used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading For a moment I glanced around as though to assure myself of the reality of what was about me, of what had just been told us.
anew
From this reading And now the great globe was speaking again.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Thus it is clear to you how unalterable is the doom that we are loosing upon the sun's other planets, upon your own planet, to save our own.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading For a moment I glanced around as though to assure myself of the reality of what was about me, of what had just been told us.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
make certain of
From this reading For a moment I glanced around as though to assure myself of the reality of what was about me, of what had just been told us.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading For a moment I glanced around as though to assure myself of the reality of what was about me, of what had just been told us.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading The great globe, the thirty silent Neptunians of the Council around it, the other disk-bodied Neptunians who guarded us--these, with the towering black walls and strange twilight about us, only deepened the strange trance of horror in which I had listened.
that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
past form of “cease” — put an end to a state or an activity
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
plural of “chance” — a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
rid of obstructions
From this reading "Thus it is clear to you how unalterable is the doom that we are loosing upon the sun's other planets, upon your own planet, to save our own.
a body serving in an administrative capacity
From this reading The great globe, the thirty silent Neptunians of the Council around it, the other disk-bodied Neptunians who guarded us--these, with the towering black walls and strange twilight about us, only deepened the strange trance of horror in which I had listened.
deepenedverbUS /ˈdiːpənd/
past form of “deepen” — make more intense, stronger, or more marked
From this reading The great globe, the thirty silent Neptunians of the Council around it, the other disk-bodied Neptunians who guarded us--these, with the towering black walls and strange twilight about us, only deepened the strange trance of horror in which I had listened.
arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
disk-bodied
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The great globe, the thirty silent Neptunians of the Council around it, the other disk-bodied Neptunians who guarded us--these, with the towering black walls and strange twilight about us, only deepened the strange trance of horror in which I had listened.
doomverbUS /duːm/
decree or designate beforehand
From this reading "Thus it is clear to you how unalterable is the doom that we are loosing upon the sun's other planets, upon your own planet, to save our own.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
set up or found
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
past form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading For a moment I glanced around as though to assure myself of the reality of what was about me, of what had just been told us.
globenounUS /ɡloʊb/
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading The great globe, the thirty silent Neptunians of the Council around it, the other disk-bodied Neptunians who guarded us--these, with the towering black walls and strange twilight about us, only deepened the strange trance of horror in which I had listened.
globe'snounUS /ɡloʊbz/
possessive form of “globe” — the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
guardedadjectiveUS /ˈɡɑːrdəd/
prudent
From this reading The great globe, the thirty silent Neptunians of the Council around it, the other disk-bodied Neptunians who guarded us--these, with the towering black walls and strange twilight about us, only deepened the strange trance of horror in which I had listened.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
intense and profound fear
From this reading The great globe, the thirty silent Neptunians of the Council around it, the other disk-bodied Neptunians who guarded us--these, with the towering black walls and strange twilight about us, only deepened the strange trance of horror in which I had listened.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Thus it is clear to you how unalterable is the doom that we are loosing upon the sun's other planets, upon your own planet, to save our own.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The great globe, the thirty silent Neptunians of the Council around it, the other disk-bodied Neptunians who guarded us--these, with the towering black walls and strange twilight about us, only deepened the strange trance of horror in which I had listened.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Thus it is clear to you how unalterable is the doom that we are loosing upon the sun's other planets, upon your own planet, to save our own.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The great globe, the thirty silent Neptunians of the Council around it, the other disk-bodied Neptunians who guarded us--these, with the towering black walls and strange twilight about us, only deepened the strange trance of horror in which I had listened.
and nothing more
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
past form of “listen” — hear with intention
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
loosingverbUS /ˈluːsɪŋ/
-ing form of “loose” — grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading "Thus it is clear to you how unalterable is the doom that we are loosing upon the sun's other planets, upon your own planet, to save our own.
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 Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
MarlinnounUS /ˈmɑːrlən/
large long-jawed oceanic sport fishes; related to sailfishes and spearfishes; not completely cold-blooded i.e. able to warm their brains and eyes
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading For a moment I glanced around as though to assure myself of the reality of what was about me, of what had just been told us.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
a particular point in time
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading For a moment I glanced around as though to assure myself of the reality of what was about me, of what had just been told us.
