Chapter III · Chapter 3

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

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

(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 We leave behind all the great wonders of the old world, the gigantic reptiles, the forests of tree ferns, the seas full of ammonites and belemnites, and come among the no less wonderful but more familiar modern forms.

plural of “alligator” — leather made from alligator's hide

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

plural of “ammonite” — one of the coiled chambered fossil shells of extinct mollusks

From this reading We leave behind all the great wonders of the old world, the gigantic reptiles, the forests of tree ferns, the seas full of ammonites and belemnites, and come among the no less wonderful but more familiar modern forms.

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading We leave behind all the great wonders of the old world, the gigantic reptiles, the forests of tree ferns, the seas full of ammonites and belemnites, and come among the no less wonderful but more familiar modern forms.

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

From this reading We leave behind all the great wonders of the old world, the gigantic reptiles, the forests of tree ferns, the seas full of ammonites and belemnites, and come among the no less wonderful but more familiar modern forms.

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

From this reading We come at once into lands and seas where the back-boned animals are the ruling beings.

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading The first mammals that have no pouches now appear.

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

From this reading We come at once into lands and seas where the back-boned animals are the ruling beings.

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

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading We come at once into lands and seas where the back-boned animals are the ruling beings.

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

From this reading We come at once into lands and seas where the back-boned animals are the ruling beings.

the state of being banished or ostracized (excluded from society by general consent)

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

at or toward the back of something

From this reading We leave behind all the great wonders of the old world, the gigantic reptiles, the forests of tree ferns, the seas full of ammonites and belemnites, and come among the no less wonderful but more familiar modern forms.

plural of “being” — the state or fact of existing

From this reading We come at once into lands and seas where the back-boned animals are the ruling beings.

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

From this reading We leave behind all the great wonders of the old world, the gigantic reptiles, the forests of tree ferns, the seas full of ammonites and belemnites, and come among the no less wonderful but more familiar modern forms.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading We leave behind all the great wonders of the old world, the gigantic reptiles, the forests of tree ferns, the seas full of ammonites and belemnites, and come among the no less wonderful but more familiar modern forms.

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

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

without doubt or question

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading We leave behind all the great wonders of the old world, the gigantic reptiles, the forests of tree ferns, the seas full of ammonites and belemnites, and come among the no less wonderful but more familiar modern forms.

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

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

abounding in chalk

From this reading In passing from the Cretaceous to the Tertiary, we enter upon the threshold of our modern world.

plural of “crocodile” — large voracious aquatic reptile having a long snout with massive jaws and sharp teeth and a body covered with bony plates; of sluggish tropical waters

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

unrestrained by convention or morality

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

the domain ruled by an emperor or empress; the region over which imperial dominion is exercised

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

to come or go into

From this reading In passing from the Cretaceous to the Tertiary, we enter upon the threshold of our modern world.

well known or easily recognized

From this reading We leave behind all the great wonders of the old world, the gigantic reptiles, the forests of tree ferns, the seas full of ammonites and belemnites, and come among the no less wonderful but more familiar modern forms.

plural of “fern” — any of numerous flowerless and seedless vascular plants having true roots from a rhizome and fronds that uncurl upward; reproduce by spores

From this reading We leave behind all the great wonders of the old world, the gigantic reptiles, the forests of tree ferns, the seas full of ammonites and belemnites, and come among the no less wonderful but more familiar modern forms.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading The first mammals that have no pouches now appear.

plural of “forest” — the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading We leave behind all the great wonders of the old world, the gigantic reptiles, the forests of tree ferns, the seas full of ammonites and belemnites, and come among the no less wonderful but more familiar modern forms.

plural of “form” — the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something

From this reading We leave behind all the great wonders of the old world, the gigantic reptiles, the forests of tree ferns, the seas full of ammonites and belemnites, and come among the no less wonderful but more familiar modern forms.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading In passing from the Cretaceous to the Tertiary, we enter upon the threshold of our modern world.

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading We leave behind all the great wonders of the old world, the gigantic reptiles, the forests of tree ferns, the seas full of ammonites and belemnites, and come among the no less wonderful but more familiar modern forms.

so exceedingly large or extensive as to suggest a giant or mammoth

From this reading We leave behind all the great wonders of the old world, the gigantic reptiles, the forests of tree ferns, the seas full of ammonites and belemnites, and come among the no less wonderful but more familiar modern forms.

