used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
alasexclamationUS /əˈlæs/
used to show sadness, pity, or regret
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
ALIVEadjectiveUS /əˈlaɪv/
possessing life
From this reading BURIED ALIVE.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading Bartley received it at first with a stony glare, and trembled all over; then the deputy, lowering his voice, said, "Sir, the worst of it is, there is foul play in it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
Bartley
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It soon found its way to Clifford Hall, and the deputy ran himself with the news to Mr. Bartley.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
placed in a grave
From this reading BURIED ALIVE.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
calamitynounUS /kəˈlæməti/
an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
From this reading The calamity spread like wildfire.
Clifford
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It soon found its way to Clifford Hall, and the deputy ran himself with the news to Mr. Bartley.
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
deputynounUS /ˈdepjəti/
someone authorized to exercise the powers of sheriff in emergencies
From this reading It soon found its way to Clifford Hall, and the deputy ran himself with the news to Mr. Bartley.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
having experience; having knowledge or skill from observation or participation
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
explosionsnounUS /ɪkˈsploʊʒənz/
plural of “explosion” — a violent release of energy caused by a chemical or nuclear reaction
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Bartley received it at first with a stony glare, and trembled all over; then the deputy, lowering his voice, said, "Sir, the worst of it is, there is foul play in it.
A hot glowing body of ignited gas produced by fire.
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
gleam or glow intermittently
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
fouladjectiveUS /faʊl/
highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust
From this reading Bartley received it at first with a stony glare, and trembled all over; then the deputy, lowering his voice, said, "Sir, the worst of it is, there is foul play in it.
set up or found
From this reading It soon found its way to Clifford Hall, and the deputy ran himself with the news to Mr. Bartley.
glarenounUS /ɡler/
a light within the field of vision that is brighter than the brightness to which the eyes are adapted
From this reading Bartley received it at first with a stony glare, and trembled all over; then the deputy, lowering his voice, said, "Sir, the worst of it is, there is foul play in it.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading It soon found its way to Clifford Hall, and the deputy ran himself with the news to Mr. Bartley.
any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading It soon found its way to Clifford Hall, and the deputy ran himself with the news to Mr. Bartley.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
intense and profound fear
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Bartley received it at first with a stony glare, and trembled all over; then the deputy, lowering his voice, said, "Sir, the worst of it is, there is foul play in it.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Bartley received it at first with a stony glare, and trembled all over; then the deputy, lowering his voice, said, "Sir, the worst of it is, there is foul play in it.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It soon found its way to Clifford Hall, and the deputy ran himself with the news to Mr. Bartley.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading It soon found its way to Clifford Hall, and the deputy ran himself with the news to Mr. Bartley.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The calamity spread like wildfire.
characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
loweringadjectiveUS /ˈloʊərɪŋ/
darkened by clouds
From this reading Bartley received it at first with a stony glare, and trembled all over; then the deputy, lowering his voice, said, "Sir, the worst of it is, there is foul play in it.
luridadjectiveUS /ˈlʊrəd/
horrible in fierceness or savagery
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
a form of address for a man
From this reading It soon found its way to Clifford Hall, and the deputy ran himself with the news to Mr. Bartley.
muffledadjectiveUS /ˈmʌfəld/
being or made softer or less loud or clear
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
information about recent and important events
From this reading It soon found its way to Clifford Hall, and the deputy ran himself with the news to Mr. Bartley.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Bartley received it at first with a stony glare, and trembled all over; then the deputy, lowering his voice, said, "Sir, the worst of it is, there is foul play in it.
pit's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
pitmannounUS /ˈpɪtmən/
English educator who invented a system of phonetic shorthand (1813-1897)
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
participate in games or sport
From this reading Bartley received it at first with a stony glare, and trembled all over; then the deputy, lowering his voice, said, "Sir, the worst of it is, there is foul play in it.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading It soon found its way to Clifford Hall, and the deputy ran himself with the news to Mr. Bartley.
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading Bartley received it at first with a stony glare, and trembled all over; then the deputy, lowering his voice, said, "Sir, the worst of it is, there is foul play in it.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Bartley received it at first with a stony glare, and trembled all over; then the deputy, lowering his voice, said, "Sir, the worst of it is, there is foul play in it.
the act of firing a projectile
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
term of address for a man
From this reading Bartley received it at first with a stony glare, and trembled all over; then the deputy, lowering his voice, said, "Sir, the worst of it is, there is foul play in it.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
in the near future
From this reading It soon found its way to Clifford Hall, and the deputy ran himself with the news to Mr. Bartley.
plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
distribute or disperse widely
From this reading The calamity spread like wildfire.
stonyadjectiveUS /ˈstoʊni/
abounding in rocks or stones
From this reading Bartley received it at first with a stony glare, and trembled all over; then the deputy, lowering his voice, said, "Sir, the worst of it is, there is foul play in it.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Bartley received it at first with a stony glare, and trembled all over; then the deputy, lowering his voice, said, "Sir, the worst of it is, there is foul play in it.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Bartley received it at first with a stony glare, and trembled all over; then the deputy, lowering his voice, said, "Sir, the worst of it is, there is foul play in it.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
past form of “tremble” — move or jerk quickly and involuntarily up and down or sideways
From this reading Bartley received it at first with a stony glare, and trembled all over; then the deputy, lowering his voice, said, "Sir, the worst of it is, there is foul play in it.
tremendouslyadverbUS /trəˈmendəsli/
extremely
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading Bartley received it at first with a stony glare, and trembled all over; then the deputy, lowering his voice, said, "Sir, the worst of it is, there is foul play in it.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading It soon found its way to Clifford Hall, and the deputy ran himself with the news to Mr. Bartley.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading The explosions so tremendously loud below were but muffled sounds at the pit's mouth; but, alas! these muffled sounds, and one flash of lurid flame that shot up into the air, told the tale of horror to every experienced pitman and his wife, and the cry of a whole village went up to heaven.
wildfirenounUS /ˈwaɪldfaɪər/
a raging and rapidly spreading conflagration
From this reading The calamity spread like wildfire.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It soon found its way to Clifford Hall, and the deputy ran himself with the news to Mr. Bartley.
the least favorable outcome
From this reading Bartley received it at first with a stony glare, and trembled all over; then the deputy, lowering his voice, said, "Sir, the worst of it is, there is foul play in it.