Neptunians
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The great globe, the thirty silent Neptunians of the Council around it, the other disk-bodied Neptunians who guarded us--these, with the towering black walls and strange twilight about us, only deepened the strange trance of horror in which I had listened.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading And now the great globe was speaking again.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading For a moment I glanced around as though to assure myself of the reality of what was about me, of what had just been told us.
and nothing more
From this reading The great globe, the thirty silent Neptunians of the Council around it, the other disk-bodied Neptunians who guarded us--these, with the towering black walls and strange twilight about us, only deepened the strange trance of horror in which I had listened.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading The great globe, the thirty silent Neptunians of the Council around it, the other disk-bodied Neptunians who guarded us--these, with the towering black walls and strange twilight about us, only deepened the strange trance of horror in which I had listened.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading "Thus it is clear to you how unalterable is the doom that we are loosing upon the sun's other planets, upon your own planet, to save our own.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading "Thus it is clear to you how unalterable is the doom that we are loosing upon the sun's other planets, upon your own planet, to save our own.
planetnounUS /ˈplænət/
(astronomy) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around the sun and shine by reflected light
From this reading "Thus it is clear to you how unalterable is the doom that we are loosing upon the sun's other planets, upon your own planet, to save our own.
planetsnounUS /ˈplænəts/
plural of “planet” — (astronomy) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around the sun and shine by reflected light
From this reading "Thus it is clear to you how unalterable is the doom that we are loosing upon the sun's other planets, upon your own planet, to save our own.
all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you
From this reading For a moment I glanced around as though to assure myself of the reality of what was about me, of what had just been told us.
except for; apart from
From this reading "Thus it is clear to you how unalterable is the doom that we are loosing upon the sun's other planets, upon your own planet, to save our own.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading The great globe, the thirty silent Neptunians of the Council around it, the other disk-bodied Neptunians who guarded us--these, with the towering black walls and strange twilight about us, only deepened the strange trance of horror in which I had listened.
the utterance of intelligible speech
From this reading And now the great globe was speaking again.
staccatoadjectiveUS /stəˈkɑːtoʊ/
(music) marked by or composed of disconnected parts or sounds; cut short crisply
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
sun'snounUS /sʌnz/
possessive form of “sun” — the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading "Thus it is clear to you how unalterable is the doom that we are loosing upon the sun's other planets, upon your own planet, to save our own.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading The great globe, the thirty silent Neptunians of the Council around it, the other disk-bodied Neptunians who guarded us--these, with the towering black walls and strange twilight about us, only deepened the strange trance of horror in which I had listened.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and three
From this reading The great globe, the thirty silent Neptunians of the Council around it, the other disk-bodied Neptunians who guarded us--these, with the towering black walls and strange twilight about us, only deepened the strange trance of horror in which I had listened.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading For a moment I glanced around as though to assure myself of the reality of what was about me, of what had just been told us.
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading "Thus it is clear to you how unalterable is the doom that we are loosing upon the sun's other planets, upon your own planet, to save our own.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading For a moment I glanced around as though to assure myself of the reality of what was about me, of what had just been told us.
toweringadjectiveUS /ˈtaʊərɪŋ/
of imposing height; especially standing out above others
From this reading The great globe, the thirty silent Neptunians of the Council around it, the other disk-bodied Neptunians who guarded us--these, with the towering black walls and strange twilight about us, only deepened the strange trance of horror in which I had listened.
trancenounUS /træns/
a psychological state induced by (or as if induced by) a magical incantation
From this reading The great globe, the thirty silent Neptunians of the Council around it, the other disk-bodied Neptunians who guarded us--these, with the towering black walls and strange twilight about us, only deepened the strange trance of horror in which I had listened.
twilightnounUS /ˈtwaɪlaɪt/
the time of day immediately following sunset
From this reading The great globe, the thirty silent Neptunians of the Council around it, the other disk-bodied Neptunians who guarded us--these, with the towering black walls and strange twilight about us, only deepened the strange trance of horror in which I had listened.
unalterableadjectiveUS /əˈnɔːltərəbəl/
not capable of being changed or altered
From this reading "Thus it is clear to you how unalterable is the doom that we are loosing upon the sun's other planets, upon your own planet, to save our own.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading "Thus it is clear to you how unalterable is the doom that we are loosing upon the sun's other planets, upon your own planet, to save our own.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading For a moment I glanced around as though to assure myself of the reality of what was about me, of what had just been told us.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading The great globe, the thirty silent Neptunians of the Council around it, the other disk-bodied Neptunians who guarded us--these, with the towering black walls and strange twilight about us, only deepened the strange trance of horror in which I had listened.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For a moment I glanced around as though to assure myself of the reality of what was about me, of what had just been told us.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading For a moment I glanced around as though to assure myself of the reality of what was about me, of what had just been told us.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
whirlingnounUS /ˈwɜːrlɪŋ/
the act of rotating in a circle or spiral
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
which person or people
From this reading The great globe, the thirty silent Neptunians of the Council around it, the other disk-bodied Neptunians who guarded us--these, with the towering black walls and strange twilight about us, only deepened the strange trance of horror in which I had listened.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Desperate Chances As the great globe's voice ceased for a moment, that strange, staccato voice to which for many minutes Marlin and I had listened, I found my brain whirling with the things we had just heard.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Thus it is clear to you how unalterable is the doom that we are loosing upon the sun's other planets, upon your own planet, to save our own.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Thus it is clear to you how unalterable is the doom that we are loosing upon the sun's other planets, upon your own planet, to save our own.
