Chapter XXXIV · A Last Discovery

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

From this reading ‘After the storm, calm,’ said Brion in a subdued level voice, his eyes brooding on the melancholy scene about him.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading ‘After the storm, calm,’ said Brion in a subdued level voice, his eyes brooding on the melancholy scene about him.

Having an unpleasantly bitter or pungent taste or smell.

From this reading An acrid smell of burning still lingered in the heavy Autumn air; no sound broke the stillness but the periodic rustle and crash of débris pitching from the crumbling walls.

later than; following

From this reading ‘After the storm, calm,’ said Brion in a subdued level voice, his eyes brooding on the melancholy scene about him.

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading An acrid smell of burning still lingered in the heavy Autumn air; no sound broke the stillness but the periodic rustle and crash of débris pitching from the crumbling walls.

(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 They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading Remote always, its loneliness, broken and death-smitten, had never seemed so stark a thing as now.

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

From this reading An acrid smell of burning still lingered in the heavy Autumn air; no sound broke the stillness but the periodic rustle and crash of débris pitching from the crumbling walls.

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

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

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

From this reading Remote always, its loneliness, broken and death-smitten, had never seemed so stark a thing as now.

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

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

the season when the leaves fall from the trees

From this reading An acrid smell of burning still lingered in the heavy Autumn air; no sound broke the stillness but the periodic rustle and crash of débris pitching from the crumbling walls.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

a long seat for more than one person

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

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

From this reading ‘After the storm, calm,’ said Brion in a subdued level voice, his eyes brooding on the melancholy scene about him.

lacking funds

From this reading An acrid smell of burning still lingered in the heavy Autumn air; no sound broke the stillness but the periodic rustle and crash of débris pitching from the crumbling walls.

physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split

From this reading Remote always, its loneliness, broken and death-smitten, had never seemed so stark a thing as now.

sitting on eggs so as to hatch them by the warmth of the body

From this reading ‘After the storm, calm,’ said Brion in a subdued level voice, his eyes brooding on the melancholy scene about him.

the act of burning something

From this reading An acrid smell of burning still lingered in the heavy Autumn air; no sound broke the stillness but the periodic rustle and crash of débris pitching from the crumbling walls.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading An acrid smell of burning still lingered in the heavy Autumn air; no sound broke the stillness but the periodic rustle and crash of débris pitching from the crumbling walls.

make calm or still

From this reading ‘After the storm, calm,’ said Brion in a subdued level voice, his eyes brooding on the melancholy scene about him.

a place off to the side of an area

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

fall or come down violently

From this reading An acrid smell of burning still lingered in the heavy Autumn air; no sound broke the stillness but the periodic rustle and crash of débris pitching from the crumbling walls.

-ing form of “crumble” — fall apart

From this reading An acrid smell of burning still lingered in the heavy Autumn air; no sound broke the stillness but the periodic rustle and crash of débris pitching from the crumbling walls.

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

From this reading Remote always, its loneliness, broken and death-smitten, had never seemed so stark a thing as now.

forsaken by owner or inhabitants

From this reading The place was quite deserted.

providing no shelter or sustenance

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

an extended communication (often interactive) dealing with some particular topic

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

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

From this reading An acrid smell of burning still lingered in the heavy Autumn air; no sound broke the stillness but the periodic rustle and crash of débris pitching from the crumbling walls.

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

opinion or judgment

From this reading ‘After the storm, calm,’ said Brion in a subdued level voice, his eyes brooding on the melancholy scene about him.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

the act of departing

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

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

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading An acrid smell of burning still lingered in the heavy Autumn air; no sound broke the stillness but the periodic rustle and crash of débris pitching from the crumbling walls.

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

From this reading ‘After the storm, calm,’ said Brion in a subdued level voice, his eyes brooding on the melancholy scene about him.

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

From this reading ‘After the storm, calm,’ said Brion in a subdued level voice, his eyes brooding on the melancholy scene about him.

without hope because there seems to be no possibility of comfort or success

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

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

From this reading ‘After the storm, calm,’ said Brion in a subdued level voice, his eyes brooding on the melancholy scene about him.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Remote always, its loneliness, broken and death-smitten, had never seemed so stark a thing as now.

having or covered with leaves

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality

From this reading ‘After the storm, calm,’ said Brion in a subdued level voice, his eyes brooding on the melancholy scene about him.

