Chapter XVII

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading At the extreme end of the island, in mud that oozed about her ankles, an old withered crone was performing a weird dance, singing to herself as she did so in a language that was strange to Bomba.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading At the extreme end of the island, in mud that oozed about her ankles, an old withered crone was performing a weird dance, singing to herself as she did so in a language that was strange to Bomba.

in the middle of; surrounded by

From this reading AMID WRITHING SERPENTS The sight that met Bomba’s eyes was horrible beyond anything he had ever seen or imagined.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading At the extreme end of the island, in mud that oozed about her ankles, an old withered crone was performing a weird dance, singing to herself as she did so in a language that was strange to Bomba.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading It was the snakes, the ropes of slimy, hideous reptiles that the old woman wound about her arms, her waist, her neck, even her face, as she danced faster and ever faster to the strains of her weird, high-pitched song.

plural of “ankle” — a gliding joint between the distal ends of the tibia and fibula and the proximal end of the talus

From this reading At the extreme end of the island, in mud that oozed about her ankles, an old withered crone was performing a weird dance, singing to herself as she did so in a language that was strange to Bomba.

any thing at all

From this reading AMID WRITHING SERPENTS The sight that met Bomba’s eyes was horrible beyond anything he had ever seen or imagined.

weapons considered collectively

From this reading It was the snakes, the ropes of slimy, hideous reptiles that the old woman wound about her arms, her waist, her neck, even her face, as she danced faster and ever faster to the strains of her weird, high-pitched song.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading At the extreme end of the island, in mud that oozed about her ankles, an old withered crone was performing a weird dance, singing to herself as she did so in a language that was strange to Bomba.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At the extreme end of the island, in mud that oozed about her ankles, an old withered crone was performing a weird dance, singing to herself as she did so in a language that was strange to Bomba.

past form of “battle” — battle or contend against in or as if in a battle

From this reading It was then that fear entered into Bomba, a fear such as had never been felt by him when he battled with the wild beasts of the jungle.

plural of “beast” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading It was then that fear entered into Bomba, a fear such as had never been felt by him when he battled with the wild beasts of the jungle.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading It was then that fear entered into Bomba, a fear such as had never been felt by him when he battled with the wild beasts of the jungle.

on the far side of; further than

From this reading AMID WRITHING SERPENTS The sight that met Bomba’s eyes was horrible beyond anything he had ever seen or imagined.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading At the extreme end of the island, in mud that oozed about her ankles, an old withered crone was performing a weird dance, singing to herself as she did so in a language that was strange to Bomba.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading AMID WRITHING SERPENTS The sight that met Bomba’s eyes was horrible beyond anything he had ever seen or imagined.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But that was not the part of the performance that held Bomba spellbound, horror-stricken.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading It was then that fear entered into Bomba, a fear such as had never been felt by him when he battled with the wild beasts of the jungle.

an ugly evil-looking old woman

From this reading At the extreme end of the island, in mud that oozed about her ankles, an old withered crone was performing a weird dance, singing to herself as she did so in a language that was strange to Bomba.

an artistic form of nonverbal communication

From this reading At the extreme end of the island, in mud that oozed about her ankles, an old withered crone was performing a weird dance, singing to herself as she did so in a language that was strange to Bomba.

past form of “dance” — move in a graceful and rhythmical way

From this reading It was the snakes, the ropes of slimy, hideous reptiles that the old woman wound about her arms, her waist, her neck, even her face, as she danced faster and ever faster to the strains of her weird, high-pitched song.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading At the extreme end of the island, in mud that oozed about her ankles, an old withered crone was performing a weird dance, singing to herself as she did so in a language that was strange to Bomba.

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading At the extreme end of the island, in mud that oozed about her ankles, an old withered crone was performing a weird dance, singing to herself as she did so in a language that was strange to Bomba.

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading It was then that fear entered into Bomba, a fear such as had never been felt by him when he battled with the wild beasts of the jungle.

divisible by two

From this reading It was the snakes, the ropes of slimy, hideous reptiles that the old woman wound about her arms, her waist, her neck, even her face, as she danced faster and ever faster to the strains of her weird, high-pitched song.

at any time

From this reading AMID WRITHING SERPENTS The sight that met Bomba’s eyes was horrible beyond anything he had ever seen or imagined.

of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity

From this reading At the extreme end of the island, in mud that oozed about her ankles, an old withered crone was performing a weird dance, singing to herself as she did so in a language that was strange to Bomba.

opinion or judgment

From this reading AMID WRITHING SERPENTS The sight that met Bomba’s eyes was horrible beyond anything he had ever seen or imagined.

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading It was the snakes, the ropes of slimy, hideous reptiles that the old woman wound about her arms, her waist, her neck, even her face, as she danced faster and ever faster to the strains of her weird, high-pitched song.

more quickly

From this reading It was the snakes, the ropes of slimy, hideous reptiles that the old woman wound about her arms, her waist, her neck, even her face, as she danced faster and ever faster to the strains of her weird, high-pitched song.

be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading It was then that fear entered into Bomba, a fear such as had never been felt by him when he battled with the wild beasts of the jungle.

