100 words to know before reading The War of the Worlds

1. Inhabitants or beings from the planet Mars.
2. Fictional extraterrestrials often depicted in science fiction.

the fluctuating appearances of the markings they mapped so well. All that time the Martians must have been getting ready. During the opposition of 1894 a great light was seen on the

1. Used as a reflexive pronoun to refer to a group previously mentioned.
2. Used for emphasis to refer to a group previously mentioned.

by intelligences greater than man’s and yet as mortal as his own; that as men busied themselves about their various concerns they were scrutinised and studied, perhaps almost as narrowly as a

1. Barely; almost not at all.
2. Only just; by a very small margin.

level. Nor was it generally understood that since Mars is older than our Earth, with scarcely a quarter of the superficial area and remoter from the sun, it necessarily follows that it is not

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

century, expressed any idea that intelligent life might have developed there far, or indeed at all, beyond its earthly level. Nor was it generally understood that since Mars is older than

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

that for countless centuries Mars has been the star of war—but failed to interpret the fluctuating appearances of the markings they mapped so well. All that time the Martians must have been

1. A portable light source with a protective case, often with a handle.
2. A decorative or architectural structure with openings to emit light.

it would presently bring me. Ogilvy watched till one, and then gave it up; and we lit the lantern and walked over to his house. Down below in the darkness were Ottershaw and Chertsey and all

1. An optical instrument for viewing distant objects.
2. To become compressed or shortened lengthwise.

the Martians inconvenience. Dense clouds of smoke or dust, visible through a powerful telescope on Earth as little grey, fluctuating patches, spread through the clearness of the planet’s

1. The number equivalent to four times ten (40).
2. A term used to describe a quantity or age.

but that was simply that my eye was tired. Forty millions of miles it was from us—more than forty millions of miles of void. Few people realise the immensity of vacancy in which the dust of the

1. Solid objects from space that survive passage through Earth's atmosphere and land on the surface.
2. Fragments of asteroids or comets that reach the ground after being meteoroids in space.

streak behind it that glowed for some seconds. Denning, our greatest authority on meteorites, stated that the height of its first appearance was about ninety or one hundred miles. It seemed

1. A solid piece of debris from space that survives passage through Earth's atmosphere and lands on the surface.
2. A meteoroid that reaches the ground after passing through the atmosphere.

said Henderson. “It’s out on Horsell Common now.” “Good Lord!” said Henderson. “Fallen meteorite! That’s good.” “But it’s something more than a meteorite. It’s a cylinder—an artificial

1. A three-dimensional geometric shape with two parallel circular bases connected by a curved surface.
2. A cylindrical container or object, such as a gas cylinder.

had shivered to fragments in its descent. The uncovered part had the appearance of a huge cylinder, caked over and its outline softened by a thick scaly dun-coloured incrustation. It had a

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

of a huge cylinder, caked over and its outline softened by a thick scaly dun-coloured incrustation. It had a diameter of about thirty yards. He approached the mass, surprised at the size and more

1. Made or produced by humans rather than occurring naturally.
2. Not genuine; fake or insincere.

jerk forward an inch or so. Then the thing came upon him in a flash. The cylinder was artificial—hollow—with an end that screwed out! Something within the cylinder was unscrewing the top!

1. A tool with a sharp-edged metal blade used for digging or cutting earth.
2. A playing card in the suit of spades, marked with a black symbol resembling a pointed leaf.

artificial cylinder, man! And there’s something inside.” Henderson stood up with his spade in his hand. “What’s that?” he said. He was deaf in one ear. Ogilvy told him all that he had

1. A printed publication containing news, articles, and advertisements, usually issued daily or weekly.
2. The organization responsible for producing and distributing such a publication.

went into the railway station at once, in order to telegraph the news to London. The newspaper articles had prepared men’s minds for the reception of the idea. By eight o’clock a number of

1. Firmly fixed or set within something.
2. Incorporated as an essential part of a system or structure.

him. A large portion of the cylinder had been uncovered, though its lower end was still embedded. As soon as Ogilvy saw me among the staring crowd on the edge of the pit he called to me to come

1. Burned or scorched until blackened.
2. Partially burned or carbonized.

of that colossal bulk, embedded in the ground. The turf and gravel about it seemed charred as if by a sudden explosion. No doubt its impact had caused a flash of fire. Henderson and Ogilvy

1. Relating to astronomy, the study of celestial objects and phenomena.
2. Extremely large in size, quantity, or degree (informal).

