used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading And through the night from time to time a horseman came, spurring hard and spitting out strange Welsh oaths at the winds that harried him.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
ah
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Well, Cedric, man, what devil's game have you been playing of late? and, Tad, you black rascal--ah, 'twas a pity you were born to Gruffydd instead of me.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And through the night from time to time a horseman came, spurring hard and spitting out strange Welsh oaths at the winds that harried him.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading They hung around him sullenly, but as he looked them up and down the sick man's eyes took on a new keenness and a low, throaty laugh that was half a growl escaped him.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading They hung around him sullenly, but as he looked them up and down the sick man's eyes took on a new keenness and a low, throaty laugh that was half a growl escaped him.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading And through the night from time to time a horseman came, spurring hard and spitting out strange Welsh oaths at the winds that harried him.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "Well, Cedric, man, what devil's game have you been playing of late? and, Tad, you black rascal--ah, 'twas a pity you were born to Gruffydd instead of me.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
bootedadjectiveUS /ˈbuːtɪd/
wearing boots
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
brought into existence
From this reading "Well, Cedric, man, what devil's game have you been playing of late? and, Tad, you black rascal--ah, 'twas a pity you were born to Gruffydd instead of me.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading They hung around him sullenly, but as he looked them up and down the sick man's eyes took on a new keenness and a low, throaty laugh that was half a growl escaped him.
caking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading And through the night from time to time a horseman came, spurring hard and spitting out strange Welsh oaths at the winds that harried him.
Cedric
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Well, Cedric, man, what devil's game have you been playing of late? and, Tad, you black rascal--ah, 'twas a pity you were born to Gruffydd instead of me.
couchnounUS /kaʊtʃ/
an upholstered seat for more than one person
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
the men and women who man a vehicle (ship, aircraft, etc.)
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
devil'snounUS /ˈdevəlz/
possessive form of “devil” — (Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
From this reading "Well, Cedric, man, what devil's game have you been playing of late? and, Tad, you black rascal--ah, 'twas a pity you were born to Gruffydd instead of me.
distortedadjectiveUS /dɪˈstɔːrtəd/
so badly formed or out of shape as to be ugly
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Five had passed the door since sun-down, four worthy sons and a nephew of the Wolf.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading They hung around him sullenly, but as he looked them up and down the sick man's eyes took on a new keenness and a low, throaty laugh that was half a growl escaped him.
having escaped, especially from confinement
From this reading They hung around him sullenly, but as he looked them up and down the sick man's eyes took on a new keenness and a low, throaty laugh that was half a growl escaped him.
opinion or judgment
From this reading They hung around him sullenly, but as he looked them up and down the sick man's eyes took on a new keenness and a low, throaty laugh that was half a growl escaped him.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
start firing a weapon
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading Five had passed the door since sun-down, four worthy sons and a nephew of the Wolf.
flamesnounUS /fleɪmz/
plural of “flame” — the process of combustion of inflammable materials producing heat and light and (often) smoke
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
inflected form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading Five had passed the door since sun-down, four worthy sons and a nephew of the Wolf.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading And through the night from time to time a horseman came, spurring hard and spitting out strange Welsh oaths at the winds that harried him.
a contest with rules to determine a winner
From this reading "Well, Cedric, man, what devil's game have you been playing of late? and, Tad, you black rascal--ah, 'twas a pity you were born to Gruffydd instead of me.
growlnounUS /ɡraʊl/
the sound of growling (as made by animals)
From this reading They hung around him sullenly, but as he looked them up and down the sick man's eyes took on a new keenness and a low, throaty laugh that was half a growl escaped him.
