used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading We left Dyke Darrel, the detective, in a critical position on the railroad track, with the roar of a freight engine in his ears.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading One more tremendous effort on the part of the detective, and he succeeded in throwing his body squarely across one of the rails.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading One more tremendous effort on the part of the detective, and he succeeded in throwing his body squarely across one of the rails.
any thing at all
From this reading In this position he hung a helpless weight, with the hoarse roar of the engine making anything but sweet music to his fainting soul.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading The rays of the rising sun touched the glittering rails as the long train swept around the bend upon doomed Dyke Darrel.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The rays of the rising sun touched the glittering rails as the long train swept around the bend upon doomed Dyke Darrel.
bendverbUS /bend/
form a curve
From this reading The rays of the rising sun touched the glittering rails as the long train swept around the bend upon doomed Dyke Darrel.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading One more tremendous effort on the part of the detective, and he succeeded in throwing his body squarely across one of the rails.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading In this position he hung a helpless weight, with the hoarse roar of the engine making anything but sweet music to his fainting soul.
criticaladjectiveUS /ˈkrɪtɪkəl/
marked by a tendency to find and call attention to errors and flaws
From this reading We left Dyke Darrel, the detective, in a critical position on the railroad track, with the roar of a freight engine in his ears.
Darrel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We left Dyke Darrel, the detective, in a critical position on the railroad track, with the roar of a freight engine in his ears.
detectivenounUS /dɪˈtektɪv/
a police officer who investigates crimes
From this reading We left Dyke Darrel, the detective, in a critical position on the railroad track, with the roar of a freight engine in his ears.
doomedadjectiveUS /duːmd/
marked for certain death
From this reading The rays of the rising sun touched the glittering rails as the long train swept around the bend upon doomed Dyke Darrel.
DykenounUS /daɪk/
(slang) offensive term for a lesbian who is noticeably masculine
From this reading We left Dyke Darrel, the detective, in a critical position on the railroad track, with the roar of a freight engine in his ears.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading We left Dyke Darrel, the detective, in a critical position on the railroad track, with the roar of a freight engine in his ears.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading One more tremendous effort on the part of the detective, and he succeeded in throwing his body squarely across one of the rails.
enginenounUS /ˈendʒən/
motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work
From this reading We left Dyke Darrel, the detective, in a critical position on the railroad track, with the roar of a freight engine in his ears.
faintingverbUS /ˈfeɪntɪŋ/
-ing form of “faint” — pass out from weakness, physical or emotional distress due to a loss of blood supply to the brain
From this reading In this position he hung a helpless weight, with the hoarse roar of the engine making anything but sweet music to his fainting soul.
freightnounUS /freɪt/
goods carried by a large vehicle
From this reading We left Dyke Darrel, the detective, in a critical position on the railroad track, with the roar of a freight engine in his ears.
glitteringadjectiveUS /ˈɡlɪtərɪŋ/
having brief brilliant points or flashes of light
From this reading The rays of the rising sun touched the glittering rails as the long train swept around the bend upon doomed Dyke Darrel.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading One more tremendous effort on the part of the detective, and he succeeded in throwing his body squarely across one of the rails.
lacking in or deprived of strength or power
From this reading In this position he hung a helpless weight, with the hoarse roar of the engine making anything but sweet music to his fainting soul.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading We left Dyke Darrel, the detective, in a critical position on the railroad track, with the roar of a freight engine in his ears.
hoarseadjectiveUS /hɔːrs/
deep and harsh sounding as if from shouting or illness or emotion
From this reading In this position he hung a helpless weight, with the hoarse roar of the engine making anything but sweet music to his fainting soul.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading In this position he hung a helpless weight, with the hoarse roar of the engine making anything but sweet music to his fainting soul.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading We left Dyke Darrel, the detective, in a critical position on the railroad track, with the roar of a freight engine in his ears.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading We left Dyke Darrel, the detective, in a critical position on the railroad track, with the roar of a freight engine in his ears.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading The rays of the rising sun touched the glittering rails as the long train swept around the bend upon doomed Dyke Darrel.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading In this position he hung a helpless weight, with the hoarse roar of the engine making anything but sweet music to his fainting soul.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading One more tremendous effort on the part of the detective, and he succeeded in throwing his body squarely across one of the rails.