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

past form of “linger” — remain present although waning or gradually dying

From this reading An acrid smell of burning still lingered in the heavy Autumn air; no sound broke the stillness but the periodic rustle and crash of débris pitching from the crumbling walls.

the state of being alone in solitary isolation

From this reading Remote always, its loneliness, broken and death-smitten, had never seemed so stark a thing as now.

thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

a feeling of thoughtful sadness

From this reading ‘After the storm, calm,’ said Brion in a subdued level voice, his eyes brooding on the melancholy scene about him.

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Remote always, its loneliness, broken and death-smitten, had never seemed so stark a thing as now.

not any; not one

From this reading An acrid smell of burning still lingered in the heavy Autumn air; no sound broke the stillness but the periodic rustle and crash of débris pitching from the crumbling walls.

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

From this reading Remote always, its loneliness, broken and death-smitten, had never seemed so stark a thing as now.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading ‘After the storm, calm,’ said Brion in a subdued level voice, his eyes brooding on the melancholy scene about him.

above and across; more than

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

happening or recurring at regular intervals

From this reading An acrid smell of burning still lingered in the heavy Autumn air; no sound broke the stillness but the periodic rustle and crash of débris pitching from the crumbling walls.

(baseball) playing the position of pitcher on a baseball team

From this reading An acrid smell of burning still lingered in the heavy Autumn air; no sound broke the stillness but the periodic rustle and crash of débris pitching from the crumbling walls.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading The place was quite deserted.

characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading The place was quite deserted.

located far away spatially

From this reading Remote always, its loneliness, broken and death-smitten, had never seemed so stark a thing as now.

inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

an irrecoverable state of devastation and destruction

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

make a dry crackling sound

From this reading An acrid smell of burning still lingered in the heavy Autumn air; no sound broke the stillness but the periodic rustle and crash of débris pitching from the crumbling walls.

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading ‘After the storm, calm,’ said Brion in a subdued level voice, his eyes brooding on the melancholy scene about him.

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

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

the place where some action occurs

From this reading ‘After the storm, calm,’ said Brion in a subdued level voice, his eyes brooding on the melancholy scene about him.

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

From this reading Remote always, its loneliness, broken and death-smitten, had never seemed so stark a thing as now.

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form

From this reading An acrid smell of burning still lingered in the heavy Autumn air; no sound broke the stillness but the periodic rustle and crash of débris pitching from the crumbling walls.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Remote always, its loneliness, broken and death-smitten, had never seemed so stark a thing as now.

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading An acrid smell of burning still lingered in the heavy Autumn air; no sound broke the stillness but the periodic rustle and crash of débris pitching from the crumbling walls.

devoid of any qualifications or disguise or adornment

From this reading Remote always, its loneliness, broken and death-smitten, had never seemed so stark a thing as now.

not in physical motion

From this reading An acrid smell of burning still lingered in the heavy Autumn air; no sound broke the stillness but the periodic rustle and crash of débris pitching from the crumbling walls.

(poetic) tranquil silence

From this reading An acrid smell of burning still lingered in the heavy Autumn air; no sound broke the stillness but the periodic rustle and crash of débris pitching from the crumbling walls.

behave violently, as if in state of a great anger

From this reading ‘After the storm, calm,’ said Brion in a subdued level voice, his eyes brooding on the melancholy scene about him.

in a softened tone

From this reading ‘After the storm, calm,’ said Brion in a subdued level voice, his eyes brooding on the melancholy scene about him.

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

From this reading ‘After the storm, calm,’ said Brion in a subdued level voice, his eyes brooding on the melancholy scene about him.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

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

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

a special situation

From this reading Remote always, its loneliness, broken and death-smitten, had never seemed so stark a thing as now.

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

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

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

past form of “trample” — tread or stomp heavily or roughly

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

moved around an axis or center

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading ‘After the storm, calm,’ said Brion in a subdued level voice, his eyes brooding on the melancholy scene about him.

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 An acrid smell of burning still lingered in the heavy Autumn air; no sound broke the stillness but the periodic rustle and crash of débris pitching from the crumbling walls.

past form of “wander” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.

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

From this reading The place was quite deserted.

structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired

From this reading They had ridden over early from Ashburton, and had wandered through the desolate grounds, and seen the hopeless ruin of it all; and at the end, going into the trampled garden, had sat themselves down on a bench in a leafy corner, and turned to quiet discussion of the ways and means of the life before them.