used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading But a change was close at hand.
(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 The whole thing had struck him so suddenly that he had scarcely time to realize what it all meant when he was in the lake, half crushed in the sinuous folds of that awful neck.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading But a change was close at hand.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
awfuladjectiveUS /ˈɑːfəl/
exceptionally bad or displeasing
From this reading The whole thing had struck him so suddenly that he had scarcely time to realize what it all meant when he was in the lake, half crushed in the sinuous folds of that awful neck.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading Dr. Dan’s second bullet struck the monster on the neck, just below the head.
blanketnounUS /ˈblæŋkət/
bedding that keeps a person warm in bed
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
boanounUS /ˈboʊə/
a long thin fluffy scarf of feathers or fur
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
bulletnounUS /ˈbʊlət/
a projectile that is fired from a gun
From this reading Dr. Dan’s second bullet struck the monster on the neck, just below the head.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But a change was close at hand.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading But a change was close at hand.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading But a change was close at hand.
constrictor's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
crushedadjectiveUS /krʌʃt/
treated so as to have a permanently wrinkled appearance
From this reading The whole thing had struck him so suddenly that he had scarcely time to realize what it all meant when he was in the lake, half crushed in the sinuous folds of that awful neck.
damagenounUS /ˈdæmədʒ/
the occurrence of a change for the worse
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
Dan's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dr. Dan’s second bullet struck the monster on the neck, just below the head.
dearly loved
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
someone who is a detective
From this reading Dick gave himself up for lost.
Dick'snounUS /dɪks/
possessive form of “dick” — someone who is a detective
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
Dr
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dr. Dan’s second bullet struck the monster on the neck, just below the head.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
foldsnounUS /foʊldz/
plural of “fold” — an angular or rounded shape made by folding
From this reading The whole thing had struck him so suddenly that he had scarcely time to realize what it all meant when he was in the lake, half crushed in the sinuous folds of that awful neck.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Dick gave himself up for lost.
set up or found
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Dick gave himself up for lost.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The whole thing had struck him so suddenly that he had scarcely time to realize what it all meant when he was in the lake, half crushed in the sinuous folds of that awful neck.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading The whole thing had struck him so suddenly that he had scarcely time to realize what it all meant when he was in the lake, half crushed in the sinuous folds of that awful neck.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading But a change was close at hand.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The whole thing had struck him so suddenly that he had scarcely time to realize what it all meant when he was in the lake, half crushed in the sinuous folds of that awful neck.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Dr. Dan’s second bullet struck the monster on the neck, just below the head.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The whole thing had struck him so suddenly that he had scarcely time to realize what it all meant when he was in the lake, half crushed in the sinuous folds of that awful neck.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Dick gave himself up for lost.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The whole thing had struck him so suddenly that he had scarcely time to realize what it all meant when he was in the lake, half crushed in the sinuous folds of that awful neck.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The whole thing had struck him so suddenly that he had scarcely time to realize what it all meant when he was in the lake, half crushed in the sinuous folds of that awful neck.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
and nothing more
From this reading Dr. Dan’s second bullet struck the monster on the neck, just below the head.
a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land
From this reading The whole thing had struck him so suddenly that he had scarcely time to realize what it all meant when he was in the lake, half crushed in the sinuous folds of that awful neck.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading Dick gave himself up for lost.
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading The whole thing had struck him so suddenly that he had scarcely time to realize what it all meant when he was in the lake, half crushed in the sinuous folds of that awful neck.
monsternounUS /ˈmɑːnstər/
an imaginary creature usually having various human and animal parts
From this reading Dr. Dan’s second bullet struck the monster on the neck, just below the head.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body
From this reading The whole thing had struck him so suddenly that he had scarcely time to realize what it all meant when he was in the lake, half crushed in the sinuous folds of that awful neck.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The whole thing had struck him so suddenly that he had scarcely time to realize what it all meant when he was in the lake, half crushed in the sinuous folds of that awful neck.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Dr. Dan’s second bullet struck the monster on the neck, just below the head.
a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
Plesiosaurusnoun
extinct marine reptile with a small head on a long neck a short tail and four paddle-shaped limbs; of the Jurassic and Cretaceous
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
be fully aware or cognizant of
From this reading The whole thing had struck him so suddenly that he had scarcely time to realize what it all meant when he was in the lake, half crushed in the sinuous folds of that awful neck.
express in words
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
only a very short time before
From this reading The whole thing had struck him so suddenly that he had scarcely time to realize what it all meant when he was in the lake, half crushed in the sinuous folds of that awful neck.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading Dr. Dan’s second bullet struck the monster on the neck, just below the head.
shirtnounUS /ʃɜːrt/
a garment worn on the upper half of the body
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
sinuousadjectiveUS /ˈsɪnwəs/
curved or curving in and out
From this reading The whole thing had struck him so suddenly that he had scarcely time to realize what it all meant when he was in the lake, half crushed in the sinuous folds of that awful neck.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The whole thing had struck him so suddenly that he had scarcely time to realize what it all meant when he was in the lake, half crushed in the sinuous folds of that awful neck.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
stockingnounUS /ˈstɑːkɪŋ/
close-fitting hosiery to cover the foot and leg; come in matched pairs (usually used in the plural)
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading The whole thing had struck him so suddenly that he had scarcely time to realize what it all meant when he was in the lake, half crushed in the sinuous folds of that awful neck.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading The whole thing had struck him so suddenly that he had scarcely time to realize what it all meant when he was in the lake, half crushed in the sinuous folds of that awful neck.
swamverbUS /swæm/
inflected form of “swim” — travel through water
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The whole thing had struck him so suddenly that he had scarcely time to realize what it all meant when he was in the lake, half crushed in the sinuous folds of that awful neck.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The whole thing had struck him so suddenly that he had scarcely time to realize what it all meant when he was in the lake, half crushed in the sinuous folds of that awful neck.
a special situation
From this reading The whole thing had struck him so suddenly that he had scarcely time to realize what it all meant when he was in the lake, half crushed in the sinuous folds of that awful neck.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The whole thing had struck him so suddenly that he had scarcely time to realize what it all meant when he was in the lake, half crushed in the sinuous folds of that awful neck.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The whole thing had struck him so suddenly that he had scarcely time to realize what it all meant when he was in the lake, half crushed in the sinuous folds of that awful neck.
trousersnounUS /ˈtraʊzərz/
(usually in the plural) a garment extending from the waist to the knee or ankle, covering each leg separately
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
twistingnounUS /ˈtwɪstɪŋ/
the act of distorting something so it seems to mean something it was not intended to mean
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
unwoundverbUS /ənˈwaʊnd/
inflected form of “unwind” — reverse the winding or twisting of
From this reading What damage it did it is impossible to say, but it must have caused the creature some pain, for it instantly unwound itself from Dick’s body, the neck twisting and turning like a boa constrictor’s; all in an instant Dick found himself free, for the blanket was unwound by the twisting of the Plesiosaurus and Dick, in his shirt and trousers and stocking feet, swam away for dear life.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Dick gave himself up for lost.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The whole thing had struck him so suddenly that he had scarcely time to realize what it all meant when he was in the lake, half crushed in the sinuous folds of that awful neck.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading The whole thing had struck him so suddenly that he had scarcely time to realize what it all meant when he was in the lake, half crushed in the sinuous folds of that awful neck.
at the time that
From this reading The whole thing had struck him so suddenly that he had scarcely time to realize what it all meant when he was in the lake, half crushed in the sinuous folds of that awful neck.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading The whole thing had struck him so suddenly that he had scarcely time to realize what it all meant when he was in the lake, half crushed in the sinuous folds of that awful neck.
