used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading As quick as a flash Hashknife swung his billiard cue in a short arc, struck Prentice’s right wrist a sharp blow, knocking the gun out of his hand.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Len had whirled, drawn his gun and was backing away, swinging the muzzle of his gun menacingly, almost before the thud of the shot had died away in the room.
in addition
From this reading But the force of the blow also caused Prentice to jerk back on the trigger, and the gun went off before it clattered to the floor.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading But the force of the blow also caused Prentice to jerk back on the trigger, and the gun went off before it clattered to the floor.
arcnounUS /ɑːrk/
electrical conduction through a gas in an applied electric field
From this reading As quick as a flash Hashknife swung his billiard cue in a short arc, struck Prentice’s right wrist a sharp blow, knocking the gun out of his hand.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As quick as a flash Hashknife swung his billiard cue in a short arc, struck Prentice’s right wrist a sharp blow, knocking the gun out of his hand.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Len Ayres whirled at the report of the gun, and Hashknife saw as swift a piece of gun play as he ever saw in his life.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Len had whirled, drawn his gun and was backing away, swinging the muzzle of his gun menacingly, almost before the thud of the shot had died away in the room.
Ayres
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Len Ayres whirled at the report of the gun, and Hashknife saw as swift a piece of gun play as he ever saw in his life.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading But the force of the blow also caused Prentice to jerk back on the trigger, and the gun went off before it clattered to the floor.
backingnounUS /ˈbækɪŋ/
the act of providing approval and support
From this reading Len had whirled, drawn his gun and was backing away, swinging the muzzle of his gun menacingly, almost before the thud of the shot had died away in the room.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading But the force of the blow also caused Prentice to jerk back on the trigger, and the gun went off before it clattered to the floor.
billiardadjectiveUS /ˈbɪljərd/
of or relating to billiards
From this reading As quick as a flash Hashknife swung his billiard cue in a short arc, struck Prentice’s right wrist a sharp blow, knocking the gun out of his hand.
exhale hard
From this reading As quick as a flash Hashknife swung his billiard cue in a short arc, struck Prentice’s right wrist a sharp blow, knocking the gun out of his hand.
bulletnounUS /ˈbʊlət/
a projectile that is fired from a gun
From this reading The bullet drove into the floor just short of the poker table.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the force of the blow also caused Prentice to jerk back on the trigger, and the gun went off before it clattered to the floor.
past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally
From this reading But the force of the blow also caused Prentice to jerk back on the trigger, and the gun went off before it clattered to the floor.
clattered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the force of the blow also caused Prentice to jerk back on the trigger, and the gun went off before it clattered to the floor.
cuenounUS /kjuː/
an actor's line that immediately precedes and serves as a reminder for some action or speech
From this reading As quick as a flash Hashknife swung his billiard cue in a short arc, struck Prentice’s right wrist a sharp blow, knocking the gun out of his hand.
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading Len had whirled, drawn his gun and was backing away, swinging the muzzle of his gun menacingly, almost before the thud of the shot had died away in the room.
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading Len had whirled, drawn his gun and was backing away, swinging the muzzle of his gun menacingly, almost before the thud of the shot had died away in the room.
a group of animals (a herd or flock) moving together
From this reading The bullet drove into the floor just short of the poker table.
at any time
From this reading Len Ayres whirled at the report of the gun, and Hashknife saw as swift a piece of gun play as he ever saw in his life.
gleam or glow intermittently
From this reading As quick as a flash Hashknife swung his billiard cue in a short arc, struck Prentice’s right wrist a sharp blow, knocking the gun out of his hand.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading But the force of the blow also caused Prentice to jerk back on the trigger, and the gun went off before it clattered to the floor.
a powerful effect or influence
From this reading But the force of the blow also caused Prentice to jerk back on the trigger, and the gun went off before it clattered to the floor.
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading As quick as a flash Hashknife swung his billiard cue in a short arc, struck Prentice’s right wrist a sharp blow, knocking the gun out of his hand.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Len had whirled, drawn his gun and was backing away, swinging the muzzle of his gun menacingly, almost before the thud of the shot had died away in the room.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading As quick as a flash Hashknife swung his billiard cue in a short arc, struck Prentice’s right wrist a sharp blow, knocking the gun out of his hand.
Hashknife
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As quick as a flash Hashknife swung his billiard cue in a short arc, struck Prentice’s right wrist a sharp blow, knocking the gun out of his hand.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Len Ayres whirled at the report of the gun, and Hashknife saw as swift a piece of gun play as he ever saw in his life.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading As quick as a flash Hashknife swung his billiard cue in a short arc, struck Prentice’s right wrist a sharp blow, knocking the gun out of his hand.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading As quick as a flash Hashknife swung his billiard cue in a short arc, struck Prentice’s right wrist a sharp blow, knocking the gun out of his hand.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The bullet drove into the floor just short of the poker table.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But the force of the blow also caused Prentice to jerk back on the trigger, and the gun went off before it clattered to the floor.
jerkverbUS /dʒɜːrk/
pull, or move with a sudden movement
From this reading But the force of the blow also caused Prentice to jerk back on the trigger, and the gun went off before it clattered to the floor.
and nothing more
From this reading The bullet drove into the floor just short of the poker table.
knockingnounUS /ˈnɑːkɪŋ/
the sound of knocking (as on a door or in an engine or bearing)
From this reading As quick as a flash Hashknife swung his billiard cue in a short arc, struck Prentice’s right wrist a sharp blow, knocking the gun out of his hand.