Mars.” “Remarkable Story From Woking,” and so forth. In addition, Ogilvy’s wire to the Astronomical Exchange had roused every observatory in the three kingdoms. There were half a dozen flies or

1. A disorganized pile or mass of things.
2. A large amount or quantity.

that my fears overruled. Everything was then quite invisible, hidden by the deep pit and the heap of sand that the fall of the cylinder had made. Anyone coming along the road from Chobham or

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

no grip to them. The case appeared to be enormously thick, and it was possible that the faint sounds we heard represented a noisy tumult in the interior. I was very glad to do as he asked,

1. A small tube inserted into a passage to keep it open, often used in medical procedures.
2. A device placed in blood vessels to prevent blockages, like in angioplasty.

half a dozen men—Henderson, Ogilvy, and a tall, fair-haired man that I afterwards learned was Stent, the Astronomer Royal, with several workmen wielding spades and pickaxes. Stent was giving

1. Skilled laborers or craftsmen employed in manual or industrial work.
2. Men engaged in physical labor, often in construction or manufacturing.

outcast in faded black rags, wide-eyed, loud-voiced, and foul-mouthed. There were sturdy workmen thrusting their way along, wretched, unkempt men, clothed like clerks or shopmen, struggling

1. Spread out or dispersed over a wide area.
2. Occurring or found at irregular intervals.

IV The Cylinder Opens When I returned to the common the sun was setting. Scattered groups were hurrying from the direction of Woking, and one or two persons were returning. The

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

into the pit, with a thud like the fall of a great mass of leather. I heard it give a peculiar thick cry, and forthwith another of these creatures appeared darkly in the deep shadow of the

1. Small stones or pebbles, often used in construction or landscaping.
2. A rough or harsh sound or manner.

and as I did so the screw must have come out, for the lid of the cylinder fell upon the gravel with a ringing concussion. I stuck my elbow into the person behind me, and turned my head towards

1. A loud, sharp, piercing cry or sound.
2. To utter a loud, sharp cry or noise.

in the air towards me—and then another. A sudden chill came over me. There was a loud shriek from a woman behind. I half turned, keeping my eyes fixed upon the cylinder still, from which

1. Long, flexible appendages found on certain animals, used for grasping or sensing.
2. Figuratively, far-reaching influence or control, often negative.

the wedgelike lower lip, the incessant quivering of this mouth, the Gorgon groups of tentacles, the tumultuous breathing of the lungs in a strange atmosphere, the evident heaviness and

1. The upper edge of a hollow container, like a cup or bowl.
2. The projecting edge of a hat.

was rounded, and had, one might say, a face. There was a mouth under the eyes, the lipless brim of which quivered and panted, and dropped saliva. The whole creature heaved and pulsated

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

and utter destruction our own species has wrought, not only upon animals, such as the vanished bison and the dodo, but upon its inferior races. The Tasmanians, in spite of their human

1. A low-growing shrub with small pink or purple flowers, common in moorland.
2. A light purple or pinkish color resembling the heather plant.

in every direction over the heath, forming heaps visible a mile and a half away. The heather was on fire eastward, and a thin blue smoke rose against the dawn. The Thing itself lay almost

1. A fastening made by tying a piece of string, rope, or similar material.
2. A tangled mass in hair, thread, etc.

little wedge of people with the white flag at its apex, arrested by these phenomena, a little knot of small vertical black shapes upon the black ground. As the green smoke arose, their faces

1. A type of evergreen tree with needle-like leaves and cones.
2. To feel a lingering sadness or longing for something.

and stumbling, for I could not avert my face from these things. There, among some young pine trees and furze bushes, I stopped, panting, and waited further developments. The common round the

1. Relating to or shaped like a parabola (a U-shaped curve).
2. Pertaining to a parable; allegorical or metaphorical.

they project in a parallel beam against any object they choose, by means of a polished parabolic mirror of unknown composition, much as the parabolic mirror of a lighthouse projects a beam of

