used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The only sounds to be heard, save the roaring of the flames, were when a deep, quivering sigh came from Walter's lips, or Joe gave vent to a suppressed groan.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading The fire leaped and danced as if in fiendish glee, devouring the wood-work of the Sea Bird, and warping the machinery beyond all further usefulness, until there was no longer anything above water for it to feed upon.
(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 The fire leaped and danced as if in fiendish glee, devouring the wood-work of the Sea Bird, and warping the machinery beyond all further usefulness, until there was no longer anything above water for it to feed upon.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The fire leaped and danced as if in fiendish glee, devouring the wood-work of the Sea Bird, and warping the machinery beyond all further usefulness, until there was no longer anything above water for it to feed upon.
any thing at all
From this reading The fire leaped and danced as if in fiendish glee, devouring the wood-work of the Sea Bird, and warping the machinery beyond all further usefulness, until there was no longer anything above water for it to feed upon.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The little party on the beach remained as if spell-bound while the fire destroyed what seemed like the last link which bound them to home.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Then slowly, with many a protesting hiss and puff of steam, it gradually died away, the last smouldering ember expiring in less than two hours from the discovery of the danger.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The only sounds to be heard, save the roaring of the flames, were when a deep, quivering sigh came from Walter's lips, or Joe gave vent to a suppressed groan.
an area of sand sloping down to the water of a sea or lake
From this reading The little party on the beach remained as if spell-bound while the fire destroyed what seemed like the last link which bound them to home.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading The fire leaped and danced as if in fiendish glee, devouring the wood-work of the Sea Bird, and warping the machinery beyond all further usefulness, until there was no longer anything above water for it to feed upon.
warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading The fire leaped and danced as if in fiendish glee, devouring the wood-work of the Sea Bird, and warping the machinery beyond all further usefulness, until there was no longer anything above water for it to feed upon.
confined by bonds
From this reading The little party on the beach remained as if spell-bound while the fire destroyed what seemed like the last link which bound them to home.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The only sounds to be heard, save the roaring of the flames, were when a deep, quivering sigh came from Walter's lips, or Joe gave vent to a suppressed groan.
past form of “dance” — move in a graceful and rhythmical way
From this reading The fire leaped and danced as if in fiendish glee, devouring the wood-work of the Sea Bird, and warping the machinery beyond all further usefulness, until there was no longer anything above water for it to feed upon.
the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury
From this reading Then slowly, with many a protesting hiss and puff of steam, it gradually died away, the last smouldering ember expiring in less than two hours from the discovery of the danger.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading The only sounds to be heard, save the roaring of the flames, were when a deep, quivering sigh came from Walter's lips, or Joe gave vent to a suppressed groan.
spoiled or ruined or demolished
From this reading The little party on the beach remained as if spell-bound while the fire destroyed what seemed like the last link which bound them to home.
devouringadjectiveUS /dɪˈvaʊərɪŋ/
(often followed by “for”) ardently or excessively desirous
From this reading The fire leaped and danced as if in fiendish glee, devouring the wood-work of the Sea Bird, and warping the machinery beyond all further usefulness, until there was no longer anything above water for it to feed upon.
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading Then slowly, with many a protesting hiss and puff of steam, it gradually died away, the last smouldering ember expiring in less than two hours from the discovery of the danger.
the act of discovering something
From this reading Then slowly, with many a protesting hiss and puff of steam, it gradually died away, the last smouldering ember expiring in less than two hours from the discovery of the danger.
embernounUS /ˈembər/
a hot fragment of wood or coal that is left from a fire and is glowing or smoldering
From this reading Then slowly, with many a protesting hiss and puff of steam, it gradually died away, the last smouldering ember expiring in less than two hours from the discovery of the danger.
expiringverbUS /ɪkˈspaɪrɪŋ/
-ing form of “expire” — lose validity
From this reading Then slowly, with many a protesting hiss and puff of steam, it gradually died away, the last smouldering ember expiring in less than two hours from the discovery of the danger.
provide as food
From this reading The fire leaped and danced as if in fiendish glee, devouring the wood-work of the Sea Bird, and warping the machinery beyond all further usefulness, until there was no longer anything above water for it to feed upon.
