used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He felt the vine whip about his legs and fasten there tenaciously, felt it twist and twine and crawl like a mass of serpents, and he knew he was in the grasp of the frightful plant which till that hour he had ever believed a creation of some romancer's feverish fancy.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He felt the vine whip about his legs and fasten there tenaciously, felt it twist and twine and crawl like a mass of serpents, and he knew he was in the grasp of the frightful plant which till that hour he had ever believed a creation of some romancer's feverish fancy.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading With his hands bound behind his back, unable to help himself, Frank reeled forward into the embrace of the deadly vine, each branch of which was twisting, curling, squirming like the arms of an octopus.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He nearly plunged forward upon his face, but managed to recover and keep on his feet.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading With his hands bound behind his back, unable to help himself, Frank reeled forward into the embrace of the deadly vine, each branch of which was twisting, curling, squirming like the arms of an octopus.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading With his hands bound behind his back, unable to help himself, Frank reeled forward into the embrace of the deadly vine, each branch of which was twisting, curling, squirming like the arms of an octopus.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading With his hands bound behind his back, unable to help himself, Frank reeled forward into the embrace of the deadly vine, each branch of which was twisting, curling, squirming like the arms of an octopus.
past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true
From this reading He felt the vine whip about his legs and fasten there tenaciously, felt it twist and twine and crawl like a mass of serpents, and he knew he was in the grasp of the frightful plant which till that hour he had ever believed a creation of some romancer's feverish fancy.
confined by bonds
From this reading With his hands bound behind his back, unable to help himself, Frank reeled forward into the embrace of the deadly vine, each branch of which was twisting, curling, squirming like the arms of an octopus.
a division of some larger or more complex organization
From this reading With his hands bound behind his back, unable to help himself, Frank reeled forward into the embrace of the deadly vine, each branch of which was twisting, curling, squirming like the arms of an octopus.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He nearly plunged forward upon his face, but managed to recover and keep on his feet.
crawlverbUS /krɔːl/
move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading He felt the vine whip about his legs and fasten there tenaciously, felt it twist and twine and crawl like a mass of serpents, and he knew he was in the grasp of the frightful plant which till that hour he had ever believed a creation of some romancer's feverish fancy.
creationnounUS /kriˈeɪʃən/
the human act of creating
From this reading He felt the vine whip about his legs and fasten there tenaciously, felt it twist and twine and crawl like a mass of serpents, and he knew he was in the grasp of the frightful plant which till that hour he had ever believed a creation of some romancer's feverish fancy.
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading Frank did not cry out.
curlingnounUS /ˈkɜːrlɪŋ/
a game played on ice in which heavy stones with handles are slid toward a target
From this reading With his hands bound behind his back, unable to help himself, Frank reeled forward into the embrace of the deadly vine, each branch of which was twisting, curling, squirming like the arms of an octopus.
causing or capable of causing death
From this reading With his hands bound behind his back, unable to help himself, Frank reeled forward into the embrace of the deadly vine, each branch of which was twisting, curling, squirming like the arms of an octopus.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Frank did not cry out.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading With his hands bound behind his back, unable to help himself, Frank reeled forward into the embrace of the deadly vine, each branch of which was twisting, curling, squirming like the arms of an octopus.
embraceverbUS /emˈbreɪs/
include in scope; include as part of something broader; have as one's sphere or territory
From this reading With his hands bound behind his back, unable to help himself, Frank reeled forward into the embrace of the deadly vine, each branch of which was twisting, curling, squirming like the arms of an octopus.
at any time
From this reading He felt the vine whip about his legs and fasten there tenaciously, felt it twist and twine and crawl like a mass of serpents, and he knew he was in the grasp of the frightful plant which till that hour he had ever believed a creation of some romancer's feverish fancy.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading He nearly plunged forward upon his face, but managed to recover and keep on his feet.
something many people believe that is false
From this reading He felt the vine whip about his legs and fasten there tenaciously, felt it twist and twine and crawl like a mass of serpents, and he knew he was in the grasp of the frightful plant which till that hour he had ever believed a creation of some romancer's feverish fancy.
fastenverbUS /ˈfæsən/
cause to be firmly attached
From this reading He felt the vine whip about his legs and fasten there tenaciously, felt it twist and twine and crawl like a mass of serpents, and he knew he was in the grasp of the frightful plant which till that hour he had ever believed a creation of some romancer's feverish fancy.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading He nearly plunged forward upon his face, but managed to recover and keep on his feet.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading He felt the vine whip about his legs and fasten there tenaciously, felt it twist and twine and crawl like a mass of serpents, and he knew he was in the grasp of the frightful plant which till that hour he had ever believed a creation of some romancer's feverish fancy.
feverishadjectiveUS /ˈfiːvərɪʃ/
marked by intense agitation or emotion
From this reading He felt the vine whip about his legs and fasten there tenaciously, felt it twist and twine and crawl like a mass of serpents, and he knew he was in the grasp of the frightful plant which till that hour he had ever believed a creation of some romancer's feverish fancy.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading With his hands bound behind his back, unable to help himself, Frank reeled forward into the embrace of the deadly vine, each branch of which was twisting, curling, squirming like the arms of an octopus.
characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
From this reading With his hands bound behind his back, unable to help himself, Frank reeled forward into the embrace of the deadly vine, each branch of which was twisting, curling, squirming like the arms of an octopus.
frightfuladjectiveUS /ˈfraɪtfəl/
provoking horror
From this reading He felt the vine whip about his legs and fasten there tenaciously, felt it twist and twine and crawl like a mass of serpents, and he knew he was in the grasp of the frightful plant which till that hour he had ever believed a creation of some romancer's feverish fancy.
hold firmly
From this reading He felt the vine whip about his legs and fasten there tenaciously, felt it twist and twine and crawl like a mass of serpents, and he knew he was in the grasp of the frightful plant which till that hour he had ever believed a creation of some romancer's feverish fancy.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He felt the vine whip about his legs and fasten there tenaciously, felt it twist and twine and crawl like a mass of serpents, and he knew he was in the grasp of the frightful plant which till that hour he had ever believed a creation of some romancer's feverish fancy.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading With his hands bound behind his back, unable to help himself, Frank reeled forward into the embrace of the deadly vine, each branch of which was twisting, curling, squirming like the arms of an octopus.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He nearly plunged forward upon his face, but managed to recover and keep on his feet.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading With his hands bound behind his back, unable to help himself, Frank reeled forward into the embrace of the deadly vine, each branch of which was twisting, curling, squirming like the arms of an octopus.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading With his hands bound behind his back, unable to help himself, Frank reeled forward into the embrace of the deadly vine, each branch of which was twisting, curling, squirming like the arms of an octopus.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading With his hands bound behind his back, unable to help himself, Frank reeled forward into the embrace of the deadly vine, each branch of which was twisting, curling, squirming like the arms of an octopus.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading He felt the vine whip about his legs and fasten there tenaciously, felt it twist and twine and crawl like a mass of serpents, and he knew he was in the grasp of the frightful plant which till that hour he had ever believed a creation of some romancer's feverish fancy.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He felt the vine whip about his legs and fasten there tenaciously, felt it twist and twine and crawl like a mass of serpents, and he knew he was in the grasp of the frightful plant which till that hour he had ever believed a creation of some romancer's feverish fancy.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading With his hands bound behind his back, unable to help himself, Frank reeled forward into the embrace of the deadly vine, each branch of which was twisting, curling, squirming like the arms of an octopus.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He felt the vine whip about his legs and fasten there tenaciously, felt it twist and twine and crawl like a mass of serpents, and he knew he was in the grasp of the frightful plant which till that hour he had ever believed a creation of some romancer's feverish fancy.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading He nearly plunged forward upon his face, but managed to recover and keep on his feet.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading He felt the vine whip about his legs and fasten there tenaciously, felt it twist and twine and crawl like a mass of serpents, and he knew he was in the grasp of the frightful plant which till that hour he had ever believed a creation of some romancer's feverish fancy.
staying power
From this reading He felt the vine whip about his legs and fasten there tenaciously, felt it twist and twine and crawl like a mass of serpents, and he knew he was in the grasp of the frightful plant which till that hour he had ever believed a creation of some romancer's feverish fancy.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading With his hands bound behind his back, unable to help himself, Frank reeled forward into the embrace of the deadly vine, each branch of which was twisting, curling, squirming like the arms of an octopus.
past form of “manage” — be successful; achieve a goal
From this reading He nearly plunged forward upon his face, but managed to recover and keep on his feet.
the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
From this reading He felt the vine whip about his legs and fasten there tenaciously, felt it twist and twine and crawl like a mass of serpents, and he knew he was in the grasp of the frightful plant which till that hour he had ever believed a creation of some romancer's feverish fancy.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading He nearly plunged forward upon his face, but managed to recover and keep on his feet.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Frank did not cry out.
octopusnounUS /ˈɑːktəpʊs/
tentacles of octopus prepared as food
From this reading With his hands bound behind his back, unable to help himself, Frank reeled forward into the embrace of the deadly vine, each branch of which was twisting, curling, squirming like the arms of an octopus.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading With his hands bound behind his back, unable to help himself, Frank reeled forward into the embrace of the deadly vine, each branch of which was twisting, curling, squirming like the arms of an octopus.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He nearly plunged forward upon his face, but managed to recover and keep on his feet.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Frank did not cry out.
plantverbUS /plænt/
put or set (seeds, seedlings, or plants) into the ground
From this reading He felt the vine whip about his legs and fasten there tenaciously, felt it twist and twine and crawl like a mass of serpents, and he knew he was in the grasp of the frightful plant which till that hour he had ever believed a creation of some romancer's feverish fancy.
past form of “plunge” — thrust or throw into
From this reading He nearly plunged forward upon his face, but managed to recover and keep on his feet.
recoververbUS /rɪˈkʌvər/
get or find back; recover the use of
From this reading He nearly plunged forward upon his face, but managed to recover and keep on his feet.
reeledverbUS /riːld/
past form of “reel” — walk as if unable to control one's movements
From this reading With his hands bound behind his back, unable to help himself, Frank reeled forward into the embrace of the deadly vine, each branch of which was twisting, curling, squirming like the arms of an octopus.
romancer's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He felt the vine whip about his legs and fasten there tenaciously, felt it twist and twine and crawl like a mass of serpents, and he knew he was in the grasp of the frightful plant which till that hour he had ever believed a creation of some romancer's feverish fancy.
