used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They had hardly passed forward a dozen steps, when they were startled by a sudden cry, which resembled nothing earthly.
acrenounUS /ˈeɪkər/
a unit of area (4840 square yards) used in English-speaking countries
From this reading They reached a level spot of ground between the cliffs where they widened enough to leave perhaps an acre of ground inclosed, and upon this spot of ground two men were struggling for life or death.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading They reached a level spot of ground between the cliffs where they widened enough to leave perhaps an acre of ground inclosed, and upon this spot of ground two men were struggling for life or death.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The sounds, coming so suddenly upon their ears, startled poor Jan immensely, and he drew back with a look of horror, but Ben ran hastily forward in the direction of the sound, followed more slowly by the Frenchman.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At the same moment came the shout of a masculine voice, evidently in peril.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading The sounds, coming so suddenly upon their ears, startled poor Jan immensely, and he drew back with a look of horror, but Ben ran hastily forward in the direction of the sound, followed more slowly by the Frenchman.
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading The sounds, coming so suddenly upon their ears, startled poor Jan immensely, and he drew back with a look of horror, but Ben ran hastily forward in the direction of the sound, followed more slowly by the Frenchman.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading They reached a level spot of ground between the cliffs where they widened enough to leave perhaps an acre of ground inclosed, and upon this spot of ground two men were struggling for life or death.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The sounds, coming so suddenly upon their ears, startled poor Jan immensely, and he drew back with a look of horror, but Ben ran hastily forward in the direction of the sound, followed more slowly by the Frenchman.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading They had hardly passed forward a dozen steps, when they were startled by a sudden cry, which resembled nothing earthly.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading At the same moment came the shout of a masculine voice, evidently in peril.
cliffsnounUS /klɪfs/
plural of “cliff” — a steep high face of rock
From this reading They reached a level spot of ground between the cliffs where they widened enough to leave perhaps an acre of ground inclosed, and upon this spot of ground two men were struggling for life or death.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading The sounds, coming so suddenly upon their ears, startled poor Jan immensely, and he drew back with a look of horror, but Ben ran hastily forward in the direction of the sound, followed more slowly by the Frenchman.
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading They had hardly passed forward a dozen steps, when they were startled by a sudden cry, which resembled nothing earthly.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading They reached a level spot of ground between the cliffs where they widened enough to leave perhaps an acre of ground inclosed, and upon this spot of ground two men were struggling for life or death.
(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
From this reading THE MOUNTAIN DEVIL.
a line leading to a place or point
From this reading The sounds, coming so suddenly upon their ears, startled poor Jan immensely, and he drew back with a look of horror, but Ben ran hastily forward in the direction of the sound, followed more slowly by the Frenchman.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading They had hardly passed forward a dozen steps, when they were startled by a sudden cry, which resembled nothing earthly.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading The sounds, coming so suddenly upon their ears, startled poor Jan immensely, and he drew back with a look of horror, but Ben ran hastily forward in the direction of the sound, followed more slowly by the Frenchman.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading The sounds, coming so suddenly upon their ears, startled poor Jan immensely, and he drew back with a look of horror, but Ben ran hastily forward in the direction of the sound, followed more slowly by the Frenchman.
earthlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrθli/
of or belonging to or characteristic of this earth as distinguished from heaven
From this reading They had hardly passed forward a dozen steps, when they were startled by a sudden cry, which resembled nothing earthly.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading They reached a level spot of ground between the cliffs where they widened enough to leave perhaps an acre of ground inclosed, and upon this spot of ground two men were struggling for life or death.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading At the same moment came the shout of a masculine voice, evidently in peril.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading The sounds, coming so suddenly upon their ears, startled poor Jan immensely, and he drew back with a look of horror, but Ben ran hastily forward in the direction of the sound, followed more slowly by the Frenchman.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading They reached a level spot of ground between the cliffs where they widened enough to leave perhaps an acre of ground inclosed, and upon this spot of ground two men were struggling for life or death.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading They had hardly passed forward a dozen steps, when they were startled by a sudden cry, which resembled nothing earthly.
