used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading WHITE LOTUS He was swarming up, quiet as a thief, when his fingers clawed the bare plaster.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading The ladder hung from the square end of a protruding beam, above which there were no more rungs.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He chuckled, reached for it, and fingering the rough edge to avoid loose tiles, hauled himself up to a foothold on the beam, and so, flinging out his arms and hooking one knee, scrambled over and lay on a ribbed and mossy surface, under the friendly stars.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading He chuckled, reached for it, and fingering the rough edge to avoid loose tiles, hauled himself up to a foothold on the beam, and so, flinging out his arms and hooking one knee, scrambled over and lay on a ribbed and mossy surface, under the friendly stars.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading WHITE LOTUS He was swarming up, quiet as a thief, when his fingers clawed the bare plaster.
stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something
From this reading He chuckled, reached for it, and fingering the rough edge to avoid loose tiles, hauled himself up to a foothold on the beam, and so, flinging out his arms and hooking one knee, scrambled over and lay on a ribbed and mossy surface, under the friendly stars.
completely unclothed
From this reading WHITE LOTUS He was swarming up, quiet as a thief, when his fingers clawed the bare plaster.
beamnounUS /biːm/
a signal transmitted along a narrow path; guides airplane pilots in darkness or bad weather
From this reading The ladder hung from the square end of a protruding beam, above which there were no more rungs.
blackeradjectiveUS /ˈblækər/
comparative of “black” — being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading Then, to his great relief, something blacker than the starlight gathered into form over his head,--a slanting bulk, which gradually took on a familiar meaning.
bulknounUS /bʌlk/
the property resulting from being or relating to the greater in number of two parts; the main part
From this reading Then, to his great relief, something blacker than the starlight gathered into form over his head,--a slanting bulk, which gradually took on a familiar meaning.
chuckledverbUS /ˈtʃʌkəld/
past form of “chuckle” — laugh quietly or with restraint
From this reading He chuckled, reached for it, and fingering the rough edge to avoid loose tiles, hauled himself up to a foothold on the beam, and so, flinging out his arms and hooking one knee, scrambled over and lay on a ribbed and mossy surface, under the friendly stars.
clawedadjectiveUS /klɔːd/
having or resembling a claw or claws; often used as a combining form
From this reading WHITE LOTUS He was swarming up, quiet as a thief, when his fingers clawed the bare plaster.
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading He hung in doubt.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading He chuckled, reached for it, and fingering the rough edge to avoid loose tiles, hauled himself up to a foothold on the beam, and so, flinging out his arms and hooking one knee, scrambled over and lay on a ribbed and mossy surface, under the friendly stars.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading The ladder hung from the square end of a protruding beam, above which there were no more rungs.
well known or easily recognized
From this reading Then, to his great relief, something blacker than the starlight gathered into form over his head,--a slanting bulk, which gradually took on a familiar meaning.
fingeringnounUS /ˈfɪŋɡərɪŋ/
the placement of the fingers for playing different notes (or sequences of notes) on a musical instrument
From this reading He chuckled, reached for it, and fingering the rough edge to avoid loose tiles, hauled himself up to a foothold on the beam, and so, flinging out his arms and hooking one knee, scrambled over and lay on a ribbed and mossy surface, under the friendly stars.
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading WHITE LOTUS He was swarming up, quiet as a thief, when his fingers clawed the bare plaster.
flingingverbUS /ˈflɪŋɪŋ/
-ing form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness
From this reading He chuckled, reached for it, and fingering the rough edge to avoid loose tiles, hauled himself up to a foothold on the beam, and so, flinging out his arms and hooking one knee, scrambled over and lay on a ribbed and mossy surface, under the friendly stars.
footholdnounUS /ˈfʊthoʊld/
an area in hostile territory that has been captured and is held awaiting further troops and supplies
From this reading He chuckled, reached for it, and fingering the rough edge to avoid loose tiles, hauled himself up to a foothold on the beam, and so, flinging out his arms and hooking one knee, scrambled over and lay on a ribbed and mossy surface, under the friendly stars.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He chuckled, reached for it, and fingering the rough edge to avoid loose tiles, hauled himself up to a foothold on the beam, and so, flinging out his arms and hooking one knee, scrambled over and lay on a ribbed and mossy surface, under the friendly stars.
the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading Then, to his great relief, something blacker than the starlight gathered into form over his head,--a slanting bulk, which gradually took on a familiar meaning.
characteristic of or befitting a friend
From this reading He chuckled, reached for it, and fingering the rough edge to avoid loose tiles, hauled himself up to a foothold on the beam, and so, flinging out his arms and hooking one knee, scrambled over and lay on a ribbed and mossy surface, under the friendly stars.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The ladder hung from the square end of a protruding beam, above which there were no more rungs.
brought together in one place
From this reading Then, to his great relief, something blacker than the starlight gathered into form over his head,--a slanting bulk, which gradually took on a familiar meaning.
in a gradual manner
From this reading Then, to his great relief, something blacker than the starlight gathered into form over his head,--a slanting bulk, which gradually took on a familiar meaning.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Then, to his great relief, something blacker than the starlight gathered into form over his head,--a slanting bulk, which gradually took on a familiar meaning.
