used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A sense of great weakness came upon him, and he swayed, and with an effort prevented his knees from doubling under him.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading His brain became paralyzed, inert, and he was hardly able to comprehend the terrible tragedy that he believed inevitable.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A sense of great weakness came upon him, and he swayed, and with an effort prevented his knees from doubling under him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading IT WAS GOD'S WILL Skipper Ed was appalled and stunned.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Had there been any means at his command whereby he could at least have attempted a rescue, it would have served as a safety valve.
appalledadjectiveUS /əˈpɔːld/
struck with fear, dread, or consternation
From this reading IT WAS GOD'S WILL Skipper Ed was appalled and stunned.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Had there been any means at his command whereby he could at least have attempted a rescue, it would have served as a safety valve.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Had there been any means at his command whereby he could at least have attempted a rescue, it would have served as a safety valve.
tried unsuccessfully
From this reading Had there been any means at his command whereby he could at least have attempted a rescue, it would have served as a safety valve.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading His vision became clouded, like the vision of one in a dream.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Had there been any means at his command whereby he could at least have attempted a rescue, it would have served as a safety valve.
past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true
From this reading His brain became paralyzed, inert, and he was hardly able to comprehend the terrible tragedy that he believed inevitable.
that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord
From this reading His brain became paralyzed, inert, and he was hardly able to comprehend the terrible tragedy that he believed inevitable.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading A sense of great weakness came upon him, and he swayed, and with an effort prevented his knees from doubling under him.
cloudedadjectiveUS /ˈklaʊdɪd/
made troubled or apprehensive or distressed in appearance
From this reading His vision became clouded, like the vision of one in a dream.
an authoritative direction or instruction to do something
From this reading Had there been any means at his command whereby he could at least have attempted a rescue, it would have served as a safety valve.
comprehendverbUS /ˌkɑːmpriˈhend/
get the meaning of something
From this reading His brain became paralyzed, inert, and he was hardly able to comprehend the terrible tragedy that he believed inevitable.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Had there been any means at his command whereby he could at least have attempted a rescue, it would have served as a safety valve.
doublingnounUS /ˈdʌbəlɪŋ/
increase by a factor of two
From this reading A sense of great weakness came upon him, and he swayed, and with an effort prevented his knees from doubling under him.
A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.
From this reading His vision became clouded, like the vision of one in a dream.
EdnounUS /ed/
impotence resulting from a man's inability to have or maintain an erection of his penis
From this reading IT WAS GOD'S WILL Skipper Ed was appalled and stunned.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading A sense of great weakness came upon him, and he swayed, and with an effort prevented his knees from doubling under him.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A sense of great weakness came upon him, and he swayed, and with an effort prevented his knees from doubling under him.
GOD'SnounUS /ɡɑːdz/
possessive form of “god” — the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading IT WAS GOD'S WILL Skipper Ed was appalled and stunned.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading A sense of great weakness came upon him, and he swayed, and with an effort prevented his knees from doubling under him.
Hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Had there been any means at his command whereby he could at least have attempted a rescue, it would have served as a safety valve.
only a very short time before
From this reading His brain became paralyzed, inert, and he was hardly able to comprehend the terrible tragedy that he believed inevitable.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Had there been any means at his command whereby he could at least have attempted a rescue, it would have served as a safety valve.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A sense of great weakness came upon him, and he swayed, and with an effort prevented his knees from doubling under him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading A sense of great weakness came upon him, and he swayed, and with an effort prevented his knees from doubling under him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A sense of great weakness came upon him, and he swayed, and with an effort prevented his knees from doubling under him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading His vision became clouded, like the vision of one in a dream.
inertadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈnɜːrt/
unable to move or resist motion
From this reading His brain became paralyzed, inert, and he was hardly able to comprehend the terrible tragedy that he believed inevitable.
inevitableadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈnevətəbəl/
incapable of being avoided or prevented
From this reading His brain became paralyzed, inert, and he was hardly able to comprehend the terrible tragedy that he believed inevitable.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading IT WAS GOD'S WILL Skipper Ed was appalled and stunned.
plural of “knee” — hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella
From this reading A sense of great weakness came upon him, and he swayed, and with an effort prevented his knees from doubling under him.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading Had there been any means at his command whereby he could at least have attempted a rescue, it would have served as a safety valve.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading His vision became clouded, like the vision of one in a dream.