fiendishadjectiveUS /ˈfiːndɪʃ/
extremely evil or cruel; expressive of cruelty or befitting hell
From this reading The fire leaped and danced as if in fiendish glee, devouring the wood-work of the Sea Bird, and warping the machinery beyond all further usefulness, until there was no longer anything above water for it to feed upon.
start firing a weapon
From this reading The little party on the beach remained as if spell-bound while the fire destroyed what seemed like the last link which bound them to home.
plural of “flame” — the process of combustion of inflammable materials producing heat and light and (often) smoke
From this reading The only sounds to be heard, save the roaring of the flames, were when a deep, quivering sigh came from Walter's lips, or Joe gave vent to a suppressed groan.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The fire leaped and danced as if in fiendish glee, devouring the wood-work of the Sea Bird, and warping the machinery beyond all further usefulness, until there was no longer anything above water for it to feed upon.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The only sounds to be heard, save the roaring of the flames, were when a deep, quivering sigh came from Walter's lips, or Joe gave vent to a suppressed groan.
to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)
From this reading The fire leaped and danced as if in fiendish glee, devouring the wood-work of the Sea Bird, and warping the machinery beyond all further usefulness, until there was no longer anything above water for it to feed upon.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading The only sounds to be heard, save the roaring of the flames, were when a deep, quivering sigh came from Walter's lips, or Joe gave vent to a suppressed groan.
gleenounUS /ɡliː/
great merriment
From this reading The fire leaped and danced as if in fiendish glee, devouring the wood-work of the Sea Bird, and warping the machinery beyond all further usefulness, until there was no longer anything above water for it to feed upon.
in a gradual manner
From this reading Then slowly, with many a protesting hiss and puff of steam, it gradually died away, the last smouldering ember expiring in less than two hours from the discovery of the danger.
groannounUS /ɡroʊn/
an utterance expressing pain or disapproval
From this reading The only sounds to be heard, save the roaring of the flames, were when a deep, quivering sigh came from Walter's lips, or Joe gave vent to a suppressed groan.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading The only sounds to be heard, save the roaring of the flames, were when a deep, quivering sigh came from Walter's lips, or Joe gave vent to a suppressed groan.
hissverbUS /hɪs/
make a sharp hissing sound, as if to show disapproval
From this reading Then slowly, with many a protesting hiss and puff of steam, it gradually died away, the last smouldering ember expiring in less than two hours from the discovery of the danger.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading The little party on the beach remained as if spell-bound while the fire destroyed what seemed like the last link which bound them to home.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading Then slowly, with many a protesting hiss and puff of steam, it gradually died away, the last smouldering ember expiring in less than two hours from the discovery of the danger.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading The little party on the beach remained as if spell-bound while the fire destroyed what seemed like the last link which bound them to home.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The fire leaped and danced as if in fiendish glee, devouring the wood-work of the Sea Bird, and warping the machinery beyond all further usefulness, until there was no longer anything above water for it to feed upon.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The fire leaped and danced as if in fiendish glee, devouring the wood-work of the Sea Bird, and warping the machinery beyond all further usefulness, until there was no longer anything above water for it to feed upon.
Joe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The only sounds to be heard, save the roaring of the flames, were when a deep, quivering sigh came from Walter's lips, or Joe gave vent to a suppressed groan.
immediately past
From this reading The little party on the beach remained as if spell-bound while the fire destroyed what seemed like the last link which bound them to home.
past form of “leap” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading The fire leaped and danced as if in fiendish glee, devouring the wood-work of the Sea Bird, and warping the machinery beyond all further usefulness, until there was no longer anything above water for it to feed upon.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading Then slowly, with many a protesting hiss and puff of steam, it gradually died away, the last smouldering ember expiring in less than two hours from the discovery of the danger.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading SHORE LIFE.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The little party on the beach remained as if spell-bound while the fire destroyed what seemed like the last link which bound them to home.
