used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There was a chain of brilliant green-white balls of light, like so many bursting sky-rockets, that stretched from horizon to black horizon across his world.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading The noise above them was so mighty a roar that Trace was deafened, and his head hummed and rang intolerably.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading There was a chain of brilliant green-white balls of light, like so many bursting sky-rockets, that stretched from horizon to black horizon across his world.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading He thought of the shards of metal, the evil whistling splinters and hunks of meteoring death that would rain out of the sky after such a multiple explosion, and he buried his face in Jane's soft hair, trying desperately to cover her whole body with his own.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He gazed up, and saw the great rack of clouds torn and dispersed by the force of the blast.
ballsnounUS /bɔːlz/
plural of “ball” — round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games
From this reading There was a chain of brilliant green-white balls of light, like so many bursting sky-rockets, that stretched from horizon to black horizon across his world.
Barbara
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Trace flung himself on the ground, sheltering Jane; he felt rather than saw that Bill had done the same with Barbara.
a statute in draft before it becomes law
From this reading Trace flung himself on the ground, sheltering Jane; he felt rather than saw that Bill had done the same with Barbara.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading There was a chain of brilliant green-white balls of light, like so many bursting sky-rockets, that stretched from horizon to black horizon across his world.
blastverbUS /blæst/
make a strident sound
From this reading He gazed up, and saw the great rack of clouds torn and dispersed by the force of the blast.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading He thought of the shards of metal, the evil whistling splinters and hunks of meteoring death that would rain out of the sky after such a multiple explosion, and he buried his face in Jane's soft hair, trying desperately to cover her whole body with his own.
of surpassing excellence
From this reading There was a chain of brilliant green-white balls of light, like so many bursting sky-rockets, that stretched from horizon to black horizon across his world.
placed in a grave
From this reading He thought of the shards of metal, the evil whistling splinters and hunks of meteoring death that would rain out of the sky after such a multiple explosion, and he buried his face in Jane's soft hair, trying desperately to cover her whole body with his own.
burstingverbUS /ˈbɜːrstɪŋ/
-ing form of “burst” — come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading There was a chain of brilliant green-white balls of light, like so many bursting sky-rockets, that stretched from horizon to black horizon across his world.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He gazed up, and saw the great rack of clouds torn and dispersed by the force of the blast.
a series of things depending on each other as if linked together
From this reading There was a chain of brilliant green-white balls of light, like so many bursting sky-rockets, that stretched from horizon to black horizon across his world.
plural of “cloud” — any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible
From this reading He gazed up, and saw the great rack of clouds torn and dispersed by the force of the blast.
provide with a covering or cause to be covered
From this reading He thought of the shards of metal, the evil whistling splinters and hunks of meteoring death that would rain out of the sky after such a multiple explosion, and he buried his face in Jane's soft hair, trying desperately to cover her whole body with his own.
deafenedadjective
caused to hear poorly or not at all
From this reading The noise above them was so mighty a roar that Trace was deafened, and his head hummed and rang intolerably.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading He thought of the shards of metal, the evil whistling splinters and hunks of meteoring death that would rain out of the sky after such a multiple explosion, and he buried his face in Jane's soft hair, trying desperately to cover her whole body with his own.
desperatelyadverbUS /ˈdespərətli/
with great urgency
From this reading He thought of the shards of metal, the evil whistling splinters and hunks of meteoring death that would rain out of the sky after such a multiple explosion, and he buried his face in Jane's soft hair, trying desperately to cover her whole body with his own.
dispersedadjectiveUS /dɪˈspɜːrst/
distributed or spread over a considerable extent
From this reading He gazed up, and saw the great rack of clouds torn and dispersed by the force of the blast.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading Trace flung himself on the ground, sheltering Jane; he felt rather than saw that Bill had done the same with Barbara.
morally objectionable behavior
From this reading He thought of the shards of metal, the evil whistling splinters and hunks of meteoring death that would rain out of the sky after such a multiple explosion, and he buried his face in Jane's soft hair, trying desperately to cover her whole body with his own.
explosionnounUS /ɪkˈsploʊʒən/
a violent release of energy caused by a chemical or nuclear reaction
From this reading He thought of the shards of metal, the evil whistling splinters and hunks of meteoring death that would rain out of the sky after such a multiple explosion, and he buried his face in Jane's soft hair, trying desperately to cover her whole body with his own.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading He thought of the shards of metal, the evil whistling splinters and hunks of meteoring death that would rain out of the sky after such a multiple explosion, and he buried his face in Jane's soft hair, trying desperately to cover her whole body with his own.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading Trace flung himself on the ground, sheltering Jane; he felt rather than saw that Bill had done the same with Barbara.
inflected form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness
From this reading Trace flung himself on the ground, sheltering Jane; he felt rather than saw that Bill had done the same with Barbara.
a powerful effect or influence
From this reading He gazed up, and saw the great rack of clouds torn and dispersed by the force of the blast.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading There was a chain of brilliant green-white balls of light, like so many bursting sky-rockets, that stretched from horizon to black horizon across his world.
