used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading ONLY A BAT The three girls sat quiet, every nerve tense, that same chilly sensation creeping up their spines, and their hair beginning to stand on end.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading ONLY A BAT The three girls sat quiet, every nerve tense, that same chilly sensation creeping up their spines, and their hair beginning to stand on end.
any thing at all
From this reading Out there in that wilderness, at three o'clock in the morning, a noise that sounded something like a motor car and yet was unlike anything they had ever heard before, might have frightened more experienced people than three fourteen-year-old girls.
a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading "H-here it comes!" whispered Violet, clutching at Laura's arm, while Laura in her turn clutched at Billie's.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Out there in that wilderness, at three o'clock in the morning, a noise that sounded something like a motor car and yet was unlike anything they had ever heard before, might have frightened more experienced people than three fourteen-year-old girls.
BATnounUS /bæt/
nocturnal mouselike mammal with forelimbs modified to form membranous wings and anatomical adaptations for echolocation by which they navigate
From this reading ONLY A BAT The three girls sat quiet, every nerve tense, that same chilly sensation creeping up their spines, and their hair beginning to stand on end.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Out there in that wilderness, at three o'clock in the morning, a noise that sounded something like a motor car and yet was unlike anything they had ever heard before, might have frightened more experienced people than three fourteen-year-old girls.
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading ONLY A BAT The three girls sat quiet, every nerve tense, that same chilly sensation creeping up their spines, and their hair beginning to stand on end.
Billie's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "H-here it comes!" whispered Violet, clutching at Laura's arm, while Laura in her turn clutched at Billie's.
a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine
From this reading Out there in that wilderness, at three o'clock in the morning, a noise that sounded something like a motor car and yet was unlike anything they had ever heard before, might have frightened more experienced people than three fourteen-year-old girls.
chillyadjectiveUS /ˈtʃɪli/
not characterized by emotion
From this reading ONLY A BAT The three girls sat quiet, every nerve tense, that same chilly sensation creeping up their spines, and their hair beginning to stand on end.
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading "It's coming closer!
clutchedverbUS /klʌtʃt/
past form of “clutch” — take hold of; grab
From this reading "H-here it comes!" whispered Violet, clutching at Laura's arm, while Laura in her turn clutched at Billie's.
clutchingverbUS /ˈklʌtʃɪŋ/
-ing form of “clutch” — take hold of; grab
From this reading "H-here it comes!" whispered Violet, clutching at Laura's arm, while Laura in her turn clutched at Billie's.
plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract
From this reading "H-here it comes!" whispered Violet, clutching at Laura's arm, while Laura in her turn clutched at Billie's.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading "It's coming closer!
creepingnounUS /ˈkriːpɪŋ/
a slow mode of locomotion on hands and knees or dragging the body
From this reading ONLY A BAT The three girls sat quiet, every nerve tense, that same chilly sensation creeping up their spines, and their hair beginning to stand on end.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading ONLY A BAT The three girls sat quiet, every nerve tense, that same chilly sensation creeping up their spines, and their hair beginning to stand on end.
at any time
From this reading Out there in that wilderness, at three o'clock in the morning, a noise that sounded something like a motor car and yet was unlike anything they had ever heard before, might have frightened more experienced people than three fourteen-year-old girls.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading ONLY A BAT The three girls sat quiet, every nerve tense, that same chilly sensation creeping up their spines, and their hair beginning to stand on end.
having experience; having knowledge or skill from observation or participation
From this reading Out there in that wilderness, at three o'clock in the morning, a noise that sounded something like a motor car and yet was unlike anything they had ever heard before, might have frightened more experienced people than three fourteen-year-old girls.
fourteen-year-old
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Out there in that wilderness, at three o'clock in the morning, a noise that sounded something like a motor car and yet was unlike anything they had ever heard before, might have frightened more experienced people than three fourteen-year-old girls.
made afraid
From this reading Out there in that wilderness, at three o'clock in the morning, a noise that sounded something like a motor car and yet was unlike anything they had ever heard before, might have frightened more experienced people than three fourteen-year-old girls.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading ONLY A BAT The three girls sat quiet, every nerve tense, that same chilly sensation creeping up their spines, and their hair beginning to stand on end.