1. Short, quick bursts of air or smoke.
2. Light, fluffy pieces of fabric or material.

brown common towards Chertsey, set with black pine trees, seemed to darken abruptly as these puffs arose, and to remain the darker after their dispersal. At the same time a faint hissing sound

1. Spinning rapidly in circles.
2. Moving or turning with a swift, circular motion.

Thick clouds of steam were pouring off the wreckage, and through the tumultuously whirling wisps I could see, intermittently and vaguely, the gigantic limbs churning the water and flinging

1. (noun) A decorative trimming or edging, often made of gathered fabric.
2. (verb) To gather or pleat fabric into a decorative edge.

of the later occurrences, caused a whirl of excitement, a shouting, and a running to and fro; but for the most part the daily routine of working, eating, drinking, sleeping, went on as it

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

was blank wonder. My muscles and nerves seemed drained of their strength. I dare say I staggered drunkenly. A head rose over the arch, and the figure of a workman carrying a basket appeared.

1. A facility where gas is manufactured and stored for distribution.
2. A place where coal or other materials are converted into gas.

the swift death flying yonder, not two miles away. There was a noise of business from the gasworks, and the electric lamps were all alight. I stopped at the group of people. “What news from the

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

did not find my experience incredible. When I saw how deadly white her face was, I ceased abruptly. “They may come here,” she said again and again. I pressed her to take wine, and tried to

1. A loud, rattling noise made by hard objects striking together.
2. To make or cause a continuous, chaotic sound of collisions.

of white, firelit smoke, and a long caterpillar of lighted windows, went flying south—clatter, clatter, clap, rap, and it had gone. A dim group of people talked in the gate of one of the

1. Relating to the planet Mars.
2. A hypothetical inhabitant of Mars.

of the Earth the force of gravity is three times what it is on the surface of Mars. A Martian, therefore, would weigh three times more than on Mars, albeit his muscular strength would be the

1. A message sent by telegraph and then delivered in written or printed form.
2. A popular messaging app known for its speed and security features.

on the planet Mars, on life in the planets, and so forth, a brief and vaguely worded telegram, all the more striking for its brevity. The Martians, alarmed by the approach of a crowd, had

1. A military engineer who builds or repairs defenses and demolitions.
2. A soldier trained in laying, detecting, and disarming mines.

of the troops; their idea was that a dispute had arisen at the Horse Guards. The ordinary sapper is a great deal better educated than the common soldier, and they discussed the peculiar

1. A unit of currency in Turkey, equal to 100 kuruş.
2. Informal term for "year" in some dialects or contexts.

at the gate. “Eh?” said one of the men, turning. “What news from the common?” I said. “Ain’t yer just been there?” asked the men. “People seem fair silly about the common,” said the woman over

1. Long, narrow ditches dug in the ground, often for drainage or military defense.
2. Deep furrows or channels, especially in the ocean floor.

we got to do is to go as near as the ground’ll let us, and then drive a trench.” “Blow yer trenches! You always want trenches; you ought to ha’ been born a rabbit, Snippy.” “Ain’t they got any

1. The highest point or top of something, like a hill or wave.
2. A distinctive emblem or symbol, often on a coat of arms.

about “crawling out in a thing like a dish cover,” and ran on to the gate of the house at the crest. A sudden whirl of black smoke driving across the road hid him for a moment. I ran to my

1. Light cavalry soldiers, originally from Hungary, known for their speed and agility in battle.
2. Members of European military units, often distinguished by elaborate uniforms.

of the business. About eleven, the next morning’s papers were able to say, a squadron of hussars, two Maxims, and about four hundred men of the Cardigan regiment started from Aldershot. A few

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

night. From Ripley until I came through Pyrford I was in the valley of the Wey, and the red glare was hidden from me. As I ascended the little hill beyond Pyrford Church the glare came into view

1. A three-legged stand used to support cameras, telescopes, or other equipment.
2. A three-legged structure or object, often used for stability.

flashes gave. But instead of a milking stool imagine it a great body of machinery on a tripod stand. Then suddenly the trees in the pine wood ahead of me were parted, as brittle reeds are

1. Walking with long, decisive steps.
2. Moving forward confidently or purposefully.

of the wheel still spinning slowly. In another moment the colossal mechanism went striding by me, and passed uphill towards Pyrford. Seen nearer, the Thing was incredibly strange, for it

