Chapter XXXI

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading THE FALL OF MONTREAL IN his career as a soldier Dave had been in many positions of peril, yet scarcely one had been as dire as that which now confronted him.

higher than, or over, something

From this reading Flinging the feet above to one side, Dave tried to reach the surface of the river.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading The shock came so quickly that he hardly realized what was happening before he was under water, and somebody seemed to be doing his best to stand on the young soldier’s shoulders.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading THE FALL OF MONTREAL IN his career as a soldier Dave had been in many positions of peril, yet scarcely one had been as dire as that which now confronted him.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading In doing this he slid past two more soldiers, both of whom clutched at him, one catching him by the coat, and the other by the neck.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading The shock came so quickly that he hardly realized what was happening before he was under water, and somebody seemed to be doing his best to stand on the young soldier’s shoulders.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading THE FALL OF MONTREAL IN his career as a soldier Dave had been in many positions of peril, yet scarcely one had been as dire as that which now confronted him.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading The shock came so quickly that he hardly realized what was happening before he was under water, and somebody seemed to be doing his best to stand on the young soldier’s shoulders.

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading To be held by the coat was of small importance in comparison to being deprived of one’s wind, and Dave lost no time in fighting off the fellow who had him by the neck.

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading The shock came so quickly that he hardly realized what was happening before he was under water, and somebody seemed to be doing his best to stand on the young soldier’s shoulders.

the two together, not just one

From this reading In doing this he slid past two more soldiers, both of whom clutched at him, one catching him by the coat, and the other by the neck.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading In doing this he slid past two more soldiers, both of whom clutched at him, one catching him by the coat, and the other by the neck.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading The shock came so quickly that he hardly realized what was happening before he was under water, and somebody seemed to be doing his best to stand on the young soldier’s shoulders.

the particular occupation for which you are trained

From this reading THE FALL OF MONTREAL IN his career as a soldier Dave had been in many positions of peril, yet scarcely one had been as dire as that which now confronted him.

(baseball) playing the position of catcher on a baseball team

From this reading In doing this he slid past two more soldiers, both of whom clutched at him, one catching him by the coat, and the other by the neck.

past form of “clutch” — take hold of; grab

From this reading In doing this he slid past two more soldiers, both of whom clutched at him, one catching him by the coat, and the other by the neck.

an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors

From this reading In doing this he slid past two more soldiers, both of whom clutched at him, one catching him by the coat, and the other by the neck.

the act of examining resemblances

From this reading To be held by the coat was of small importance in comparison to being deprived of one’s wind, and Dave lost no time in fighting off the fellow who had him by the neck.

past form of “confront” — oppose, as in hostility or a competition

From this reading THE FALL OF MONTREAL IN his career as a soldier Dave had been in many positions of peril, yet scarcely one had been as dire as that which now confronted him.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE FALL OF MONTREAL IN his career as a soldier Dave had been in many positions of peril, yet scarcely one had been as dire as that which now confronted him.

marked by deprivation especially of the necessities of life or healthful environmental influences

From this reading To be held by the coat was of small importance in comparison to being deprived of one’s wind, and Dave lost no time in fighting off the fellow who had him by the neck.

fraught with extreme danger; nearly hopeless

From this reading THE FALL OF MONTREAL IN his career as a soldier Dave had been in many positions of peril, yet scarcely one had been as dire as that which now confronted him.

-ing form of “do” — engage in

From this reading The shock came so quickly that he hardly realized what was happening before he was under water, and somebody seemed to be doing his best to stand on the young soldier’s shoulders.

descend in free fall under the influence of gravity

From this reading THE FALL OF MONTREAL IN his career as a soldier Dave had been in many positions of peril, yet scarcely one had been as dire as that which now confronted him.

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading Flinging the feet above to one side, Dave tried to reach the surface of the river.

a boy or man

From this reading To be held by the coat was of small importance in comparison to being deprived of one’s wind, and Dave lost no time in fighting off the fellow who had him by the neck.

the act of fighting; any contest or struggle

From this reading To be held by the coat was of small importance in comparison to being deprived of one’s wind, and Dave lost no time in fighting off the fellow who had him by the neck.