linkverbUS /lɪŋk/
make a logical or causal connection
From this reading The little party on the beach remained as if spell-bound while the fire destroyed what seemed like the last link which bound them to home.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading The only sounds to be heard, save the roaring of the flames, were when a deep, quivering sigh came from Walter's lips, or Joe gave vent to a suppressed groan.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The little party on the beach remained as if spell-bound while the fire destroyed what seemed like the last link which bound them to home.
for more time
From this reading The fire leaped and danced as if in fiendish glee, devouring the wood-work of the Sea Bird, and warping the machinery beyond all further usefulness, until there was no longer anything above water for it to feed upon.
machinerynounUS /məˈʃiːnəri/
machines or machine systems collectively
From this reading The fire leaped and danced as if in fiendish glee, devouring the wood-work of the Sea Bird, and warping the machinery beyond all further usefulness, until there was no longer anything above water for it to feed upon.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading Then slowly, with many a protesting hiss and puff of steam, it gradually died away, the last smouldering ember expiring in less than two hours from the discovery of the danger.
not any; not one
From this reading The fire leaped and danced as if in fiendish glee, devouring the wood-work of the Sea Bird, and warping the machinery beyond all further usefulness, until there was no longer anything above water for it to feed upon.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The only sounds to be heard, save the roaring of the flames, were when a deep, quivering sigh came from Walter's lips, or Joe gave vent to a suppressed groan.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The little party on the beach remained as if spell-bound while the fire destroyed what seemed like the last link which bound them to home.
and nothing more
From this reading The only sounds to be heard, save the roaring of the flames, were when a deep, quivering sigh came from Walter's lips, or Joe gave vent to a suppressed groan.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The only sounds to be heard, save the roaring of the flames, were when a deep, quivering sigh came from Walter's lips, or Joe gave vent to a suppressed groan.
an organization to gain political power
From this reading The little party on the beach remained as if spell-bound while the fire destroyed what seemed like the last link which bound them to home.
protestingverbUS /prəˈtestɪŋ/
-ing form of “protest” — utter words of protest
From this reading Then slowly, with many a protesting hiss and puff of steam, it gradually died away, the last smouldering ember expiring in less than two hours from the discovery of the danger.
puffverbUS /pʌf/
smoke and exhale strongly
From this reading Then slowly, with many a protesting hiss and puff of steam, it gradually died away, the last smouldering ember expiring in less than two hours from the discovery of the danger.
quiveringnounUS /ˈkwɪvərɪŋ/
a shaky motion
From this reading The only sounds to be heard, save the roaring of the flames, were when a deep, quivering sigh came from Walter's lips, or Joe gave vent to a suppressed groan.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading The little party on the beach remained as if spell-bound while the fire destroyed what seemed like the last link which bound them to home.
roaringnounUS /ˈrɔːrɪŋ/
a deep prolonged loud noise
From this reading The only sounds to be heard, save the roaring of the flames, were when a deep, quivering sigh came from Walter's lips, or Joe gave vent to a suppressed groan.
except for; apart from
From this reading The only sounds to be heard, save the roaring of the flames, were when a deep, quivering sigh came from Walter's lips, or Joe gave vent to a suppressed groan.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading The fire leaped and danced as if in fiendish glee, devouring the wood-work of the Sea Bird, and warping the machinery beyond all further usefulness, until there was no longer anything above water for it to feed upon.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The little party on the beach remained as if spell-bound while the fire destroyed what seemed like the last link which bound them to home.
the land along the edge of a body of water
From this reading SHORE LIFE.
heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily
From this reading The only sounds to be heard, save the roaring of the flames, were when a deep, quivering sigh came from Walter's lips, or Joe gave vent to a suppressed groan.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading Then slowly, with many a protesting hiss and puff of steam, it gradually died away, the last smouldering ember expiring in less than two hours from the discovery of the danger.
smoulderingadjective
showing scarcely suppressed anger
From this reading Then slowly, with many a protesting hiss and puff of steam, it gradually died away, the last smouldering ember expiring in less than two hours from the discovery of the danger.
plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading The only sounds to be heard, save the roaring of the flames, were when a deep, quivering sigh came from Walter's lips, or Joe gave vent to a suppressed groan.
spell-boundadjective
having your attention fixated as though by a spell
From this reading The little party on the beach remained as if spell-bound while the fire destroyed what seemed like the last link which bound them to home.
