brown too, and wore no clothes save a bark loin-cloth.

a state of partial or total darkness

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

a former British gold coin worth 21 shillings

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

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

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss

From this reading You could see the whites of their eyes, and their bead necklaces, and the halos of colored feathers they wore in their hair――little more.

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

plural of “halo” — an indication of radiant light drawn around the head of a saint

From this reading You could see the whites of their eyes, and their bead necklaces, and the halos of colored feathers they wore in their hair――little more.

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

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading THE SORCERER’S STONE It was dark in the _marea_, yet not so dark but that the Marquis and I could see about us.

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

From this reading THE SORCERER’S STONE It was dark in the _marea_, yet not so dark but that the Marquis and I could see about us.

relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading In the brown dusk of the unwindowed building, they seemed to melt into their surroundings like ghosts, for they were brown too, and wore no clothes save a bark loin-cloth.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading THE SORCERER’S STONE It was dark in the _marea_, yet not so dark but that the Marquis and I could see about us.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading In the brown dusk of the unwindowed building, they seemed to melt into their surroundings like ghosts, for they were brown too, and wore no clothes save a bark loin-cloth.

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

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

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

From this reading In the brown dusk of the unwindowed building, they seemed to melt into their surroundings like ghosts, for they were brown too, and wore no clothes save a bark loin-cloth.

the deliberate act of deviating from the truth

From this reading There were thirty or forty men in it, squatting about the floor, or lying on the bamboo shelves they used as beds.

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

From this reading THE SORCERER’S STONE It was dark in the _marea_, yet not so dark but that the Marquis and I could see about us.

humorist who wrote about the imaginary life of cockroaches (1878-1937)

From this reading THE SORCERER’S STONE It was dark in the _marea_, yet not so dark but that the Marquis and I could see about us.

reduce or cause to be reduced from a solid to a liquid state, usually by heating

From this reading In the brown dusk of the unwindowed building, they seemed to melt into their surroundings like ghosts, for they were brown too, and wore no clothes save a bark loin-cloth.

the force of workers available

From this reading There were thirty or forty men in it, squatting about the floor, or lying on the bamboo shelves they used as beds.

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading You could see the whites of their eyes, and their bead necklaces, and the halos of colored feathers they wore in their hair――little more.

plural of “necklace” — jewelry consisting of a cord or chain (often bearing gems) worn about the neck as an ornament (especially by women)

From this reading You could see the whites of their eyes, and their bead necklaces, and the halos of colored feathers they wore in their hair――little more.

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

not any; not one

From this reading In the brown dusk of the unwindowed building, they seemed to melt into their surroundings like ghosts, for they were brown too, and wore no clothes save a bark loin-cloth.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading THE SORCERER’S STONE It was dark in the _marea_, yet not so dark but that the Marquis and I could see about us.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading There were thirty or forty men in it, squatting about the floor, or lying on the bamboo shelves they used as beds.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

above and across; more than

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

a legislative assembly in certain countries

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

except for; apart from

From this reading In the brown dusk of the unwindowed building, they seemed to melt into their surroundings like ghosts, for they were brown too, and wore no clothes save a bark loin-cloth.

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading THE SORCERER’S STONE It was dark in the _marea_, yet not so dark but that the Marquis and I could see about us.

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading In the brown dusk of the unwindowed building, they seemed to melt into their surroundings like ghosts, for they were brown too, and wore no clothes save a bark loin-cloth.

Plural of shelf; the vast wooden or stone structures holding archives.

From this reading There were thirty or forty men in it, squatting about the floor, or lying on the bamboo shelves they used as beds.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading THE SORCERER’S STONE It was dark in the _marea_, yet not so dark but that the Marquis and I could see about us.

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

From this reading THE SORCERER’S STONE It was dark in the _marea_, yet not so dark but that the Marquis and I could see about us.

exercising by repeatedly assuming a crouching position with the knees bent; strengthens the leg muscles

From this reading There were thirty or forty men in it, squatting about the floor, or lying on the bamboo shelves they used as beds.

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading THE SORCERER’S STONE It was dark in the _marea_, yet not so dark but that the Marquis and I could see about us.

the environmental condition

From this reading In the brown dusk of the unwindowed building, they seemed to melt into their surroundings like ghosts, for they were brown too, and wore no clothes save a bark loin-cloth.

place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THE SORCERER’S STONE It was dark in the _marea_, yet not so dark but that the Marquis and I could see about us.

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

From this reading THE SORCERER’S STONE It was dark in the _marea_, yet not so dark but that the Marquis and I could see about us.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading In the brown dusk of the unwindowed building, they seemed to melt into their surroundings like ghosts, for they were brown too, and wore no clothes save a bark loin-cloth.

in or at that place or location

From this reading There were thirty or forty men in it, squatting about the floor, or lying on the bamboo shelves they used as beds.

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

From this reading There were thirty or forty men in it, squatting about the floor, or lying on the bamboo shelves they used as beds.

the cardinal number that is the product of ten and three

From this reading There were thirty or forty men in it, squatting about the floor, or lying on the bamboo shelves they used as beds.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

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

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading In the brown dusk of the unwindowed building, they seemed to melt into their surroundings like ghosts, for they were brown too, and wore no clothes save a bark loin-cloth.

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

From this reading In the brown dusk of the unwindowed building, they seemed to melt into their surroundings like ghosts, for they were brown too, and wore no clothes save a bark loin-cloth.

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading THE SORCERER’S STONE It was dark in the _marea_, yet not so dark but that the Marquis and I could see about us.

employed in accomplishing something

From this reading There were thirty or forty men in it, squatting about the floor, or lying on the bamboo shelves they used as beds.

precisely as stated

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

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

From this reading THE SORCERER’S STONE It was dark in the _marea_, yet not so dark but that the Marquis and I could see about us.

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

plural of “white” — a Caucasian

From this reading You could see the whites of their eyes, and their bead necklaces, and the halos of colored feathers they wore in their hair――little more.

inflected form of “wear” — be dressed in

From this reading In the brown dusk of the unwindowed building, they seemed to melt into their surroundings like ghosts, for they were brown too, and wore no clothes save a bark loin-cloth.

not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.

but in spite of that

From this reading THE SORCERER’S STONE It was dark in the _marea_, yet not so dark but that the Marquis and I could see about us.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading We had been inside this New Guinea temple, or club-house, or Parliament building――you might call it a little of all three, and not go very far wrong――for over half an hour, and our eyes were getting accustomed to the gloom.