100 words to know before reading The Time Machine

1. Presenting and explaining a theory or idea in detail.
2. Developing or elaborating on a topic systematically.

I The Time Traveller (for so it will be convenient to speak of him) was expounding a recondite matter to us. His grey eyes shone and twinkled, and his usually pale face was flushed

1. The finger next to the thumb; the index finger.
2. The finger used for pointing or indicating direction.

the Psychologist, he took that individual’s hand in his own and told him to put out his forefinger. So that it was the Psychologist himself who sent forth the model Time Machine on its

1. A statement that contradicts itself yet may be true.
2. A situation with seemingly conflicting aspects that coexist.

“What was this time travelling? A man couldn’t cover himself with dust by rolling in a paradox, could he?” And then, as the idea came home to him, he resorted to caricature. Hadn’t they any

1. A branch of mathematics dealing with shapes, sizes, and properties of space.
2. The spatial arrangement or structure of an object.

a quite transitory manner. “Well, I do not mind telling you I have been at work upon this geometry of Four Dimensions for some time. Some of my results are curious. For instance, here is a

1. The distance or measurement from side to side; width.
2. Wide range or extent of something.

mere abstractions.” “That is all right,” said the Psychologist. “Nor, having only length, breadth, and thickness, can a cube have a real existence.” “There I object,” said Filby. “Of course a

1. Relating to or affected by sudden, involuntary muscle contractions.
2. Occurring intermittently or in short bursts.

latter from the beginning to the end of our lives.” “That,” said a very young man, making spasmodic efforts to relight his cigar over the lamp; “that … very clear indeed.” “Now, it is very

1. Hard, white material from tusks and teeth of elephants and other animals.
2. A creamy white color resembling ivory.

was seen as a ghost for a second perhaps, as an eddy of faintly glittering brass and ivory; and it was gone—vanished! Save for the lamp the table was bare. Everyone was silent for a

1. A shelf above a fireplace.
2. The decorative frame around a fireplace.

the model. There were also perhaps a dozen candles about, two in brass candlesticks upon the mantel and several in sconces, so that the room was brilliantly illuminated. I sat in a low armchair

1. The quality of being clever, original, and inventive.
2. Skill or cleverness in devising or combining ideas.

you never felt that you saw all round him; you always suspected some subtle reserve, some ingenuity in ambush, behind his lucid frankness. Had Filby shown the model and explained the matter in the

1. A surprise attack by people lying in wait.
2. To lie in wait and attack by surprise.

felt that you saw all round him; you always suspected some subtle reserve, some ingenuity in ambush, behind his lucid frankness. Had Filby shown the model and explained the matter in the Time

1. Clear and easy to understand.

all round him; you always suspected some subtle reserve, some ingenuity in ambush, behind his lucid frankness. Had Filby shown the model and explained the matter in the Time Traveller’s words, we

1. Doubt or questioning attitude towards knowledge, beliefs, or claims.
2. Philosophical stance emphasizing critical inquiry and suspension of judgment.

and explained the matter in the Time Traveller’s words, we should have shown him far less scepticism. For we should have perceived his motives; a pork butcher could understand Filby. But the Time

1. The way a person stands, walks, and behaves in a formal or dignified manner.
2. Conduct or behavior, especially in terms of etiquette or social norms.

things too easily. The serious people who took him seriously never felt quite sure of his deportment; they were somehow aware that trusting their reputations for judgment with him was like

1. Looking exhausted or unwell, especially from fatigue or stress.
2. Wild or untamed in appearance.

Time Traveller came back. He was dressed in ordinary evening clothes, and nothing save his haggard look remained of the change that had startled me. “I say,” said the Editor hilariously, “these

1. A sparkling white wine from the Champagne region of France.
2. A celebratory drink often used for toasts and special occasions.

through his eyelashes. The Silent Man seemed even more clumsy than usual, and drank champagne with regularity and determination out of sheer nervousness. At last the Time Traveller pushed his

1. Shone unsteadily or intermittently (like a flame or light).
2. Moved quickly and lightly back and forth.

he said. His eyes grew brighter, and a faint colour came into his cheeks. His glance flickered over our faces with a certain dull approval, and then went round the warm and comfortable room.

1. The meat of a mature sheep, used as food.
2. (Informal) A term for a dull or stupid person.

to the place reserved for him without a word. He smiled quietly, in his old way. “Where’s my mutton?” he said. “What a treat it is to stick a fork into meat again!” “Story!” cried the Editor.