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading Had there been any means at his command whereby he could at least have attempted a rescue, it would have served as a safety valve.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A sense of great weakness came upon him, and he swayed, and with an effort prevented his knees from doubling under him.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading His vision became clouded, like the vision of one in a dream.
paralyzedadjectiveUS /ˈperəlaɪzd/
affected with paralysis
From this reading His brain became paralyzed, inert, and he was hardly able to comprehend the terrible tragedy that he believed inevitable.
preventedverbUS /prɪˈventɪd/
past form of “prevent” — keep from happening or arising; make impossible
From this reading A sense of great weakness came upon him, and he swayed, and with an effort prevented his knees from doubling under him.
rescueverbUS /ˈreskjuː/
free from harm or evil
From this reading Had there been any means at his command whereby he could at least have attempted a rescue, it would have served as a safety valve.
the state of being certain that adverse effects will not be caused by some agent under defined conditions
From this reading Had there been any means at his command whereby he could at least have attempted a rescue, it would have served as a safety valve.
a general conscious awareness
From this reading A sense of great weakness came upon him, and he swayed, and with an effort prevented his knees from doubling under him.
past form of “serve” — serve a purpose, role, or function
From this reading Had there been any means at his command whereby he could at least have attempted a rescue, it would have served as a safety valve.
SkippernounUS /ˈskɪpər/
a student who fails to attend classes
From this reading IT WAS GOD'S WILL Skipper Ed was appalled and stunned.
stunnedadjectiveUS /stʌnd/
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading IT WAS GOD'S WILL Skipper Ed was appalled and stunned.
swayedverbUS /sweɪd/
past form of “sway” — move back and forth or sideways
From this reading A sense of great weakness came upon him, and he swayed, and with an effort prevented his knees from doubling under him.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading His brain became paralyzed, inert, and he was hardly able to comprehend the terrible tragedy that he believed inevitable.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading His brain became paralyzed, inert, and he was hardly able to comprehend the terrible tragedy that he believed inevitable.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading His vision became clouded, like the vision of one in a dream.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Had there been any means at his command whereby he could at least have attempted a rescue, it would have served as a safety valve.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading His brain became paralyzed, inert, and he was hardly able to comprehend the terrible tragedy that he believed inevitable.
tragedynounUS /ˈtrædʒədi/
an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
From this reading His brain became paralyzed, inert, and he was hardly able to comprehend the terrible tragedy that he believed inevitable.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading A sense of great weakness came upon him, and he swayed, and with an effort prevented his knees from doubling under him.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading A sense of great weakness came upon him, and he swayed, and with an effort prevented his knees from doubling under him.
valvenounUS /vælv/
a structure in a hollow organ (like the heart) with a flap to insure one-way flow of fluid through it
From this reading Had there been any means at his command whereby he could at least have attempted a rescue, it would have served as a safety valve.
a vivid mental image
From this reading His vision became clouded, like the vision of one in a dream.
WASauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading IT WAS GOD'S WILL Skipper Ed was appalled and stunned.
a flaw or weak point
From this reading A sense of great weakness came upon him, and he swayed, and with an effort prevented his knees from doubling under him.
whereby
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had there been any means at his command whereby he could at least have attempted a rescue, it would have served as a safety valve.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading IT WAS GOD'S WILL Skipper Ed was appalled and stunned.
in the company of; together with
From this reading A sense of great weakness came upon him, and he swayed, and with an effort prevented his knees from doubling under him.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Had there been any means at his command whereby he could at least have attempted a rescue, it would have served as a safety valve.