FrenchmannounUS /ˈfrentʃmæn/
a person of French nationality
From this reading The sounds, coming so suddenly upon their ears, startled poor Jan immensely, and he drew back with a look of horror, but Ben ran hastily forward in the direction of the sound, followed more slowly by the Frenchman.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading They reached a level spot of ground between the cliffs where they widened enough to leave perhaps an acre of ground inclosed, and upon this spot of ground two men were struggling for life or death.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They had hardly passed forward a dozen steps, when they were startled by a sudden cry, which resembled nothing earthly.
only a very short time before
From this reading They had hardly passed forward a dozen steps, when they were startled by a sudden cry, which resembled nothing earthly.
in a hurried or hasty manner
From this reading The sounds, coming so suddenly upon their ears, startled poor Jan immensely, and he drew back with a look of horror, but Ben ran hastily forward in the direction of the sound, followed more slowly by the Frenchman.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The sounds, coming so suddenly upon their ears, startled poor Jan immensely, and he drew back with a look of horror, but Ben ran hastily forward in the direction of the sound, followed more slowly by the Frenchman.
intense and profound fear
From this reading The sounds, coming so suddenly upon their ears, startled poor Jan immensely, and he drew back with a look of horror, but Ben ran hastily forward in the direction of the sound, followed more slowly by the Frenchman.
immenselyadverbUS /ˌɪˈmensli/
to an exceedingly great extent or degree
From this reading The sounds, coming so suddenly upon their ears, startled poor Jan immensely, and he drew back with a look of horror, but Ben ran hastily forward in the direction of the sound, followed more slowly by the Frenchman.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading At the same moment came the shout of a masculine voice, evidently in peril.
inclosed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They reached a level spot of ground between the cliffs where they widened enough to leave perhaps an acre of ground inclosed, and upon this spot of ground two men were struggling for life or death.
JannounUS /dʒæn/
the first month of the year; begins 10 days after the winter solstice
From this reading The sounds, coming so suddenly upon their ears, startled poor Jan immensely, and he drew back with a look of horror, but Ben ran hastily forward in the direction of the sound, followed more slowly by the Frenchman.
go away from a place
From this reading They reached a level spot of ground between the cliffs where they widened enough to leave perhaps an acre of ground inclosed, and upon this spot of ground two men were struggling for life or death.
a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
From this reading They reached a level spot of ground between the cliffs where they widened enough to leave perhaps an acre of ground inclosed, and upon this spot of ground two men were struggling for life or death.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading They reached a level spot of ground between the cliffs where they widened enough to leave perhaps an acre of ground inclosed, and upon this spot of ground two men were struggling for life or death.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The sounds, coming so suddenly upon their ears, startled poor Jan immensely, and he drew back with a look of horror, but Ben ran hastily forward in the direction of the sound, followed more slowly by the Frenchman.
masculineadjectiveUS /ˈmæskjələn/
of grammatical gender
From this reading At the same moment came the shout of a masculine voice, evidently in peril.
the force of workers available
From this reading They reached a level spot of ground between the cliffs where they widened enough to leave perhaps an acre of ground inclosed, and upon this spot of ground two men were struggling for life or death.
a particular point in time
From this reading At the same moment came the shout of a masculine voice, evidently in peril.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The sounds, coming so suddenly upon their ears, startled poor Jan immensely, and he drew back with a look of horror, but Ben ran hastily forward in the direction of the sound, followed more slowly by the Frenchman.
a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill
From this reading THE MOUNTAIN DEVIL.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading They had hardly passed forward a dozen steps, when they were startled by a sudden cry, which resembled nothing earthly.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At the same moment came the shout of a masculine voice, evidently in peril.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading They reached a level spot of ground between the cliffs where they widened enough to leave perhaps an acre of ground inclosed, and upon this spot of ground two men were struggling for life or death.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading They had hardly passed forward a dozen steps, when they were startled by a sudden cry, which resembled nothing earthly.
by chance
From this reading They reached a level spot of ground between the cliffs where they widened enough to leave perhaps an acre of ground inclosed, and upon this spot of ground two men were struggling for life or death.
perilnounUS /ˈperəl/
a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune
From this reading At the same moment came the shout of a masculine voice, evidently in peril.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading The sounds, coming so suddenly upon their ears, startled poor Jan immensely, and he drew back with a look of horror, but Ben ran hastily forward in the direction of the sound, followed more slowly by the Frenchman.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading The sounds, coming so suddenly upon their ears, startled poor Jan immensely, and he drew back with a look of horror, but Ben ran hastily forward in the direction of the sound, followed more slowly by the Frenchman.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading They reached a level spot of ground between the cliffs where they widened enough to leave perhaps an acre of ground inclosed, and upon this spot of ground two men were struggling for life or death.
resembledverbUS /rɪˈzembəld/
past form of “resemble” — appear like; be similar or bear a likeness to
From this reading They had hardly passed forward a dozen steps, when they were startled by a sudden cry, which resembled nothing earthly.