1. A seat for a rider on a horse or bicycle.
2. A cut of meat including part of the backbone.

over, sends the machine gliding into the future, and this other reverses the motion. This saddle represents the seat of a time traveller. Presently I am going to press the lever, and off the

1. Unclear or vague in appearance or meaning.
2. Covered by a thin mist or fog.

the turning out of a lamp, and in another moment came tomorrow. The laboratory grew faint and hazy, then fainter and ever fainter. Tomorrow night came black, then day again, night again, day

1. Lacking strength or clarity; barely perceptible.
2. A sudden loss of consciousness.

It chanced that the face was towards me; the sightless eyes seemed to watch me; there was the faint shadow of a smile on the lips. It was greatly weatherworn, and that imparted an unpleasant

1. A person who loses consciousness briefly (e.g., due to shock or illness).
2. Comparative form of 'faint' (less distinct or weaker).

twilight; the jerking sun became a streak of fire, a brilliant arch, in space; the moon a fainter fluctuating band; and I could see nothing of the stars, save now and then a brighter circle

1. Strange or unusual in a way that is surprising or noticeable.
2. Distinctive or unique to a particular person, place, or thing.

the land rose into blue undulating hills, and so faded into the serenity of the sky. A peculiar feature, which presently attracted my attention, was the presence of certain circular wells,

1. Physical feelings or perceptions from stimuli (e.g., touch, taste).
2. Strong emotions or excitement.

futurity. At first I scarce thought of stopping, scarce thought of anything but these new sensations. But presently a fresh series of impressions grew up in my mind—a certain curiosity and

1. Not bright or clear; lacking light.
2. Having faint or indistinct vision.

our rudimentary civilization, I thought, might not appear when I came to look nearly into the dim elusive world that raced and fluctuated before my eyes! I saw great and splendid architecture

1. Extremely beautiful and delicate.
2. Intensely felt or experienced.

“There were others coming, and presently a little group of perhaps eight or ten of these exquisite creatures were about me. One of them addressed me. It came into my head, oddly enough, that my

1. Used to emphasize a statement or response.
2. Truly or certainly (often expressing agreement).

young man, making spasmodic efforts to relight his cigar over the lamp; “that … very clear indeed.” “Now, it is very remarkable that this is so extensively overlooked,” continued the Time

1. Physically weak or delicate.
2. Easily broken or damaged.

confidence—a graceful gentleness, a certain childlike ease. And besides, they looked so frail that I could fancy myself flinging the whole dozen of them about like ninepins. But I made a

1. Throwing something forcefully or carelessly.
2. Moving or pushing suddenly and with energy.

applause; and presently they were all running to and fro for flowers, and laughingly flinging them upon me until I was almost smothered with blossom. You who have never seen the like can

1. Arms and legs of a human or animal.
2. Large branches of a tree.

flowers, and surrounded by an eddying mass of bright, soft-colored robes and shining white limbs, in a melodious whirl of laughter and laughing speech. “The big doorway opened into a

1. A large, disordered pile of things.
2. A great amount or number (informal).

bound together by masses of aluminium, a vast labyrinth of precipitous walls and crumpled heaps, amidst which were thick heaps of very beautiful pagoda-like plants—nettles possibly—but

1. Existing in large quantities; plentiful.
2. More than enough; ample.

of that time were extremely precocious, physically at least, and I found afterwards abundant verification of my opinion. “Seeing the ease and security in which these people were living, I

1. A great victory or achievement.
2. To win or succeed.

process that makes life more and more secure—had gone steadily on to a climax. One triumph of a united humanity over Nature had followed another. Things that are now mere dreams had become

1. A mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head, often guarding treasures.
2. An ancient Egyptian statue with a lion's body and a pharaoh's head.

towards me. “Then I heard voices approaching me. Coming through the bushes by the White Sphinx were the heads and shoulders of men running. One of these emerged in a pathway leading straight

1. A base or support for a statue, column, or structure.
2. A position of high regard or admiration.

of being carried vertically at the sides, were spread so that it seemed to hover. The pedestal, it appeared to me, was of bronze, and was thick with verdigris. It chanced that the face was