Len
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Len Ayres whirled at the report of the gun, and Hashknife saw as swift a piece of gun play as he ever saw in his life.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Len Ayres whirled at the report of the gun, and Hashknife saw as swift a piece of gun play as he ever saw in his life.
menacinglyadverbUS /ˈmenəsɪŋli/
in a menacing manner
From this reading Len had whirled, drawn his gun and was backing away, swinging the muzzle of his gun menacingly, almost before the thud of the shot had died away in the room.
muzzlenounUS /ˈmʌzəl/
the open circular discharging end of a gun
From this reading Len had whirled, drawn his gun and was backing away, swinging the muzzle of his gun menacingly, almost before the thud of the shot had died away in the room.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading As quick as a flash Hashknife swung his billiard cue in a short arc, struck Prentice’s right wrist a sharp blow, knocking the gun out of his hand.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading But the force of the blow also caused Prentice to jerk back on the trigger, and the gun went off before it clattered to the floor.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading But the force of the blow also caused Prentice to jerk back on the trigger, and the gun went off before it clattered to the floor.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading As quick as a flash Hashknife swung his billiard cue in a short arc, struck Prentice’s right wrist a sharp blow, knocking the gun out of his hand.
a separate part of a whole
From this reading Len Ayres whirled at the report of the gun, and Hashknife saw as swift a piece of gun play as he ever saw in his life.
participate in games or sport
From this reading Len Ayres whirled at the report of the gun, and Hashknife saw as swift a piece of gun play as he ever saw in his life.
pokernounUS /ˈpoʊkər/
fire iron consisting of a metal rod with a handle; used to stir a fire
From this reading The bullet drove into the floor just short of the poker table.
PrenticenounUS /ˈprentɪs/
works for an expert to learn a trade
From this reading But the force of the blow also caused Prentice to jerk back on the trigger, and the gun went off before it clattered to the floor.
Prentice's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As quick as a flash Hashknife swung his billiard cue in a short arc, struck Prentice’s right wrist a sharp blow, knocking the gun out of his hand.
accomplished rapidly and without delay
From this reading As quick as a flash Hashknife swung his billiard cue in a short arc, struck Prentice’s right wrist a sharp blow, knocking the gun out of his hand.
to give an account or representation of in words
From this reading Len Ayres whirled at the report of the gun, and Hashknife saw as swift a piece of gun play as he ever saw in his life.
precisely, exactly
From this reading As quick as a flash Hashknife swung his billiard cue in a short arc, struck Prentice’s right wrist a sharp blow, knocking the gun out of his hand.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Len had whirled, drawn his gun and was backing away, swinging the muzzle of his gun menacingly, almost before the thud of the shot had died away in the room.
cut with a saw
From this reading Len Ayres whirled at the report of the gun, and Hashknife saw as swift a piece of gun play as he ever saw in his life.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading As quick as a flash Hashknife swung his billiard cue in a short arc, struck Prentice’s right wrist a sharp blow, knocking the gun out of his hand.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading As quick as a flash Hashknife swung his billiard cue in a short arc, struck Prentice’s right wrist a sharp blow, knocking the gun out of his hand.
the act of firing a projectile
From this reading Len had whirled, drawn his gun and was backing away, swinging the muzzle of his gun menacingly, almost before the thud of the shot had died away in the room.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading As quick as a flash Hashknife swung his billiard cue in a short arc, struck Prentice’s right wrist a sharp blow, knocking the gun out of his hand.
moving very fast
From this reading Len Ayres whirled at the report of the gun, and Hashknife saw as swift a piece of gun play as he ever saw in his life.
swingingnounUS /ˈswɪŋɪŋ/
changing location by moving back and forth
From this reading Len had whirled, drawn his gun and was backing away, swinging the muzzle of his gun menacingly, almost before the thud of the shot had died away in the room.
inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading As quick as a flash Hashknife swung his billiard cue in a short arc, struck Prentice’s right wrist a sharp blow, knocking the gun out of his hand.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading The bullet drove into the floor just short of the poker table.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As quick as a flash Hashknife swung his billiard cue in a short arc, struck Prentice’s right wrist a sharp blow, knocking the gun out of his hand.
thudverbUS /θʌd/
make a dull sound
From this reading Len had whirled, drawn his gun and was backing away, swinging the muzzle of his gun menacingly, almost before the thud of the shot had died away in the room.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But the force of the blow also caused Prentice to jerk back on the trigger, and the gun went off before it clattered to the floor.
triggerverbUS /ˈtrɪɡər/
put in motion or move to act
From this reading But the force of the blow also caused Prentice to jerk back on the trigger, and the gun went off before it clattered to the floor.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Len had whirled, drawn his gun and was backing away, swinging the muzzle of his gun menacingly, almost before the thud of the shot had died away in the room.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading But the force of the blow also caused Prentice to jerk back on the trigger, and the gun went off before it clattered to the floor.
whirledverbUS /wɜːrld/
past form of “whirl” — turn in a twisting or spinning motion
From this reading Len Ayres whirled at the report of the gun, and Hashknife saw as swift a piece of gun play as he ever saw in his life.
wristnounUS /rɪst/
a joint between the distal end of the radius and the proximal row of carpal bones
From this reading As quick as a flash Hashknife swung his billiard cue in a short arc, struck Prentice’s right wrist a sharp blow, knocking the gun out of his hand.