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading It was then that fear entered into Bomba, a fear such as had never been felt by him when he battled with the wild beasts of the jungle.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading AMID WRITHING SERPENTS The sight that met Bomba’s eyes was horrible beyond anything he had ever seen or imagined.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading AMID WRITHING SERPENTS The sight that met Bomba’s eyes was horrible beyond anything he had ever seen or imagined.

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading But that was not the part of the performance that held Bomba spellbound, horror-stricken.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading At the extreme end of the island, in mud that oozed about her ankles, an old withered crone was performing a weird dance, singing to herself as she did so in a language that was strange to Bomba.

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading At the extreme end of the island, in mud that oozed about her ankles, an old withered crone was performing a weird dance, singing to herself as she did so in a language that was strange to Bomba.

grossly offensive to decency or morality; causing horror

From this reading It was the snakes, the ropes of slimy, hideous reptiles that the old woman wound about her arms, her waist, her neck, even her face, as she danced faster and ever faster to the strains of her weird, high-pitched song.

used of sounds and voices; high in pitch or frequency

From this reading It was the snakes, the ropes of slimy, hideous reptiles that the old woman wound about her arms, her waist, her neck, even her face, as she danced faster and ever faster to the strains of her weird, high-pitched song.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading It was then that fear entered into Bomba, a fear such as had never been felt by him when he battled with the wild beasts of the jungle.

provoking horror

From this reading AMID WRITHING SERPENTS The sight that met Bomba’s eyes was horrible beyond anything he had ever seen or imagined.

stricken with horror

From this reading But that was not the part of the performance that held Bomba spellbound, horror-stricken.

past form of “imagine” — form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case

From this reading AMID WRITHING SERPENTS The sight that met Bomba’s eyes was horrible beyond anything he had ever seen or imagined.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading At the extreme end of the island, in mud that oozed about her ankles, an old withered crone was performing a weird dance, singing to herself as she did so in a language that was strange to Bomba.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading It was then that fear entered into Bomba, a fear such as had never been felt by him when he battled with the wild beasts of the jungle.

a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water

From this reading At the extreme end of the island, in mud that oozed about her ankles, an old withered crone was performing a weird dance, singing to herself as she did so in a language that was strange to Bomba.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was the snakes, the ropes of slimy, hideous reptiles that the old woman wound about her arms, her waist, her neck, even her face, as she danced faster and ever faster to the strains of her weird, high-pitched song.

a location marked by an intense competition and struggle for survival

From this reading It was then that fear entered into Bomba, a fear such as had never been felt by him when he battled with the wild beasts of the jungle.

a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols

From this reading At the extreme end of the island, in mud that oozed about her ankles, an old withered crone was performing a weird dance, singing to herself as she did so in a language that was strange to Bomba.

inflected form of “meet” — come together

From this reading AMID WRITHING SERPENTS The sight that met Bomba’s eyes was horrible beyond anything he had ever seen or imagined.

water soaked soil; soft wet earth

From this reading At the extreme end of the island, in mud that oozed about her ankles, an old withered crone was performing a weird dance, singing to herself as she did so in a language that was strange to Bomba.

the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body

From this reading It was the snakes, the ropes of slimy, hideous reptiles that the old woman wound about her arms, her waist, her neck, even her face, as she danced faster and ever faster to the strains of her weird, high-pitched song.

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading It was then that fear entered into Bomba, a fear such as had never been felt by him when he battled with the wild beasts of the jungle.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading But that was not the part of the performance that held Bomba spellbound, horror-stricken.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading At the extreme end of the island, in mud that oozed about her ankles, an old withered crone was performing a weird dance, singing to herself as she did so in a language that was strange to Bomba.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading At the extreme end of the island, in mud that oozed about her ankles, an old withered crone was performing a weird dance, singing to herself as she did so in a language that was strange to Bomba.

past form of “ooze” — pass gradually or leak through or as if through small openings

From this reading At the extreme end of the island, in mud that oozed about her ankles, an old withered crone was performing a weird dance, singing to herself as she did so in a language that was strange to Bomba.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading AMID WRITHING SERPENTS The sight that met Bomba’s eyes was horrible beyond anything he had ever seen or imagined.

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading But that was not the part of the performance that held Bomba spellbound, horror-stricken.

a dramatic or musical entertainment

From this reading But that was not the part of the performance that held Bomba spellbound, horror-stricken.

the performance of a part or role in a drama

From this reading At the extreme end of the island, in mud that oozed about her ankles, an old withered crone was performing a weird dance, singing to herself as she did so in a language that was strange to Bomba.

plural of “reptile” — any cold-blooded vertebrate of the class Reptilia including tortoises, turtles, snakes, lizards, alligators, crocodiles, and extinct forms

From this reading It was the snakes, the ropes of slimy, hideous reptiles that the old woman wound about her arms, her waist, her neck, even her face, as she danced faster and ever faster to the strains of her weird, high-pitched song.

plural of “rope” — a strong line

From this reading It was the snakes, the ropes of slimy, hideous reptiles that the old woman wound about her arms, her waist, her neck, even her face, as she danced faster and ever faster to the strains of her weird, high-pitched song.

