used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
anew
From this reading But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
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 One came to the edge of the trench where the machine-guns had been, and the Corporal with an effort lifted and waved an arm and shouted hoarsely to him.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading One came to the edge of the trench where the machine-guns had been, and the Corporal with an effort lifted and waved an arm and shouted hoarsely to him.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
marked by strong resentment or cynicism
From this reading But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.
plural of “branch” — a division of some larger or more complex organization
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.
move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.
CorporalnounUS /ˈkɔːrpərəl/
a noncommissioned officer in the Army or Air Force or Marines
From this reading One came to the edge of the trench where the machine-guns had been, and the Corporal with an effort lifted and waved an arm and shouted hoarsely to him.
denseradjectiveUS /ˈdensər/
comparative of “dense” — permitting little if any light to pass through because of denseness of matter
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.
a feeling of dissatisfaction that results when your expectations are not realized
From this reading But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading One came to the edge of the trench where the machine-guns had been, and the Corporal with an effort lifted and waved an arm and shouted hoarsely to him.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading One came to the edge of the trench where the machine-guns had been, and the Corporal with an effort lifted and waved an arm and shouted hoarsely to him.
emergedverbUS /ɪˈmɜːrdʒd/
past form of “emerge” — come out into view, as from concealment
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
divisible by two
From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.
plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
futileadjectiveUS /ˈfjuːtəl/
producing no result or effect
From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.
GermansnounUS /ˈdʒɜːrmənz/
plural of “german” — a person of German nationality
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
plural of “heel” — the bottom of a shoe or boot; the back part of a shoe or boot that touches the ground and provides elevation
From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading One came to the edge of the trench where the machine-guns had been, and the Corporal with an effort lifted and waved an arm and shouted hoarsely to him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.
hoarselyadverb
in a hoarse or husky voice
From this reading One came to the edge of the trench where the machine-guns had been, and the Corporal with an effort lifted and waved an arm and shouted hoarsely to him.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.
not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with
From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.
khakiadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːki/
of a yellowish brown color
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
held up in the air
From this reading One came to the edge of the trench where the machine-guns had been, and the Corporal with an effort lifted and waved an arm and shouted hoarsely to him.
machine-guns
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One came to the edge of the trench where the machine-guns had been, and the Corporal with an effort lifted and waved an arm and shouted hoarsely to him.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.
the force of workers available
From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.
noticingverbUS /ˈnoʊtɪsɪŋ/
-ing form of “notice” — discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command
From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.
an open or empty space in or between things
From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.
pandemoniumnounUS /ˌpændɪˈmoʊniəm/
a state of extreme confusion and disorder
From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.
peeringverbUS /ˈpiːrɪŋ/
-ing form of “peer” — look searchingly
From this reading But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.
pressingnounUS /ˈpresɪŋ/
the act of pressing; the exertion of pressure
From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
ravedverbUS /reɪvd/
past form of “rave” — participate in an all-night techno dance party
From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.
realisedadjectiveUS /ˈriːəlaɪzd/
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.
retreatednounUS /riˈtriːtəd/
people who have retreated
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
a number or letter indicating quality (especially of a student's performance)
From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.
utter in a loud voice; talk in a loud voice (usually denoting characteristic manner of speaking)
From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.
in a vehement outcry
From this reading One came to the edge of the trench where the machine-guns had been, and the Corporal with an effort lifted and waved an arm and shouted hoarsely to him.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.
stumpsnounUS /stʌmps/
plural of “stump” — the base part of a tree that remains standing after the tree has been felled
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.
thicketnounUS /ˈθɪkɪt/
a dense growth of bushes
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.
having edges that are jagged from injury
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
in the direction of
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
trenchnounUS /trentʃ/
a ditch dug as a fortification having a parapet of the excavated earth
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.
past form of “wave” — signal with the hands or nod
From this reading One came to the edge of the trench where the machine-guns had been, and the Corporal with an effort lifted and waved an arm and shouted hoarsely to him.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.
in or at the place that
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
in the company of; together with
From this reading One came to the edge of the trench where the machine-guns had been, and the Corporal with an effort lifted and waved an arm and shouted hoarsely to him.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
but in spite of that
From this reading But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.
