used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The next sputter might stall a filthy motor to a "conk" in mid-air, might back-fire flame into the carburetor.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading VISION Hal Dane was above the trimotor now, and was still sending out his desperate aerial telegraph call, "T-t-t-tat tat-t-tat t-tat--danger--keep flying--danger!"
aerialnounUS /ˈeriəl/
a pass to a receiver downfield from the passer
From this reading VISION Hal Dane was above the trimotor now, and was still sending out his desperate aerial telegraph call, "T-t-t-tat tat-t-tat t-tat--danger--keep flying--danger!"
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading VISION Hal Dane was above the trimotor now, and was still sending out his desperate aerial telegraph call, "T-t-t-tat tat-t-tat t-tat--danger--keep flying--danger!"
back-fire
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The next sputter might stall a filthy motor to a "conk" in mid-air, might back-fire flame into the carburetor.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading VISION Hal Dane was above the trimotor now, and was still sending out his desperate aerial telegraph call, "T-t-t-tat tat-t-tat t-tat--danger--keep flying--danger!"
carburetornounUS /ˈkɑːrbəreɪtər/
mixes air with gasoline vapor prior to explosion
From this reading The next sputter might stall a filthy motor to a "conk" in mid-air, might back-fire flame into the carburetor.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading Three lives depended on that one hairbreadth chance.
chokedadjectiveUS /tʃoʊkt/
stopped up; clogged up
From this reading He had raced and choked and pounded his engine till smoke fumes discharged gassily from it.
conkverbUS /kɑːŋk/
come to a stop
From this reading The next sputter might stall a filthy motor to a "conk" in mid-air, might back-fire flame into the carburetor.
DanenounUS /deɪn/
a native or inhabitant of Denmark
From this reading VISION Hal Dane was above the trimotor now, and was still sending out his desperate aerial telegraph call, "T-t-t-tat tat-t-tat t-tat--danger--keep flying--danger!"
the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury
From this reading VISION Hal Dane was above the trimotor now, and was still sending out his desperate aerial telegraph call, "T-t-t-tat tat-t-tat t-tat--danger--keep flying--danger!"
dependedverbUS /dɪˈpendəd/
past form of “depend” — be contingent upon (something that is elided)
From this reading Three lives depended on that one hairbreadth chance.
arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope
From this reading VISION Hal Dane was above the trimotor now, and was still sending out his desperate aerial telegraph call, "T-t-t-tat tat-t-tat t-tat--danger--keep flying--danger!"
dischargedadjectiveUS /dɪsˈtʃɑːrdʒd/
having lost your job
From this reading He had raced and choked and pounded his engine till smoke fumes discharged gassily from it.
motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work
From this reading He had raced and choked and pounded his engine till smoke fumes discharged gassily from it.
filthyadjectiveUS /ˈfɪlθi/
disgustingly dirty; filled or smeared with offensive matter
From this reading The next sputter might stall a filthy motor to a "conk" in mid-air, might back-fire flame into the carburetor.
A hot glowing body of ignited gas produced by fire.
From this reading The next sputter might stall a filthy motor to a "conk" in mid-air, might back-fire flame into the carburetor.
moving swiftly
From this reading VISION Hal Dane was above the trimotor now, and was still sending out his desperate aerial telegraph call, "T-t-t-tat tat-t-tat t-tat--danger--keep flying--danger!"
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He had raced and choked and pounded his engine till smoke fumes discharged gassily from it.
fumesnounUS /fjuːmz/
gases ejected from an engine as waste products
From this reading He had raced and choked and pounded his engine till smoke fumes discharged gassily from it.
gassily
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had raced and choked and pounded his engine till smoke fumes discharged gassily from it.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Yet the message must still go on.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had raced and choked and pounded his engine till smoke fumes discharged gassily from it.
hairbreadth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Three lives depended on that one hairbreadth chance.
Hal
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading VISION Hal Dane was above the trimotor now, and was still sending out his desperate aerial telegraph call, "T-t-t-tat tat-t-tat t-tat--danger--keep flying--danger!"
