used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Zara had always been a speedy runner, and now, clutching Bessie's hand tightly, she helped her over some of the harder places.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading Zara had always been a speedy runner, and now, clutching Bessie's hand tightly, she helped her over some of the harder places.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Jack, his little legs flying, covered ground at an astonishing pace.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE SHELTER OF THE WOODS For the first few minutes as they ran, the three of them were too busy to talk, and they needed their breath too much to be anxious to say anything.
angryadjectiveUS /ˈæŋɡri/
feeling or showing anger
From this reading It seemed to her impossible that little Jack, mean he never so well, could possibly enable them to escape from angry Farmer Weeks, who, for an old man, seemed to be keeping up astonishingly well in the race.
eagerly desirous
From this reading THE SHELTER OF THE WOODS For the first few minutes as they ran, the three of them were too busy to talk, and they needed their breath too much to be anxious to say anything.
any thing at all
From this reading THE SHELTER OF THE WOODS For the first few minutes as they ran, the three of them were too busy to talk, and they needed their breath too much to be anxious to say anything.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading THE SHELTER OF THE WOODS For the first few minutes as they ran, the three of them were too busy to talk, and they needed their breath too much to be anxious to say anything.
astonishingadjectiveUS /əˈstɑːnɪʃɪŋ/
surprising greatly
From this reading Jack, his little legs flying, covered ground at an astonishing pace.
astonishinglyadverbUS /əˈstɑːnɪʃɪŋli/
in an amazing manner; to everyone's surprise
From this reading It seemed to her impossible that little Jack, mean he never so well, could possibly enable them to escape from angry Farmer Weeks, who, for an old man, seemed to be keeping up astonishingly well in the race.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Jack, his little legs flying, covered ground at an astonishing pace.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading THE SHELTER OF THE WOODS For the first few minutes as they ran, the three of them were too busy to talk, and they needed their breath too much to be anxious to say anything.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Zara had always been a speedy runner, and now, clutching Bessie's hand tightly, she helped her over some of the harder places.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading They were running right into the woods, as it seemed to Bessie, and more than once, as she heard sounds of pursuit behind, she was frightened.
Bessie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were running right into the woods, as it seemed to Bessie, and more than once, as she heard sounds of pursuit behind, she was frightened.
Bessie's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Zara had always been a speedy runner, and now, clutching Bessie's hand tightly, she helped her over some of the harder places.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading THE SHELTER OF THE WOODS For the first few minutes as they ran, the three of them were too busy to talk, and they needed their breath too much to be anxious to say anything.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading THE SHELTER OF THE WOODS For the first few minutes as they ran, the three of them were too busy to talk, and they needed their breath too much to be anxious to say anything.
clutchingverbUS /ˈklʌtʃɪŋ/
-ing form of “clutch” — take hold of; grab
From this reading Zara had always been a speedy runner, and now, clutching Bessie's hand tightly, she helped her over some of the harder places.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading It seemed to her impossible that little Jack, mean he never so well, could possibly enable them to escape from angry Farmer Weeks, who, for an old man, seemed to be keeping up astonishingly well in the race.
overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form
From this reading Jack, his little legs flying, covered ground at an astonishing pace.
enableverbUS /eˈneɪbəl/
render capable or able for some task
From this reading It seemed to her impossible that little Jack, mean he never so well, could possibly enable them to escape from angry Farmer Weeks, who, for an old man, seemed to be keeping up astonishingly well in the race.
the act of escaping physically
From this reading It seemed to her impossible that little Jack, mean he never so well, could possibly enable them to escape from angry Farmer Weeks, who, for an old man, seemed to be keeping up astonishingly well in the race.
a person who operates a farm
From this reading It seemed to her impossible that little Jack, mean he never so well, could possibly enable them to escape from angry Farmer Weeks, who, for an old man, seemed to be keeping up astonishingly well in the race.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading THE SHELTER OF THE WOODS For the first few minutes as they ran, the three of them were too busy to talk, and they needed their breath too much to be anxious to say anything.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading THE SHELTER OF THE WOODS For the first few minutes as they ran, the three of them were too busy to talk, and they needed their breath too much to be anxious to say anything.
moving swiftly
From this reading Jack, his little legs flying, covered ground at an astonishing pace.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading THE SHELTER OF THE WOODS For the first few minutes as they ran, the three of them were too busy to talk, and they needed their breath too much to be anxious to say anything.
made afraid
From this reading They were running right into the woods, as it seemed to Bessie, and more than once, as she heard sounds of pursuit behind, she was frightened.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading It seemed to her impossible that little Jack, mean he never so well, could possibly enable them to escape from angry Farmer Weeks, who, for an old man, seemed to be keeping up astonishingly well in the race.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading Jack, his little legs flying, covered ground at an astonishing pace.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Zara had always been a speedy runner, and now, clutching Bessie's hand tightly, she helped her over some of the harder places.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Zara had always been a speedy runner, and now, clutching Bessie's hand tightly, she helped her over some of the harder places.
