used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Instead, with a sweep of one arm, he knocked Sam Hooker’s hands aside, and then planted a blow on the cowboy’s chin.
actornounUS /ˈæktər/
a theatrical performer
From this reading Barely had he dropped when the young actor was on him, grasping him by the collar and slack of his trousers.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Instead, with a sweep of one arm, he knocked Sam Hooker’s hands aside, and then planted a blow on the cowboy’s chin.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading The head and shoulders of the man struck the floor before any other part of his body.
a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading Instead, with a sweep of one arm, he knocked Sam Hooker’s hands aside, and then planted a blow on the cowboy’s chin.
on or to one side
From this reading Instead, with a sweep of one arm, he knocked Sam Hooker’s hands aside, and then planted a blow on the cowboy’s chin.
the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising
From this reading To the astonishment of Joe Hooker, Frank Merriwell did not attempt to dodge.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading To the astonishment of Joe Hooker, Frank Merriwell did not attempt to dodge.
BarelyadverbUS /ˈberli/
only a very short time before
From this reading Barely had he dropped when the young actor was on him, grasping him by the collar and slack of his trousers.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The head and shoulders of the man struck the floor before any other part of his body.
exhale hard
From this reading Instead, with a sweep of one arm, he knocked Sam Hooker’s hands aside, and then planted a blow on the cowboy’s chin.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading The head and shoulders of the man struck the floor before any other part of his body.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Barely had he dropped when the young actor was on him, grasping him by the collar and slack of his trousers.
the protruding part of the lower jaw
From this reading Instead, with a sweep of one arm, he knocked Sam Hooker’s hands aside, and then planted a blow on the cowboy’s chin.
collarnounUS /ˈkɑːlər/
a band that fits around the neck and is usually folded over
From this reading Barely had he dropped when the young actor was on him, grasping him by the collar and slack of his trousers.
cowboy'snounUS /ˈkaʊbɔɪz/
possessive form of “cowboy” — a hired hand who tends cattle and performs other duties on horseback
From this reading Instead, with a sweep of one arm, he knocked Sam Hooker’s hands aside, and then planted a blow on the cowboy’s chin.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading To the astonishment of Joe Hooker, Frank Merriwell did not attempt to dodge.
dodgeverbUS /dɑːdʒ/
make a sudden movement in a new direction so as to avoid
From this reading To the astonishment of Joe Hooker, Frank Merriwell did not attempt to dodge.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading Barely had he dropped when the young actor was on him, grasping him by the collar and slack of his trousers.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading It was a swinging uppercut, and it literally lifted the ruffian off his feet.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading The head and shoulders of the man struck the floor before any other part of his body.
characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
From this reading To the astonishment of Joe Hooker, Frank Merriwell did not attempt to dodge.
graspingnounUS /ˈɡræspɪŋ/
understanding with difficulty
From this reading Barely had he dropped when the young actor was on him, grasping him by the collar and slack of his trousers.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Barely had he dropped when the young actor was on him, grasping him by the collar and slack of his trousers.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Instead, with a sweep of one arm, he knocked Sam Hooker’s hands aside, and then planted a blow on the cowboy’s chin.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Instead, with a sweep of one arm, he knocked Sam Hooker’s hands aside, and then planted a blow on the cowboy’s chin.
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 head and shoulders of the man struck the floor before any other part of his body.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Barely had he dropped when the young actor was on him, grasping him by the collar and slack of his trousers.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It was a swinging uppercut, and it literally lifted the ruffian off his feet.
HookernounUS /ˈhʊkər/
United States general in the Union Army who was defeated at Chancellorsville by Robert E. Lee (1814-1879)
From this reading To the astonishment of Joe Hooker, Frank Merriwell did not attempt to dodge.