1. Relating to sexual or gender identities that are not heterosexual or cisgender.
2. Strange, odd, or unconventional.

I had struggled with the overturned machine. There were other signs of removal about, with queer narrow footprints like those I could imagine made by a sloth. This directed my closer attention

1. Illuminated by the light of the moon.
2. Describing a scene or atmosphere under moonlight.

thereby. I cried aloud, and none answered. Not a creature seemed to be stirring in that moonlit world. “When I reached the lawn my worst fears were realized. Not a trace of the thing was to be

1. In a rough or curt manner.
2. Without warning or preparation.

though the import of his gesture was plain enough. The question had come into my mind abruptly: were these creatures fools? You may hardly understand how it took me. You see I had always

1. To climb or move awkwardly or with effort, especially using hands and feet.
2. To scramble up or over something uneven or steep.

to reassure her. Then I had to look down at the unstable hooks to which I clung. “I had to clamber down a shaft of perhaps two hundred yards. The descent was effected by means of metallic bars

1. A hard, white ceramic material made by heating clay.
2. Fine china or tableware made from this material.

as well as the pale-green tint, a kind of bluish-green, of a certain type of Chinese porcelain. This difference in aspect suggested a difference in use, and I was minded to push on and

1. A low protective wall along the edge of a roof, bridge, or balcony.
2. A defensive wall or elevation in fortifications.

and in another moment I was in the throat of the well. I saw her agonized face over the parapet, and smiled to reassure her. Then I had to look down at the unstable hooks to which I clung. “I

1. Done quickly or hurriedly, often without care.
2. Acting with excessive speed or urgency.

and then putting her down, I began to feel over the parapet for the climbing hooks. Rather hastily, I may as well confess, for I feared my courage might leak away! At first she watched me in

1. Confined or restricted in space.
2. Uncomfortably small or crowded.

adapted to the needs of a creature much smaller and lighter than myself, I was speedily cramped and fatigued by the descent. And not simply fatigued! One of the bars bent suddenly under my

1. Climbing or moving awkwardly with hands and feet.
2. Struggling to ascend something steep or uneven.

ruin near the great house where I slept and fed, there happened this strange thing: Clambering among these heaps of masonry, I found a narrow gallery, whose end and side windows were blocked

1. An opening or hole, especially in a camera lens controlling light entry.
2. A gap or space in a structure.

down the sheer descent with as quick a motion as possible. Glancing upward, I saw the aperture, a small blue disk, in which a star was visible, while little Weena’s head showed as a round

1. A strong, regular beat or pulsation, often of the heart or a muscle.
2. To beat or vibrate with a steady rhythm.

twigs under my feet, the faint rustle of the breeze above, and my own breathing and the throb of the blood-vessels in my ears. Then I seemed to know of a pattering about me. I pushed on

1. A strong, dazzling light that causes discomfort or difficulty in seeing.
2. A fierce or angry stare.

dimness, and cast grotesque black shadows, in which dim spectral Morlocks sheltered from the glare. The place, by the by, was very stuffy and oppressive, and the faint halitus of freshly shed

1. A quick or brief look at something.
2. A faint or partial view.

without enough matches. If only I had thought of a Kodak! I could have flashed that glimpse of the Under-world in a second, and examined it at leisure. But, as it was, I stood there with

1. Until now or until the point in time under discussion.
2. Up to this time; previously.

nineteenth-century Banstead, a vast green structure, different in character from any I had hitherto seen. It was larger than the largest of the palaces or ruins I knew, and the façade had an

1. Severe mental or physical pain or suffering.
2. Extreme distress or torment.

VII “Now, indeed, I seemed in a worse case than before. Hitherto, except during my night’s anguish at the loss of the Time Machine, I had felt a sustaining hope of ultimate escape, but that hope

1. Walk or move unsteadily, as if about to fall.
2. Arrange events or payments so they occur at different times.

running across the sunlit space behind me. It blundered against a block of granite, staggered aside, and in a moment was hidden in a black shadow beneath another pile of ruined masonry. “My

1. Hindered or obstructed progress or movement.
2. Delayed or slowed down by obstacles.

but that hope was staggered by these new discoveries. Hitherto I had merely thought myself impeded by the childish simplicity of the little people, and by some unknown forces which I had only to

1. A form of government where power is held by a small, privileged ruling class.
2. The highest social class in certain societies, typically comprising nobles.