-ing form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness

From this reading Flinging the feet above to one side, Dave tried to reach the surface of the river.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading THE FALL OF MONTREAL IN his career as a soldier Dave had been in many positions of peril, yet scarcely one had been as dire as that which now confronted him.

an event that happens

From this reading The shock came so quickly that he hardly realized what was happening before he was under water, and somebody seemed to be doing his best to stand on the young soldier’s shoulders.

only a very short time before

From this reading The shock came so quickly that he hardly realized what was happening before he was under water, and somebody seemed to be doing his best to stand on the young soldier’s shoulders.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The shock came so quickly that he hardly realized what was happening before he was under water, and somebody seemed to be doing his best to stand on the young soldier’s shoulders.

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading To be held by the coat was of small importance in comparison to being deprived of one’s wind, and Dave lost no time in fighting off the fellow who had him by the neck.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading THE FALL OF MONTREAL IN his career as a soldier Dave had been in many positions of peril, yet scarcely one had been as dire as that which now confronted him.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading THE FALL OF MONTREAL IN his career as a soldier Dave had been in many positions of peril, yet scarcely one had been as dire as that which now confronted him.

the quality of being important and worthy of note

From this reading To be held by the coat was of small importance in comparison to being deprived of one’s wind, and Dave lost no time in fighting off the fellow who had him by the neck.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading THE FALL OF MONTREAL IN his career as a soldier Dave had been in many positions of peril, yet scarcely one had been as dire as that which now confronted him.

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading To be held by the coat was of small importance in comparison to being deprived of one’s wind, and Dave lost no time in fighting off the fellow who had him by the neck.

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 THE FALL OF MONTREAL IN his career as a soldier Dave had been in many positions of peril, yet scarcely one had been as dire as that which now confronted him.

a city in southern Quebec province on the Saint Lawrence River; the largest city in Quebec and 2nd largest in Canada; the 2nd largest French-speaking city in the world

From this reading THE FALL OF MONTREAL IN his career as a soldier Dave had been in many positions of peril, yet scarcely one had been as dire as that which now confronted him.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading In doing this he slid past two more soldiers, both of whom clutched at him, one catching him by the coat, and the other by the neck.

the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body

From this reading In doing this he slid past two more soldiers, both of whom clutched at him, one catching him by the coat, and the other by the neck.

not any; not one

From this reading To be held by the coat was of small importance in comparison to being deprived of one’s wind, and Dave lost no time in fighting off the fellow who had him by the neck.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading THE FALL OF MONTREAL IN his career as a soldier Dave had been in many positions of peril, yet scarcely one had been as dire as that which now confronted him.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE FALL OF MONTREAL IN his career as a soldier Dave had been in many positions of peril, yet scarcely one had been as dire as that which now confronted him.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading To be held by the coat was of small importance in comparison to being deprived of one’s wind, and Dave lost no time in fighting off the fellow who had him by the neck.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The shock came so quickly that he hardly realized what was happening before he was under water, and somebody seemed to be doing his best to stand on the young soldier’s shoulders.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading THE FALL OF MONTREAL IN his career as a soldier Dave had been in many positions of peril, yet scarcely one had been as dire as that which now confronted him.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To be held by the coat was of small importance in comparison to being deprived of one’s wind, and Dave lost no time in fighting off the fellow who had him by the neck.

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading In doing this he slid past two more soldiers, both of whom clutched at him, one catching him by the coat, and the other by the neck.

the time that has elapsed

From this reading In doing this he slid past two more soldiers, both of whom clutched at him, one catching him by the coat, and the other by the neck.

a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune

From this reading THE FALL OF MONTREAL IN his career as a soldier Dave had been in many positions of peril, yet scarcely one had been as dire as that which now confronted him.

plural of “position” — the particular portion of space occupied by something

From this reading THE FALL OF MONTREAL IN his career as a soldier Dave had been in many positions of peril, yet scarcely one had been as dire as that which now confronted him.

with speed

From this reading The shock came so quickly that he hardly realized what was happening before he was under water, and somebody seemed to be doing his best to stand on the young soldier’s shoulders.

reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading Flinging the feet above to one side, Dave tried to reach the surface of the river.

successfully completed or brought to an end

From this reading The shock came so quickly that he hardly realized what was happening before he was under water, and somebody seemed to be doing his best to stand on the young soldier’s shoulders.

a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading Flinging the feet above to one side, Dave tried to reach the surface of the river.

only a very short time before

From this reading THE FALL OF MONTREAL IN his career as a soldier Dave had been in many positions of peril, yet scarcely one had been as dire as that which now confronted him.