Hooker'snounUS /ˈhʊkərz/
possessive form of “hooker” — United States general in the Union Army who was defeated at Chancellorsville by Robert E. Lee (1814-1879)
From this reading Instead, with a sweep of one arm, he knocked Sam Hooker’s hands aside, and then planted a blow on the cowboy’s chin.
in place of, or as an alternative to
From this reading Instead, with a sweep of one arm, he knocked Sam Hooker’s hands aside, and then planted a blow on the cowboy’s chin.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a swinging uppercut, and it literally lifted the ruffian off his feet.
Joe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To the astonishment of Joe Hooker, Frank Merriwell did not attempt to dodge.
past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading Instead, with a sweep of one arm, he knocked Sam Hooker’s hands aside, and then planted a blow on the cowboy’s chin.
held up in the air
From this reading It was a swinging uppercut, and it literally lifted the ruffian off his feet.
literallyadverbUS /ˈlɪtərəli/
in a literal sense
From this reading It was a swinging uppercut, and it literally lifted the ruffian off his feet.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The head and shoulders of the man struck the floor before any other part of his body.
Merriwell
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To the astonishment of Joe Hooker, Frank Merriwell did not attempt to dodge.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading To the astonishment of Joe Hooker, Frank Merriwell did not attempt to dodge.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading To the astonishment of Joe Hooker, Frank Merriwell did not attempt to dodge.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading It was a swinging uppercut, and it literally lifted the ruffian off his feet.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Instead, with a sweep of one arm, he knocked Sam Hooker’s hands aside, and then planted a blow on the cowboy’s chin.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Instead, with a sweep of one arm, he knocked Sam Hooker’s hands aside, and then planted a blow on the cowboy’s chin.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading The head and shoulders of the man struck the floor before any other part of his body.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading The head and shoulders of the man struck the floor before any other part of his body.
plantedadjectiveUS /ˈplæntɪd/
(used especially of ideas or principles) deeply rooted; firmly fixed or held
From this reading Instead, with a sweep of one arm, he knocked Sam Hooker’s hands aside, and then planted a blow on the cowboy’s chin.
ruffiannoun
a cruel and brutal fellow
From this reading It was a swinging uppercut, and it literally lifted the ruffian off his feet.
a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target
From this reading Instead, with a sweep of one arm, he knocked Sam Hooker’s hands aside, and then planted a blow on the cowboy’s chin.
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading The head and shoulders of the man struck the floor before any other part of his body.
slackadjectiveUS /slæk/
not tense or taut
From this reading Barely had he dropped when the young actor was on him, grasping him by the collar and slack of his trousers.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading The head and shoulders of the man struck the floor before any other part of his body.
sweepverbUS /swiːp/
sweep across or over
From this reading Instead, with a sweep of one arm, he knocked Sam Hooker’s hands aside, and then planted a blow on the cowboy’s chin.
swingingnounUS /ˈswɪŋɪŋ/
changing location by moving back and forth
From this reading It was a swinging uppercut, and it literally lifted the ruffian off his feet.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading To the astonishment of Joe Hooker, Frank Merriwell did not attempt to dodge.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Instead, with a sweep of one arm, he knocked Sam Hooker’s hands aside, and then planted a blow on the cowboy’s chin.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To the astonishment of Joe Hooker, Frank Merriwell did not attempt to dodge.
trousersnounUS /ˈtraʊzərz/
(usually in the plural) a garment extending from the waist to the knee or ankle, covering each leg separately
From this reading Barely had he dropped when the young actor was on him, grasping him by the collar and slack of his trousers.
uppercutnoun
a swinging blow directed upward (especially at an opponent's chin)
From this reading It was a swinging uppercut, and it literally lifted the ruffian off his feet.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a swinging uppercut, and it literally lifted the ruffian off his feet.
at the time that
From this reading Barely had he dropped when the young actor was on him, grasping him by the collar and slack of his trousers.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Instead, with a sweep of one arm, he knocked Sam Hooker’s hands aside, and then planted a blow on the cowboy’s chin.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading Barely had he dropped when the young actor was on him, grasping him by the collar and slack of his trousers.
