used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A CRACK SHOT There was a cry of horror from the crowd.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading The man above saw that his words had taken effect and he laughed shrilly.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading But he still held the baby high in the air.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The man above saw that his words had taken effect and he laughed shrilly.
a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading But he still held the baby high in the air.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading To be hurled to the tracks from that height meant instant death for the little one.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Several of the men had started to climb the lumber pile, but when they heard the madman’s threat they stopped instantly.
go upward with gradual or continuous progress
From this reading Several of the men had started to climb the lumber pile, but when they heard the madman’s threat they stopped instantly.
CRACKverbUS /kræk/
become fractured; break or crack on the surface only
From this reading A CRACK SHOT There was a cry of horror from the crowd.
cause to herd, drive, or crowd together
From this reading A CRACK SHOT There was a cry of horror from the crowd.
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading A CRACK SHOT There was a cry of horror from the crowd.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading To be hurled to the tracks from that height meant instant death for the little one.
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading The man above saw that his words had taken effect and he laughed shrilly.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading To be hurled to the tracks from that height meant instant death for the little one.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A CRACK SHOT There was a cry of horror from the crowd.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Several of the men had started to climb the lumber pile, but when they heard the madman’s threat they stopped instantly.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The man above saw that his words had taken effect and he laughed shrilly.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Several of the men had started to climb the lumber pile, but when they heard the madman’s threat they stopped instantly.
the vertical dimension of extension; distance from the base of something to the top
From this reading To be hurled to the tracks from that height meant instant death for the little one.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading But he still held the baby high in the air.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading But he still held the baby high in the air.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The man above saw that his words had taken effect and he laughed shrilly.
intense and profound fear
From this reading A CRACK SHOT There was a cry of horror from the crowd.
hurledverbUS /hɜːrld/
past form of “hurl” — throw forcefully
From this reading To be hurled to the tracks from that height meant instant death for the little one.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But he still held the baby high in the air.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading To be hurled to the tracks from that height meant instant death for the little one.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading Several of the men had started to climb the lumber pile, but when they heard the madman’s threat they stopped instantly.
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading The man above saw that his words had taken effect and he laughed shrilly.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading To be hurled to the tracks from that height meant instant death for the little one.
lumbernounUS /ˈlʌmbər/
the wood of trees cut and prepared for use as building material
From this reading Several of the men had started to climb the lumber pile, but when they heard the madman’s threat they stopped instantly.
madman's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Several of the men had started to climb the lumber pile, but when they heard the madman’s threat they stopped instantly.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The man above saw that his words had taken effect and he laughed shrilly.
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading To be hurled to the tracks from that height meant instant death for the little one.
the force of workers available
From this reading Several of the men had started to climb the lumber pile, but when they heard the madman’s threat they stopped instantly.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A CRACK SHOT There was a cry of horror from the crowd.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading To be hurled to the tracks from that height meant instant death for the little one.
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading Several of the men had started to climb the lumber pile, but when they heard the madman’s threat they stopped instantly.
cut with a saw
From this reading The man above saw that his words had taken effect and he laughed shrilly.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading Several of the men had started to climb the lumber pile, but when they heard the madman’s threat they stopped instantly.
the act of firing a projectile
From this reading A CRACK SHOT There was a cry of horror from the crowd.
shrillyadverb
in a shrill voice
From this reading The man above saw that his words had taken effect and he laughed shrilly.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Several of the men had started to climb the lumber pile, but when they heard the madman’s threat they stopped instantly.
not in physical motion
From this reading But he still held the baby high in the air.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading Several of the men had started to climb the lumber pile, but when they heard the madman’s threat they stopped instantly.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading The man above saw that his words had taken effect and he laughed shrilly.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading To be hurled to the tracks from that height meant instant death for the little one.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A CRACK SHOT There was a cry of horror from the crowd.
in or at that place or location
From this reading A CRACK SHOT There was a cry of horror from the crowd.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Several of the men had started to climb the lumber pile, but when they heard the madman’s threat they stopped instantly.
threatnounUS /θret/
something that is a source of danger
From this reading Several of the men had started to climb the lumber pile, but when they heard the madman’s threat they stopped instantly.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To be hurled to the tracks from that height meant instant death for the little one.
tracksnounUS /træks/
plural of “track” — a line or route along which something travels or moves
From this reading To be hurled to the tracks from that height meant instant death for the little one.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A CRACK SHOT There was a cry of horror from the crowd.
at the time that
From this reading Several of the men had started to climb the lumber pile, but when they heard the madman’s threat they stopped instantly.
the words that are spoken
From this reading The man above saw that his words had taken effect and he laughed shrilly.