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading The shock came so quickly that he hardly realized what was happening before he was under water, and somebody seemed to be doing his best to stand on the young soldier’s shoulders.

the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally

From this reading The shock came so quickly that he hardly realized what was happening before he was under water, and somebody seemed to be doing his best to stand on the young soldier’s shoulders.

plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm

From this reading The shock came so quickly that he hardly realized what was happening before he was under water, and somebody seemed to be doing his best to stand on the young soldier’s shoulders.

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading Flinging the feet above to one side, Dave tried to reach the surface of the river.

inflected form of “slide” — move obliquely or sideways, usually in an uncontrolled manner

From this reading In doing this he slid past two more soldiers, both of whom clutched at him, one catching him by the coat, and the other by the neck.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading To be held by the coat was of small importance in comparison to being deprived of one’s wind, and Dave lost no time in fighting off the fellow who had him by the neck.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The shock came so quickly that he hardly realized what was happening before he was under water, and somebody seemed to be doing his best to stand on the young soldier’s shoulders.

an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army

From this reading THE FALL OF MONTREAL IN his career as a soldier Dave had been in many positions of peril, yet scarcely one had been as dire as that which now confronted him.

possessive form of “soldier” — an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army

From this reading The shock came so quickly that he hardly realized what was happening before he was under water, and somebody seemed to be doing his best to stand on the young soldier’s shoulders.

plural of “soldier” — an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army

From this reading In doing this he slid past two more soldiers, both of whom clutched at him, one catching him by the coat, and the other by the neck.

a person, without saying who

From this reading The shock came so quickly that he hardly realized what was happening before he was under water, and somebody seemed to be doing his best to stand on the young soldier’s shoulders.

be standing; be upright

From this reading The shock came so quickly that he hardly realized what was happening before he was under water, and somebody seemed to be doing his best to stand on the young soldier’s shoulders.

the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary

From this reading Flinging the feet above to one side, Dave tried to reach the surface of the river.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THE FALL OF MONTREAL IN his career as a soldier Dave had been in many positions of peril, yet scarcely one had been as dire as that which now confronted him.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE FALL OF MONTREAL IN his career as a soldier Dave had been in many positions of peril, yet scarcely one had been as dire as that which now confronted him.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading In doing this he slid past two more soldiers, both of whom clutched at him, one catching him by the coat, and the other by the neck.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading To be held by the coat was of small importance in comparison to being deprived of one’s wind, and Dave lost no time in fighting off the fellow who had him by the neck.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading The shock came so quickly that he hardly realized what was happening before he was under water, and somebody seemed to be doing his best to stand on the young soldier’s shoulders.

tested and proved useful or correct

From this reading Flinging the feet above to one side, Dave tried to reach the surface of the river.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading In doing this he slid past two more soldiers, both of whom clutched at him, one catching him by the coat, and the other by the neck.

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading The shock came so quickly that he hardly realized what was happening before he was under water, and somebody seemed to be doing his best to stand on the young soldier’s shoulders.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The shock came so quickly that he hardly realized what was happening before he was under water, and somebody seemed to be doing his best to stand on the young soldier’s shoulders.

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 shock came so quickly that he hardly realized what was happening before he was under water, and somebody seemed to be doing his best to stand on the young soldier’s shoulders.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading The shock came so quickly that he hardly realized what was happening before he was under water, and somebody seemed to be doing his best to stand on the young soldier’s shoulders.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading THE FALL OF MONTREAL IN his career as a soldier Dave had been in many positions of peril, yet scarcely one had been as dire as that which now confronted him.

which person or people

From this reading To be held by the coat was of small importance in comparison to being deprived of one’s wind, and Dave lost no time in fighting off the fellow who had him by the neck.

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading In doing this he slid past two more soldiers, both of whom clutched at him, one catching him by the coat, and the other by the neck.

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading To be held by the coat was of small importance in comparison to being deprived of one’s wind, and Dave lost no time in fighting off the fellow who had him by the neck.

but in spite of that

From this reading THE FALL OF MONTREAL IN his career as a soldier Dave had been in many positions of peril, yet scarcely one had been as dire as that which now confronted him.

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading The shock came so quickly that he hardly realized what was happening before he was under water, and somebody seemed to be doing his best to stand on the young soldier’s shoulders.