used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading _Jamboree_ Two hours later their eyes were taking in a fantastic, mad scene, one that in some ways might have occurred in the days when buccaneers roamed the Spanish Main of Earth.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A little over a hundred yards away, straight before them, was the corral of the phantis: far behind it encroached the shadowy fringe of the jungle: to their right, closer to the corral than to the space ships, was the ranch house, lonely now and silent.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Black shapes were clustered around it; bottles were raised and drained; and a frieze of shadows, staggered and jumped and danced around the ruddy pile of fire.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading A little over a hundred yards away, straight before them, was the corral of the phantis: far behind it encroached the shadowy fringe of the jungle: to their right, closer to the corral than to the space ships, was the ranch house, lonely now and silent.
backgroundnounUS /ˈbækɡraʊnd/
a person's social heritage: previous experience or training
From this reading But these objects were only the background for what had grown in front of the corral wire.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It was the roaring mass of the monster fire that had been lit, a splash of fierce, leaping flames in the velvety cool of the night.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading A little over a hundred yards away, straight before them, was the corral of the phantis: far behind it encroached the shadowy fringe of the jungle: to their right, closer to the corral than to the space ships, was the ranch house, lonely now and silent.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading A little over a hundred yards away, straight before them, was the corral of the phantis: far behind it encroached the shadowy fringe of the jungle: to their right, closer to the corral than to the space ships, was the ranch house, lonely now and silent.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading Black shapes were clustered around it; bottles were raised and drained; and a frieze of shadows, staggered and jumped and danced around the ruddy pile of fire.
bottlesnounUS /ˈbɑːtəlz/
plural of “bottle” — a glass or plastic vessel used for storing drinks or other liquids; typically cylindrical without handles and with a narrow neck that can be plugged or capped
From this reading Black shapes were clustered around it; bottles were raised and drained; and a frieze of shadows, staggered and jumped and danced around the ruddy pile of fire.
buccaneersnounUS /ˌbʌkəˈniːrz/
plural of “buccaneer” — someone who robs at sea or plunders the land from the sea without having a commission from any sovereign nation
From this reading _Jamboree_ Two hours later their eyes were taking in a fantastic, mad scene, one that in some ways might have occurred in the days when buccaneers roamed the Spanish Main of Earth.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But these objects were only the background for what had grown in front of the corral wire.
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading A little over a hundred yards away, straight before them, was the corral of the phantis: far behind it encroached the shadowy fringe of the jungle: to their right, closer to the corral than to the space ships, was the ranch house, lonely now and silent.
clusteredadjectiveUS /ˈklʌstərd/
growing close together but not in dense mats
From this reading Black shapes were clustered around it; bottles were raised and drained; and a frieze of shadows, staggered and jumped and danced around the ruddy pile of fire.
neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat
From this reading It was the roaring mass of the monster fire that had been lit, a splash of fierce, leaping flames in the velvety cool of the night.
corralverbUS /kərˈæl/
enclose in a corral
From this reading A little over a hundred yards away, straight before them, was the corral of the phantis: far behind it encroached the shadowy fringe of the jungle: to their right, closer to the corral than to the space ships, was the ranch house, lonely now and silent.
past form of “dance” — move in a graceful and rhythmical way
From this reading Black shapes were clustered around it; bottles were raised and drained; and a frieze of shadows, staggered and jumped and danced around the ruddy pile of fire.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading _Jamboree_ Two hours later their eyes were taking in a fantastic, mad scene, one that in some ways might have occurred in the days when buccaneers roamed the Spanish Main of Earth.
drainedadjectiveUS /dreɪnd/
emptied or exhausted of (as by drawing off e.g. water or other liquid)
From this reading Black shapes were clustered around it; bottles were raised and drained; and a frieze of shadows, staggered and jumped and danced around the ruddy pile of fire.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading _Jamboree_ Two hours later their eyes were taking in a fantastic, mad scene, one that in some ways might have occurred in the days when buccaneers roamed the Spanish Main of Earth.
encroachedverbUS /ɪnˈkroʊtʃt/
past form of “encroach” — advance beyond the usual limit
From this reading A little over a hundred yards away, straight before them, was the corral of the phantis: far behind it encroached the shadowy fringe of the jungle: to their right, closer to the corral than to the space ships, was the ranch house, lonely now and silent.
opinion or judgment
From this reading _Jamboree_ Two hours later their eyes were taking in a fantastic, mad scene, one that in some ways might have occurred in the days when buccaneers roamed the Spanish Main of Earth.