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had raced and choked and pounded his engine till smoke fumes discharged gassily from it.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading VISION Hal Dane was above the trimotor now, and was still sending out his desperate aerial telegraph call, "T-t-t-tat tat-t-tat t-tat--danger--keep flying--danger!"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The next sputter might stall a filthy motor to a "conk" in mid-air, might back-fire flame into the carburetor.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The next sputter might stall a filthy motor to a "conk" in mid-air, might back-fire flame into the carburetor.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He had raced and choked and pounded his engine till smoke fumes discharged gassily from it.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading VISION Hal Dane was above the trimotor now, and was still sending out his desperate aerial telegraph call, "T-t-t-tat tat-t-tat t-tat--danger--keep flying--danger!"
plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Three lives depended on that one hairbreadth chance.
a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled
From this reading Yet the message must still go on.
mid-air
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The next sputter might stall a filthy motor to a "conk" in mid-air, might back-fire flame into the carburetor.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading The next sputter might stall a filthy motor to a "conk" in mid-air, might back-fire flame into the carburetor.
motornounUS /ˈmoʊtər/
machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion
From this reading The next sputter might stall a filthy motor to a "conk" in mid-air, might back-fire flame into the carburetor.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Yet the message must still go on.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading The next sputter might stall a filthy motor to a "conk" in mid-air, might back-fire flame into the carburetor.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading VISION Hal Dane was above the trimotor now, and was still sending out his desperate aerial telegraph call, "T-t-t-tat tat-t-tat t-tat--danger--keep flying--danger!"
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Yet the message must still go on.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Three lives depended on that one hairbreadth chance.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading VISION Hal Dane was above the trimotor now, and was still sending out his desperate aerial telegraph call, "T-t-t-tat tat-t-tat t-tat--danger--keep flying--danger!"
poundedverbUS /ˈpaʊndɪd/
past form of “pound” — hit hard with the hand, fist, or some heavy instrument
From this reading He had raced and choked and pounded his engine till smoke fumes discharged gassily from it.
racedverbUS /reɪst/
past form of “race” — move hurridly
From this reading He had raced and choked and pounded his engine till smoke fumes discharged gassily from it.
the act of causing something to go (especially messages)
From this reading VISION Hal Dane was above the trimotor now, and was still sending out his desperate aerial telegraph call, "T-t-t-tat tat-t-tat t-tat--danger--keep flying--danger!"
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading He had raced and choked and pounded his engine till smoke fumes discharged gassily from it.
sputterverbUS /ˈspʌtər/
make an explosive sound
From this reading The next sputter might stall a filthy motor to a "conk" in mid-air, might back-fire flame into the carburetor.
stallnounUS /stɔːl/
a compartment in a stable where a single animal is confined and fed
From this reading The next sputter might stall a filthy motor to a "conk" in mid-air, might back-fire flame into the carburetor.
not in physical motion
From this reading VISION Hal Dane was above the trimotor now, and was still sending out his desperate aerial telegraph call, "T-t-t-tat tat-t-tat t-tat--danger--keep flying--danger!"
T-t-t-tat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading VISION Hal Dane was above the trimotor now, and was still sending out his desperate aerial telegraph call, "T-t-t-tat tat-t-tat t-tat--danger--keep flying--danger!"
t-tat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading VISION Hal Dane was above the trimotor now, and was still sending out his desperate aerial telegraph call, "T-t-t-tat tat-t-tat t-tat--danger--keep flying--danger!"
tat-t-tat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading VISION Hal Dane was above the trimotor now, and was still sending out his desperate aerial telegraph call, "T-t-t-tat tat-t-tat t-tat--danger--keep flying--danger!"
telegraphnounUS /ˈteləɡræf/
apparatus used to communicate at a distance over a wire (usually in Morse code)
From this reading VISION Hal Dane was above the trimotor now, and was still sending out his desperate aerial telegraph call, "T-t-t-tat tat-t-tat t-tat--danger--keep flying--danger!"
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Three lives depended on that one hairbreadth chance.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading VISION Hal Dane was above the trimotor now, and was still sending out his desperate aerial telegraph call, "T-t-t-tat tat-t-tat t-tat--danger--keep flying--danger!"
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Three lives depended on that one hairbreadth chance.
up to a particular time
From this reading He had raced and choked and pounded his engine till smoke fumes discharged gassily from it.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The next sputter might stall a filthy motor to a "conk" in mid-air, might back-fire flame into the carburetor.
trimotor
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading VISION Hal Dane was above the trimotor now, and was still sending out his desperate aerial telegraph call, "T-t-t-tat tat-t-tat t-tat--danger--keep flying--danger!"
a vivid mental image
From this reading VISION Hal Dane was above the trimotor now, and was still sending out his desperate aerial telegraph call, "T-t-t-tat tat-t-tat t-tat--danger--keep flying--danger!"
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading VISION Hal Dane was above the trimotor now, and was still sending out his desperate aerial telegraph call, "T-t-t-tat tat-t-tat t-tat--danger--keep flying--danger!"
but in spite of that
From this reading Yet the message must still go on.