1. Bright and intense in color or light.
2. Producing clear and detailed mental images.

of the Oriental College and the pine trees about it had gone, and very far away, lit by a vivid red glare, the common about the sand pits was visible. Across the light huge black shapes,

1. A unit of weight in Mexico, approximately 45.36 kg or 100 pounds.
2. Slang term in Mexican Spanish meaning "dude" or "bro."

of the Martians, upon the broad, bare gravelly spit that runs down to mark the angle of the Wey and Thames. I expected nothing but death. I have a dim memory of the foot of a Martian coming

1. A sudden shaking of the ground caused by movements in Earth's crust.
2. A seismic event resulting from tectonic plate shifts or volcanic activity.

I was walking through the roads to clear my brain for the afternoon, and then—fire, earthquake, death! As if it were Sodom and Gomorrah! All our work undone, all the work—What are these

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

my bit of a pig. Two pounds, and you bring it back? What’s going on now?” I explained hastily that I had to leave my home, and so secured the dog cart. At the time it did not seem to me

1. A single thin length of fiber or thread.
2. A shore or beach, especially one covered with sand or pebbles.

Wellington Street people could be seen fluttering out the pink sheets and reading, and the Strand was suddenly noisy with the voices of an army of hawkers following these pioneers. Men came

1. A member of the clergy in charge of a parish.
2. To select, organize, and present content or items.

XV What Had Happened in Surrey It was while the curate had sat and talked so wildly to me under the hedge in the flat meadows near Halliford, and while

1. A fine spray or light fog in the air.
2. A thin layer of liquid on a surface.

The noise was deafening. Then I saw them dimly, colossal figures of grey, magnified by the mist. They had passed by me, and two were stooping over the frothing, tumultuous ruins of their

1. A curved shape resembling a segment of a ring, tapering to points at the ends.
2. The figure of the moon in its first or last quarter.

advance, stop, watch, and advance again, spreading out as they did so in a thin irregular crescent that promised to enclose the pit in its attenuated horns. I, too, on my side began to move

1. A substance in the gas phase at a temperature lower than its critical point.
2. Tiny droplets of liquid suspended in air, often visible as mist or steam.

made. It seemed to me that the pit had been enlarged, and ever and again puffs of vivid green vapour streamed up and out of it towards the brightening dawn—streamed up, whirled, broke, and

1. A strong and fast-moving stream of water or other liquid.
2. A large volume of something arriving suddenly and forcefully.

volition, to become a part of that dusty rout. They swept through Chipping Barnet with the torrent; they were nearly a mile beyond the centre of the town before they had fought across to the

1. Vehicles with wheels, typically horse-drawn, for transporting people.
2. The part of a train where passengers sit.

the whole place was in such confusion as I had never seen in any town before. Carts, carriages everywhere, the most astonishing miscellany of conveyances and horseflesh. The respectable

1. A colloquial term for hair, especially in British slang.
2. A town in North London, officially known as the London Borough of Barnet.

note, and suggested that with that they might get upon a train at St. Albans or New Barnet. My brother thought that was hopeless, seeing the fury of the Londoners to crowd upon the trains,

1. A light, open carriage with two wheels and a folding top, drawn by one horse.
2. A long reclining chair or daybed for relaxation.

Then, realising that he was deserted, he dodged round and made off down the lane after the chaise, with the sturdy man close behind him, and the fugitive, who had turned now, following remotely.

1. Thin and graceful in form or build.
2. Limited in width or thickness.

Martians seemed in solitary possession of the darkling night, lit only as it was by the slender moon, the stars, the afterglow of the daylight, and the ruddy glare from St. George’s Hill and

1. A handgun with a revolving cylinder holding multiple bullets.
2. A person or thing that revolves or turns.

third man lay insensible. “Take this!” said the slender lady, and she gave my brother her revolver. “Go back to the chaise,” said my brother, wiping the blood from his split lip. She turned

1. A large number of people or things.
2. The state of being many or numerous.

along the road from Chobham or Woking would have been amazed at the sight—a dwindling multitude of perhaps a hundred people or more standing in a great irregular circle, in ditches, behind

1. Covered or protected with iron plates, especially referring to warships.
2. Extremely strong, rigid, or unbreakable, often used metaphorically.