fantasticadjectiveUS /fænˈtæstɪk/
ludicrously odd
From this reading _Jamboree_ Two hours later their eyes were taking in a fantastic, mad scene, one that in some ways might have occurred in the days when buccaneers roamed the Spanish Main of Earth.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading A little over a hundred yards away, straight before them, was the corral of the phantis: far behind it encroached the shadowy fringe of the jungle: to their right, closer to the corral than to the space ships, was the ranch house, lonely now and silent.
marked by extreme and violent energy
From this reading It was the roaring mass of the monster fire that had been lit, a splash of fierce, leaping flames in the velvety cool of the night.
start firing a weapon
From this reading It was the roaring mass of the monster fire that had been lit, a splash of fierce, leaping flames in the velvety cool of the night.
plural of “flame” — the process of combustion of inflammable materials producing heat and light and (often) smoke
From this reading It was the roaring mass of the monster fire that had been lit, a splash of fierce, leaping flames in the velvety cool of the night.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading But these objects were only the background for what had grown in front of the corral wire.
friezenounUS /friːz/
an architectural ornament consisting of a horizontal sculptured band between the architrave and the cornice
From this reading Black shapes were clustered around it; bottles were raised and drained; and a frieze of shadows, staggered and jumped and danced around the ruddy pile of fire.
fringenounUS /frɪndʒ/
the outside boundary or surface of something
From this reading A little over a hundred yards away, straight before them, was the corral of the phantis: far behind it encroached the shadowy fringe of the jungle: to their right, closer to the corral than to the space ships, was the ranch house, lonely now and silent.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading But these objects were only the background for what had grown in front of the corral wire.
(of animals) fully developed
From this reading But these objects were only the background for what had grown in front of the corral wire.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading But these objects were only the background for what had grown in front of the corral wire.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading _Jamboree_ Two hours later their eyes were taking in a fantastic, mad scene, one that in some ways might have occurred in the days when buccaneers roamed the Spanish Main of Earth.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading _Jamboree_ Two hours later their eyes were taking in a fantastic, mad scene, one that in some ways might have occurred in the days when buccaneers roamed the Spanish Main of Earth.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading A little over a hundred yards away, straight before them, was the corral of the phantis: far behind it encroached the shadowy fringe of the jungle: to their right, closer to the corral than to the space ships, was the ranch house, lonely now and silent.
ten 10s
From this reading A little over a hundred yards away, straight before them, was the corral of the phantis: far behind it encroached the shadowy fringe of the jungle: to their right, closer to the corral than to the space ships, was the ranch house, lonely now and silent.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading _Jamboree_ Two hours later their eyes were taking in a fantastic, mad scene, one that in some ways might have occurred in the days when buccaneers roamed the Spanish Main of Earth.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading A little over a hundred yards away, straight before them, was the corral of the phantis: far behind it encroached the shadowy fringe of the jungle: to their right, closer to the corral than to the space ships, was the ranch house, lonely now and silent.
Jamboreenoun
a gay festivity
From this reading _Jamboree_ Two hours later their eyes were taking in a fantastic, mad scene, one that in some ways might have occurred in the days when buccaneers roamed the Spanish Main of Earth.
past form of “jump” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading Black shapes were clustered around it; bottles were raised and drained; and a frieze of shadows, staggered and jumped and danced around the ruddy pile of fire.
junglenounUS /ˈdʒʌŋɡəl/
a location marked by an intense competition and struggle for survival
From this reading A little over a hundred yards away, straight before them, was the corral of the phantis: far behind it encroached the shadowy fringe of the jungle: to their right, closer to the corral than to the space ships, was the ranch house, lonely now and silent.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading _Jamboree_ Two hours later their eyes were taking in a fantastic, mad scene, one that in some ways might have occurred in the days when buccaneers roamed the Spanish Main of Earth.
leapingnounUS /ˈliːpɪŋ/
a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards
From this reading It was the roaring mass of the monster fire that had been lit, a splash of fierce, leaping flames in the velvety cool of the night.
provided with artificial light
From this reading It was the roaring mass of the monster fire that had been lit, a splash of fierce, leaping flames in the velvety cool of the night.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading A little over a hundred yards away, straight before them, was the corral of the phantis: far behind it encroached the shadowy fringe of the jungle: to their right, closer to the corral than to the space ships, was the ranch house, lonely now and silent.
lacking companions or companionship
From this reading A little over a hundred yards away, straight before them, was the corral of the phantis: far behind it encroached the shadowy fringe of the jungle: to their right, closer to the corral than to the space ships, was the ranch house, lonely now and silent.
roused to anger
From this reading _Jamboree_ Two hours later their eyes were taking in a fantastic, mad scene, one that in some ways might have occurred in the days when buccaneers roamed the Spanish Main of Earth.
