used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Suddenly a tongue of lightning licked the tree-tops and a crash of thunder shattered the stillness.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading A few heavy rain-drops spattered on the branches above the heads of the waiting three.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Suddenly a tongue of lightning licked the tree-tops and a crash of thunder shattered the stillness.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Billy and Maurice, a strange terror tugging at their heart-strings, waited for old Harry to give the word forward.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading But Harry seemed to be in no great hurry to voice such command.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading LUCK RIDES THE STORM Beneath the shadow of the coming storm the forest gloom deepened to velvet blackness.
a short stout club used primarily by policemen
From this reading Billy and Maurice, a strange terror tugging at their heart-strings, waited for old Harry to give the word forward.
blacknessnounUS /ˈblæknəs/
the quality or state of the achromatic color of least lightness (bearing the least resemblance to white)
From this reading LUCK RIDES THE STORM Beneath the shadow of the coming storm the forest gloom deepened to velvet blackness.
plural of “branch” — a division of some larger or more complex organization
From this reading A few heavy rain-drops spattered on the branches above the heads of the waiting three.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But Harry seemed to be in no great hurry to voice such command.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading LUCK RIDES THE STORM Beneath the shadow of the coming storm the forest gloom deepened to velvet blackness.
an authoritative direction or instruction to do something
From this reading But Harry seemed to be in no great hurry to voice such command.
crashverbUS /kræʃ/
fall or come down violently
From this reading Suddenly a tongue of lightning licked the tree-tops and a crash of thunder shattered the stillness.
deepenedverbUS /ˈdiːpənd/
past form of “deepen” — make more intense, stronger, or more marked
From this reading LUCK RIDES THE STORM Beneath the shadow of the coming storm the forest gloom deepened to velvet blackness.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading A few heavy rain-drops spattered on the branches above the heads of the waiting three.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Billy and Maurice, a strange terror tugging at their heart-strings, waited for old Harry to give the word forward.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading LUCK RIDES THE STORM Beneath the shadow of the coming storm the forest gloom deepened to velvet blackness.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading Billy and Maurice, a strange terror tugging at their heart-strings, waited for old Harry to give the word forward.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Billy and Maurice, a strange terror tugging at their heart-strings, waited for old Harry to give the word forward.
a state of partial or total darkness
From this reading LUCK RIDES THE STORM Beneath the shadow of the coming storm the forest gloom deepened to velvet blackness.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading But Harry seemed to be in no great hurry to voice such command.
annoy continually or chronically
From this reading Billy and Maurice, a strange terror tugging at their heart-strings, waited for old Harry to give the word forward.
plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading A few heavy rain-drops spattered on the branches above the heads of the waiting three.
heart-strings
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Billy and Maurice, a strange terror tugging at their heart-strings, waited for old Harry to give the word forward.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading A few heavy rain-drops spattered on the branches above the heads of the waiting three.
a condition of urgency making it necessary to hurry
From this reading But Harry seemed to be in no great hurry to voice such command.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But Harry seemed to be in no great hurry to voice such command.
lickedadjectiveUS /lɪkt/
having been got the better of
From this reading Suddenly a tongue of lightning licked the tree-tops and a crash of thunder shattered the stillness.
abrupt electric discharge from cloud to cloud or from cloud to earth accompanied by the emission of light
From this reading Suddenly a tongue of lightning licked the tree-tops and a crash of thunder shattered the stillness.
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading LUCK RIDES THE STORM Beneath the shadow of the coming storm the forest gloom deepened to velvet blackness.
Maurice
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Billy and Maurice, a strange terror tugging at their heart-strings, waited for old Harry to give the word forward.
not any; not one
From this reading But Harry seemed to be in no great hurry to voice such command.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading LUCK RIDES THE STORM Beneath the shadow of the coming storm the forest gloom deepened to velvet blackness.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Billy and Maurice, a strange terror tugging at their heart-strings, waited for old Harry to give the word forward.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A few heavy rain-drops spattered on the branches above the heads of the waiting three.
rain-drops
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A few heavy rain-drops spattered on the branches above the heads of the waiting three.
RIDESnounUS /raɪdz/
plural of “ride” — a journey in a vehicle (usually an automobile)
From this reading LUCK RIDES THE STORM Beneath the shadow of the coming storm the forest gloom deepened to velvet blackness.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading But Harry seemed to be in no great hurry to voice such command.
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading LUCK RIDES THE STORM Beneath the shadow of the coming storm the forest gloom deepened to velvet blackness.
shatteredadjectiveUS /ˈʃætərd/
ruined or disrupted
From this reading Suddenly a tongue of lightning licked the tree-tops and a crash of thunder shattered the stillness.
spatteredadjectiveUS /ˈspætərd/
covered with bright patches (often used in combination)
From this reading A few heavy rain-drops spattered on the branches above the heads of the waiting three.
stillnessnounUS /ˈstɪlnəs/
(poetic) tranquil silence
From this reading Suddenly a tongue of lightning licked the tree-tops and a crash of thunder shattered the stillness.
behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading LUCK RIDES THE STORM Beneath the shadow of the coming storm the forest gloom deepened to velvet blackness.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading Billy and Maurice, a strange terror tugging at their heart-strings, waited for old Harry to give the word forward.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading But Harry seemed to be in no great hurry to voice such command.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading Suddenly a tongue of lightning licked the tree-tops and a crash of thunder shattered the stillness.
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading Billy and Maurice, a strange terror tugging at their heart-strings, waited for old Harry to give the word forward.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading LUCK RIDES THE STORM Beneath the shadow of the coming storm the forest gloom deepened to velvet blackness.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Billy and Maurice, a strange terror tugging at their heart-strings, waited for old Harry to give the word forward.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading A few heavy rain-drops spattered on the branches above the heads of the waiting three.
move fast, noisily, and heavily
From this reading Suddenly a tongue of lightning licked the tree-tops and a crash of thunder shattered the stillness.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading LUCK RIDES THE STORM Beneath the shadow of the coming storm the forest gloom deepened to velvet blackness.
a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity
From this reading Suddenly a tongue of lightning licked the tree-tops and a crash of thunder shattered the stillness.
tree-tops
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Suddenly a tongue of lightning licked the tree-tops and a crash of thunder shattered the stillness.
tuggingverbUS /ˈtʌɡɪŋ/
inflected form of “tug” — pull hard
From this reading Billy and Maurice, a strange terror tugging at their heart-strings, waited for old Harry to give the word forward.
velvetnounUS /ˈvelvət/
a silky densely piled fabric with a plain back
From this reading LUCK RIDES THE STORM Beneath the shadow of the coming storm the forest gloom deepened to velvet blackness.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading But Harry seemed to be in no great hurry to voice such command.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading Billy and Maurice, a strange terror tugging at their heart-strings, waited for old Harry to give the word forward.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading A few heavy rain-drops spattered on the branches above the heads of the waiting three.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading Billy and Maurice, a strange terror tugging at their heart-strings, waited for old Harry to give the word forward.