harderadverbUS /ˈhɑːrdər/
comparative of “hard” — with effort or force or vigor
From this reading Zara had always been a speedy runner, and now, clutching Bessie's hand tightly, she helped her over some of the harder places.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It seemed to her impossible that little Jack, mean he never so well, could possibly enable them to escape from angry Farmer Weeks, who, for an old man, seemed to be keeping up astonishingly well in the race.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading They were running right into the woods, as it seemed to Bessie, and more than once, as she heard sounds of pursuit behind, she was frightened.
past form of “help” — give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading Zara had always been a speedy runner, and now, clutching Bessie's hand tightly, she helped her over some of the harder places.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Zara had always been a speedy runner, and now, clutching Bessie's hand tightly, she helped her over some of the harder places.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Jack, his little legs flying, covered ground at an astonishing pace.
not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with
From this reading It seemed to her impossible that little Jack, mean he never so well, could possibly enable them to escape from angry Farmer Weeks, who, for an old man, seemed to be keeping up astonishingly well in the race.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It seemed to her impossible that little Jack, mean he never so well, could possibly enable them to escape from angry Farmer Weeks, who, for an old man, seemed to be keeping up astonishingly well in the race.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading They were running right into the woods, as it seemed to Bessie, and more than once, as she heard sounds of pursuit behind, she was frightened.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading They were running right into the woods, as it seemed to Bessie, and more than once, as she heard sounds of pursuit behind, she was frightened.
a small worthless amount
From this reading Jack, his little legs flying, covered ground at an astonishing pace.
conformity or harmony
From this reading It seemed to her impossible that little Jack, mean he never so well, could possibly enable them to escape from angry Farmer Weeks, who, for an old man, seemed to be keeping up astonishingly well in the race.
staying power
From this reading Jack, his little legs flying, covered ground at an astonishing pace.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Jack, his little legs flying, covered ground at an astonishing pace.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading It seemed to her impossible that little Jack, mean he never so well, could possibly enable them to escape from angry Farmer Weeks, who, for an old man, seemed to be keeping up astonishingly well in the race.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading It seemed to her impossible that little Jack, mean he never so well, could possibly enable them to escape from angry Farmer Weeks, who, for an old man, seemed to be keeping up astonishingly well in the race.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading THE SHELTER OF THE WOODS For the first few minutes as they ran, the three of them were too busy to talk, and they needed their breath too much to be anxious to say anything.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading They were running right into the woods, as it seemed to Bessie, and more than once, as she heard sounds of pursuit behind, she was frightened.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading THE SHELTER OF THE WOODS For the first few minutes as they ran, the three of them were too busy to talk, and they needed their breath too much to be anxious to say anything.
necessary for relief or supply
From this reading THE SHELTER OF THE WOODS For the first few minutes as they ran, the three of them were too busy to talk, and they needed their breath too much to be anxious to say anything.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading It seemed to her impossible that little Jack, mean he never so well, could possibly enable them to escape from angry Farmer Weeks, who, for an old man, seemed to be keeping up astonishingly well in the race.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Zara had always been a speedy runner, and now, clutching Bessie's hand tightly, she helped her over some of the harder places.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE SHELTER OF THE WOODS For the first few minutes as they ran, the three of them were too busy to talk, and they needed their breath too much to be anxious to say anything.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading It seemed to her impossible that little Jack, mean he never so well, could possibly enable them to escape from angry Farmer Weeks, who, for an old man, seemed to be keeping up astonishingly well in the race.
on one occasion
From this reading They were running right into the woods, as it seemed to Bessie, and more than once, as she heard sounds of pursuit behind, she was frightened.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Zara had always been a speedy runner, and now, clutching Bessie's hand tightly, she helped her over some of the harder places.
the rate of moving (especially walking or running)
From this reading Jack, his little legs flying, covered ground at an astonishing pace.
plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Zara had always been a speedy runner, and now, clutching Bessie's hand tightly, she helped her over some of the harder places.
by chance
From this reading It seemed to her impossible that little Jack, mean he never so well, could possibly enable them to escape from angry Farmer Weeks, who, for an old man, seemed to be keeping up astonishingly well in the race.
the act of pursuing in an effort to overtake or capture
From this reading They were running right into the woods, as it seemed to Bessie, and more than once, as she heard sounds of pursuit behind, she was frightened.
any competition
From this reading It seemed to her impossible that little Jack, mean he never so well, could possibly enable them to escape from angry Farmer Weeks, who, for an old man, seemed to be keeping up astonishingly well in the race.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading THE SHELTER OF THE WOODS For the first few minutes as they ran, the three of them were too busy to talk, and they needed their breath too much to be anxious to say anything.
precisely, exactly
From this reading They were running right into the woods, as it seemed to Bessie, and more than once, as she heard sounds of pursuit behind, she was frightened.
runnernounUS /ˈrʌnər/
someone who imports or exports without paying duties
From this reading Zara had always been a speedy runner, and now, clutching Bessie's hand tightly, she helped her over some of the harder places.
