adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
airnounUS /er/
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
armsnounUS /ɑːrmz/
weapons considered collectively
From this reading His stealthy call to arms had aroused them in time at least to crawl behind some shelter and grip their rifles.
arousedadjectiveUS /ərˈaʊzd/
aroused to action
From this reading His stealthy call to arms had aroused them in time at least to crawl behind some shelter and grip their rifles.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading But Trent had not been caught napping.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading His stealthy call to arms had aroused them in time at least to crawl behind some shelter and grip their rifles.
Bekwando
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
boundingverbUS /ˈbaʊndɪŋ/
-ing form of “bound” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
brokeadjectiveUS /broʊk/
lacking funds
From this reading It was Trent himself who kept watch through that last long hour of moonlit darkness till the wan morning broke.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But Trent had not been caught napping.
callverbUS /kɔːl/
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading His stealthy call to arms had aroused them in time at least to crawl behind some shelter and grip their rifles.
cameverbUS /keɪm/
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
caughtverbUS /kɑːt/
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading But Trent had not been caught napping.
chilledverbUS /tʃɪld/
past form of “chill” — depress or discourage
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
confusionnounUS /kənˈfjuːʒən/
disorder resulting from a failure to behave predictably
From this reading The war-cry of the savages was met with a death-like quiet--there were no signs of confusion nor terror.
crawlverbUS /krɔːl/
move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading His stealthy call to arms had aroused them in time at least to crawl behind some shelter and grip their rifles.
crawlingnounUS /ˈkrɔːlɪŋ/
a slow mode of locomotion on hands and knees or dragging the body
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
dampadjectiveUS /dæmp/
slightly wet
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
darknessnounUS /ˈdɑːrknəs/
absence of light or illumination
From this reading It was Trent himself who kept watch through that last long hour of moonlit darkness till the wan morning broke.
dawnnounUS /dɔːn/
the first light of day
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
death-like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The war-cry of the savages was met with a death-like quiet--there were no signs of confusion nor terror.
dimadjectiveUS /dɪm/
lacking in light; not bright or harsh
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
faintadjectiveUS /feɪnt/
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
grassverbUS /ɡræs/
shoot down, of birds
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
greyadjectiveUS /ɡreɪ/
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
gripnounUS /ɡrɪp/
the act of grasping
From this reading His stealthy call to arms had aroused them in time at least to crawl behind some shelter and grip their rifles.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading But Trent had not been caught napping.
half-awake
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
handsnounUS /hændz/
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading It was Trent himself who kept watch through that last long hour of moonlit darkness till the wan morning broke.
HisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His stealthy call to arms had aroused them in time at least to crawl behind some shelter and grip their rifles.
hournounUS /ˈaʊər/
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading It was Trent himself who kept watch through that last long hour of moonlit darkness till the wan morning broke.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was Trent himself who kept watch through that last long hour of moonlit darkness till the wan morning broke.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
keptadjectiveUS /kept/
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading It was Trent himself who kept watch through that last long hour of moonlit darkness till the wan morning broke.
lastadjectiveUS /læst/
immediately past
From this reading It was Trent himself who kept watch through that last long hour of moonlit darkness till the wan morning broke.
leastadjectiveUS /liːst/
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading His stealthy call to arms had aroused them in time at least to crawl behind some shelter and grip their rifles.
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading It was Trent himself who kept watch through that last long hour of moonlit darkness till the wan morning broke.
mennounUS /men/
the force of workers available
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
metverbUS /met/
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading The war-cry of the savages was met with a death-like quiet--there were no signs of confusion nor terror.
moistadjectiveUS /mɔɪst/
slightly wet
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
moonlitadjectiveUS /ˈmuːnlɪt/
lighted by moonlight
From this reading It was Trent himself who kept watch through that last long hour of moonlit darkness till the wan morning broke.
morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading It was Trent himself who kept watch through that last long hour of moonlit darkness till the wan morning broke.
nappingadjectiveUS /ˈnæpɪŋ/
not prepared or vigilant
From this reading But Trent had not been caught napping.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading The war-cry of the savages was met with a death-like quiet--there were no signs of confusion nor terror.
norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading The war-cry of the savages was met with a death-like quiet--there were no signs of confusion nor terror.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But Trent had not been caught napping.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was Trent himself who kept watch through that last long hour of moonlit darkness till the wan morning broke.
onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/
and nothing more
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
poisedadjectiveUS /pɔɪzd/
marked by balance or equilibrium and readiness for action
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading The war-cry of the savages was met with a death-like quiet--there were no signs of confusion nor terror.
riflesnounUS /ˈraɪfəlz/
plural of “rifle” — a shoulder firearm with a long barrel and a rifled bore
From this reading His stealthy call to arms had aroused them in time at least to crawl behind some shelter and grip their rifles.
roughadjectiveUS /rʌf/
having or caused by an irregular surface
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
savagesnounUS /ˈsævədʒəz/
plural of “savage” — a member of an uncivilized people
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
semicirclenoun
a plane figure with the shape of half a circle
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
shelternounUS /ˈʃeltər/
a structure that provides privacy and protection from danger
From this reading His stealthy call to arms had aroused them in time at least to crawl behind some shelter and grip their rifles.
sightnounUS /saɪt/
an instance of visual perception
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
signalnounUS /ˈsɪɡnəl/
any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
signsnounUS /saɪnz/
plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading The war-cry of the savages was met with a death-like quiet--there were no signs of confusion nor terror.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading His stealthy call to arms had aroused them in time at least to crawl behind some shelter and grip their rifles.
spearsnounUS /spɪrz/
plural of “spear” — a long pointed rod used as a tool or weapon
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
stealthyadjectiveUS /ˈstelθi/
marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed
From this reading His stealthy call to arms had aroused them in time at least to crawl behind some shelter and grip their rifles.
streaksnounUS /striːks/
plural of “streak” — an unbroken series of events
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
suddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/
happening unexpectedly
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
terrornounUS /ˈterər/
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading The war-cry of the savages was met with a death-like quiet--there were no signs of confusion nor terror.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was Trent himself who kept watch through that last long hour of moonlit darkness till the wan morning broke.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was Trent himself who kept watch through that last long hour of moonlit darkness till the wan morning broke.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading His stealthy call to arms had aroused them in time at least to crawl behind some shelter and grip their rifles.
thenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading The war-cry of the savages was met with a death-like quiet--there were no signs of confusion nor terror.
throughprepositionUS /θruː/
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading It was Trent himself who kept watch through that last long hour of moonlit darkness till the wan morning broke.
tillprepositionUS /tɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading It was Trent himself who kept watch through that last long hour of moonlit darkness till the wan morning broke.
timenounUS /taɪm/
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading His stealthy call to arms had aroused them in time at least to crawl behind some shelter and grip their rifles.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading His stealthy call to arms had aroused them in time at least to crawl behind some shelter and grip their rifles.
TrentnounUS /trent/
a river in central England that flows generally northeastward to join with the Ouse River and form the Humber
From this reading It was Trent himself who kept watch through that last long hour of moonlit darkness till the wan morning broke.
uglyadjectiveUS /ˈʌɡli/
displeasing to the senses
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
uprightadjectiveUS /əˈpraɪt/
in a vertical position; not sloping
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
wanadjectiveUS /wɑːn/
(of light) lacking in intensity or brightness; dim or feeble
From this reading It was Trent himself who kept watch through that last long hour of moonlit darkness till the wan morning broke.
war-cry
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The war-cry of the savages was met with a death-like quiet--there were no signs of confusion nor terror.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was Trent himself who kept watch through that last long hour of moonlit darkness till the wan morning broke.
watchverbUS /wɑːtʃ/
look attentively
From this reading It was Trent himself who kept watch through that last long hour of moonlit darkness till the wan morning broke.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The war-cry of the savages was met with a death-like quiet--there were no signs of confusion nor terror.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading It was Trent himself who kept watch through that last long hour of moonlit darkness till the wan morning broke.
WithprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading With its faint, grey streaks came the savages of Bekwando, crawling up in a semicircle through the long, rough grass, then suddenly, at a signal, bounding upright with spears poised in their hands--an ugly sight in the dim dawn for men chilled with the moist, damp air and only half-awake.