of moral education and general cooperation as I had imagined. Instead, I saw a real aristocracy, armed with a perfected science and working to a logical conclusion the industrial system of

1. The highest point or peak of a mountain or hill.
2. A tall, pointed formation of rock.

grew tired and wanted to return to the house of grey stone. But I pointed out the distant pinnacles of the Palace of Green Porcelain to her, and contrived to make her understand that we were

1. Groups of stars forming recognizable patterns in the night sky.
2. 88 officially recognized regions of the celestial sphere, each with defined boundaries.

clear. I felt a certain sense of friendly comfort in their twinkling. All the old constellations had gone from the sky, however: that slow movement which is imperceptible in a hundred human

1. The process of breaking down or deteriorating in quality, condition, or function.
2. A decline to a lower or worse state, often morally or environmentally.

of the human form not to claim my sympathy, and to make me perforce a sharer in their degradation and their Fear. “I had at that time very vague ideas as to the course I should pursue. My first

1. Traces or remnants of something that no longer exists.
2. Small remaining parts of what once was.

but everything had long since passed out of recognition. A few shrivelled and blackened vestiges of what had once been stuffed animals, desiccated mummies in jars that had once held spirit, a

1. Damaged or worn away by chemical reactions, such as rust or oxidation.
2. Weakened or destroyed gradually over time.

remained in its windows, and great sheets of the green facing had fallen away from the corroded metallic framework. It lay very high upon a turfy down, and looking northeastward before I

1. The internal framework of bones supporting the body.
2. A basic structure or outline of something.

strange and gaunt in the centre of the hall, what was clearly the lower part of a huge skeleton. I recognized by the oblique feet that it was some extinct creature after the fashion of the

1. A heavy club with a spiked metal head, used as a weapon.
2. A ceremonial staff symbolizing authority, often used by officials.

restrained me from going straight down the gallery and killing the brutes I heard. “Well, mace in one hand and Weena in the other, I went out of that gallery and into another and still larger

1. A white crystalline substance with a strong aroma, derived from the wood of the camphor tree.
2. Used in medicine, moth repellents, and as a plasticizer.

at first that it was paraffin wax, and smashed the glass accordingly. But the odour of camphor was unmistakable. In the universal decay this volatile substance had chanced to survive, perhaps

1. A disastrous event causing great damage or distress.
2. A state of deep distress or misery.

intensest wretchedness for the horrible death of little Weena. It seemed an overwhelming calamity. Now, in this old familiar room, it is more like the sorrow of a dream than an actual loss. But

1. A soft, indistinct sound made by a person or group, often speaking quietly or indistinctly.
2. A low, continuous background noise, like rustling leaves or flowing water.

so. I felt very weary after my exertion, and sat down. The wood, too, was full of a slumbrous murmur that I did not understand. I seemed just to nod and open my eyes. But all was dark, and the

1. Making careless or stupid mistakes.
2. Acting clumsily or without skill.

I dashed down the match, and, knocking one of the people over in my course, went blundering across the big dining-hall again, out under the moonlight. I heard cries of terror and their

1. Done quickly without care or thought.
2. Acting with excessive speed or urgency.

the owl and the cat. And last of all, that evident confusion in the sunshine, that hasty yet fumbling awkward flight towards dark shadow, and that peculiar carriage of the head while in

1. To stop oneself from doing something.
2. A repeated line or phrase in a song or poem.

the evening of my arrival. I thought of my hasty conclusions upon that evening and could not refrain from laughing bitterly at my confidence. Here was the same beautiful scene, the same abundant

1. The leaves of a plant or tree.
2. A cluster of leaves, flowers, or branches.

laughing bitterly at my confidence. Here was the same beautiful scene, the same abundant foliage, the same splendid palaces and magnificent ruins, the same silver river running between its

1. Magnificent or impressive in appearance.
2. Excellent or very good.

by these changes. “Social triumphs, too, had been effected. I saw mankind housed in splendid shelters, gloriously clothed, and as yet I had found them engaged in no toil. There were no signs

1. Extremely beautiful or impressive.
2. Grand or splendid in appearance.

was the same beautiful scene, the same abundant foliage, the same splendid palaces and magnificent ruins, the same silver river running between its fertile banks. The gay robes of the beautiful

