Standing before the press which faced the windows, Dr. Pascal was looking for a paper that he had come in search of. With doors wide open, this immense press of carved oak, adorned with strong and handsome mountings of metal, dating from the last century, displayed within its capacious depths an extraordinary collection of papers and manuscripts of all sorts, piled up in confusion and filling every shelf to overflowing. For more than thirty years the doctor had thrown into it every page he wrote, from brief notes to the complete texts of his great works on heredity.
Which of these words in the passage is used in a way that would be most unclear to a modern reader without the context that is provided by the passage?
The word that would be most unclear to a modern reader without the context provided by the passage is "Press." In this context, "Press" refers to a large piece of furniture, specifically a bookcase or cabinet that is used to store papers and manuscripts. However, in modern usage, "Press" typically refers to a machine used for printing or publishing. Without the context given in the passage, a modern reader might interpret "Press" in its modern sense, leading to confusion.
