Chapter XIII · Chapter 13

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

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

(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 The country is all dry and barren, and there were no mines to tempt them.

plural of “ancestor” — someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

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

From this reading They are still there, and men who have been rash enough to approach the spot have been found torn to pieces as if by wild beasts; but none go near now."

move towards

From this reading They are still there, and men who have been rash enough to approach the spot have been found torn to pieces as if by wild beasts; but none go near now."

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

From this reading They are still there, and men who have been rash enough to approach the spot have been found torn to pieces as if by wild beasts; but none go near now."

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

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

providing no shelter or sustenance

From this reading The country is all dry and barren, and there were no mines to tempt them.

plural of “beast” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading They are still there, and men who have been rash enough to approach the spot have been found torn to pieces as if by wild beasts; but none go near now."

the past participle of “be”

From this reading They are still there, and men who have been rash enough to approach the spot have been found torn to pieces as if by wild beasts; but none go near now."

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

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading They are still there, and men who have been rash enough to approach the spot have been found torn to pieces as if by wild beasts; but none go near now."

showing who or what does the action

From this reading They are still there, and men who have been rash enough to approach the spot have been found torn to pieces as if by wild beasts; but none go near now."

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

a large and stately mansion

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading The country is all dry and barren, and there were no mines to tempt them.

plural of “demon” — an evil supernatural being

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

Portuguese explorer who in 1488 was the first European to get round the Cape of Good Hope (thus establishing a sea route from the Atlantic to Asia) (1450-1500)

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading "Did the Spaniards never go there?"

free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet

From this reading The country is all dry and barren, and there were no mines to tempt them.

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading They are still there, and men who have been rash enough to approach the spot have been found torn to pieces as if by wild beasts; but none go near now."

divisible by two

From this reading "I know not, sir; but 'tis likely they never even heard of it.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

set up or found

From this reading They are still there, and men who have been rash enough to approach the spot have been found torn to pieces as if by wild beasts; but none go near now."

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

From this reading They are still there, and men who have been rash enough to approach the spot have been found torn to pieces as if by wild beasts; but none go near now."

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading They are still there, and men who have been rash enough to approach the spot have been found torn to pieces as if by wild beasts; but none go near now."

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading "I know not, sir; but 'tis likely they never even heard of it.

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

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

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

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading They are still there, and men who have been rash enough to approach the spot have been found torn to pieces as if by wild beasts; but none go near now."

plural of “inca” — a ruler of the Incas (or a member of his family)

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

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

From this reading The country is all dry and barren, and there were no mines to tempt them.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading "I know not, sir; but 'tis likely they never even heard of it.

has a good chance of being the case or of coming about

From this reading "I know not, sir; but 'tis likely they never even heard of it.

the force of workers available

From this reading They are still there, and men who have been rash enough to approach the spot have been found torn to pieces as if by wild beasts; but none go near now."

plural of “mine” — excavation in the earth from which ores and minerals are extracted

From this reading The country is all dry and barren, and there were no mines to tempt them.

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading They are still there, and men who have been rash enough to approach the spot have been found torn to pieces as if by wild beasts; but none go near now."

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading "Did the Spaniards never go there?"

not any; not one

From this reading The country is all dry and barren, and there were no mines to tempt them.

not one, and not any

From this reading They are still there, and men who have been rash enough to approach the spot have been found torn to pieces as if by wild beasts; but none go near now."

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "I know not, sir; but 'tis likely they never even heard of it.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading They are still there, and men who have been rash enough to approach the spot have been found torn to pieces as if by wild beasts; but none go near now."

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

plural of “piece” — a separate part of a whole

From this reading They are still there, and men who have been rash enough to approach the spot have been found torn to pieces as if by wild beasts; but none go near now."

any red eruption of the skin

From this reading They are still there, and men who have been rash enough to approach the spot have been found torn to pieces as if by wild beasts; but none go near now."

plural of “ruin” — an irrecoverable state of devastation and destruction

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

express in words

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

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

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

term of address for a man

From this reading "I know not, sir; but 'tis likely they never even heard of it.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

plural of “spaniard” — a native or inhabitant of Spain

From this reading "Did the Spaniards never go there?"

an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

not in physical motion

From this reading They are still there, and men who have been rash enough to approach the spot have been found torn to pieces as if by wild beasts; but none go near now."

disclosing unintentionally something concealed

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

dispose or incline or entice to

From this reading The country is all dry and barren, and there were no mines to tempt them.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

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

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The country is all dry and barren, and there were no mines to tempt them.

in or at that place or location

From this reading They are still there, and men who have been rash enough to approach the spot have been found torn to pieces as if by wild beasts; but none go near now."

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

From this reading They are still there, and men who have been rash enough to approach the spot have been found torn to pieces as if by wild beasts; but none go near now."

plural of “ti” — a light strong grey lustrous corrosion-resistant metallic element used in strong lightweight alloys (as for airplane parts); the main sources are rutile and ilmenite

From this reading "I know not, sir; but 'tis likely they never even heard of it.

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

From this reading They are still there, and men who have been rash enough to approach the spot have been found torn to pieces as if by wild beasts; but none go near now."

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

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

having edges that are jagged from injury

From this reading They are still there, and men who have been rash enough to approach the spot have been found torn to pieces as if by wild beasts; but none go near now."

plural of “tradition” — an inherited pattern of thought or action

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

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

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

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

From this reading The country is all dry and barren, and there were no mines to tempt them.

at the time that

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

in or at the place that

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

which person or people

From this reading They are still there, and men who have been rash enough to approach the spot have been found torn to pieces as if by wild beasts; but none go near now."

marked by extreme lack of restraint or control

From this reading They are still there, and men who have been rash enough to approach the spot have been found torn to pieces as if by wild beasts; but none go near now."

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS "To-morrow, señor," Dias said, "you will see the spot I was telling you about, where, as the traditions say, the spirits of our ancestors inhabit the ruins of a building so old, that it was ancient when the Incas first came here.