hauledverbUS /hɔːld/
past form of “haul” — draw slowly or heavily
From this reading He chuckled, reached for it, and fingering the rough edge to avoid loose tiles, hauled himself up to a foothold on the beam, and so, flinging out his arms and hooking one knee, scrambled over and lay on a ribbed and mossy surface, under the friendly stars.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading WHITE LOTUS He was swarming up, quiet as a thief, when his fingers clawed the bare plaster.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Then, to his great relief, something blacker than the starlight gathered into form over his head,--a slanting bulk, which gradually took on a familiar meaning.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He chuckled, reached for it, and fingering the rough edge to avoid loose tiles, hauled himself up to a foothold on the beam, and so, flinging out his arms and hooking one knee, scrambled over and lay on a ribbed and mossy surface, under the friendly stars.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading WHITE LOTUS He was swarming up, quiet as a thief, when his fingers clawed the bare plaster.
hookingnounUS /ˈhʊkɪŋ/
a golf shot that curves to the left for a right-handed golfer
From this reading He chuckled, reached for it, and fingering the rough edge to avoid loose tiles, hauled himself up to a foothold on the beam, and so, flinging out his arms and hooking one knee, scrambled over and lay on a ribbed and mossy surface, under the friendly stars.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading The ladder hung from the square end of a protruding beam, above which there were no more rungs.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He hung in doubt.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Then, to his great relief, something blacker than the starlight gathered into form over his head,--a slanting bulk, which gradually took on a familiar meaning.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He chuckled, reached for it, and fingering the rough edge to avoid loose tiles, hauled himself up to a foothold on the beam, and so, flinging out his arms and hooking one knee, scrambled over and lay on a ribbed and mossy surface, under the friendly stars.
hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella
From this reading He chuckled, reached for it, and fingering the rough edge to avoid loose tiles, hauled himself up to a foothold on the beam, and so, flinging out his arms and hooking one knee, scrambled over and lay on a ribbed and mossy surface, under the friendly stars.
laddernounUS /ˈlædər/
steps consisting of two parallel members connected by rungs; for climbing up or down
From this reading The ladder hung from the square end of a protruding beam, above which there were no more rungs.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading He chuckled, reached for it, and fingering the rough edge to avoid loose tiles, hauled himself up to a foothold on the beam, and so, flinging out his arms and hooking one knee, scrambled over and lay on a ribbed and mossy surface, under the friendly stars.
not compact or dense in structure or arrangement
From this reading He chuckled, reached for it, and fingering the rough edge to avoid loose tiles, hauled himself up to a foothold on the beam, and so, flinging out his arms and hooking one knee, scrambled over and lay on a ribbed and mossy surface, under the friendly stars.
LOTUSnounUS /ˈloʊtəs/
native to eastern Asia; widely cultivated for its large pink or white flowers
From this reading WHITE LOTUS He was swarming up, quiet as a thief, when his fingers clawed the bare plaster.
the message that is intended or expressed or signified
From this reading Then, to his great relief, something blacker than the starlight gathered into form over his head,--a slanting bulk, which gradually took on a familiar meaning.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The ladder hung from the square end of a protruding beam, above which there were no more rungs.
mossyadjectiveUS /ˈmɔːsi/
overgrown with moss
From this reading He chuckled, reached for it, and fingering the rough edge to avoid loose tiles, hauled himself up to a foothold on the beam, and so, flinging out his arms and hooking one knee, scrambled over and lay on a ribbed and mossy surface, under the friendly stars.
not any; not one
From this reading The ladder hung from the square end of a protruding beam, above which there were no more rungs.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The ladder hung from the square end of a protruding beam, above which there were no more rungs.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Then, to his great relief, something blacker than the starlight gathered into form over his head,--a slanting bulk, which gradually took on a familiar meaning.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He chuckled, reached for it, and fingering the rough edge to avoid loose tiles, hauled himself up to a foothold on the beam, and so, flinging out his arms and hooking one knee, scrambled over and lay on a ribbed and mossy surface, under the friendly stars.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He chuckled, reached for it, and fingering the rough edge to avoid loose tiles, hauled himself up to a foothold on the beam, and so, flinging out his arms and hooking one knee, scrambled over and lay on a ribbed and mossy surface, under the friendly stars.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Then, to his great relief, something blacker than the starlight gathered into form over his head,--a slanting bulk, which gradually took on a familiar meaning.
plasterverbUS /ˈplæstər/
apply a heavy coat to
From this reading WHITE LOTUS He was swarming up, quiet as a thief, when his fingers clawed the bare plaster.
protrudingadjectiveUS /proʊˈtruːdɪŋ/
extending out above or beyond a surface or boundary
From this reading The ladder hung from the square end of a protruding beam, above which there were no more rungs.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading WHITE LOTUS He was swarming up, quiet as a thief, when his fingers clawed the bare plaster.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading He chuckled, reached for it, and fingering the rough edge to avoid loose tiles, hauled himself up to a foothold on the beam, and so, flinging out his arms and hooking one knee, scrambled over and lay on a ribbed and mossy surface, under the friendly stars.
