used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading GRENVILLE'S RADIANT STAR Even had sleep overcome Elaine, the explosion must have startled her awake like a wildly fluttering bird.
air-splitting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All her life she had known the sound of guns, but never before had her ears received such an air-splitting shock as this.
fear resulting from the awareness of danger
From this reading Her alarm could know no bounds.
(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 All her life she had known the sound of guns, but never before had her ears received such an air-splitting shock as this.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading All her life she had known the sound of guns, but never before had her ears received such an air-splitting shock as this.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It had come so suddenly and unexpectedly; it had been such a cataclysmic destruction of the island's haunting calm!
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading All her life she had known the sound of guns, but never before had her ears received such an air-splitting shock as this.
awakeadjectiveUS /əˈweɪk/
not in a state of sleep; completely conscious
From this reading GRENVILLE'S RADIANT STAR Even had sleep overcome Elaine, the explosion must have startled her awake like a wildly fluttering bird.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It had come so suddenly and unexpectedly; it had been such a cataclysmic destruction of the island's haunting calm!
earlier than; in front of
From this reading All her life she had known the sound of guns, but never before had her ears received such an air-splitting shock as this.
warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading GRENVILLE'S RADIANT STAR Even had sleep overcome Elaine, the explosion must have startled her awake like a wildly fluttering bird.
blunderverbUS /ˈblʌndər/
commit a faux pas or a fault or make a serious mistake
From this reading She was certain some hideous blunder had occurred--that Grenville, too, had perished by the thing he had fearlessly dared to create.
boundsnounUS /baʊndz/
the line or plane indicating the limit or extent of something
From this reading Her alarm could know no bounds.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading All her life she had known the sound of guns, but never before had her ears received such an air-splitting shock as this.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading She was certain some hideous blunder had occurred--that Grenville, too, had perished by the thing he had fearlessly dared to create.
make calm or still
From this reading It had come so suddenly and unexpectedly; it had been such a cataclysmic destruction of the island's haunting calm!
cataclysmicadjectiveUS /ˌkætəˈklɪzmɪk/
severely destructive
From this reading It had come so suddenly and unexpectedly; it had been such a cataclysmic destruction of the island's haunting calm!
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading She was certain some hideous blunder had occurred--that Grenville, too, had perished by the thing he had fearlessly dared to create.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading It had come so suddenly and unexpectedly; it had been such a cataclysmic destruction of the island's haunting calm!
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Her alarm could know no bounds.
createverbUS /kriˈeɪt/
make or cause to be or to become
From this reading She was certain some hideous blunder had occurred--that Grenville, too, had perished by the thing he had fearlessly dared to create.
past form of “dare” — take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading She was certain some hideous blunder had occurred--that Grenville, too, had perished by the thing he had fearlessly dared to create.
destructionnounUS /dɪˈstrʌkʃən/
the termination of something by causing so much damage to it that it cannot be repaired or no longer exists
From this reading It had come so suddenly and unexpectedly; it had been such a cataclysmic destruction of the island's haunting calm!
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading All her life she had known the sound of guns, but never before had her ears received such an air-splitting shock as this.
Elaine
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading GRENVILLE'S RADIANT STAR Even had sleep overcome Elaine, the explosion must have startled her awake like a wildly fluttering bird.
divisible by two
From this reading GRENVILLE'S RADIANT STAR Even had sleep overcome Elaine, the explosion must have startled her awake like a wildly fluttering bird.
explosionnounUS /ɪkˈsploʊʒən/
a violent release of energy caused by a chemical or nuclear reaction
From this reading GRENVILLE'S RADIANT STAR Even had sleep overcome Elaine, the explosion must have startled her awake like a wildly fluttering bird.
fearlesslyadverb
without fear
From this reading She was certain some hideous blunder had occurred--that Grenville, too, had perished by the thing he had fearlessly dared to create.
flutteringnounUS /ˈflʌtərɪŋ/
the motion made by flapping up and down
From this reading GRENVILLE'S RADIANT STAR Even had sleep overcome Elaine, the explosion must have startled her awake like a wildly fluttering bird.
Grenville
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She was certain some hideous blunder had occurred--that Grenville, too, had perished by the thing he had fearlessly dared to create.
GRENVILLE'S
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading GRENVILLE'S RADIANT STAR Even had sleep overcome Elaine, the explosion must have startled her awake like a wildly fluttering bird.
plural of “gun” — a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading All her life she had known the sound of guns, but never before had her ears received such an air-splitting shock as this.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading GRENVILLE'S RADIANT STAR Even had sleep overcome Elaine, the explosion must have startled her awake like a wildly fluttering bird.
hauntingadjectiveUS /ˈhɔːntɪŋ/
continually recurring to the mind
From this reading It had come so suddenly and unexpectedly; it had been such a cataclysmic destruction of the island's haunting calm!
