used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A rain of gas shells was falling on it and all around their billets—zwiing, zwiing, zwiing, zwiing, PHUT PHUT PHUT PHUT.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Each took off his mask a second and gave one sniff—the air reeked with phosgene.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading They all fumblingly and hastily put on their gas masks, and stumbled on blindly down the trench.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They all fumblingly and hastily put on their gas masks, and stumbled on blindly down the trench.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading A rain of gas shells was falling on it and all around their billets—zwiing, zwiing, zwiing, zwiing, PHUT PHUT PHUT PHUT.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Evans and Winterbourne stood at the end of the trench to help out the groping half-blinded men.
billetsnounUS /ˈbɪləts/
plural of “billet” — a short personal letter
From this reading A rain of gas shells was falling on it and all around their billets—zwiing, zwiing, zwiing, zwiing, PHUT PHUT PHUT PHUT.
blindlyadverbUS /ˈblaɪndli/
without seeing or looking
From this reading They all fumblingly and hastily put on their gas masks, and stumbled on blindly down the trench.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading They all fumblingly and hastily put on their gas masks, and stumbled on blindly down the trench.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading Each took off his mask a second and gave one sniff—the air reeked with phosgene.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading Winterbourne and Evans scrambled out on to the road, and got into the edge of the village.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading Evans and Winterbourne stood at the end of the trench to help out the groping half-blinded men.
EvansnounUS /ˈevənz/
United States anatomist who identified four pituitary hormones and discovered vitamin E (1882-1971)
From this reading Winterbourne and Evans scrambled out on to the road, and got into the edge of the village.
decreasing in amount or degree
From this reading A rain of gas shells was falling on it and all around their billets—zwiing, zwiing, zwiing, zwiing, PHUT PHUT PHUT PHUT.
fumblingly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They all fumblingly and hastily put on their gas masks, and stumbled on blindly down the trench.
gasnounUS /ɡæs/
the state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states by: relatively low density and viscosity
From this reading They all fumblingly and hastily put on their gas masks, and stumbled on blindly down the trench.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Each took off his mask a second and gave one sniff—the air reeked with phosgene.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Winterbourne and Evans scrambled out on to the road, and got into the edge of the village.
gropingadjectiveUS /ˈɡroʊpɪŋ/
acting with uncertainty or hesitance or lack of confidence
From this reading Evans and Winterbourne stood at the end of the trench to help out the groping half-blinded men.
half-blinded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Evans and Winterbourne stood at the end of the trench to help out the groping half-blinded men.
in a hurried or hasty manner
From this reading They all fumblingly and hastily put on their gas masks, and stumbled on blindly down the trench.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading Evans and Winterbourne stood at the end of the trench to help out the groping half-blinded men.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Each took off his mask a second and gave one sniff—the air reeked with phosgene.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Winterbourne and Evans scrambled out on to the road, and got into the edge of the village.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading A rain of gas shells was falling on it and all around their billets—zwiing, zwiing, zwiing, zwiing, PHUT PHUT PHUT PHUT.
maskverbUS /mæsk/
hide under a false appearance
From this reading Each took off his mask a second and gave one sniff—the air reeked with phosgene.
masksnounUS /mæsks/
plural of “mask” — a covering to disguise or conceal the face
From this reading They all fumblingly and hastily put on their gas masks, and stumbled on blindly down the trench.
the force of workers available
From this reading Evans and Winterbourne stood at the end of the trench to help out the groping half-blinded men.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Winterbourne and Evans scrambled out on to the road, and got into the edge of the village.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Each took off his mask a second and gave one sniff—the air reeked with phosgene.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading They all fumblingly and hastily put on their gas masks, and stumbled on blindly down the trench.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Each took off his mask a second and gave one sniff—the air reeked with phosgene.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Winterbourne and Evans scrambled out on to the road, and got into the edge of the village.
phosgenenoun
a colorless poisonous gas that smells like new-mown hay; used in chemical warfare
From this reading Each took off his mask a second and gave one sniff—the air reeked with phosgene.
PHUT
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A rain of gas shells was falling on it and all around their billets—zwiing, zwiing, zwiing, zwiing, PHUT PHUT PHUT PHUT.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading They all fumblingly and hastily put on their gas masks, and stumbled on blindly down the trench.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading A rain of gas shells was falling on it and all around their billets—zwiing, zwiing, zwiing, zwiing, PHUT PHUT PHUT PHUT.
reeked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Each took off his mask a second and gave one sniff—the air reeked with phosgene.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading Winterbourne and Evans scrambled out on to the road, and got into the edge of the village.
scrambledadjectiveUS /ˈskræmbəld/
thrown together in a disorderly fashion
From this reading Winterbourne and Evans scrambled out on to the road, and got into the edge of the village.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading Each took off his mask a second and gave one sniff—the air reeked with phosgene.
shellsnounUS /ʃelz/
plural of “shell” — ammunition consisting of a cylindrical metal casing containing an explosive charge and a projectile; fired from a large gun
From this reading A rain of gas shells was falling on it and all around their billets—zwiing, zwiing, zwiing, zwiing, PHUT PHUT PHUT PHUT.
sniffverbUS /snɪf/
perceive by inhaling through the nose
From this reading Each took off his mask a second and gave one sniff—the air reeked with phosgene.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Evans and Winterbourne stood at the end of the trench to help out the groping half-blinded men.
stumbledverbUS /ˈstʌmbəld/
past form of “stumble” — walk unsteadily
From this reading They all fumblingly and hastily put on their gas masks, and stumbled on blindly down the trench.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading They all fumblingly and hastily put on their gas masks, and stumbled on blindly down the trench.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They all fumblingly and hastily put on their gas masks, and stumbled on blindly down the trench.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They all fumblingly and hastily put on their gas masks, and stumbled on blindly down the trench.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Winterbourne and Evans scrambled out on to the road, and got into the edge of the village.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Each took off his mask a second and gave one sniff—the air reeked with phosgene.
trenchnounUS /trentʃ/
a ditch dug as a fortification having a parapet of the excavated earth
From this reading They all fumblingly and hastily put on their gas masks, and stumbled on blindly down the trench.
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading Winterbourne and Evans scrambled out on to the road, and got into the edge of the village.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A rain of gas shells was falling on it and all around their billets—zwiing, zwiing, zwiing, zwiing, PHUT PHUT PHUT PHUT.
Winterbourne
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Winterbourne and Evans scrambled out on to the road, and got into the edge of the village.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Each took off his mask a second and gave one sniff—the air reeked with phosgene.
zwiing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A rain of gas shells was falling on it and all around their billets—zwiing, zwiing, zwiing, zwiing, PHUT PHUT PHUT PHUT.
