used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The forest was pervaded by a silence so deep and oppressive that the two boys, waiting for Toma’s mysterious call, could hear the thumping of their own hearts.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE MYSTERIOUS POKE Dick and Sandy waited breathlessly.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading The forest was pervaded by a silence so deep and oppressive that the two boys, waiting for Toma’s mysterious call, could hear the thumping of their own hearts.
breathlesslyadverbUS /ˈbreθləsli/
in a breathless manner
From this reading THE MYSTERIOUS POKE Dick and Sandy waited breathlessly.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The forest was pervaded by a silence so deep and oppressive that the two boys, waiting for Toma’s mysterious call, could hear the thumping of their own hearts.
small room on a ship or boat where people sleep
From this reading They had crept forward through the dense thicket to a point where, though still concealed themselves, they could see the cabin plainly.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading The forest was pervaded by a silence so deep and oppressive that the two boys, waiting for Toma’s mysterious call, could hear the thumping of their own hearts.
without doubt or question
From this reading In the sombre northern twilight its every detail stood clearly revealed—the low, grass-grown sod roof, the tiny window and the crude, rough door.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Thus far, no sound had come to them.
not accessible to view
From this reading They had crept forward through the dense thicket to a point where, though still concealed themselves, they could see the cabin plainly.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The forest was pervaded by a silence so deep and oppressive that the two boys, waiting for Toma’s mysterious call, could hear the thumping of their own hearts.
inflected form of “creep” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading They had crept forward through the dense thicket to a point where, though still concealed themselves, they could see the cabin plainly.
crudeadjectiveUS /kruːd/
not carefully or expertly made
From this reading In the sombre northern twilight its every detail stood clearly revealed—the low, grass-grown sod roof, the tiny window and the crude, rough door.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading The forest was pervaded by a silence so deep and oppressive that the two boys, waiting for Toma’s mysterious call, could hear the thumping of their own hearts.
denseadjectiveUS /dens/
permitting little if any light to pass through because of denseness of matter
From this reading They had crept forward through the dense thicket to a point where, though still concealed themselves, they could see the cabin plainly.
detailnounUS /dɪˈteɪl/
an isolated fact that is considered separately from the whole
From this reading In the sombre northern twilight its every detail stood clearly revealed—the low, grass-grown sod roof, the tiny window and the crude, rough door.
someone who is a detective
From this reading THE MYSTERIOUS POKE Dick and Sandy waited breathlessly.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading In the sombre northern twilight its every detail stood clearly revealed—the low, grass-grown sod roof, the tiny window and the crude, rough door.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading In the sombre northern twilight its every detail stood clearly revealed—the low, grass-grown sod roof, the tiny window and the crude, rough door.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading Thus far, no sound had come to them.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The forest was pervaded by a silence so deep and oppressive that the two boys, waiting for Toma’s mysterious call, could hear the thumping of their own hearts.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading The forest was pervaded by a silence so deep and oppressive that the two boys, waiting for Toma’s mysterious call, could hear the thumping of their own hearts.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading They had crept forward through the dense thicket to a point where, though still concealed themselves, they could see the cabin plainly.
grass-grown
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the sombre northern twilight its every detail stood clearly revealed—the low, grass-grown sod roof, the tiny window and the crude, rough door.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Thus far, no sound had come to them.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading The forest was pervaded by a silence so deep and oppressive that the two boys, waiting for Toma’s mysterious call, could hear the thumping of their own hearts.
a form of whist in which players avoid winning tricks containing hearts or the queen of spades
From this reading The forest was pervaded by a silence so deep and oppressive that the two boys, waiting for Toma’s mysterious call, could hear the thumping of their own hearts.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the sombre northern twilight its every detail stood clearly revealed—the low, grass-grown sod roof, the tiny window and the crude, rough door.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading In the sombre northern twilight its every detail stood clearly revealed—the low, grass-grown sod roof, the tiny window and the crude, rough door.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading In the sombre northern twilight its every detail stood clearly revealed—the low, grass-grown sod roof, the tiny window and the crude, rough door.
of an obscure nature
From this reading THE MYSTERIOUS POKE Dick and Sandy waited breathlessly.
not any; not one
From this reading Thus far, no sound had come to them.
in or characteristic of a region of the United States north of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading In the sombre northern twilight its every detail stood clearly revealed—the low, grass-grown sod roof, the tiny window and the crude, rough door.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The forest was pervaded by a silence so deep and oppressive that the two boys, waiting for Toma’s mysterious call, could hear the thumping of their own hearts.
oppressiveadjectiveUS /əˈpresɪv/
weighing heavily on the senses or spirit
From this reading The forest was pervaded by a silence so deep and oppressive that the two boys, waiting for Toma’s mysterious call, could hear the thumping of their own hearts.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading The forest was pervaded by a silence so deep and oppressive that the two boys, waiting for Toma’s mysterious call, could hear the thumping of their own hearts.
pervadedverbUS /pərˈveɪdɪd/
past form of “pervade” — spread or diffuse through
From this reading The forest was pervaded by a silence so deep and oppressive that the two boys, waiting for Toma’s mysterious call, could hear the thumping of their own hearts.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading They had crept forward through the dense thicket to a point where, though still concealed themselves, they could see the cabin plainly.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading They had crept forward through the dense thicket to a point where, though still concealed themselves, they could see the cabin plainly.