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading AMID WRITHING SERPENTS The sight that met Bomba’s eyes was horrible beyond anything he had ever seen or imagined.

plural of “serpent” — limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous

From this reading AMID WRITHING SERPENTS The sight that met Bomba’s eyes was horrible beyond anything he had ever seen or imagined.

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading At the extreme end of the island, in mud that oozed about her ankles, an old withered crone was performing a weird dance, singing to herself as she did so in a language that was strange to Bomba.

an instance of visual perception

From this reading AMID WRITHING SERPENTS The sight that met Bomba’s eyes was horrible beyond anything he had ever seen or imagined.

the act of singing vocal music

From this reading At the extreme end of the island, in mud that oozed about her ankles, an old withered crone was performing a weird dance, singing to herself as she did so in a language that was strange to Bomba.

covered with or resembling slime

From this reading It was the snakes, the ropes of slimy, hideous reptiles that the old woman wound about her arms, her waist, her neck, even her face, as she danced faster and ever faster to the strains of her weird, high-pitched song.

plural of “snake” — limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous

From this reading It was the snakes, the ropes of slimy, hideous reptiles that the old woman wound about her arms, her waist, her neck, even her face, as she danced faster and ever faster to the strains of her weird, high-pitched song.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading At the extreme end of the island, in mud that oozed about her ankles, an old withered crone was performing a weird dance, singing to herself as she did so in a language that was strange to Bomba.

a short musical composition with words

From this reading It was the snakes, the ropes of slimy, hideous reptiles that the old woman wound about her arms, her waist, her neck, even her face, as she danced faster and ever faster to the strains of her weird, high-pitched song.

having your attention fixated as though by a spell

From this reading But that was not the part of the performance that held Bomba spellbound, horror-stricken.

plural of “strain” — (physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces

From this reading It was the snakes, the ropes of slimy, hideous reptiles that the old woman wound about her arms, her waist, her neck, even her face, as she danced faster and ever faster to the strains of her weird, high-pitched song.

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading At the extreme end of the island, in mud that oozed about her ankles, an old withered crone was performing a weird dance, singing to herself as she did so in a language that was strange to Bomba.

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading It was then that fear entered into Bomba, a fear such as had never been felt by him when he battled with the wild beasts of the jungle.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading AMID WRITHING SERPENTS The sight that met Bomba’s eyes was horrible beyond anything he had ever seen or imagined.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading AMID WRITHING SERPENTS The sight that met Bomba’s eyes was horrible beyond anything he had ever seen or imagined.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading It was then that fear entered into Bomba, a fear such as had never been felt by him when he battled with the wild beasts of the jungle.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading At the extreme end of the island, in mud that oozed about her ankles, an old withered crone was performing a weird dance, singing to herself as she did so in a language that was strange to Bomba.

the narrowing of the body between the ribs and hips

From this reading It was the snakes, the ropes of slimy, hideous reptiles that the old woman wound about her arms, her waist, her neck, even her face, as she danced faster and ever faster to the strains of her weird, high-pitched song.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading AMID WRITHING SERPENTS The sight that met Bomba’s eyes was horrible beyond anything he had ever seen or imagined.

suggesting the operation of supernatural influences

From this reading At the extreme end of the island, in mud that oozed about her ankles, an old withered crone was performing a weird dance, singing to herself as she did so in a language that was strange to Bomba.

at the time that

From this reading It was then that fear entered into Bomba, a fear such as had never been felt by him when he battled with the wild beasts of the jungle.

marked by extreme lack of restraint or control

From this reading It was then that fear entered into Bomba, a fear such as had never been felt by him when he battled with the wild beasts of the jungle.

in the company of; together with

From this reading It was then that fear entered into Bomba, a fear such as had never been felt by him when he battled with the wild beasts of the jungle.

lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness

From this reading At the extreme end of the island, in mud that oozed about her ankles, an old withered crone was performing a weird dance, singing to herself as she did so in a language that was strange to Bomba.

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading It was the snakes, the ropes of slimy, hideous reptiles that the old woman wound about her arms, her waist, her neck, even her face, as she danced faster and ever faster to the strains of her weird, high-pitched song.

an injury to living tissue (especially an injury involving a cut or break in the skin)

From this reading It was the snakes, the ropes of slimy, hideous reptiles that the old woman wound about her arms, her waist, her neck, even her face, as she danced faster and ever faster to the strains of her weird, high-pitched song.

moving in a twisting or snake-like or wormlike fashion

From this reading AMID WRITHING SERPENTS The sight that met Bomba’s eyes was horrible beyond anything he had ever seen or imagined.