steamverbUS /stiːm/
travel by means of steam power
From this reading Then slowly, with many a protesting hiss and puff of steam, it gradually died away, the last smouldering ember expiring in less than two hours from the discovery of the danger.
suppressedadjectiveUS /səˈprest/
kept from public knowledge by various means
From this reading The only sounds to be heard, save the roaring of the flames, were when a deep, quivering sigh came from Walter's lips, or Joe gave vent to a suppressed groan.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Then slowly, with many a protesting hiss and puff of steam, it gradually died away, the last smouldering ember expiring in less than two hours from the discovery of the danger.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The little party on the beach remained as if spell-bound while the fire destroyed what seemed like the last link which bound them to home.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The little party on the beach remained as if spell-bound while the fire destroyed what seemed like the last link which bound them to home.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then slowly, with many a protesting hiss and puff of steam, it gradually died away, the last smouldering ember expiring in less than two hours from the discovery of the danger.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The fire leaped and danced as if in fiendish glee, devouring the wood-work of the Sea Bird, and warping the machinery beyond all further usefulness, until there was no longer anything above water for it to feed upon.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The little party on the beach remained as if spell-bound while the fire destroyed what seemed like the last link which bound them to home.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Then slowly, with many a protesting hiss and puff of steam, it gradually died away, the last smouldering ember expiring in less than two hours from the discovery of the danger.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading The fire leaped and danced as if in fiendish glee, devouring the wood-work of the Sea Bird, and warping the machinery beyond all further usefulness, until there was no longer anything above water for it to feed upon.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The fire leaped and danced as if in fiendish glee, devouring the wood-work of the Sea Bird, and warping the machinery beyond all further usefulness, until there was no longer anything above water for it to feed upon.
usefulnessnounUS /ˈjuːsfəlnəs/
the quality of being of practical use
From this reading The fire leaped and danced as if in fiendish glee, devouring the wood-work of the Sea Bird, and warping the machinery beyond all further usefulness, until there was no longer anything above water for it to feed upon.
ventnounUS /vent/
a hole for the escape of gas or air
From this reading The only sounds to be heard, save the roaring of the flames, were when a deep, quivering sigh came from Walter's lips, or Joe gave vent to a suppressed groan.
Walter'snounUS /ˈwɔːltərz/
possessive form of “walter” — German conductor (1876-1962)
From this reading The only sounds to be heard, save the roaring of the flames, were when a deep, quivering sigh came from Walter's lips, or Joe gave vent to a suppressed groan.
warpingnounUS /ˈwɔːrpɪŋ/
a moral or mental distortion
From this reading The fire leaped and danced as if in fiendish glee, devouring the wood-work of the Sea Bird, and warping the machinery beyond all further usefulness, until there was no longer anything above water for it to feed upon.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The fire leaped and danced as if in fiendish glee, devouring the wood-work of the Sea Bird, and warping the machinery beyond all further usefulness, until there was no longer anything above water for it to feed upon.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading The fire leaped and danced as if in fiendish glee, devouring the wood-work of the Sea Bird, and warping the machinery beyond all further usefulness, until there was no longer anything above water for it to feed upon.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The only sounds to be heard, save the roaring of the flames, were when a deep, quivering sigh came from Walter's lips, or Joe gave vent to a suppressed groan.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading The little party on the beach remained as if spell-bound while the fire destroyed what seemed like the last link which bound them to home.
at the time that
From this reading The only sounds to be heard, save the roaring of the flames, were when a deep, quivering sigh came from Walter's lips, or Joe gave vent to a suppressed groan.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The little party on the beach remained as if spell-bound while the fire destroyed what seemed like the last link which bound them to home.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading The little party on the beach remained as if spell-bound while the fire destroyed what seemed like the last link which bound them to home.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Then slowly, with many a protesting hiss and puff of steam, it gradually died away, the last smouldering ember expiring in less than two hours from the discovery of the danger.
wood-work
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fire leaped and danced as if in fiendish glee, devouring the wood-work of the Sea Bird, and warping the machinery beyond all further usefulness, until there was no longer anything above water for it to feed upon.