POKEverbUS /poʊk/
poke or thrust abruptly
From this reading THE MYSTERIOUS POKE Dick and Sandy waited breathlessly.
past form of “reveal” — make visible
From this reading In the sombre northern twilight its every detail stood clearly revealed—the low, grass-grown sod roof, the tiny window and the crude, rough door.
a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
From this reading In the sombre northern twilight its every detail stood clearly revealed—the low, grass-grown sod roof, the tiny window and the crude, rough door.
having or caused by an irregular surface
From this reading In the sombre northern twilight its every detail stood clearly revealed—the low, grass-grown sod roof, the tiny window and the crude, rough door.
SandyadjectiveUS /ˈsændi/
of hair color; pale yellowish to yellowish brown
From this reading THE MYSTERIOUS POKE Dick and Sandy waited breathlessly.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading They had crept forward through the dense thicket to a point where, though still concealed themselves, they could see the cabin plainly.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading The forest was pervaded by a silence so deep and oppressive that the two boys, waiting for Toma’s mysterious call, could hear the thumping of their own hearts.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The forest was pervaded by a silence so deep and oppressive that the two boys, waiting for Toma’s mysterious call, could hear the thumping of their own hearts.
sodnounUS /sɑːd/
surface layer of ground containing a mat of grass and grass roots
From this reading In the sombre northern twilight its every detail stood clearly revealed—the low, grass-grown sod roof, the tiny window and the crude, rough door.
sombreadjective
lacking brightness or color; dull
From this reading In the sombre northern twilight its every detail stood clearly revealed—the low, grass-grown sod roof, the tiny window and the crude, rough door.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading Thus far, no sound had come to them.
not in physical motion
From this reading They had crept forward through the dense thicket to a point where, though still concealed themselves, they could see the cabin plainly.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading In the sombre northern twilight its every detail stood clearly revealed—the low, grass-grown sod roof, the tiny window and the crude, rough door.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The forest was pervaded by a silence so deep and oppressive that the two boys, waiting for Toma’s mysterious call, could hear the thumping of their own hearts.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE MYSTERIOUS POKE Dick and Sandy waited breathlessly.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The forest was pervaded by a silence so deep and oppressive that the two boys, waiting for Toma’s mysterious call, could hear the thumping of their own hearts.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Thus far, no sound had come to them.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading They had crept forward through the dense thicket to a point where, though still concealed themselves, they could see the cabin plainly.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had crept forward through the dense thicket to a point where, though still concealed themselves, they could see the cabin plainly.
thicketnounUS /ˈθɪkɪt/
a dense growth of bushes
From this reading They had crept forward through the dense thicket to a point where, though still concealed themselves, they could see the cabin plainly.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading They had crept forward through the dense thicket to a point where, though still concealed themselves, they could see the cabin plainly.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading They had crept forward through the dense thicket to a point where, though still concealed themselves, they could see the cabin plainly.
thumpingnounUS /ˈθʌmpɪŋ/
a heavy dull sound (as made by impact of heavy objects)
From this reading The forest was pervaded by a silence so deep and oppressive that the two boys, waiting for Toma’s mysterious call, could hear the thumping of their own hearts.
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading Thus far, no sound had come to them.
very small
From this reading In the sombre northern twilight its every detail stood clearly revealed—the low, grass-grown sod roof, the tiny window and the crude, rough door.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Thus far, no sound had come to them.
Toma's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The forest was pervaded by a silence so deep and oppressive that the two boys, waiting for Toma’s mysterious call, could hear the thumping of their own hearts.
twilightnounUS /ˈtwaɪlaɪt/
the time of day immediately following sunset
From this reading In the sombre northern twilight its every detail stood clearly revealed—the low, grass-grown sod roof, the tiny window and the crude, rough door.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The forest was pervaded by a silence so deep and oppressive that the two boys, waiting for Toma’s mysterious call, could hear the thumping of their own hearts.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading THE MYSTERIOUS POKE Dick and Sandy waited breathlessly.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading The forest was pervaded by a silence so deep and oppressive that the two boys, waiting for Toma’s mysterious call, could hear the thumping of their own hearts.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The forest was pervaded by a silence so deep and oppressive that the two boys, waiting for Toma’s mysterious call, could hear the thumping of their own hearts.
in or at the place that
From this reading They had crept forward through the dense thicket to a point where, though still concealed themselves, they could see the cabin plainly.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading In the sombre northern twilight its every detail stood clearly revealed—the low, grass-grown sod roof, the tiny window and the crude, rough door.
