Chapter XXI

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

From this reading Before the men had gone many steps a grating sound reached their ears from the direction of the skylight.

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

From this reading They looked up and saw sliding steel shutters slowly and ponderously close, like grim jaws; and suddenly they felt themselves cut off from the outside world.

(psychiatry) a relatively permanent state of worry and nervousness occurring in a variety of mental disorders, usually accompanied by compulsive behavior or attacks of panic

From this reading Inch by inch he scrutinized the door with growing anxiety.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Before the men had gone many steps a grating sound reached their ears from the direction of the skylight.

a discharge of lightning accompanied by thunder

From this reading Sturgis, taking up his lighted candle, made his way to the door of the subterranean passage and tried in vain to open it; the heavy iron bolt remained immovable in its socket.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Inch by inch he scrutinized the door with growing anxiety.

stick of wax with a wick in the middle

From this reading Sturgis, taking up his lighted candle, made his way to the door of the subterranean passage and tried in vain to open it; the heavy iron bolt remained immovable in its socket.

a natural or artificial enclosed space

From this reading THE DEATH CHAMBER.

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading They looked up and saw sliding steel shutters slowly and ponderously close, like grim jaws; and suddenly they felt themselves cut off from the outside world.

separate with or as if with an instrument

From this reading They looked up and saw sliding steel shutters slowly and ponderously close, like grim jaws; and suddenly they felt themselves cut off from the outside world.

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading THE DEATH CHAMBER.

a line leading to a place or point

From this reading Before the men had gone many steps a grating sound reached their ears from the direction of the skylight.

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading Sturgis, taking up his lighted candle, made his way to the door of the subterranean passage and tried in vain to open it; the heavy iron bolt remained immovable in its socket.

plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium

From this reading Before the men had gone many steps a grating sound reached their ears from the direction of the skylight.

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading They looked up and saw sliding steel shutters slowly and ponderously close, like grim jaws; and suddenly they felt themselves cut off from the outside world.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Before the men had gone many steps a grating sound reached their ears from the direction of the skylight.

destroyed or killed

From this reading Before the men had gone many steps a grating sound reached their ears from the direction of the skylight.

a barrier that has parallel or crossed bars blocking a passage but admitting air

From this reading Before the men had gone many steps a grating sound reached their ears from the direction of the skylight.

not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty

From this reading They looked up and saw sliding steel shutters slowly and ponderously close, like grim jaws; and suddenly they felt themselves cut off from the outside world.

(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level

From this reading Inch by inch he scrutinized the door with growing anxiety.

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

From this reading Before the men had gone many steps a grating sound reached their ears from the direction of the skylight.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Inch by inch he scrutinized the door with growing anxiety.

of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading Sturgis, taking up his lighted candle, made his way to the door of the subterranean passage and tried in vain to open it; the heavy iron bolt remained immovable in its socket.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Sturgis, taking up his lighted candle, made his way to the door of the subterranean passage and tried in vain to open it; the heavy iron bolt remained immovable in its socket.

property consisting of houses and land

From this reading Sturgis, taking up his lighted candle, made his way to the door of the subterranean passage and tried in vain to open it; the heavy iron bolt remained immovable in its socket.

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

From this reading Sturgis, taking up his lighted candle, made his way to the door of the subterranean passage and tried in vain to open it; the heavy iron bolt remained immovable in its socket.

a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot

From this reading Inch by inch he scrutinized the door with growing anxiety.

a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood

From this reading Sturgis, taking up his lighted candle, made his way to the door of the subterranean passage and tried in vain to open it; the heavy iron bolt remained immovable in its socket.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Sturgis, taking up his lighted candle, made his way to the door of the subterranean passage and tried in vain to open it; the heavy iron bolt remained immovable in its socket.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Sturgis, taking up his lighted candle, made his way to the door of the subterranean passage and tried in vain to open it; the heavy iron bolt remained immovable in its socket.

plural of “jaw” — the part of the skull of a vertebrate that frames the mouth and holds the teeth

From this reading They looked up and saw sliding steel shutters slowly and ponderously close, like grim jaws; and suddenly they felt themselves cut off from the outside world.

set afire or burning

From this reading Sturgis, taking up his lighted candle, made his way to the door of the subterranean passage and tried in vain to open it; the heavy iron bolt remained immovable in its socket.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading They looked up and saw sliding steel shutters slowly and ponderously close, like grim jaws; and suddenly they felt themselves cut off from the outside world.

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading They looked up and saw sliding steel shutters slowly and ponderously close, like grim jaws; and suddenly they felt themselves cut off from the outside world.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Sturgis, taking up his lighted candle, made his way to the door of the subterranean passage and tried in vain to open it; the heavy iron bolt remained immovable in its socket.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading Before the men had gone many steps a grating sound reached their ears from the direction of the skylight.

the force of workers available

From this reading Before the men had gone many steps a grating sound reached their ears from the direction of the skylight.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Before the men had gone many steps a grating sound reached their ears from the direction of the skylight.