most important element
From this reading _Jamboree_ Two hours later their eyes were taking in a fantastic, mad scene, one that in some ways might have occurred in the days when buccaneers roamed the Spanish Main of Earth.
the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
From this reading It was the roaring mass of the monster fire that had been lit, a splash of fierce, leaping flames in the velvety cool of the night.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading _Jamboree_ Two hours later their eyes were taking in a fantastic, mad scene, one that in some ways might have occurred in the days when buccaneers roamed the Spanish Main of Earth.
monsternounUS /ˈmɑːnstər/
an imaginary creature usually having various human and animal parts
From this reading It was the roaring mass of the monster fire that had been lit, a splash of fierce, leaping flames in the velvety cool of the night.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading It was the roaring mass of the monster fire that had been lit, a splash of fierce, leaping flames in the velvety cool of the night.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading A little over a hundred yards away, straight before them, was the corral of the phantis: far behind it encroached the shadowy fringe of the jungle: to their right, closer to the corral than to the space ships, was the ranch house, lonely now and silent.
plural of “object” — a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow
From this reading But these objects were only the background for what had grown in front of the corral wire.
inflected form of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading _Jamboree_ Two hours later their eyes were taking in a fantastic, mad scene, one that in some ways might have occurred in the days when buccaneers roamed the Spanish Main of Earth.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _Jamboree_ Two hours later their eyes were taking in a fantastic, mad scene, one that in some ways might have occurred in the days when buccaneers roamed the Spanish Main of Earth.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading _Jamboree_ Two hours later their eyes were taking in a fantastic, mad scene, one that in some ways might have occurred in the days when buccaneers roamed the Spanish Main of Earth.
and nothing more
From this reading But these objects were only the background for what had grown in front of the corral wire.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading A little over a hundred yards away, straight before them, was the corral of the phantis: far behind it encroached the shadowy fringe of the jungle: to their right, closer to the corral than to the space ships, was the ranch house, lonely now and silent.
phantis
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A little over a hundred yards away, straight before them, was the corral of the phantis: far behind it encroached the shadowy fringe of the jungle: to their right, closer to the corral than to the space ships, was the ranch house, lonely now and silent.
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading Black shapes were clustered around it; bottles were raised and drained; and a frieze of shadows, staggered and jumped and danced around the ruddy pile of fire.
located or moved above the surround or above the normal position
From this reading Black shapes were clustered around it; bottles were raised and drained; and a frieze of shadows, staggered and jumped and danced around the ruddy pile of fire.
ranchnounUS /ræntʃ/
farm consisting of a large tract of land along with facilities needed to raise livestock (especially cattle)
From this reading A little over a hundred yards away, straight before them, was the corral of the phantis: far behind it encroached the shadowy fringe of the jungle: to their right, closer to the corral than to the space ships, was the ranch house, lonely now and silent.
precisely, exactly
From this reading A little over a hundred yards away, straight before them, was the corral of the phantis: far behind it encroached the shadowy fringe of the jungle: to their right, closer to the corral than to the space ships, was the ranch house, lonely now and silent.
roamedverbUS /roʊmd/
past form of “roam” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading _Jamboree_ Two hours later their eyes were taking in a fantastic, mad scene, one that in some ways might have occurred in the days when buccaneers roamed the Spanish Main of Earth.
roaringnounUS /ˈrɔːrɪŋ/
a deep prolonged loud noise
From this reading It was the roaring mass of the monster fire that had been lit, a splash of fierce, leaping flames in the velvety cool of the night.
ruddyadjectiveUS /ˈrʌdi/
inclined to a healthy reddish color often associated with outdoor life
From this reading Black shapes were clustered around it; bottles were raised and drained; and a frieze of shadows, staggered and jumped and danced around the ruddy pile of fire.
the place where some action occurs
From this reading _Jamboree_ Two hours later their eyes were taking in a fantastic, mad scene, one that in some ways might have occurred in the days when buccaneers roamed the Spanish Main of Earth.
plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries
From this reading Black shapes were clustered around it; bottles were raised and drained; and a frieze of shadows, staggered and jumped and danced around the ruddy pile of fire.
shadowyadjectiveUS /ˈʃædoʊi/
filled with shade
From this reading A little over a hundred yards away, straight before them, was the corral of the phantis: far behind it encroached the shadowy fringe of the jungle: to their right, closer to the corral than to the space ships, was the ranch house, lonely now and silent.
shapesnounUS /ʃeɪps/
plural of “shape” — any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
From this reading Black shapes were clustered around it; bottles were raised and drained; and a frieze of shadows, staggered and jumped and danced around the ruddy pile of fire.
