used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading With both eyes open he never lost view of the bird for the tenth of a second.
perfect or complete or pure
From this reading The governor’s plan was first to reduce the movements to a minimum; secondly, to obtain absolute uniformity of movement; thirdly, to secure by this absolute uniformity a perfect unconsciousness of effort of movement at all; in short, automatic movement; and all this in order that the continuity of glance, the look at the game, might not be interrupted for the merest fraction of a second.
perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading The black dot at the end of the barrel--as the sight appears in the act of shooting--had then only to cover the bird, and the finger pressed the trigger.
adjustedadjectiveUS /əˈdʒʌstɪd/
altered to accommodate to certain requirements or bring into a proper relation
From this reading Up to the moment that the black dot was adjusted to the mark all was automatic.
(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 Up to the moment that the black dot was adjusted to the mark all was automatic.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The governor taught him to keep his eyes, both open, on the bird as it flew, and his gun came up to his line of sight.
third-person singular of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The black dot at the end of the barrel--as the sight appears in the act of shooting--had then only to cover the bird, and the finger pressed the trigger.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The governor taught him to keep his eyes, both open, on the bird as it flew, and his gun came up to his line of sight.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The black dot at the end of the barrel--as the sight appears in the act of shooting--had then only to cover the bird, and the finger pressed the trigger.
automaticadjectiveUS /ˌɔːtəˈmætɪk/
operating with minimal human intervention; independent of external control
From this reading Up to the moment that the black dot was adjusted to the mark all was automatic.
barrelnounUS /ˈbærəl/
a tube through which a bullet travels when a gun is fired
From this reading The black dot at the end of the barrel--as the sight appears in the act of shooting--had then only to cover the bird, and the finger pressed the trigger.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The governor’s plan was first to reduce the movements to a minimum; secondly, to obtain absolute uniformity of movement; thirdly, to secure by this absolute uniformity a perfect unconsciousness of effort of movement at all; in short, automatic movement; and all this in order that the continuity of glance, the look at the game, might not be interrupted for the merest fraction of a second.
warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading With both eyes open he never lost view of the bird for the tenth of a second.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading The black dot at the end of the barrel--as the sight appears in the act of shooting--had then only to cover the bird, and the finger pressed the trigger.
the two together, not just one
From this reading With both eyes open he never lost view of the bird for the tenth of a second.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The governor’s plan was first to reduce the movements to a minimum; secondly, to obtain absolute uniformity of movement; thirdly, to secure by this absolute uniformity a perfect unconsciousness of effort of movement at all; in short, automatic movement; and all this in order that the continuity of glance, the look at the game, might not be interrupted for the merest fraction of a second.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The governor taught him to keep his eyes, both open, on the bird as it flew, and his gun came up to his line of sight.
continuitynounUS /ˌkɑːntəˈnuːəti/
uninterrupted connection or union
From this reading The governor’s plan was first to reduce the movements to a minimum; secondly, to obtain absolute uniformity of movement; thirdly, to secure by this absolute uniformity a perfect unconsciousness of effort of movement at all; in short, automatic movement; and all this in order that the continuity of glance, the look at the game, might not be interrupted for the merest fraction of a second.
provide with a covering or cause to be covered
From this reading The black dot at the end of the barrel--as the sight appears in the act of shooting--had then only to cover the bird, and the finger pressed the trigger.
dotnounUS /dɑːt/
a very small circular shape
From this reading The black dot at the end of the barrel--as the sight appears in the act of shooting--had then only to cover the bird, and the finger pressed the trigger.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading The governor’s plan was first to reduce the movements to a minimum; secondly, to obtain absolute uniformity of movement; thirdly, to secure by this absolute uniformity a perfect unconsciousness of effort of movement at all; in short, automatic movement; and all this in order that the continuity of glance, the look at the game, might not be interrupted for the merest fraction of a second.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading The black dot at the end of the barrel--as the sight appears in the act of shooting--had then only to cover the bird, and the finger pressed the trigger.
opinion or judgment
From this reading With both eyes open he never lost view of the bird for the tenth of a second.