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

From this reading They looked up and saw sliding steel shutters slowly and ponderously close, like grim jaws; and suddenly they felt themselves cut off from the outside world.

To move from a closed position.

From this reading Sturgis, taking up his lighted candle, made his way to the door of the subterranean passage and tried in vain to open it; the heavy iron bolt remained immovable in its socket.

relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit

From this reading They looked up and saw sliding steel shutters slowly and ponderously close, like grim jaws; and suddenly they felt themselves cut off from the outside world.

the act of passing from one state or place to the next

From this reading Sturgis, taking up his lighted candle, made his way to the door of the subterranean passage and tried in vain to open it; the heavy iron bolt remained immovable in its socket.

in an uninterestingly ponderous manner

From this reading They looked up and saw sliding steel shutters slowly and ponderously close, like grim jaws; and suddenly they felt themselves cut off from the outside world.

past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading Before the men had gone many steps a grating sound reached their ears from the direction of the skylight.

past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading Sturgis, taking up his lighted candle, made his way to the door of the subterranean passage and tried in vain to open it; the heavy iron bolt remained immovable in its socket.

cut with a saw

From this reading They looked up and saw sliding steel shutters slowly and ponderously close, like grim jaws; and suddenly they felt themselves cut off from the outside world.

past form of “scrutinize” — to look at critically or searchingly, or in minute detail

From this reading Inch by inch he scrutinized the door with growing anxiety.

plural of “shutter” — a mechanical device on a camera that opens and closes to control the time of a photographic exposure

From this reading They looked up and saw sliding steel shutters slowly and ponderously close, like grim jaws; and suddenly they felt themselves cut off from the outside world.

a window in a roof to admit daylight

From this reading Before the men had gone many steps a grating sound reached their ears from the direction of the skylight.

being a smooth continuous motion

From this reading They looked up and saw sliding steel shutters slowly and ponderously close, like grim jaws; and suddenly they felt themselves cut off from the outside world.

without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)

From this reading They looked up and saw sliding steel shutters slowly and ponderously close, like grim jaws; and suddenly they felt themselves cut off from the outside world.

a bony hollow into which a structure fits

From this reading Sturgis, taking up his lighted candle, made his way to the door of the subterranean passage and tried in vain to open it; the heavy iron bolt remained immovable in its socket.

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading Before the men had gone many steps a grating sound reached their ears from the direction of the skylight.

an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range

From this reading They looked up and saw sliding steel shutters slowly and ponderously close, like grim jaws; and suddenly they felt themselves cut off from the outside world.

a flight of stairs or a flight of steps

From this reading Before the men had gone many steps a grating sound reached their ears from the direction of the skylight.

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

From this reading Sturgis, taking up his lighted candle, made his way to the door of the subterranean passage and tried in vain to open it; the heavy iron bolt remained immovable in its socket.

Existing, occurring, or done under the earth's surface.

From this reading Sturgis, taking up his lighted candle, made his way to the door of the subterranean passage and tried in vain to open it; the heavy iron bolt remained immovable in its socket.

happening unexpectedly

From this reading They looked up and saw sliding steel shutters slowly and ponderously close, like grim jaws; and suddenly they felt themselves cut off from the outside world.

the act of someone who picks up or takes something

From this reading Sturgis, taking up his lighted candle, made his way to the door of the subterranean passage and tried in vain to open it; the heavy iron bolt remained immovable in its socket.

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

From this reading THE DEATH CHAMBER.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Before the men had gone many steps a grating sound reached their ears from the direction of the skylight.

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading They looked up and saw sliding steel shutters slowly and ponderously close, like grim jaws; and suddenly they felt themselves cut off from the outside world.

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

From this reading They looked up and saw sliding steel shutters slowly and ponderously close, like grim jaws; and suddenly they felt themselves cut off from the outside world.

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

From this reading Sturgis, taking up his lighted candle, made his way to the door of the subterranean passage and tried in vain to open it; the heavy iron bolt remained immovable in its socket.

tested and proved useful or correct

From this reading Sturgis, taking up his lighted candle, made his way to the door of the subterranean passage and tried in vain to open it; the heavy iron bolt remained immovable in its socket.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading They looked up and saw sliding steel shutters slowly and ponderously close, like grim jaws; and suddenly they felt themselves cut off from the outside world.

characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance

From this reading Sturgis, taking up his lighted candle, made his way to the door of the subterranean passage and tried in vain to open it; the heavy iron bolt remained immovable in its socket.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Sturgis, taking up his lighted candle, made his way to the door of the subterranean passage and tried in vain to open it; the heavy iron bolt remained immovable in its socket.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Inch by inch he scrutinized the door with growing anxiety.

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading They looked up and saw sliding steel shutters slowly and ponderously close, like grim jaws; and suddenly they felt themselves cut off from the outside world.