plural of “ship” — a vessel that carries passengers or freight
From this reading A little over a hundred yards away, straight before them, was the corral of the phantis: far behind it encroached the shadowy fringe of the jungle: to their right, closer to the corral than to the space ships, was the ranch house, lonely now and silent.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading A little over a hundred yards away, straight before them, was the corral of the phantis: far behind it encroached the shadowy fringe of the jungle: to their right, closer to the corral than to the space ships, was the ranch house, lonely now and silent.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading _Jamboree_ Two hours later their eyes were taking in a fantastic, mad scene, one that in some ways might have occurred in the days when buccaneers roamed the Spanish Main of Earth.
the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading A little over a hundred yards away, straight before them, was the corral of the phantis: far behind it encroached the shadowy fringe of the jungle: to their right, closer to the corral than to the space ships, was the ranch house, lonely now and silent.
the Romance language spoken in most of Spain and the countries colonized by Spain
From this reading _Jamboree_ Two hours later their eyes were taking in a fantastic, mad scene, one that in some ways might have occurred in the days when buccaneers roamed the Spanish Main of Earth.
splashverbUS /splæʃ/
cause (a liquid) to spatter about, especially with force
From this reading It was the roaring mass of the monster fire that had been lit, a splash of fierce, leaping flames in the velvety cool of the night.
staggeredverbUS /ˈstæɡərd/
past form of “stagger” — walk as if unable to control one's movements
From this reading Black shapes were clustered around it; bottles were raised and drained; and a frieze of shadows, staggered and jumped and danced around the ruddy pile of fire.
successive (without a break)
From this reading A little over a hundred yards away, straight before them, was the corral of the phantis: far behind it encroached the shadowy fringe of the jungle: to their right, closer to the corral than to the space ships, was the ranch house, lonely now and silent.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading _Jamboree_ Two hours later their eyes were taking in a fantastic, mad scene, one that in some ways might have occurred in the days when buccaneers roamed the Spanish Main of Earth.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading A little over a hundred yards away, straight before them, was the corral of the phantis: far behind it encroached the shadowy fringe of the jungle: to their right, closer to the corral than to the space ships, was the ranch house, lonely now and silent.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading _Jamboree_ Two hours later their eyes were taking in a fantastic, mad scene, one that in some ways might have occurred in the days when buccaneers roamed the Spanish Main of Earth.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _Jamboree_ Two hours later their eyes were taking in a fantastic, mad scene, one that in some ways might have occurred in the days when buccaneers roamed the Spanish Main of Earth.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading _Jamboree_ Two hours later their eyes were taking in a fantastic, mad scene, one that in some ways might have occurred in the days when buccaneers roamed the Spanish Main of Earth.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading A little over a hundred yards away, straight before them, was the corral of the phantis: far behind it encroached the shadowy fringe of the jungle: to their right, closer to the corral than to the space ships, was the ranch house, lonely now and silent.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading But these objects were only the background for what had grown in front of the corral wire.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A little over a hundred yards away, straight before them, was the corral of the phantis: far behind it encroached the shadowy fringe of the jungle: to their right, closer to the corral than to the space ships, was the ranch house, lonely now and silent.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading _Jamboree_ Two hours later their eyes were taking in a fantastic, mad scene, one that in some ways might have occurred in the days when buccaneers roamed the Spanish Main of Earth.
velvetyadjectiveUS /ˈvelvəti/
smooth and soft to sight or hearing or touch or taste
From this reading It was the roaring mass of the monster fire that had been lit, a splash of fierce, leaping flames in the velvety cool of the night.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A little over a hundred yards away, straight before them, was the corral of the phantis: far behind it encroached the shadowy fringe of the jungle: to their right, closer to the corral than to the space ships, was the ranch house, lonely now and silent.
structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired
From this reading _Jamboree_ Two hours later their eyes were taking in a fantastic, mad scene, one that in some ways might have occurred in the days when buccaneers roamed the Spanish Main of Earth.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading _Jamboree_ Two hours later their eyes were taking in a fantastic, mad scene, one that in some ways might have occurred in the days when buccaneers roamed the Spanish Main of Earth.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading But these objects were only the background for what had grown in front of the corral wire.
at the time that
From this reading _Jamboree_ Two hours later their eyes were taking in a fantastic, mad scene, one that in some ways might have occurred in the days when buccaneers roamed the Spanish Main of Earth.
ligament made of metal and used to fasten things or make cages or fences etc
From this reading But these objects were only the background for what had grown in front of the corral wire.
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 little over a hundred yards away, straight before them, was the corral of the phantis: far behind it encroached the shadowy fringe of the jungle: to their right, closer to the corral than to the space ships, was the ranch house, lonely now and silent.
