used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The boy’s face became a contorted mass of fear and suffering as he raised himself to his elbow and shouted the name of his companion.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He looked about for Lefty but the boy was nowhere in sight.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading When Steve awoke from his coma, it was late afternoon.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading An army of vicious ants were crawling over his hands and legs, leaving large, ugly and painful red welts in their wake.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had been lying there, silent and unconscious, for more than twelve hours.
antsnounUS /ænts/
plural of “ant” — social insect living in organized colonies; characteristically the males and fertile queen have wings during breeding season; wingless sterile females are the workers
From this reading An army of vicious ants were crawling over his hands and legs, leaving large, ugly and painful red welts in their wake.
a permanent organization of the military land forces of a nation or state
From this reading An army of vicious ants were crawling over his hands and legs, leaving large, ugly and painful red welts in their wake.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The boy’s face became a contorted mass of fear and suffering as he raised himself to his elbow and shouted the name of his companion.
inflected form of “awake” — stop sleeping
From this reading When Steve awoke from his coma, it was late afternoon.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading The boy’s face became a contorted mass of fear and suffering as he raised himself to his elbow and shouted the name of his companion.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He had been lying there, silent and unconscious, for more than twelve hours.
a youthful male person
From this reading He looked about for Lefty but the boy was nowhere in sight.
boy'snounUS /bɔɪz/
possessive form of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading The boy’s face became a contorted mass of fear and suffering as he raised himself to his elbow and shouted the name of his companion.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He looked about for Lefty but the boy was nowhere in sight.
comanounUS /ˈkoʊmə/
a state of deep and often prolonged unconsciousness; usually the result of disease or injury
From this reading When Steve awoke from his coma, it was late afternoon.
a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading The boy’s face became a contorted mass of fear and suffering as he raised himself to his elbow and shouted the name of his companion.
contortedadjectiveUS /kənˈtɔːrtəd/
twisted (especially as in pain or struggle)
From this reading The boy’s face became a contorted mass of fear and suffering as he raised himself to his elbow and shouted the name of his companion.
crawlingnounUS /ˈkrɔːlɪŋ/
a slow mode of locomotion on hands and knees or dragging the body
From this reading An army of vicious ants were crawling over his hands and legs, leaving large, ugly and painful red welts in their wake.
elbownounUS /ˈelboʊ/
hinge joint between the forearm and upper arm and the corresponding joint in the forelimb of a quadruped
From this reading The boy’s face became a contorted mass of fear and suffering as he raised himself to his elbow and shouted the name of his companion.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading The boy’s face became a contorted mass of fear and suffering as he raised himself to his elbow and shouted the name of his companion.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading The boy’s face became a contorted mass of fear and suffering as he raised himself to his elbow and shouted the name of his companion.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He had been lying there, silent and unconscious, for more than twelve hours.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading When Steve awoke from his coma, it was late afternoon.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had been lying there, silent and unconscious, for more than twelve hours.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading An army of vicious ants were crawling over his hands and legs, leaving large, ugly and painful red welts in their wake.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had been lying there, silent and unconscious, for more than twelve hours.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading The boy’s face became a contorted mass of fear and suffering as he raised himself to his elbow and shouted the name of his companion.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When Steve awoke from his coma, it was late afternoon.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading He had been lying there, silent and unconscious, for more than twelve hours.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He looked about for Lefty but the boy was nowhere in sight.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading When Steve awoke from his coma, it was late afternoon.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading An army of vicious ants were crawling over his hands and legs, leaving large, ugly and painful red welts in their wake.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading When Steve awoke from his coma, it was late afternoon.
the act of departing
From this reading An army of vicious ants were crawling over his hands and legs, leaving large, ugly and painful red welts in their wake.
LeftynounUS /ˈlefti/
a person who uses the left hand with greater skill than the right
From this reading He looked about for Lefty but the boy was nowhere in sight.
staying power
From this reading An army of vicious ants were crawling over his hands and legs, leaving large, ugly and painful red welts in their wake.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He looked about for Lefty but the boy was nowhere in sight.
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading He had been lying there, silent and unconscious, for more than twelve hours.
the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
From this reading The boy’s face became a contorted mass of fear and suffering as he raised himself to his elbow and shouted the name of his companion.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading He had been lying there, silent and unconscious, for more than twelve hours.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading The boy’s face became a contorted mass of fear and suffering as he raised himself to his elbow and shouted the name of his companion.
nowherenounUS /ˈnoʊwer/
an insignificant place
From this reading He looked about for Lefty but the boy was nowhere in sight.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading An army of vicious ants were crawling over his hands and legs, leaving large, ugly and painful red welts in their wake.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading An army of vicious ants were crawling over his hands and legs, leaving large, ugly and painful red welts in their wake.
causing physical or psychological pain
From this reading An army of vicious ants were crawling over his hands and legs, leaving large, ugly and painful red welts in their wake.
located or moved above the surround or above the normal position
From this reading The boy’s face became a contorted mass of fear and suffering as he raised himself to his elbow and shouted the name of his companion.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading An army of vicious ants were crawling over his hands and legs, leaving large, ugly and painful red welts in their wake.
in a vehement outcry
From this reading The boy’s face became a contorted mass of fear and suffering as he raised himself to his elbow and shouted the name of his companion.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading He looked about for Lefty but the boy was nowhere in sight.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading He had been lying there, silent and unconscious, for more than twelve hours.
Steve
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Steve awoke from his coma, it was late afternoon.
a state of acute pain
From this reading The boy’s face became a contorted mass of fear and suffering as he raised himself to his elbow and shouted the name of his companion.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading He had been lying there, silent and unconscious, for more than twelve hours.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He looked about for Lefty but the boy was nowhere in sight.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading An army of vicious ants were crawling over his hands and legs, leaving large, ugly and painful red welts in their wake.
in or at that place or location
From this reading He had been lying there, silent and unconscious, for more than twelve hours.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The boy’s face became a contorted mass of fear and suffering as he raised himself to his elbow and shouted the name of his companion.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading He had been lying there, silent and unconscious, for more than twelve hours.
displeasing to the senses
From this reading An army of vicious ants were crawling over his hands and legs, leaving large, ugly and painful red welts in their wake.
not conscious; lacking awareness and the capacity for sensory perception as if asleep or dead
From this reading He had been lying there, silent and unconscious, for more than twelve hours.
viciousadjectiveUS /ˈvɪʃəs/
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading An army of vicious ants were crawling over his hands and legs, leaving large, ugly and painful red welts in their wake.
be awake, be alert, be there
From this reading An army of vicious ants were crawling over his hands and legs, leaving large, ugly and painful red welts in their wake.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When Steve awoke from his coma, it was late afternoon.
welts
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading An army of vicious ants were crawling over his hands and legs, leaving large, ugly and painful red welts in their wake.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading An army of vicious ants were crawling over his hands and legs, leaving large, ugly and painful red welts in their wake.
at the time that
From this reading When Steve awoke from his coma, it was late afternoon.