the foremost Martian lowered his tube and discharged a canister of the black gas at the ironclad. It hit her larboard side and glanced off in an inky jet that rolled away to seaward, an

1. Heavily armored warships used in the late 19th century.
2. Ships protected by iron or steel plating for defense.

louder. At the same time, far away in the southeast the masts and upperworks of three ironclads rose one after the other out of the sea, beneath clouds of black smoke. But my brother’s

1. Conical tools used to channel liquids or powders into small openings.
2. Marketing strategies designed to guide potential customers through a sales process.

landward. Big iron upperworks rose out of this headlong structure, and from that twin funnels projected and spat a smoking blast shot with fire. It was the torpedo ram, Thunder Child,

1. Past tense of flee; ran away from danger or trouble.
2. Having left quickly to escape.

against the walls, smashed all the windows it touched, and scalded the curate’s hand as he fled out of the front room. When at last we crept across the sodden rooms and looked out again, the

1. A small room or cupboard where food, dishes, and kitchen supplies are stored.
2. A place in a household or restaurant for keeping dry goods and non-perishable items.

since midday, he told me early in his narrative, and I found some mutton and bread in the pantry and brought it into the room. We lit no lamp for fear of attracting the Martians, and ever and

1. A narrow cut or opening in something.
2. To make a long, straight cut in something.

upon the floor in the corner, the steady ticking of the clockwork of the telescope, the little slit in the roof—an oblong profundity with the stardust streaked across it. Ogilvy moved about,

1. A small hole in a door or wall for looking through.
2. A tiny opening or aperture for observation.

that was buried out of my sight in a corner of the pit immediately beneath my peephole, the place was deserted by them. Except for the pale glow from the handling-machine and the bars

1. A small room or kitchen area for washing dishes and other dirty household work.
2. A historical term for a domestic kitchen or pantry in large houses.

II What We Saw from the Ruined House After eating we crept back to the scullery, and there I must have dozed again, for when presently I looked round I was alone. The thudding

1. A flexible, elongated appendage found on certain animals, used for grasping or sensing.
2. A metaphorical influence or control extending over something.

flowed into a circular basin below. The oscillatory motion was imparted to this by one tentacle of the handling-machine. With two spatulate hands the handling-machine was digging out and

1. A small hill or pile of earth, stones, or other material.
2. A raised area in a baseball field where the pitcher stands.

went the bats, heeding it not at all. The sprawling Martians were no longer to be seen, the mound of blue-green powder had risen to cover them from sight, and a fighting-machine, with its legs

1. Deep sorrow or distress.
2. An exclamation of grief or lamentation.

that must have reached the pit, “and now I must bear my witness. Woe unto this unfaithful city! Woe! Woe! Woe! Woe! Woe! To the inhabitants of the Earth by reason of the other voices of the

1. Slept lightly or briefly.
2. Napped or rested in a drowsy state.

me excessively. I do not clearly remember the arrival of the curate, so that probably I dozed. I became aware of him as a seated figure in soot-smudged shirt sleeves, and with his upturned,

1. The leaf-like part of a fern or palm, typically divided into smaller segments.
2. Any large, divided leaf resembling those of ferns or palms.

succumb without a severe struggle, but the red weed rotted like a thing already dead. The fronds became bleached, and then shrivelled and brittle. They broke off at the least touch, and the

1. Open areas of grassland, often used for grazing or hay.
2. Low-lying, moist fields near rivers or streams.

in the end. Every now and then people would glance nervously across the Wey, at the meadows towards Chertsey, but everything over there was still. Across the Thames, except just where the

1. Bitten or chewed persistently.
2. Worn away or eroded by constant biting.

with other drivers; some sat motionless, staring at nothing with miserable eyes; some gnawed their hands with thirst, or lay prostrate in the bottoms of their conveyances. The horses’ bits

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

The aspect of the place in the dusk was singularly desolate: blackened trees, blackened, desolate ruins, and down the hill the sheets of the flooded river, red-tinged with the weed. And over

1. Deep regret or guilt for a wrong committed.
2. A feeling of sorrow or repentance for past actions.

with glaring exaggeration. I seemed a traitor to my wife and to my kind; I was filled with remorse. I resolved to leave this strange undisciplined dreamer of great things to his drink and