SERPENTnounUS /ˈsɜːrpənt/
limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
From this reading THE SERPENT VINE.
serpentsnounUS /ˈsɜːrpənts/
plural of “serpent” — limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
From this reading He felt the vine whip about his legs and fasten there tenaciously, felt it twist and twine and crawl like a mass of serpents, and he knew he was in the grasp of the frightful plant which till that hour he had ever believed a creation of some romancer's feverish fancy.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading He felt the vine whip about his legs and fasten there tenaciously, felt it twist and twine and crawl like a mass of serpents, and he knew he was in the grasp of the frightful plant which till that hour he had ever believed a creation of some romancer's feverish fancy.
squirmingverbUS /ˈskwɜːrmɪŋ/
-ing form of “squirm” — to move in a twisting or contorted motion, (especially when struggling)
From this reading With his hands bound behind his back, unable to help himself, Frank reeled forward into the embrace of the deadly vine, each branch of which was twisting, curling, squirming like the arms of an octopus.
tenaciouslyadverbUS /təˈneɪʃəsli/
with obstinate determination
From this reading He felt the vine whip about his legs and fasten there tenaciously, felt it twist and twine and crawl like a mass of serpents, and he knew he was in the grasp of the frightful plant which till that hour he had ever believed a creation of some romancer's feverish fancy.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He felt the vine whip about his legs and fasten there tenaciously, felt it twist and twine and crawl like a mass of serpents, and he knew he was in the grasp of the frightful plant which till that hour he had ever believed a creation of some romancer's feverish fancy.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE SERPENT VINE.
in or at that place or location
From this reading He felt the vine whip about his legs and fasten there tenaciously, felt it twist and twine and crawl like a mass of serpents, and he knew he was in the grasp of the frightful plant which till that hour he had ever believed a creation of some romancer's feverish fancy.
up to a particular time
From this reading He felt the vine whip about his legs and fasten there tenaciously, felt it twist and twine and crawl like a mass of serpents, and he knew he was in the grasp of the frightful plant which till that hour he had ever believed a creation of some romancer's feverish fancy.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading With his hands bound behind his back, unable to help himself, Frank reeled forward into the embrace of the deadly vine, each branch of which was twisting, curling, squirming like the arms of an octopus.
twineverbUS /twaɪn/
spin, wind, or twist together
From this reading He felt the vine whip about his legs and fasten there tenaciously, felt it twist and twine and crawl like a mass of serpents, and he knew he was in the grasp of the frightful plant which till that hour he had ever believed a creation of some romancer's feverish fancy.
twistverbUS /twɪst/
to move in a twisting or contorted motion, (especially when struggling)
From this reading He felt the vine whip about his legs and fasten there tenaciously, felt it twist and twine and crawl like a mass of serpents, and he knew he was in the grasp of the frightful plant which till that hour he had ever believed a creation of some romancer's feverish fancy.
twistingnounUS /ˈtwɪstɪŋ/
the act of distorting something so it seems to mean something it was not intended to mean
From this reading With his hands bound behind his back, unable to help himself, Frank reeled forward into the embrace of the deadly vine, each branch of which was twisting, curling, squirming like the arms of an octopus.
(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how
From this reading With his hands bound behind his back, unable to help himself, Frank reeled forward into the embrace of the deadly vine, each branch of which was twisting, curling, squirming like the arms of an octopus.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading He nearly plunged forward upon his face, but managed to recover and keep on his feet.
VINEnounUS /vaɪn/
a plant with a weak stem that derives support from climbing, twining, or creeping along a surface
From this reading THE SERPENT VINE.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading With his hands bound behind his back, unable to help himself, Frank reeled forward into the embrace of the deadly vine, each branch of which was twisting, curling, squirming like the arms of an octopus.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading With his hands bound behind his back, unable to help himself, Frank reeled forward into the embrace of the deadly vine, each branch of which was twisting, curling, squirming like the arms of an octopus.
whipverbUS /wɪp/
beat severely with a whip or rod
From this reading He felt the vine whip about his legs and fasten there tenaciously, felt it twist and twine and crawl like a mass of serpents, and he knew he was in the grasp of the frightful plant which till that hour he had ever believed a creation of some romancer's feverish fancy.
in the company of; together with
From this reading With his hands bound behind his back, unable to help himself, Frank reeled forward into the embrace of the deadly vine, each branch of which was twisting, curling, squirming like the arms of an octopus.