feel or handle with the fingers
From this reading The black dot at the end of the barrel--as the sight appears in the act of shooting--had then only to cover the bird, and the finger pressed the trigger.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The governor’s plan was first to reduce the movements to a minimum; secondly, to obtain absolute uniformity of movement; thirdly, to secure by this absolute uniformity a perfect unconsciousness of effort of movement at all; in short, automatic movement; and all this in order that the continuity of glance, the look at the game, might not be interrupted for the merest fraction of a second.
inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne
From this reading The governor taught him to keep his eyes, both open, on the bird as it flew, and his gun came up to his line of sight.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading With both eyes open he never lost view of the bird for the tenth of a second.
fractionnounUS /ˈfrækʃən/
a component of a mixture that has been separated by a fractional process
From this reading The governor’s plan was first to reduce the movements to a minimum; secondly, to obtain absolute uniformity of movement; thirdly, to secure by this absolute uniformity a perfect unconsciousness of effort of movement at all; in short, automatic movement; and all this in order that the continuity of glance, the look at the game, might not be interrupted for the merest fraction of a second.
a contest with rules to determine a winner
From this reading The governor’s plan was first to reduce the movements to a minimum; secondly, to obtain absolute uniformity of movement; thirdly, to secure by this absolute uniformity a perfect unconsciousness of effort of movement at all; in short, automatic movement; and all this in order that the continuity of glance, the look at the game, might not be interrupted for the merest fraction of a second.
throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading The governor’s plan was first to reduce the movements to a minimum; secondly, to obtain absolute uniformity of movement; thirdly, to secure by this absolute uniformity a perfect unconsciousness of effort of movement at all; in short, automatic movement; and all this in order that the continuity of glance, the look at the game, might not be interrupted for the merest fraction of a second.
the head of a state government
From this reading The governor taught him to keep his eyes, both open, on the bird as it flew, and his gun came up to his line of sight.
governor'snounUS /ˈɡʌvərnərz/
possessive form of “governor” — the head of a state government
From this reading The governor’s plan was first to reduce the movements to a minimum; secondly, to obtain absolute uniformity of movement; thirdly, to secure by this absolute uniformity a perfect unconsciousness of effort of movement at all; in short, automatic movement; and all this in order that the continuity of glance, the look at the game, might not be interrupted for the merest fraction of a second.
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading The governor taught him to keep his eyes, both open, on the bird as it flew, and his gun came up to his line of sight.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The black dot at the end of the barrel--as the sight appears in the act of shooting--had then only to cover the bird, and the finger pressed the trigger.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading With both eyes open he never lost view of the bird for the tenth of a second.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The governor taught him to keep his eyes, both open, on the bird as it flew, and his gun came up to his line of sight.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The governor taught him to keep his eyes, both open, on the bird as it flew, and his gun came up to his line of sight.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The black dot at the end of the barrel--as the sight appears in the act of shooting--had then only to cover the bird, and the finger pressed the trigger.
discontinued temporarily
From this reading The governor’s plan was first to reduce the movements to a minimum; secondly, to obtain absolute uniformity of movement; thirdly, to secure by this absolute uniformity a perfect unconsciousness of effort of movement at all; in short, automatic movement; and all this in order that the continuity of glance, the look at the game, might not be interrupted for the merest fraction of a second.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The governor taught him to keep his eyes, both open, on the bird as it flew, and his gun came up to his line of sight.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading The governor taught him to keep his eyes, both open, on the bird as it flew, and his gun came up to his line of sight.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading The governor taught him to keep his eyes, both open, on the bird as it flew, and his gun came up to his line of sight.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The governor’s plan was first to reduce the movements to a minimum; secondly, to obtain absolute uniformity of movement; thirdly, to secure by this absolute uniformity a perfect unconsciousness of effort of movement at all; in short, automatic movement; and all this in order that the continuity of glance, the look at the game, might not be interrupted for the merest fraction of a second.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading With both eyes open he never lost view of the bird for the tenth of a second.
attach a tag or label to
From this reading Up to the moment that the black dot was adjusted to the mark all was automatic.