past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading He gazed up, and saw the great rack of clouds torn and dispersed by the force of the blast.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading He gazed up, and saw the great rack of clouds torn and dispersed by the force of the blast.
green-whiteadjective
of white flowers tinged with green
From this reading There was a chain of brilliant green-white balls of light, like so many bursting sky-rockets, that stretched from horizon to black horizon across his world.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading Trace flung himself on the ground, sheltering Jane; he felt rather than saw that Bill had done the same with Barbara.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Trace flung himself on the ground, sheltering Jane; he felt rather than saw that Bill had done the same with Barbara.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading He thought of the shards of metal, the evil whistling splinters and hunks of meteoring death that would rain out of the sky after such a multiple explosion, and he buried his face in Jane's soft hair, trying desperately to cover her whole body with his own.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Trace flung himself on the ground, sheltering Jane; he felt rather than saw that Bill had done the same with Barbara.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading The noise above them was so mighty a roar that Trace was deafened, and his head hummed and rang intolerably.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading He thought of the shards of metal, the evil whistling splinters and hunks of meteoring death that would rain out of the sky after such a multiple explosion, and he buried his face in Jane's soft hair, trying desperately to cover her whole body with his own.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Trace flung himself on the ground, sheltering Jane; he felt rather than saw that Bill had done the same with Barbara.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading There was a chain of brilliant green-white balls of light, like so many bursting sky-rockets, that stretched from horizon to black horizon across his world.
the line at which the sky and Earth appear to meet
From this reading There was a chain of brilliant green-white balls of light, like so many bursting sky-rockets, that stretched from horizon to black horizon across his world.
hummed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The noise above them was so mighty a roar that Trace was deafened, and his head hummed and rang intolerably.
hunksnounUS /hʌŋks/
plural of “hunk” — a well-built sexually attractive man
From this reading He thought of the shards of metal, the evil whistling splinters and hunks of meteoring death that would rain out of the sky after such a multiple explosion, and he buried his face in Jane's soft hair, trying desperately to cover her whole body with his own.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He thought of the shards of metal, the evil whistling splinters and hunks of meteoring death that would rain out of the sky after such a multiple explosion, and he buried his face in Jane's soft hair, trying desperately to cover her whole body with his own.
intolerablyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈtɑːlərəbli/
to an unacceptable degree
From this reading The noise above them was so mighty a roar that Trace was deafened, and his head hummed and rang intolerably.
Jane
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Trace flung himself on the ground, sheltering Jane; he felt rather than saw that Bill had done the same with Barbara.
Jane's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He thought of the shards of metal, the evil whistling splinters and hunks of meteoring death that would rain out of the sky after such a multiple explosion, and he buried his face in Jane's soft hair, trying desperately to cover her whole body with his own.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading There was a chain of brilliant green-white balls of light, like so many bursting sky-rockets, that stretched from horizon to black horizon across his world.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading There was a chain of brilliant green-white balls of light, like so many bursting sky-rockets, that stretched from horizon to black horizon across his world.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading There was a chain of brilliant green-white balls of light, like so many bursting sky-rockets, that stretched from horizon to black horizon across his world.
metalnounUS /ˈmetəl/
any of several chemical elements that are usually shiny solids that conduct heat or electricity and can be formed into sheets etc.
From this reading He thought of the shards of metal, the evil whistling splinters and hunks of meteoring death that would rain out of the sky after such a multiple explosion, and he buried his face in Jane's soft hair, trying desperately to cover her whole body with his own.
meteoring
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He thought of the shards of metal, the evil whistling splinters and hunks of meteoring death that would rain out of the sky after such a multiple explosion, and he buried his face in Jane's soft hair, trying desperately to cover her whole body with his own.
having or showing great strength or force or intensity
From this reading The noise above them was so mighty a roar that Trace was deafened, and his head hummed and rang intolerably.
multipleadjectiveUS /ˈmʌltəpəl/
having or involving or consisting of more than one part or entity or individual
From this reading He thought of the shards of metal, the evil whistling splinters and hunks of meteoring death that would rain out of the sky after such a multiple explosion, and he buried his face in Jane's soft hair, trying desperately to cover her whole body with his own.
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading The noise above them was so mighty a roar that Trace was deafened, and his head hummed and rang intolerably.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He gazed up, and saw the great rack of clouds torn and dispersed by the force of the blast.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Trace flung himself on the ground, sheltering Jane; he felt rather than saw that Bill had done the same with Barbara.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He thought of the shards of metal, the evil whistling splinters and hunks of meteoring death that would rain out of the sky after such a multiple explosion, and he buried his face in Jane's soft hair, trying desperately to cover her whole body with his own.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading He thought of the shards of metal, the evil whistling splinters and hunks of meteoring death that would rain out of the sky after such a multiple explosion, and he buried his face in Jane's soft hair, trying desperately to cover her whole body with his own.
rackverbUS /ræk/
go at a rack
From this reading He gazed up, and saw the great rack of clouds torn and dispersed by the force of the blast.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading He thought of the shards of metal, the evil whistling splinters and hunks of meteoring death that would rain out of the sky after such a multiple explosion, and he buried his face in Jane's soft hair, trying desperately to cover her whole body with his own.
inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading The noise above them was so mighty a roar that Trace was deafened, and his head hummed and rang intolerably.
on the contrary
From this reading Trace flung himself on the ground, sheltering Jane; he felt rather than saw that Bill had done the same with Barbara.
make a loud noise, as of wind, water, or vehicles
From this reading The noise above them was so mighty a roar that Trace was deafened, and his head hummed and rang intolerably.