1. Capable of producing abundant vegetation or crops.
2. Able to conceive offspring or reproduce.

the same splendid palaces and magnificent ruins, the same silver river running between its fertile banks. The gay robes of the beautiful people moved hither and thither among the trees. Some were

1. Long, loose outer garments, often worn for ceremonies or formal occasions.
2. Official or ceremonial attire, especially for judges, clergy, or academics.

and magnificent ruins, the same silver river running between its fertile banks. The gay robes of the beautiful people moved hither and thither among the trees. Some were bathing in exactly

1. To this place (adverb).
2. Toward the speaker or a specified place (adverb).

beneath my feet: could, indeed, almost see through it the Morlocks on their anthill going hither and thither and waiting for the dark. In my excitement I fancied that they would receive my

1. To move or climb quickly using hands and feet.
2. To mix or throw together in a hurried, disorderly way.

ring—to recover it. It was a nearer thing than the fight in the forest, I think, this last scramble. “But at last the lever was fitted and pulled over. The clinging hands slipped from me. The

1. Disappeared suddenly or completely.
2. Ceased to exist or be present.

for a second perhaps, as an eddy of faintly glittering brass and ivory; and it was gone—vanished! Save for the lamp the table was bare. Everyone was silent for a minute. Then Filby said he was

1. (adjective) Empty, barren, or devoid of life.
2. (adjective) Feeling or showing loneliness or despair.

and from that I judged the air to be more rarefied than it is now. “Far away up the desolate slope I heard a harsh scream, and saw a thing like a huge white butterfly go slanting and

1. A hard outer layer or coating formed on a surface.
2. The process of embedding or encrusting something with a material.

front? Its back was corrugated and ornamented with ungainly bosses, and a greenish incrustation blotched it here and there. I could see the many palps of its complicated mouth flickering and

1. Trembled or shook, usually from cold or fear.
2. Broke into small pieces or fragments.

trees growing and changing like puffs of vapour, now brown, now green; they grew, spread, shivered, and passed away. I saw huge buildings rise up faint and fair, and pass like dreams. The whole

1. A crustacean with a broad carapace, stalked eyes, and five pairs of legs.
2. To move sideways or diagonally, like a crab.

towards me. Then I saw the thing was really a monstrous crablike creature. Can you imagine a crab as large as yonder table, with its many legs moving slowly and uncertainly, its big claws

1. Sharp, curved nails on the feet of animals like cats or birds.
2. The pincers of crustaceans, such as crabs or lobsters.

a crab as large as yonder table, with its many legs moving slowly and uncertainly, its big claws swaying, its long antennae, like carters’ whips, waving and feeling, and its stalked eyes

1. Lacking grace or ease in movement; awkward or clumsy.
2. Difficult to move or handle due to size or shape; unwieldy.

eyes were wriggling on their stalks, its mouth was all alive with appetite, and its vast ungainly claws, smeared with an algal slime, were descending upon me. In a moment my hand was on the

1. A thick, sticky liquid or soft substance, often unpleasant.
2. A slippery secretion produced by some animals, like snails.

its mouth was all alive with appetite, and its vast ungainly claws, smeared with an algal slime, were descending upon me. In a moment my hand was on the lever, and I had placed a month between

1. Small, thin pieces of a substance, often broken off from a larger piece.
2. Light, loose snow particles.

till I had flattened a coil in the decorations, and the verdigris came off in powdery flakes. The delicate little people must have heard me hammering in gusty outbreaks a mile away on either

1. Changing or varying irregularly in number or amount.
2. Rising and falling; not stable or constant.

resumed, the sun got golden again, the sky blue. I breathed with greater freedom. The fluctuating contours of the land ebbed and flowed. The hands spun backward upon the dials. At last I saw

1. The outline or shape of a figure or object.
2. Lines on a map connecting points of equal elevation.

the sun got golden again, the sky blue. I breathed with greater freedom. The fluctuating contours of the land ebbed and flowed. The hands spun backward upon the dials. At last I saw again the dim

1. Past tense of 'ebb', meaning to recede or decline, like the tide going out.
2. Reduced in intensity or strength.

again, the sky blue. I breathed with greater freedom. The fluctuating contours of the land ebbed and flowed. The hands spun backward upon the dials. At last I saw again the dim shadows of

1. Proof or facts supporting a claim or belief.
2. Objects or documents used in legal proceedings.

line of some cupola or obelisk. There were no hedges, no signs of proprietary rights, no evidences of agriculture; the whole earth had become a garden. “So watching, I began to put my