H-here
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "H-here it comes!" whispered Violet, clutching at Laura's arm, while Laura in her turn clutched at Billie's.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Out there in that wilderness, at three o'clock in the morning, a noise that sounded something like a motor car and yet was unlike anything they had ever heard before, might have frightened more experienced people than three fourteen-year-old girls.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading ONLY A BAT The three girls sat quiet, every nerve tense, that same chilly sensation creeping up their spines, and their hair beginning to stand on end.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Out there in that wilderness, at three o'clock in the morning, a noise that sounded something like a motor car and yet was unlike anything they had ever heard before, might have frightened more experienced people than three fourteen-year-old girls.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Out there in that wilderness, at three o'clock in the morning, a noise that sounded something like a motor car and yet was unlike anything they had ever heard before, might have frightened more experienced people than three fourteen-year-old girls.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "H-here it comes!" whispered Violet, clutching at Laura's arm, while Laura in her turn clutched at Billie's.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Oh, girls--is it in the house?"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Out there in that wilderness, at three o'clock in the morning, a noise that sounded something like a motor car and yet was unlike anything they had ever heard before, might have frightened more experienced people than three fourteen-year-old girls.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Oh, girls--is it in the house?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "H-here it comes!" whispered Violet, clutching at Laura's arm, while Laura in her turn clutched at Billie's.
It's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It's coming closer!
Laura
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "H-here it comes!" whispered Violet, clutching at Laura's arm, while Laura in her turn clutched at Billie's.
Laura's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "H-here it comes!" whispered Violet, clutching at Laura's arm, while Laura in her turn clutched at Billie's.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Out there in that wilderness, at three o'clock in the morning, a noise that sounded something like a motor car and yet was unlike anything they had ever heard before, might have frightened more experienced people than three fourteen-year-old girls.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Out there in that wilderness, at three o'clock in the morning, a noise that sounded something like a motor car and yet was unlike anything they had ever heard before, might have frightened more experienced people than three fourteen-year-old girls.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Out there in that wilderness, at three o'clock in the morning, a noise that sounded something like a motor car and yet was unlike anything they had ever heard before, might have frightened more experienced people than three fourteen-year-old girls.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Out there in that wilderness, at three o'clock in the morning, a noise that sounded something like a motor car and yet was unlike anything they had ever heard before, might have frightened more experienced people than three fourteen-year-old girls.
motornounUS /ˈmoʊtər/
machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion
From this reading Out there in that wilderness, at three o'clock in the morning, a noise that sounded something like a motor car and yet was unlike anything they had ever heard before, might have frightened more experienced people than three fourteen-year-old girls.
nervenounUS /nɜːrv/
any bundle of nerve fibers running to various organs and tissues of the body
From this reading ONLY A BAT The three girls sat quiet, every nerve tense, that same chilly sensation creeping up their spines, and their hair beginning to stand on end.
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading Out there in that wilderness, at three o'clock in the morning, a noise that sounded something like a motor car and yet was unlike anything they had ever heard before, might have frightened more experienced people than three fourteen-year-old girls.
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/
according to the clock
From this reading Out there in that wilderness, at three o'clock in the morning, a noise that sounded something like a motor car and yet was unlike anything they had ever heard before, might have frightened more experienced people than three fourteen-year-old girls.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading Oh, girls--is it in the house?"
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading ONLY A BAT The three girls sat quiet, every nerve tense, that same chilly sensation creeping up their spines, and their hair beginning to stand on end.
and nothing more
From this reading ONLY A BAT The three girls sat quiet, every nerve tense, that same chilly sensation creeping up their spines, and their hair beginning to stand on end.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Out there in that wilderness, at three o'clock in the morning, a noise that sounded something like a motor car and yet was unlike anything they had ever heard before, might have frightened more experienced people than three fourteen-year-old girls.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading Out there in that wilderness, at three o'clock in the morning, a noise that sounded something like a motor car and yet was unlike anything they had ever heard before, might have frightened more experienced people than three fourteen-year-old girls.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading ONLY A BAT The three girls sat quiet, every nerve tense, that same chilly sensation creeping up their spines, and their hair beginning to stand on end.
Identical; not different.