Gruffydd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Well, Cedric, man, what devil's game have you been playing of late? and, Tad, you black rascal--ah, 'twas a pity you were born to Gruffydd instead of me.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Five had passed the door since sun-down, four worthy sons and a nephew of the Wolf.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading They hung around him sullenly, but as he looked them up and down the sick man's eyes took on a new keenness and a low, throaty laugh that was half a growl escaped him.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading And through the night from time to time a horseman came, spurring hard and spitting out strange Welsh oaths at the winds that harried him.
harriedadjectiveUS /ˈherid/
troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances
From this reading And through the night from time to time a horseman came, spurring hard and spitting out strange Welsh oaths at the winds that harried him.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Well, Cedric, man, what devil's game have you been playing of late? and, Tad, you black rascal--ah, 'twas a pity you were born to Gruffydd instead of me.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They hung around him sullenly, but as he looked them up and down the sick man's eyes took on a new keenness and a low, throaty laugh that was half a growl escaped him.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading And through the night from time to time a horseman came, spurring hard and spitting out strange Welsh oaths at the winds that harried him.
horsemannounUS /ˈhɔːrsmən/
a man skilled in equitation
From this reading And through the night from time to time a horseman came, spurring hard and spitting out strange Welsh oaths at the winds that harried him.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading They hung around him sullenly, but as he looked them up and down the sick man's eyes took on a new keenness and a low, throaty laugh that was half a growl escaped him.
in place of, or as an alternative to
From this reading "Well, Cedric, man, what devil's game have you been playing of late? and, Tad, you black rascal--ah, 'twas a pity you were born to Gruffydd instead of me.
keennessnoun
a quick and penetrating intelligence
From this reading They hung around him sullenly, but as he looked them up and down the sick man's eyes took on a new keenness and a low, throaty laugh that was half a growl escaped him.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading "Well, Cedric, man, what devil's game have you been playing of late? and, Tad, you black rascal--ah, 'twas a pity you were born to Gruffydd instead of me.
the sound of laughing
From this reading They hung around him sullenly, but as he looked them up and down the sick man's eyes took on a new keenness and a low, throaty laugh that was half a growl escaped him.
leapingnounUS /ˈliːpɪŋ/
a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
logverbUS /lɔːɡ/
enter into a log, as on ships and planes
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading They hung around him sullenly, but as he looked them up and down the sick man's eyes took on a new keenness and a low, throaty laugh that was half a growl escaped him.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading They hung around him sullenly, but as he looked them up and down the sick man's eyes took on a new keenness and a low, throaty laugh that was half a growl escaped him.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "Well, Cedric, man, what devil's game have you been playing of late? and, Tad, you black rascal--ah, 'twas a pity you were born to Gruffydd instead of me.
man'snounUS /mænz/
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Well, Cedric, man, what devil's game have you been playing of late? and, Tad, you black rascal--ah, 'twas a pity you were born to Gruffydd instead of me.
water soaked soil; soft wet earth
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
a son of your brother or sister
From this reading Five had passed the door since sun-down, four worthy sons and a nephew of the Wolf.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading They hung around him sullenly, but as he looked them up and down the sick man's eyes took on a new keenness and a low, throaty laugh that was half a growl escaped him.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading And through the night from time to time a horseman came, spurring hard and spitting out strange Welsh oaths at the winds that harried him.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
oathsnounUS /oʊðz/
plural of “oath” — profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger
From this reading And through the night from time to time a horseman came, spurring hard and spitting out strange Welsh oaths at the winds that harried him.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Five had passed the door since sun-down, four worthy sons and a nephew of the Wolf.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading They hung around him sullenly, but as he looked them up and down the sick man's eyes took on a new keenness and a low, throaty laugh that was half a growl escaped him.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading And through the night from time to time a horseman came, spurring hard and spitting out strange Welsh oaths at the winds that harried him.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Five had passed the door since sun-down, four worthy sons and a nephew of the Wolf.
a feeling of sympathy and sorrow for the misfortunes of others
From this reading "Well, Cedric, man, what devil's game have you been playing of late? and, Tad, you black rascal--ah, 'twas a pity you were born to Gruffydd instead of me.
the act of playing a musical instrument
From this reading "Well, Cedric, man, what devil's game have you been playing of late? and, Tad, you black rascal--ah, 'twas a pity you were born to Gruffydd instead of me.
raftersnounUS /ˈræftərz/
plural of “rafter” — one of several parallel sloping beams that support a roof
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
rascalnounUS /ˈræskəl/
a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel
From this reading "Well, Cedric, man, what devil's game have you been playing of late? and, Tad, you black rascal--ah, 'twas a pity you were born to Gruffydd instead of me.
