Chapter XI · Chapter 11

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

From this reading THE MAN WHO NEARLY WENT UNDER At midnight a man sat writing at a desk in a corner of a great room full of hanging lights, a hive of industry.

from one side of something to the other

From this reading Then they left him alone, and no sound in the great room was more constant than the scratching of his pen across the paper.

(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 All around him was the clicking of typewriters, the monotonous dictation of reporters, the tinkling of telephone bells.

Having no one else present.

From this reading Then they left him alone, and no sound in the great room was more constant than the scratching of his pen across the paper.

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

From this reading They brought him pen and paper and a box of cigarettes--which he ignored.

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading All around him was the clicking of typewriters, the monotonous dictation of reporters, the tinkling of telephone bells.

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading When they had set him down here, they had asked him whether the noises would disturb him, but he had only smiled grimly.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading THE MAN WHO NEARLY WENT UNDER At midnight a man sat writing at a desk in a corner of a great room full of hanging lights, a hive of industry.

plural of “bell” — a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck

From this reading All around him was the clicking of typewriters, the monotonous dictation of reporters, the tinkling of telephone bells.

a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid

From this reading They brought him pen and paper and a box of cigarettes--which he ignored.

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading They brought him pen and paper and a box of cigarettes--which he ignored.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading When they had set him down here, they had asked him whether the noises would disturb him, but he had only smiled grimly.

plural of “cigarette” — finely ground tobacco wrapped in paper; for smoking

From this reading They brought him pen and paper and a box of cigarettes--which he ignored.

-ing form of “click” — move or strike with a noise

From this reading All around him was the clicking of typewriters, the monotonous dictation of reporters, the tinkling of telephone bells.

unvarying in nature

From this reading Then they left him alone, and no sound in the great room was more constant than the scratching of his pen across the paper.

a place off to the side of an area

From this reading THE MAN WHO NEARLY WENT UNDER At midnight a man sat writing at a desk in a corner of a great room full of hanging lights, a hive of industry.

a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments

From this reading THE MAN WHO NEARLY WENT UNDER At midnight a man sat writing at a desk in a corner of a great room full of hanging lights, a hive of industry.

an authoritative direction or instruction to do something

From this reading All around him was the clicking of typewriters, the monotonous dictation of reporters, the tinkling of telephone bells.

move deeply

From this reading When they had set him down here, they had asked him whether the noises would disturb him, but he had only smiled grimly.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading When they had set him down here, they had asked him whether the noises would disturb him, but he had only smiled grimly.

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading THE MAN WHO NEARLY WENT UNDER At midnight a man sat writing at a desk in a corner of a great room full of hanging lights, a hive of industry.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading THE MAN WHO NEARLY WENT UNDER At midnight a man sat writing at a desk in a corner of a great room full of hanging lights, a hive of industry.

in a grim implacable manner

From this reading When they had set him down here, they had asked him whether the noises would disturb him, but he had only smiled grimly.

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

From this reading When they had set him down here, they had asked him whether the noises would disturb him, but he had only smiled grimly.

decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window

From this reading THE MAN WHO NEARLY WENT UNDER At midnight a man sat writing at a desk in a corner of a great room full of hanging lights, a hive of industry.

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

From this reading When they had set him down here, they had asked him whether the noises would disturb him, but he had only smiled grimly.

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading When they had set him down here, they had asked him whether the noises would disturb him, but he had only smiled grimly.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading All around him was the clicking of typewriters, the monotonous dictation of reporters, the tinkling of telephone bells.

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

From this reading Then they left him alone, and no sound in the great room was more constant than the scratching of his pen across the paper.

a teeming multitude

From this reading THE MAN WHO NEARLY WENT UNDER At midnight a man sat writing at a desk in a corner of a great room full of hanging lights, a hive of industry.

disregarded

From this reading They brought him pen and paper and a box of cigarettes--which he ignored.

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

From this reading THE MAN WHO NEARLY WENT UNDER At midnight a man sat writing at a desk in a corner of a great room full of hanging lights, a hive of industry.

the people or companies engaged in a particular kind of commercial enterprise

From this reading THE MAN WHO NEARLY WENT UNDER At midnight a man sat writing at a desk in a corner of a great room full of hanging lights, a hive of industry.