(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream
From this reading They were running right into the woods, as it seemed to Bessie, and more than once, as she heard sounds of pursuit behind, she was frightened.
express in words
From this reading THE SHELTER OF THE WOODS For the first few minutes as they ran, the three of them were too busy to talk, and they needed their breath too much to be anxious to say anything.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading They were running right into the woods, as it seemed to Bessie, and more than once, as she heard sounds of pursuit behind, she was frightened.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Zara had always been a speedy runner, and now, clutching Bessie's hand tightly, she helped her over some of the harder places.
a structure that provides privacy and protection from danger
From this reading THE SHELTER OF THE WOODS For the first few minutes as they ran, the three of them were too busy to talk, and they needed their breath too much to be anxious to say anything.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It seemed to her impossible that little Jack, mean he never so well, could possibly enable them to escape from angry Farmer Weeks, who, for an old man, seemed to be keeping up astonishingly well in the race.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Zara had always been a speedy runner, and now, clutching Bessie's hand tightly, she helped her over some of the harder places.
plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading They were running right into the woods, as it seemed to Bessie, and more than once, as she heard sounds of pursuit behind, she was frightened.
speedyadjectiveUS /ˈspiːdiː/
characterized by speed; moving with or capable of moving with high speed
From this reading Zara had always been a speedy runner, and now, clutching Bessie's hand tightly, she helped her over some of the harder places.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading THE SHELTER OF THE WOODS For the first few minutes as they ran, the three of them were too busy to talk, and they needed their breath too much to be anxious to say anything.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading They were running right into the woods, as it seemed to Bessie, and more than once, as she heard sounds of pursuit behind, she was frightened.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It seemed to her impossible that little Jack, mean he never so well, could possibly enable them to escape from angry Farmer Weeks, who, for an old man, seemed to be keeping up astonishingly well in the race.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE SHELTER OF THE WOODS For the first few minutes as they ran, the three of them were too busy to talk, and they needed their breath too much to be anxious to say anything.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading THE SHELTER OF THE WOODS For the first few minutes as they ran, the three of them were too busy to talk, and they needed their breath too much to be anxious to say anything.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading THE SHELTER OF THE WOODS For the first few minutes as they ran, the three of them were too busy to talk, and they needed their breath too much to be anxious to say anything.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE SHELTER OF THE WOODS For the first few minutes as they ran, the three of them were too busy to talk, and they needed their breath too much to be anxious to say anything.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading THE SHELTER OF THE WOODS For the first few minutes as they ran, the three of them were too busy to talk, and they needed their breath too much to be anxious to say anything.
tightlyadverbUS /ˈtaɪtli/
in a tight or constricted manner
From this reading Zara had always been a speedy runner, and now, clutching Bessie's hand tightly, she helped her over some of the harder places.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE SHELTER OF THE WOODS For the first few minutes as they ran, the three of them were too busy to talk, and they needed their breath too much to be anxious to say anything.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading THE SHELTER OF THE WOODS For the first few minutes as they ran, the three of them were too busy to talk, and they needed their breath too much to be anxious to say anything.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading It seemed to her impossible that little Jack, mean he never so well, could possibly enable them to escape from angry Farmer Weeks, who, for an old man, seemed to be keeping up astonishingly well in the race.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading They were running right into the woods, as it seemed to Bessie, and more than once, as she heard sounds of pursuit behind, she was frightened.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading It seemed to her impossible that little Jack, mean he never so well, could possibly enable them to escape from angry Farmer Weeks, who, for an old man, seemed to be keeping up astonishingly well in the race.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading It seemed to her impossible that little Jack, mean he never so well, could possibly enable them to escape from angry Farmer Weeks, who, for an old man, seemed to be keeping up astonishingly well in the race.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading THE SHELTER OF THE WOODS For the first few minutes as they ran, the three of them were too busy to talk, and they needed their breath too much to be anxious to say anything.
which person or people
From this reading It seemed to her impossible that little Jack, mean he never so well, could possibly enable them to escape from angry Farmer Weeks, who, for an old man, seemed to be keeping up astonishingly well in the race.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading THE SHELTER OF THE WOODS For the first few minutes as they ran, the three of them were too busy to talk, and they needed their breath too much to be anxious to say anything.
Zara
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Zara had always been a speedy runner, and now, clutching Bessie's hand tightly, she helped her over some of the harder places.