Identical; not different.
From this reading Trace flung himself on the ground, sheltering Jane; he felt rather than saw that Bill had done the same with Barbara.
cut with a saw
From this reading Trace flung himself on the ground, sheltering Jane; he felt rather than saw that Bill had done the same with Barbara.
shardsnounUS /ʃɑːrdz/
plural of “shard” — a broken piece of a brittle artifact
From this reading He thought of the shards of metal, the evil whistling splinters and hunks of meteoring death that would rain out of the sky after such a multiple explosion, and he buried his face in Jane's soft hair, trying desperately to cover her whole body with his own.
shelteringverbUS /ˈʃeltərɪŋ/
-ing form of “shelter” — provide shelter for
From this reading Trace flung himself on the ground, sheltering Jane; he felt rather than saw that Bill had done the same with Barbara.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading He thought of the shards of metal, the evil whistling splinters and hunks of meteoring death that would rain out of the sky after such a multiple explosion, and he buried his face in Jane's soft hair, trying desperately to cover her whole body with his own.
sky-rockets
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a chain of brilliant green-white balls of light, like so many bursting sky-rockets, that stretched from horizon to black horizon across his world.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading There was a chain of brilliant green-white balls of light, like so many bursting sky-rockets, that stretched from horizon to black horizon across his world.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading He thought of the shards of metal, the evil whistling splinters and hunks of meteoring death that would rain out of the sky after such a multiple explosion, and he buried his face in Jane's soft hair, trying desperately to cover her whole body with his own.
splintersnounUS /ˈsplɪntərz/
wood in small pieces or splinters
From this reading He thought of the shards of metal, the evil whistling splinters and hunks of meteoring death that would rain out of the sky after such a multiple explosion, and he buried his face in Jane's soft hair, trying desperately to cover her whole body with his own.
(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching
From this reading There was a chain of brilliant green-white balls of light, like so many bursting sky-rockets, that stretched from horizon to black horizon across his world.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading He thought of the shards of metal, the evil whistling splinters and hunks of meteoring death that would rain out of the sky after such a multiple explosion, and he buried his face in Jane's soft hair, trying desperately to cover her whole body with his own.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Trace flung himself on the ground, sheltering Jane; he felt rather than saw that Bill had done the same with Barbara.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Trace flung himself on the ground, sheltering Jane; he felt rather than saw that Bill had done the same with Barbara.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Trace flung himself on the ground, sheltering Jane; he felt rather than saw that Bill had done the same with Barbara.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The noise above them was so mighty a roar that Trace was deafened, and his head hummed and rang intolerably.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was a chain of brilliant green-white balls of light, like so many bursting sky-rockets, that stretched from horizon to black horizon across his world.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading He thought of the shards of metal, the evil whistling splinters and hunks of meteoring death that would rain out of the sky after such a multiple explosion, and he buried his face in Jane's soft hair, trying desperately to cover her whole body with his own.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There was a chain of brilliant green-white balls of light, like so many bursting sky-rockets, that stretched from horizon to black horizon across his world.
having edges that are jagged from injury
From this reading He gazed up, and saw the great rack of clouds torn and dispersed by the force of the blast.
a just detectable amount
From this reading Trace flung himself on the ground, sheltering Jane; he felt rather than saw that Bill had done the same with Barbara.
hard to endure
From this reading He thought of the shards of metal, the evil whistling splinters and hunks of meteoring death that would rain out of the sky after such a multiple explosion, and he buried his face in Jane's soft hair, trying desperately to cover her whole body with his own.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He gazed up, and saw the great rack of clouds torn and dispersed by the force of the blast.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was a chain of brilliant green-white balls of light, like so many bursting sky-rockets, that stretched from horizon to black horizon across his world.
whistlingnounUS /ˈwɪslɪŋ/
the sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam coming out of a small aperture
From this reading He thought of the shards of metal, the evil whistling splinters and hunks of meteoring death that would rain out of the sky after such a multiple explosion, and he buried his face in Jane's soft hair, trying desperately to cover her whole body with his own.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading He thought of the shards of metal, the evil whistling splinters and hunks of meteoring death that would rain out of the sky after such a multiple explosion, and he buried his face in Jane's soft hair, trying desperately to cover her whole body with his own.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Trace flung himself on the ground, sheltering Jane; he felt rather than saw that Bill had done the same with Barbara.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading There was a chain of brilliant green-white balls of light, like so many bursting sky-rockets, that stretched from horizon to black horizon across his world.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He thought of the shards of metal, the evil whistling splinters and hunks of meteoring death that would rain out of the sky after such a multiple explosion, and he buried his face in Jane's soft hair, trying desperately to cover her whole body with his own.