merestadjectiveUS /ˈmerəst/
superlative of “mere” — being nothing more than specified
From this reading The governor’s plan was first to reduce the movements to a minimum; secondly, to obtain absolute uniformity of movement; thirdly, to secure by this absolute uniformity a perfect unconsciousness of effort of movement at all; in short, automatic movement; and all this in order that the continuity of glance, the look at the game, might not be interrupted for the merest fraction of a second.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading The governor’s plan was first to reduce the movements to a minimum; secondly, to obtain absolute uniformity of movement; thirdly, to secure by this absolute uniformity a perfect unconsciousness of effort of movement at all; in short, automatic movement; and all this in order that the continuity of glance, the look at the game, might not be interrupted for the merest fraction of a second.
minimumnounUS /ˈmɪnəməm/
the smallest possible quantity
From this reading The governor’s plan was first to reduce the movements to a minimum; secondly, to obtain absolute uniformity of movement; thirdly, to secure by this absolute uniformity a perfect unconsciousness of effort of movement at all; in short, automatic movement; and all this in order that the continuity of glance, the look at the game, might not be interrupted for the merest fraction of a second.
a particular point in time
From this reading Up to the moment that the black dot was adjusted to the mark all was automatic.
a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading The governor’s plan was first to reduce the movements to a minimum; secondly, to obtain absolute uniformity of movement; thirdly, to secure by this absolute uniformity a perfect unconsciousness of effort of movement at all; in short, automatic movement; and all this in order that the continuity of glance, the look at the game, might not be interrupted for the merest fraction of a second.
plural of “movement” — a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading The governor’s plan was first to reduce the movements to a minimum; secondly, to obtain absolute uniformity of movement; thirdly, to secure by this absolute uniformity a perfect unconsciousness of effort of movement at all; in short, automatic movement; and all this in order that the continuity of glance, the look at the game, might not be interrupted for the merest fraction of a second.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading With both eyes open he never lost view of the bird for the tenth of a second.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The governor’s plan was first to reduce the movements to a minimum; secondly, to obtain absolute uniformity of movement; thirdly, to secure by this absolute uniformity a perfect unconsciousness of effort of movement at all; in short, automatic movement; and all this in order that the continuity of glance, the look at the game, might not be interrupted for the merest fraction of a second.
come into possession of
From this reading The governor’s plan was first to reduce the movements to a minimum; secondly, to obtain absolute uniformity of movement; thirdly, to secure by this absolute uniformity a perfect unconsciousness of effort of movement at all; in short, automatic movement; and all this in order that the continuity of glance, the look at the game, might not be interrupted for the merest fraction of a second.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading With both eyes open he never lost view of the bird for the tenth of a second.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The governor taught him to keep his eyes, both open, on the bird as it flew, and his gun came up to his line of sight.
and nothing more
From this reading The black dot at the end of the barrel--as the sight appears in the act of shooting--had then only to cover the bird, and the finger pressed the trigger.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading With both eyes open he never lost view of the bird for the tenth of a second.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading The governor’s plan was first to reduce the movements to a minimum; secondly, to obtain absolute uniformity of movement; thirdly, to secure by this absolute uniformity a perfect unconsciousness of effort of movement at all; in short, automatic movement; and all this in order that the continuity of glance, the look at the game, might not be interrupted for the merest fraction of a second.
being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish
From this reading The governor’s plan was first to reduce the movements to a minimum; secondly, to obtain absolute uniformity of movement; thirdly, to secure by this absolute uniformity a perfect unconsciousness of effort of movement at all; in short, automatic movement; and all this in order that the continuity of glance, the look at the game, might not be interrupted for the merest fraction of a second.
have the will and intention to carry out some action
From this reading The governor’s plan was first to reduce the movements to a minimum; secondly, to obtain absolute uniformity of movement; thirdly, to secure by this absolute uniformity a perfect unconsciousness of effort of movement at all; in short, automatic movement; and all this in order that the continuity of glance, the look at the game, might not be interrupted for the merest fraction of a second.
compacted by ironing
From this reading The black dot at the end of the barrel--as the sight appears in the act of shooting--had then only to cover the bird, and the finger pressed the trigger.
reduceverbUS /rəˈduːs/
cut down on; make a reduction in
From this reading The governor’s plan was first to reduce the movements to a minimum; secondly, to obtain absolute uniformity of movement; thirdly, to secure by this absolute uniformity a perfect unconsciousness of effort of movement at all; in short, automatic movement; and all this in order that the continuity of glance, the look at the game, might not be interrupted for the merest fraction of a second.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading With both eyes open he never lost view of the bird for the tenth of a second.