From this reading ONLY A BAT The three girls sat quiet, every nerve tense, that same chilly sensation creeping up their spines, and their hair beginning to stand on end.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading ONLY A BAT The three girls sat quiet, every nerve tense, that same chilly sensation creeping up their spines, and their hair beginning to stand on end.
an unelaborated elementary awareness of stimulation
From this reading ONLY A BAT The three girls sat quiet, every nerve tense, that same chilly sensation creeping up their spines, and their hair beginning to stand on end.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Out there in that wilderness, at three o'clock in the morning, a noise that sounded something like a motor car and yet was unlike anything they had ever heard before, might have frightened more experienced people than three fourteen-year-old girls.
past form of “sound” — appear in a certain way
From this reading Out there in that wilderness, at three o'clock in the morning, a noise that sounded something like a motor car and yet was unlike anything they had ever heard before, might have frightened more experienced people than three fourteen-year-old girls.
spinesnounUS /spaɪnz/
plural of “spine” — the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord
From this reading ONLY A BAT The three girls sat quiet, every nerve tense, that same chilly sensation creeping up their spines, and their hair beginning to stand on end.
be standing; be upright
From this reading ONLY A BAT The three girls sat quiet, every nerve tense, that same chilly sensation creeping up their spines, and their hair beginning to stand on end.
tensenounUS /tens/
a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time
From this reading ONLY A BAT The three girls sat quiet, every nerve tense, that same chilly sensation creeping up their spines, and their hair beginning to stand on end.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Out there in that wilderness, at three o'clock in the morning, a noise that sounded something like a motor car and yet was unlike anything they had ever heard before, might have frightened more experienced people than three fourteen-year-old girls.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading ONLY A BAT The three girls sat quiet, every nerve tense, that same chilly sensation creeping up their spines, and their hair beginning to stand on end.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ONLY A BAT The three girls sat quiet, every nerve tense, that same chilly sensation creeping up their spines, and their hair beginning to stand on end.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading ONLY A BAT The three girls sat quiet, every nerve tense, that same chilly sensation creeping up their spines, and their hair beginning to stand on end.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Out there in that wilderness, at three o'clock in the morning, a noise that sounded something like a motor car and yet was unlike anything they had ever heard before, might have frightened more experienced people than three fourteen-year-old girls.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Out there in that wilderness, at three o'clock in the morning, a noise that sounded something like a motor car and yet was unlike anything they had ever heard before, might have frightened more experienced people than three fourteen-year-old girls.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading ONLY A BAT The three girls sat quiet, every nerve tense, that same chilly sensation creeping up their spines, and their hair beginning to stand on end.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading ONLY A BAT The three girls sat quiet, every nerve tense, that same chilly sensation creeping up their spines, and their hair beginning to stand on end.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading "H-here it comes!" whispered Violet, clutching at Laura's arm, while Laura in her turn clutched at Billie's.
unlikeadjectiveUS /ənˈlaɪk/
marked by dissimilarity
From this reading Out there in that wilderness, at three o'clock in the morning, a noise that sounded something like a motor car and yet was unlike anything they had ever heard before, might have frightened more experienced people than three fourteen-year-old girls.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading ONLY A BAT The three girls sat quiet, every nerve tense, that same chilly sensation creeping up their spines, and their hair beginning to stand on end.
VioletnounUS /ˈvaɪəlɪt/
any of numerous low-growing violas with small flowers
From this reading "H-here it comes!" whispered Violet, clutching at Laura's arm, while Laura in her turn clutched at Billie's.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Out there in that wilderness, at three o'clock in the morning, a noise that sounded something like a motor car and yet was unlike anything they had ever heard before, might have frightened more experienced people than three fourteen-year-old girls.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading "H-here it comes!" whispered Violet, clutching at Laura's arm, while Laura in her turn clutched at Billie's.
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading "H-here it comes!" whispered Violet, clutching at Laura's arm, while Laura in her turn clutched at Billie's.
wildernessnounUS /ˈwɪldərnəs/
(politics) a state of disfavor
From this reading Out there in that wilderness, at three o'clock in the morning, a noise that sounded something like a motor car and yet was unlike anything they had ever heard before, might have frightened more experienced people than three fourteen-year-old girls.
but in spite of that
From this reading Out there in that wilderness, at three o'clock in the morning, a noise that sounded something like a motor car and yet was unlike anything they had ever heard before, might have frightened more experienced people than three fourteen-year-old girls.