1. Bending the knees and lowering the body close to the ground.
2. Adopting a posture with the body close to the ground, often to hide or prepare for action.

hut of wood, surrounded by a patch of potato garden. I struggled to my feet at last, and, crouching and making use of every chance of cover, I made a run for this. I hammered at the door, but I

1. Harsh, stern, or forbidding in appearance or manner.
2. Causing gloom or depression; bleak.

“If they come after me,” he said; “Lord, if they come after me!” and subsided into a grim meditation. I sat contemplating these things. I could find nothing to bring against this man’s

1. Small social insects that live in colonies.
2. Hardworking or diligent people (figurative).

hours they did twenty-four hours of work, as even on Earth is perhaps the case with the ants. In the next place, wonderful as it seems in a sexual world, the Martians were absolutely without

1. A historic district in London, England, known for its football club.
2. (Archaic) A type of playing card used in certain games.

from the artilleryman, I went down the hill, and by the High Street across the bridge to Fulham. The red weed was tumultuous at that time, and nearly choked the bridge roadway; but its fronds

1. A loud, prolonged cry or sound, often made by animals like wolves.
2. A strong, mournful noise caused by wind.

being a grey indistinctness towards the evening star, away towards Staines. The occasional howling of the Martians had ceased; they took up their positions in the huge crescent about their

1. A person who governs a kingdom in the absence of the monarch.
2. A member of a governing board, especially in educational institutions.

night last week,” he said, “some fools got the electric light in order, and there was all Regent Street and the Circus ablaze, crowded with painted and ragged drunkards, men and women, dancing

1. Shedding tears as an expression of emotion (e.g., sadness or joy).
2. The act of crying or lamenting.

to the confusion. Two men came past them. Then a dirty woman, carrying a heavy bundle and weeping. A lost retriever dog, with hanging tongue, circled dubiously round them, scared and wretched,

1. Burned or charred by fire or heat.
2. Dried or withered from extreme heat.

of its inky nothingness. For a day and a half he remained there, weary, starving and sun-scorched, the earth under the blue sky and against the prospect of the distant hills a velvet-black

1. (adjective) Extremely thin and bony, often from hunger or illness.
2. (adjective) Bleak or desolate in appearance.

for its refuse. A number of other birds hopped about among the ruins. Far away I saw a gaunt cat slink crouchingly along a wall, but traces of men there were none. The day seemed, by

1. A decisive defeat or failure.
2. A city in Belgium where Napoleon was defeated in 1815.

at his house, but I was told he was expected from London by the six o’clock train from Waterloo; and as it was then about a quarter past five, I went home, had some tea, and walked up to the

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

bitterly for that horrible privilege of sight. We would race across the kitchen in a grotesque way between eagerness and the dread of making a noise, and strike each other, and thrust and

1. Shaken suddenly and forcefully.
2. Moved abruptly or with a jerk.

out-of-work clerks and shopmen working side by side with the customary navvies, and we were jolted over a hasty relaying. All down the line from there the aspect of the country was gaunt and

1. Piled or gathered in a mound or mass.
2. Accumulated or amassed in large quantities.

like myself in a half-fascinated terror, staring at these creatures, or rather at the heaped gravel at the edge of the pit in which they lay. And then, with a renewed horror, I saw a round,

1. The study of how living organisms function.
2. The biological processes and functions of an organism or its parts.

the countless drawings that have been made from it; and beyond that the interest of their physiology and structure is purely scientific. A question of graver and universal interest is the

1. To expect or predict something happening in the future.
2. To act in advance to prevent or prepare for something.

the planet Mars is in conjunction, but with every return to opposition I, for one, anticipate a renewal of their adventure. In any case, we should be prepared. It seems to me that it should

1. Roman goddess of love, beauty, and fertility.
2. Second planet from the Sun in our solar system.

with the sun; that is to say, Mars was in opposition from the point of view of an observer on Venus. Subsequently a peculiar luminous and sinuous marking appeared on the unillumined half of the

1. Having many curves or turns; winding.
2. Gracefully slender and flexible.

half of the inner planet, and almost simultaneously a faint dark mark of a similar sinuous character was detected upon a photograph of the Martian disk. One needs to see the drawings of