the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced
From this reading Then, to his great relief, something blacker than the starlight gathered into form over his head,--a slanting bulk, which gradually took on a familiar meaning.
ribbedadjectiveUS /rɪbd/
furnished or strengthened with ribs
From this reading He chuckled, reached for it, and fingering the rough edge to avoid loose tiles, hauled himself up to a foothold on the beam, and so, flinging out his arms and hooking one knee, scrambled over and lay on a ribbed and mossy surface, under the friendly stars.
having or caused by an irregular surface
From this reading He chuckled, reached for it, and fingering the rough edge to avoid loose tiles, hauled himself up to a foothold on the beam, and so, flinging out his arms and hooking one knee, scrambled over and lay on a ribbed and mossy surface, under the friendly stars.
rungsnounUS /rʌŋz/
plural of “rung” — a crosspiece between the legs of a chair
From this reading The ladder hung from the square end of a protruding beam, above which there were no more rungs.
scrambledadjectiveUS /ˈskræmbəld/
thrown together in a disorderly fashion
From this reading He chuckled, reached for it, and fingering the rough edge to avoid loose tiles, hauled himself up to a foothold on the beam, and so, flinging out his arms and hooking one knee, scrambled over and lay on a ribbed and mossy surface, under the friendly stars.
slantingadjectiveUS /ˈslæntɪŋ/
having an oblique or slanted direction
From this reading Then, to his great relief, something blacker than the starlight gathered into form over his head,--a slanting bulk, which gradually took on a familiar meaning.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He chuckled, reached for it, and fingering the rough edge to avoid loose tiles, hauled himself up to a foothold on the beam, and so, flinging out his arms and hooking one knee, scrambled over and lay on a ribbed and mossy surface, under the friendly stars.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Then, to his great relief, something blacker than the starlight gathered into form over his head,--a slanting bulk, which gradually took on a familiar meaning.
make square
From this reading The ladder hung from the square end of a protruding beam, above which there were no more rungs.
starlightnounUS /ˈstɑːrlaɪt/
the light of the stars
From this reading Then, to his great relief, something blacker than the starlight gathered into form over his head,--a slanting bulk, which gradually took on a familiar meaning.
plural of “star” — (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading He chuckled, reached for it, and fingering the rough edge to avoid loose tiles, hauled himself up to a foothold on the beam, and so, flinging out his arms and hooking one knee, scrambled over and lay on a ribbed and mossy surface, under the friendly stars.
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary
From this reading He chuckled, reached for it, and fingering the rough edge to avoid loose tiles, hauled himself up to a foothold on the beam, and so, flinging out his arms and hooking one knee, scrambled over and lay on a ribbed and mossy surface, under the friendly stars.
swarmingverbUS /ˈswɔːrmɪŋ/
-ing form of “swarm” — be teeming, be abuzz
From this reading WHITE LOTUS He was swarming up, quiet as a thief, when his fingers clawed the bare plaster.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Then, to his great relief, something blacker than the starlight gathered into form over his head,--a slanting bulk, which gradually took on a familiar meaning.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading WHITE LOTUS He was swarming up, quiet as a thief, when his fingers clawed the bare plaster.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then, to his great relief, something blacker than the starlight gathered into form over his head,--a slanting bulk, which gradually took on a familiar meaning.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The ladder hung from the square end of a protruding beam, above which there were no more rungs.
thiefnounUS /θiːf/
a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it
From this reading WHITE LOTUS He was swarming up, quiet as a thief, when his fingers clawed the bare plaster.
tilesnounUS /taɪlz/
plural of “tile” — a flat thin rectangular slab (as of fired clay or rubber or linoleum) used to cover surfaces
From this reading He chuckled, reached for it, and fingering the rough edge to avoid loose tiles, hauled himself up to a foothold on the beam, and so, flinging out his arms and hooking one knee, scrambled over and lay on a ribbed and mossy surface, under the friendly stars.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Then, to his great relief, something blacker than the starlight gathered into form over his head,--a slanting bulk, which gradually took on a familiar meaning.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Then, to his great relief, something blacker than the starlight gathered into form over his head,--a slanting bulk, which gradually took on a familiar meaning.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading He chuckled, reached for it, and fingering the rough edge to avoid loose tiles, hauled himself up to a foothold on the beam, and so, flinging out his arms and hooking one knee, scrambled over and lay on a ribbed and mossy surface, under the friendly stars.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading WHITE LOTUS He was swarming up, quiet as a thief, when his fingers clawed the bare plaster.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading WHITE LOTUS He was swarming up, quiet as a thief, when his fingers clawed the bare plaster.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The ladder hung from the square end of a protruding beam, above which there were no more rungs.
at the time that
From this reading WHITE LOTUS He was swarming up, quiet as a thief, when his fingers clawed the bare plaster.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The ladder hung from the square end of a protruding beam, above which there were no more rungs.
a Caucasian
From this reading WHITE LOTUS He was swarming up, quiet as a thief, when his fingers clawed the bare plaster.