an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
From this reading In this position he hung a helpless weight, with the hoarse roar of the engine making anything but sweet music to his fainting soul.
of an obscure nature
From this reading THE MYSTERIOUS WART.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading We left Dyke Darrel, the detective, in a critical position on the railroad track, with the roar of a freight engine in his ears.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading We left Dyke Darrel, the detective, in a critical position on the railroad track, with the roar of a freight engine in his ears.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One more tremendous effort on the part of the detective, and he succeeded in throwing his body squarely across one of the rails.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading One more tremendous effort on the part of the detective, and he succeeded in throwing his body squarely across one of the rails.
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading We left Dyke Darrel, the detective, in a critical position on the railroad track, with the roar of a freight engine in his ears.
railroadnounUS /ˈreɪlroʊd/
line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight
From this reading We left Dyke Darrel, the detective, in a critical position on the railroad track, with the roar of a freight engine in his ears.
railsnounUS /reɪlz/
a bar or pair of parallel bars of rolled steel making the railway along which railroad cars or other vehicles can roll
From this reading The rays of the rising sun touched the glittering rails as the long train swept around the bend upon doomed Dyke Darrel.
raysnounUS /reɪz/
plural of “ray” — a column of light (as from a beacon)
From this reading The rays of the rising sun touched the glittering rails as the long train swept around the bend upon doomed Dyke Darrel.
advancing or becoming higher or greater in degree or value or status
From this reading The rays of the rising sun touched the glittering rails as the long train swept around the bend upon doomed Dyke Darrel.
make a loud noise, as of wind, water, or vehicles
From this reading We left Dyke Darrel, the detective, in a critical position on the railroad track, with the roar of a freight engine in his ears.
the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life
From this reading In this position he hung a helpless weight, with the hoarse roar of the engine making anything but sweet music to his fainting soul.
squarelyadverbUS /ˈskwerli/
directly and without evasion; not roundabout
From this reading One more tremendous effort on the part of the detective, and he succeeded in throwing his body squarely across one of the rails.
past form of “succeed” — attain success or reach a desired goal
From this reading One more tremendous effort on the part of the detective, and he succeeded in throwing his body squarely across one of the rails.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading The rays of the rising sun touched the glittering rails as the long train swept around the bend upon doomed Dyke Darrel.
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading In this position he hung a helpless weight, with the hoarse roar of the engine making anything but sweet music to his fainting soul.
possessing sweep
From this reading The rays of the rising sun touched the glittering rails as the long train swept around the bend upon doomed Dyke Darrel.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE MYSTERIOUS WART.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading In this position he hung a helpless weight, with the hoarse roar of the engine making anything but sweet music to his fainting soul.
-ing form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading One more tremendous effort on the part of the detective, and he succeeded in throwing his body squarely across one of the rails.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In this position he hung a helpless weight, with the hoarse roar of the engine making anything but sweet music to his fainting soul.
having come into contact
From this reading The rays of the rising sun touched the glittering rails as the long train swept around the bend upon doomed Dyke Darrel.
a line or route along which something travels or moves
From this reading We left Dyke Darrel, the detective, in a critical position on the railroad track, with the roar of a freight engine in his ears.
create by training and teaching
From this reading The rays of the rising sun touched the glittering rails as the long train swept around the bend upon doomed Dyke Darrel.
tremendousadjectiveUS /trəˈmendəs/
extraordinarily large in size or extent or amount or power or degree
From this reading One more tremendous effort on the part of the detective, and he succeeded in throwing his body squarely across one of the rails.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The rays of the rising sun touched the glittering rails as the long train swept around the bend upon doomed Dyke Darrel.
WARTnounUS /wɔːrt/
any small rounded protuberance (as on certain plants or animals)
From this reading THE MYSTERIOUS WART.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We left Dyke Darrel, the detective, in a critical position on the railroad track, with the roar of a freight engine in his ears.
the vertical force exerted by a mass as a result of gravity
From this reading In this position he hung a helpless weight, with the hoarse roar of the engine making anything but sweet music to his fainting soul.
in the company of; together with
From this reading We left Dyke Darrel, the detective, in a critical position on the railroad track, with the roar of a freight engine in his ears.