Identical; not different.
From this reading At the same moment came the shout of a masculine voice, evidently in peril.
utter in a loud voice; talk in a loud voice (usually denoting characteristic manner of speaking)
From this reading At the same moment came the shout of a masculine voice, evidently in peril.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading The sounds, coming so suddenly upon their ears, startled poor Jan immensely, and he drew back with a look of horror, but Ben ran hastily forward in the direction of the sound, followed more slowly by the Frenchman.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The sounds, coming so suddenly upon their ears, startled poor Jan immensely, and he drew back with a look of horror, but Ben ran hastily forward in the direction of the sound, followed more slowly by the Frenchman.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading The sounds, coming so suddenly upon their ears, startled poor Jan immensely, and he drew back with a look of horror, but Ben ran hastily forward in the direction of the sound, followed more slowly by the Frenchman.
plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading The sounds, coming so suddenly upon their ears, startled poor Jan immensely, and he drew back with a look of horror, but Ben ran hastily forward in the direction of the sound, followed more slowly by the Frenchman.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading They reached a level spot of ground between the cliffs where they widened enough to leave perhaps an acre of ground inclosed, and upon this spot of ground two men were struggling for life or death.
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading They had hardly passed forward a dozen steps, when they were startled by a sudden cry, which resembled nothing earthly.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading They had hardly passed forward a dozen steps, when they were startled by a sudden cry, which resembled nothing earthly.
engaged in a struggle to overcome especially poverty or obscurity
From this reading They reached a level spot of ground between the cliffs where they widened enough to leave perhaps an acre of ground inclosed, and upon this spot of ground two men were struggling for life or death.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading They had hardly passed forward a dozen steps, when they were startled by a sudden cry, which resembled nothing earthly.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading The sounds, coming so suddenly upon their ears, startled poor Jan immensely, and he drew back with a look of horror, but Ben ran hastily forward in the direction of the sound, followed more slowly by the Frenchman.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE MOUNTAIN DEVIL.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The sounds, coming so suddenly upon their ears, startled poor Jan immensely, and he drew back with a look of horror, but Ben ran hastily forward in the direction of the sound, followed more slowly by the Frenchman.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had hardly passed forward a dozen steps, when they were startled by a sudden cry, which resembled nothing earthly.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading They reached a level spot of ground between the cliffs where they widened enough to leave perhaps an acre of ground inclosed, and upon this spot of ground two men were struggling for life or death.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They reached a level spot of ground between the cliffs where they widened enough to leave perhaps an acre of ground inclosed, and upon this spot of ground two men were struggling for life or death.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading They reached a level spot of ground between the cliffs where they widened enough to leave perhaps an acre of ground inclosed, and upon this spot of ground two men were struggling for life or death.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The sounds, coming so suddenly upon their ears, startled poor Jan immensely, and he drew back with a look of horror, but Ben ran hastily forward in the direction of the sound, followed more slowly by the Frenchman.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading At the same moment came the shout of a masculine voice, evidently in peril.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They had hardly passed forward a dozen steps, when they were startled by a sudden cry, which resembled nothing earthly.
at the time that
From this reading They had hardly passed forward a dozen steps, when they were startled by a sudden cry, which resembled nothing earthly.
in or at the place that
From this reading They reached a level spot of ground between the cliffs where they widened enough to leave perhaps an acre of ground inclosed, and upon this spot of ground two men were struggling for life or death.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading They had hardly passed forward a dozen steps, when they were startled by a sudden cry, which resembled nothing earthly.
widenedverbUS /ˈwaɪdənd/
past form of “widen” — become broader or wider or more extensive
From this reading They reached a level spot of ground between the cliffs where they widened enough to leave perhaps an acre of ground inclosed, and upon this spot of ground two men were struggling for life or death.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The sounds, coming so suddenly upon their ears, startled poor Jan immensely, and he drew back with a look of horror, but Ben ran hastily forward in the direction of the sound, followed more slowly by the Frenchman.