1. Moved up and down or back and forth, like wings or loose material.
2. (Of a bird) Moved wings up and down to fly.

familiar architecture, the thousands hand ran back to the starting-point, the night and day flapped slower and slower. Then the old walls of the laboratory came round me. Very gently, now, I slowed

1. Traveled across or through an area or place.
2. Moved back and forth over something.

Only forty times had that silent revolution occurred during all the years that I had traversed. And during these few revolutions all the activity, all the traditions, the complex

1. A sample or individual used as an example in study or testing.
2. A typical or representative example of something.

odd,” he said. The Psychologist leant forward to see, holding out his hand for a specimen. “I’m hanged if it isn’t a quarter to one,” said the Journalist. “How shall we get home?” “Plenty

1. A long passage in a building with doors leading to rooms on either side.
2. A narrow strip of land connecting two larger areas.

of the childish days when I used to be forbidden to meddle. I came back through the corridor. The Time Traveller met me in the smoking-room. He was coming from the house. He had a small

1. A concluding section at the end of a literary work.
2. A speech or event that serves as a final comment or conclusion.

Epilogue One cannot choose but wonder. Will he ever return? It may be that he swept back into the past,

1. Deep or seemingly bottomless chasms or voids.
2. Profoundly immeasurable depths, often metaphorical.

and fell among the blood-drinking, hairy savages of the Age of Unpolished Stone; into the abysses of the Cretaceous Sea; or among the grotesque saurians, the huge reptilian brutes of the Jurassic

1. Relating to the Cretaceous period, a geological era about 145 to 66 million years ago.
2. Chalky or resembling chalk in texture or composition.

the blood-drinking, hairy savages of the Age of Unpolished Stone; into the abysses of the Cretaceous Sea; or among the grotesque saurians, the huge reptilian brutes of the Jurassic times. He may

1. Comically or repulsively ugly or distorted.
2. A style of decorative art with bizarre or fantastical elements.

my memory is vague. Great shapes like big machines rose out of the dimness, and cast grotesque black shadows, in which dim spectral Morlocks sheltered from the glare. The place, by the by, was

1. Relating to or resembling lizards (reptiles of the order Sauria).
2. Pertaining to the Sauria, a former taxonomic group that included lizards and related reptiles.

the Age of Unpolished Stone; into the abysses of the Cretaceous Sea; or among the grotesque saurians, the huge reptilian brutes of the Jurassic times. He may even now—if I may use the phrase—be

1. Relating to or resembling reptiles.
2. Cold-blooded or unemotional in behavior.

Stone; into the abysses of the Cretaceous Sea; or among the grotesque saurians, the huge reptilian brutes of the Jurassic times. He may even now—if I may use the phrase—be wandering on some

1. Savage or violent people.
2. Unrefined or crude individuals.

into the abysses of the Cretaceous Sea; or among the grotesque saurians, the huge reptilian brutes of the Jurassic times. He may even now—if I may use the phrase—be wandering on some

1. Relating to the second period of the Mesozoic era, about 200-145 million years ago.
2. Famous for dinosaurs like the Brachiosaurus and Stegosaurus.

of the Cretaceous Sea; or among the grotesque saurians, the huge reptilian brutes of the Jurassic times. He may even now—if I may use the phrase—be wandering on some plesiosaurus-haunted

1. Relating to or resembling oolite, a sedimentary rock composed of small spherical grains.
2. Pertaining to the formation or structure of oolites.

times. He may even now—if I may use the phrase—be wandering on some plesiosaurus-haunted Oolitic coral reef, or beside the lonely saline lakes of the Triassic Age. Or did he go forward, into one

1. Marine invertebrates that form colonies and secrete calcium carbonate to build reefs.
2. The hard, colorful skeleton of these organisms, often used in jewelry.

He may even now—if I may use the phrase—be wandering on some plesiosaurus-haunted Oolitic coral reef, or beside the lonely saline lakes of the Triassic Age. Or did he go forward, into one of

1. A ridge of rock or coral near the ocean's surface.
2. A part of a sail that can be rolled or folded to reduce its area.

may even now—if I may use the phrase—be wandering on some plesiosaurus-haunted Oolitic coral reef, or beside the lonely saline lakes of the Triassic Age. Or did he go forward, into one of the