used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading How they ever came through the next fifteen minutes was afterwards a mystery to Dave and Dan.
achedverbUS /eɪkt/
past form of “ache” — feel physical pain
From this reading When Dave’s revolver was not barking, his sword was in action, and his arms fairly ached with the labor of pushing away ladder after ladder.
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading When Dave’s revolver was not barking, his sword was in action, and his arms fairly ached with the labor of pushing away ladder after ladder.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading When Dave’s revolver was not barking, his sword was in action, and his arms fairly ached with the labor of pushing away ladder after ladder.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading How they ever came through the next fifteen minutes was afterwards a mystery to Dave and Dan.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading How they ever came through the next fifteen minutes was afterwards a mystery to Dave and Dan.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading When Dave’s revolver was not barking, his sword was in action, and his arms fairly ached with the labor of pushing away ladder after ladder.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As fast as Chinese assailants fell they were instantly replaced by others.
assailantsnounUS /əˈseɪlənts/
plural of “assailant” — someone who attacks
From this reading As fast as Chinese assailants fell they were instantly replaced by others.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading When Dave’s revolver was not barking, his sword was in action, and his arms fairly ached with the labor of pushing away ladder after ladder.
barkingverbUS /ˈbɑːrkɪŋ/
-ing form of “bark” — speak in an unfriendly tone
From this reading When Dave’s revolver was not barking, his sword was in action, and his arms fairly ached with the labor of pushing away ladder after ladder.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading As fast as Chinese assailants fell they were instantly replaced by others.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading How they ever came through the next fifteen minutes was afterwards a mystery to Dave and Dan.
ChinesenounUS /tʃaɪˈniːz/
any of the Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in China; regarded as dialects of a single language (even though they are mutually unintelligible) because they share an ideographic writing system
From this reading As fast as Chinese assailants fell they were instantly replaced by others.
Dan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How they ever came through the next fifteen minutes was afterwards a mystery to Dave and Dan.
Dave
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How they ever came through the next fifteen minutes was afterwards a mystery to Dave and Dan.
Dave's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Dave’s revolver was not barking, his sword was in action, and his arms fairly ached with the labor of pushing away ladder after ladder.
causing or capable of causing death
From this reading They were in the thick of that frantic, deadly scramble for possession of the ramparts.
at any time
From this reading How they ever came through the next fifteen minutes was afterwards a mystery to Dave and Dan.
to certain extent or degree
From this reading When Dave’s revolver was not barking, his sword was in action, and his arms fairly ached with the labor of pushing away ladder after ladder.
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading As fast as Chinese assailants fell they were instantly replaced by others.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading As fast as Chinese assailants fell they were instantly replaced by others.
the cardinal number that is the sum of fourteen and one
From this reading How they ever came through the next fifteen minutes was afterwards a mystery to Dave and Dan.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading They were in the thick of that frantic, deadly scramble for possession of the ramparts.
franticadjectiveUS /ˈfræntɪk/
excessively agitated; distraught with fear or other violent emotion
From this reading They were in the thick of that frantic, deadly scramble for possession of the ramparts.
only a very short time before
From this reading Hardly one of Dave’s men was less occupied.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When Dave’s revolver was not barking, his sword was in action, and his arms fairly ached with the labor of pushing away ladder after ladder.
How
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How they ever came through the next fifteen minutes was afterwards a mystery to Dave and Dan.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They were in the thick of that frantic, deadly scramble for possession of the ramparts.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading As fast as Chinese assailants fell they were instantly replaced by others.
a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages
From this reading When Dave’s revolver was not barking, his sword was in action, and his arms fairly ached with the labor of pushing away ladder after ladder.
laddernounUS /ˈlædər/
steps consisting of two parallel members connected by rungs; for climbing up or down
From this reading When Dave’s revolver was not barking, his sword was in action, and his arms fairly ached with the labor of pushing away ladder after ladder.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading Hardly one of Dave’s men was less occupied.
the force of workers available
From this reading Hardly one of Dave’s men was less occupied.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading How they ever came through the next fifteen minutes was afterwards a mystery to Dave and Dan.
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading How they ever came through the next fifteen minutes was afterwards a mystery to Dave and Dan.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading How they ever came through the next fifteen minutes was afterwards a mystery to Dave and Dan.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading When Dave’s revolver was not barking, his sword was in action, and his arms fairly ached with the labor of pushing away ladder after ladder.
held or filled or in use
From this reading Hardly one of Dave’s men was less occupied.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They were in the thick of that frantic, deadly scramble for possession of the ramparts.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Hardly one of Dave’s men was less occupied.
others
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As fast as Chinese assailants fell they were instantly replaced by others.
the act of having and controlling property
From this reading They were in the thick of that frantic, deadly scramble for possession of the ramparts.
pushingnounUS /ˈpʊʃɪŋ/
the act of applying force in order to move something away
From this reading When Dave’s revolver was not barking, his sword was in action, and his arms fairly ached with the labor of pushing away ladder after ladder.
rampartsnounUS /ˈræmpɑːrts/
plural of “rampart” — an embankment built around a space for defensive purposes
From this reading They were in the thick of that frantic, deadly scramble for possession of the ramparts.
replacedverbUS /ˌriːˈpleɪst/
past form of “replace” — substitute a person or thing for (another that is broken or inefficient or lost or no longer working or yielding what is expected)
From this reading As fast as Chinese assailants fell they were instantly replaced by others.
revolvernounUS /rɪˈvɑːlvər/
a pistol with a revolving cylinder (usually having six chambers for bullets)
From this reading When Dave’s revolver was not barking, his sword was in action, and his arms fairly ached with the labor of pushing away ladder after ladder.
scrambleverbUS /ˈskræmbəl/
to move hurriedly
From this reading They were in the thick of that frantic, deadly scramble for possession of the ramparts.
a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard
From this reading When Dave’s revolver was not barking, his sword was in action, and his arms fairly ached with the labor of pushing away ladder after ladder.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading They were in the thick of that frantic, deadly scramble for possession of the ramparts.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading How they ever came through the next fifteen minutes was afterwards a mystery to Dave and Dan.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading How they ever came through the next fifteen minutes was afterwards a mystery to Dave and Dan.
not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions
From this reading They were in the thick of that frantic, deadly scramble for possession of the ramparts.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading How they ever came through the next fifteen minutes was afterwards a mystery to Dave and Dan.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading How they ever came through the next fifteen minutes was afterwards a mystery to Dave and Dan.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading How they ever came through the next fifteen minutes was afterwards a mystery to Dave and Dan.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were in the thick of that frantic, deadly scramble for possession of the ramparts.
at the time that
From this reading When Dave’s revolver was not barking, his sword was in action, and his arms fairly ached with the labor of pushing away ladder after ladder.
in the company of; together with
From this reading When Dave’s revolver was not barking, his sword was in action, and his arms fairly ached with the labor of pushing away ladder after ladder.