secondlyadverbUS /ˈsekəndli/
in the second place
From this reading The governor’s plan was first to reduce the movements to a minimum; secondly, to obtain absolute uniformity of movement; thirdly, to secure by this absolute uniformity a perfect unconsciousness of effort of movement at all; in short, automatic movement; and all this in order that the continuity of glance, the look at the game, might not be interrupted for the merest fraction of a second.
get by special effort
From this reading The governor’s plan was first to reduce the movements to a minimum; secondly, to obtain absolute uniformity of movement; thirdly, to secure by this absolute uniformity a perfect unconsciousness of effort of movement at all; in short, automatic movement; and all this in order that the continuity of glance, the look at the game, might not be interrupted for the merest fraction of a second.
the act of firing a projectile
From this reading The black dot at the end of the barrel--as the sight appears in the act of shooting--had then only to cover the bird, and the finger pressed the trigger.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading The governor’s plan was first to reduce the movements to a minimum; secondly, to obtain absolute uniformity of movement; thirdly, to secure by this absolute uniformity a perfect unconsciousness of effort of movement at all; in short, automatic movement; and all this in order that the continuity of glance, the look at the game, might not be interrupted for the merest fraction of a second.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading The governor taught him to keep his eyes, both open, on the bird as it flew, and his gun came up to his line of sight.
inflected form of “teach” — impart skills or knowledge to
From this reading The governor taught him to keep his eyes, both open, on the bird as it flew, and his gun came up to his line of sight.
tenthnounUS /tenθ/
a tenth part; one part in ten equal parts
From this reading With both eyes open he never lost view of the bird for the tenth of a second.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Up to the moment that the black dot was adjusted to the mark all was automatic.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading With both eyes open he never lost view of the bird for the tenth of a second.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The black dot at the end of the barrel--as the sight appears in the act of shooting--had then only to cover the bird, and the finger pressed the trigger.
thirdlyadverbUS /ˈθɜːrdli/
in the third place
From this reading The governor’s plan was first to reduce the movements to a minimum; secondly, to obtain absolute uniformity of movement; thirdly, to secure by this absolute uniformity a perfect unconsciousness of effort of movement at all; in short, automatic movement; and all this in order that the continuity of glance, the look at the game, might not be interrupted for the merest fraction of a second.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading The governor’s plan was first to reduce the movements to a minimum; secondly, to obtain absolute uniformity of movement; thirdly, to secure by this absolute uniformity a perfect unconsciousness of effort of movement at all; in short, automatic movement; and all this in order that the continuity of glance, the look at the game, might not be interrupted for the merest fraction of a second.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The governor taught him to keep his eyes, both open, on the bird as it flew, and his gun came up to his line of sight.
triggerverbUS /ˈtrɪɡər/
put in motion or move to act
From this reading The black dot at the end of the barrel--as the sight appears in the act of shooting--had then only to cover the bird, and the finger pressed the trigger.
unconsciousnessnounUS /ˌʌnˈkɑːnʃəsnɪs/
a state lacking normal awareness of the self or environment
From this reading The governor’s plan was first to reduce the movements to a minimum; secondly, to obtain absolute uniformity of movement; thirdly, to secure by this absolute uniformity a perfect unconsciousness of effort of movement at all; in short, automatic movement; and all this in order that the continuity of glance, the look at the game, might not be interrupted for the merest fraction of a second.
uniformitynounUS /ˌjuːnəˈfɔːrməti/
a condition in which everything is regular and unvarying
From this reading The governor’s plan was first to reduce the movements to a minimum; secondly, to obtain absolute uniformity of movement; thirdly, to secure by this absolute uniformity a perfect unconsciousness of effort of movement at all; in short, automatic movement; and all this in order that the continuity of glance, the look at the game, might not be interrupted for the merest fraction of a second.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The governor taught him to keep his eyes, both open, on the bird as it flew, and his gun came up to his line of sight.
a way of regarding situations or topics etc.
From this reading With both eyes open he never lost view of the bird for the tenth of a second.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Up to the moment that the black dot was adjusted to the mark all was automatic.
in the company of; together with
From this reading With both eyes open he never lost view of the bird for the tenth of a second.