rough-looking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading They hung around him sullenly, but as he looked them up and down the sick man's eyes took on a new keenness and a low, throaty laugh that was half a growl escaped him.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading Five had passed the door since sun-down, four worthy sons and a nephew of the Wolf.
plural of “son” — a male human offspring
From this reading Five had passed the door since sun-down, four worthy sons and a nephew of the Wolf.
spittingnounUS /ˈspɪtɪŋ/
the act of spitting (forcefully expelling saliva)
From this reading And through the night from time to time a horseman came, spurring hard and spitting out strange Welsh oaths at the winds that harried him.
spurredverbUS /spɜːrd/
inflected form of “spur” — incite or stimulate
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
spurringnounUS /ˈspɜːrɪŋ/
a verbalization that encourages you to attempt something
From this reading And through the night from time to time a horseman came, spurring hard and spitting out strange Welsh oaths at the winds that harried him.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading And through the night from time to time a horseman came, spurring hard and spitting out strange Welsh oaths at the winds that harried him.
sullenlyadverb
in a sullen manner
From this reading They hung around him sullenly, but as he looked them up and down the sick man's eyes took on a new keenness and a low, throaty laugh that was half a growl escaped him.
sun-down
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Five had passed the door since sun-down, four worthy sons and a nephew of the Wolf.
TadnounUS /tæd/
a slight amount or degree of difference
From this reading "Well, Cedric, man, what devil's game have you been playing of late? and, Tad, you black rascal--ah, 'twas a pity you were born to Gruffydd instead of me.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading And through the night from time to time a horseman came, spurring hard and spitting out strange Welsh oaths at the winds that harried him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading And through the night from time to time a horseman came, spurring hard and spitting out strange Welsh oaths at the winds that harried him.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
throatyadjectiveUS /ˈθroʊti/
sounding as if pronounced low in the throat
From this reading They hung around him sullenly, but as he looked them up and down the sick man's eyes took on a new keenness and a low, throaty laugh that was half a growl escaped him.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading And through the night from time to time a horseman came, spurring hard and spitting out strange Welsh oaths at the winds that harried him.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading And through the night from time to time a horseman came, spurring hard and spitting out strange Welsh oaths at the winds that harried him.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading And through the night from time to time a horseman came, spurring hard and spitting out strange Welsh oaths at the winds that harried him.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading They hung around him sullenly, but as he looked them up and down the sick man's eyes took on a new keenness and a low, throaty laugh that was half a growl escaped him.
twas
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Well, Cedric, man, what devil's game have you been playing of late? and, Tad, you black rascal--ah, 'twas a pity you were born to Gruffydd instead of me.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading They hung around him sullenly, but as he looked them up and down the sick man's eyes took on a new keenness and a low, throaty laugh that was half a growl escaped him.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading "Well, Cedric, man, what devil's game have you been playing of late? and, Tad, you black rascal--ah, 'twas a pity you were born to Gruffydd instead of me.
WelshnounUS /weltʃ/
a native or resident of Wales
From this reading And through the night from time to time a horseman came, spurring hard and spitting out strange Welsh oaths at the winds that harried him.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Well, Cedric, man, what devil's game have you been playing of late? and, Tad, you black rascal--ah, 'twas a pity you were born to Gruffydd instead of me.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Well, Cedric, man, what devil's game have you been playing of late? and, Tad, you black rascal--ah, 'twas a pity you were born to Gruffydd instead of me.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
plural of “wind” — air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading And through the night from time to time a horseman came, spurring hard and spitting out strange Welsh oaths at the winds that harried him.
in the company of; together with
From this reading They stood now booted and spurred about the old man's couch, a rough-looking crew with the mud caking them from head to foot, while the leaping flames from the log fire flung their shadows black and distorted far up among the rafters.
any of various predatory carnivorous canine mammals of North America and Eurasia that usually hunt in packs
From this reading Five had passed the door since sun-down, four worthy sons and a nephew of the Wolf.
Having or showing the qualities or abilities that merit recognition in character or magic.
From this reading Five had passed the door since sun-down, four worthy sons and a nephew of the Wolf.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Well, Cedric, man, what devil's game have you been playing of late? and, Tad, you black rascal--ah, 'twas a pity you were born to Gruffydd instead of me.