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading GRENVILLE'S RADIANT STAR Even had sleep overcome Elaine, the explosion must have startled her awake like a wildly fluttering bird.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was certain some hideous blunder had occurred--that Grenville, too, had perished by the thing he had fearlessly dared to create.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading GRENVILLE'S RADIANT STAR Even had sleep overcome Elaine, the explosion must have startled her awake like a wildly fluttering bird.
grossly offensive to decency or morality; causing horror
From this reading She was certain some hideous blunder had occurred--that Grenville, too, had perished by the thing he had fearlessly dared to create.
island'snounUS /ˈaɪləndz/
possessive form of “island” — a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading It had come so suddenly and unexpectedly; it had been such a cataclysmic destruction of the island's haunting calm!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It had come so suddenly and unexpectedly; it had been such a cataclysmic destruction of the island's haunting calm!
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Her alarm could know no bounds.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading All her life she had known the sound of guns, but never before had her ears received such an air-splitting shock as this.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading All her life she had known the sound of guns, but never before had her ears received such an air-splitting shock as this.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading GRENVILLE'S RADIANT STAR Even had sleep overcome Elaine, the explosion must have startled her awake like a wildly fluttering bird.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading GRENVILLE'S RADIANT STAR Even had sleep overcome Elaine, the explosion must have startled her awake like a wildly fluttering bird.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading All her life she had known the sound of guns, but never before had her ears received such an air-splitting shock as this.
not any; not one
From this reading Her alarm could know no bounds.
inflected form of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading She was certain some hideous blunder had occurred--that Grenville, too, had perished by the thing he had fearlessly dared to create.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading All her life she had known the sound of guns, but never before had her ears received such an air-splitting shock as this.
win a victory over
From this reading GRENVILLE'S RADIANT STAR Even had sleep overcome Elaine, the explosion must have startled her awake like a wildly fluttering bird.
perishedverbUS /ˈperɪʃt/
past form of “perish” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading She was certain some hideous blunder had occurred--that Grenville, too, had perished by the thing he had fearlessly dared to create.
RADIANTadjectiveUS /ˈreɪdiːənt/
radiating or as if radiating light
From this reading GRENVILLE'S RADIANT STAR Even had sleep overcome Elaine, the explosion must have startled her awake like a wildly fluttering bird.
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading All her life she had known the sound of guns, but never before had her ears received such an air-splitting shock as this.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading All her life she had known the sound of guns, but never before had her ears received such an air-splitting shock as this.
the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally
From this reading All her life she had known the sound of guns, but never before had her ears received such an air-splitting shock as this.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading GRENVILLE'S RADIANT STAR Even had sleep overcome Elaine, the explosion must have startled her awake like a wildly fluttering bird.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It had come so suddenly and unexpectedly; it had been such a cataclysmic destruction of the island's haunting calm!
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading She was certain some hideous blunder had occurred--that Grenville, too, had perished by the thing he had fearlessly dared to create.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading All her life she had known the sound of guns, but never before had her ears received such an air-splitting shock as this.
(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading GRENVILLE'S RADIANT STAR Even had sleep overcome Elaine, the explosion must have startled her awake like a wildly fluttering bird.
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading GRENVILLE'S RADIANT STAR Even had sleep overcome Elaine, the explosion must have startled her awake like a wildly fluttering bird.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading All her life she had known the sound of guns, but never before had her ears received such an air-splitting shock as this.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading It had come so suddenly and unexpectedly; it had been such a cataclysmic destruction of the island's haunting calm!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She was certain some hideous blunder had occurred--that Grenville, too, had perished by the thing he had fearlessly dared to create.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading GRENVILLE'S RADIANT STAR Even had sleep overcome Elaine, the explosion must have startled her awake like a wildly fluttering bird.
a special situation
From this reading She was certain some hideous blunder had occurred--that Grenville, too, had perished by the thing he had fearlessly dared to create.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading All her life she had known the sound of guns, but never before had her ears received such an air-splitting shock as this.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She was certain some hideous blunder had occurred--that Grenville, too, had perished by the thing he had fearlessly dared to create.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading She was certain some hideous blunder had occurred--that Grenville, too, had perished by the thing he had fearlessly dared to create.
unexpectedlyadverbUS /ˌʌnɪkˈspektɪdli/
in a way that was not expected
From this reading It had come so suddenly and unexpectedly; it had been such a cataclysmic destruction of the island's haunting calm!
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She was certain some hideous blunder had occurred--that Grenville, too, had perished by the thing he had fearlessly dared to create.
wildlyadverbUS /ˈwaɪldli/
to an extreme or greatly exaggerated degree
From this reading GRENVILLE'S RADIANT STAR Even had sleep overcome Elaine, the explosion must have startled her awake like a wildly fluttering bird.