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading Then they left him alone, and no sound in the great room was more constant than the scratching of his pen across the paper.

plural of “light” — (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation

From this reading THE MAN WHO NEARLY WENT UNDER At midnight a man sat writing at a desk in a corner of a great room full of hanging lights, a hive of industry.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading THE MAN WHO NEARLY WENT UNDER At midnight a man sat writing at a desk in a corner of a great room full of hanging lights, a hive of industry.

12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night

From this reading THE MAN WHO NEARLY WENT UNDER At midnight a man sat writing at a desk in a corner of a great room full of hanging lights, a hive of industry.

tediously repetitious or lacking in variety

From this reading All around him was the clicking of typewriters, the monotonous dictation of reporters, the tinkling of telephone bells.

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

From this reading Then they left him alone, and no sound in the great room was more constant than the scratching of his pen across the paper.

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading THE MAN WHO NEARLY WENT UNDER At midnight a man sat writing at a desk in a corner of a great room full of hanging lights, a hive of industry.

not any; not one

From this reading Then they left him alone, and no sound in the great room was more constant than the scratching of his pen across the paper.

plural of “noise” — sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)

From this reading When they had set him down here, they had asked him whether the noises would disturb him, but he had only smiled grimly.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE MAN WHO NEARLY WENT UNDER At midnight a man sat writing at a desk in a corner of a great room full of hanging lights, a hive of industry.

and nothing more

From this reading When they had set him down here, they had asked him whether the noises would disturb him, but he had only smiled grimly.

a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses

From this reading They brought him pen and paper and a box of cigarettes--which he ignored.

a writing implement with a point from which ink flows

From this reading They brought him pen and paper and a box of cigarettes--which he ignored.

plural of “reporter” — a person who investigates and reports or edits news stories

From this reading All around him was the clicking of typewriters, the monotonous dictation of reporters, the tinkling of telephone bells.

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading THE MAN WHO NEARLY WENT UNDER At midnight a man sat writing at a desk in a corner of a great room full of hanging lights, a hive of industry.

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading THE MAN WHO NEARLY WENT UNDER At midnight a man sat writing at a desk in a corner of a great room full of hanging lights, a hive of industry.

a harsh noise made by scraping

From this reading Then they left him alone, and no sound in the great room was more constant than the scratching of his pen across the paper.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading When they had set him down here, they had asked him whether the noises would disturb him, but he had only smiled grimly.

past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure

From this reading When they had set him down here, they had asked him whether the noises would disturb him, but he had only smiled grimly.

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading Then they left him alone, and no sound in the great room was more constant than the scratching of his pen across the paper.

electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds

From this reading All around him was the clicking of typewriters, the monotonous dictation of reporters, the tinkling of telephone bells.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Then they left him alone, and no sound in the great room was more constant than the scratching of his pen across the paper.

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

From this reading THE MAN WHO NEARLY WENT UNDER At midnight a man sat writing at a desk in a corner of a great room full of hanging lights, a hive of industry.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then they left him alone, and no sound in the great room was more constant than the scratching of his pen across the paper.

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

From this reading When they had set him down here, they had asked him whether the noises would disturb him, but he had only smiled grimly.

like the short high ringing sound of a small bell

From this reading All around him was the clicking of typewriters, the monotonous dictation of reporters, the tinkling of telephone bells.

plural of “typewriter” — hand-operated character printer for printing written messages one character at a time

From this reading All around him was the clicking of typewriters, the monotonous dictation of reporters, the tinkling of telephone bells.

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading THE MAN WHO NEARLY WENT UNDER At midnight a man sat writing at a desk in a corner of a great room full of hanging lights, a hive of industry.

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

From this reading All around him was the clicking of typewriters, the monotonous dictation of reporters, the tinkling of telephone bells.

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading THE MAN WHO NEARLY WENT UNDER At midnight a man sat writing at a desk in a corner of a great room full of hanging lights, a hive of industry.

at the time that

From this reading When they had set him down here, they had asked him whether the noises would disturb him, but he had only smiled grimly.

used to introduce two or more possibilities

From this reading When they had set him down here, they had asked him whether the noises would disturb him, but he had only smiled grimly.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading They brought him pen and paper and a box of cigarettes--which he ignored.

which person or people

From this reading THE MAN WHO NEARLY WENT UNDER At midnight a man sat writing at a desk in a corner of a great room full of hanging lights, a hive of industry.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading When they had set him down here, they had asked him whether the noises would disturb him, but he had only smiled grimly.

the act of creating written works

From this reading THE MAN WHO NEARLY WENT UNDER At midnight a man sat writing at a desk in a corner of a great room full of hanging lights, a hive of industry.