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

From this reading We leave behind all the great wonders of the old world, the gigantic reptiles, the forests of tree ferns, the seas full of ammonites and belemnites, and come among the no less wonderful but more familiar modern forms.

any number of entities (members) considered as a unit

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

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

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

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

From this reading In passing from the Cretaceous to the Tertiary, we enter upon the threshold of our modern world.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading We come at once into lands and seas where the back-boned animals are the ruling beings.

plural of “land” — the land on which real estate is located

From this reading We come at once into lands and seas where the back-boned animals are the ruling beings.

go away from a place

From this reading We leave behind all the great wonders of the old world, the gigantic reptiles, the forests of tree ferns, the seas full of ammonites and belemnites, and come among the no less wonderful but more familiar modern forms.

staying power

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading We leave behind all the great wonders of the old world, the gigantic reptiles, the forests of tree ferns, the seas full of ammonites and belemnites, and come among the no less wonderful but more familiar modern forms.

plural of “lizard” — relatively long-bodied reptile with usually two pairs of legs and a tapering tail

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

plural of “mammal” — any warm-blooded vertebrate having the skin more or less covered with hair; young are born alive except for the small subclass of monotremes and nourished with milk

From this reading The first mammals that have no pouches now appear.

attach a tag or label to

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

belonging to the modern era; since the Middle Ages

From this reading In passing from the Cretaceous to the Tertiary, we enter upon the threshold of our modern world.

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

From this reading We leave behind all the great wonders of the old world, the gigantic reptiles, the forests of tree ferns, the seas full of ammonites and belemnites, and come among the no less wonderful but more familiar modern forms.

not any; not one

From this reading We leave behind all the great wonders of the old world, the gigantic reptiles, the forests of tree ferns, the seas full of ammonites and belemnites, and come among the no less wonderful but more familiar modern forms.

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

From this reading The first mammals that have no pouches now appear.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading In passing from the Cretaceous to the Tertiary, we enter upon the threshold of our modern world.

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

From this reading We leave behind all the great wonders of the old world, the gigantic reptiles, the forests of tree ferns, the seas full of ammonites and belemnites, and come among the no less wonderful but more familiar modern forms.

on one occasion

From this reading We come at once into lands and seas where the back-boned animals are the ruling beings.

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading In passing from the Cretaceous to the Tertiary, we enter upon the threshold of our modern world.

(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate

From this reading In passing from the Cretaceous to the Tertiary, we enter upon the threshold of our modern world.

uniquely or characteristically

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

plural of “pouch” — a small or medium size container for holding or carrying things

From this reading The first mammals that have no pouches now appear.

plural of “reptile” — any cold-blooded vertebrate of the class Reptilia including tortoises, turtles, snakes, lizards, alligators, crocodiles, and extinct forms

From this reading We leave behind all the great wonders of the old world, the gigantic reptiles, the forests of tree ferns, the seas full of ammonites and belemnites, and come among the no less wonderful but more familiar modern forms.

the reason for a court's judgment (as opposed to the decision itself)

From this reading We come at once into lands and seas where the back-boned animals are the ruling beings.

plural of “sea” — a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading We leave behind all the great wonders of the old world, the gigantic reptiles, the forests of tree ferns, the seas full of ammonites and belemnites, and come among the no less wonderful but more familiar modern forms.

plural of “serpent” — limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

inflected form of “shrink” — wither, as with a loss of moisture

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

from 63 million to 2 million years ago

From this reading In passing from the Cretaceous to the Tertiary, we enter upon the threshold of our modern world.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The first mammals that have no pouches now appear.

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

From this reading In passing from the Cretaceous to the Tertiary, we enter upon the threshold of our modern world.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

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

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

the starting point for a new state or experience

From this reading In passing from the Cretaceous to the Tertiary, we enter upon the threshold of our modern world.

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

From this reading In passing from the Cretaceous to the Tertiary, we enter upon the threshold of our modern world.

plural of “tortoise” — usually herbivorous land turtles having clawed elephant-like limbs; worldwide in arid area except Australia and Antarctica

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading We leave behind all the great wonders of the old world, the gigantic reptiles, the forests of tree ferns, the seas full of ammonites and belemnites, and come among the no less wonderful but more familiar modern forms.

plural of “turtle” — a sweater or jersey with a high close-fitting collar

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading In passing from the Cretaceous to the Tertiary, we enter upon the threshold of our modern world.

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading In passing from the Cretaceous to the Tertiary, we enter upon the threshold of our modern world.

in or at the place that

From this reading We come at once into lands and seas where the back-boned animals are the ruling beings.

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

From this reading The reptiles have shrunk to a few low forms,--the small lizards, the crocodiles and alligators, the tortoises and turtles, and, as if to mark more clearly the banishment of this group from their old empire, the serpents, which are peculiarly degraded forms of reptiles which have lost the legs they once had, came to be the commonest reptiles of the earth.

extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers

From this reading We leave behind all the great wonders of the old world, the gigantic reptiles, the forests of tree ferns, the seas full of ammonites and belemnites, and come among the no less wonderful but more familiar modern forms.

plural of “wonder” — the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising

From this reading We leave behind all the great wonders of the old world, the gigantic reptiles, the forests of tree ferns, the seas full of ammonites and belemnites, and come among the no less wonderful but more familiar modern forms.

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading In passing from the Cretaceous to the Tertiary, we enter upon the threshold of our modern world.