used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When we rose in the morning and went to the door to look out, all the place was swimming and a solid wall of water seemed to stretch from earth to heaven.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading “I think there will be a flood after this, Baas,” remarked Hans.
(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 THE SLUICE GATE All that night it poured, not merely in the usual tropical torrent, but positively in waterspouts.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When we rose in the morning and went to the door to look out, all the place was swimming and a solid wall of water seemed to stretch from earth to heaven.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading “I think so, too,” I answered, “and if we were not here I wish that it might be deep enough to drown every human brute upon this island.”
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Seldom in my life have I heard such rain as that which fell upon the roof of the house where we were, which must have been wonderfully well built, for otherwise it would have given way.
BaasnounUS /bɑːz/
South African term for “boss”
From this reading “I think there will be a flood after this, Baas,” remarked Hans.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “I think there will be a flood after this, Baas,” remarked Hans.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Seldom in my life have I heard such rain as that which fell upon the roof of the house where we were, which must have been wonderfully well built, for otherwise it would have given way.
brutenounUS /bruːt/
a cruelly rapacious person
From this reading “I think so, too,” I answered, “and if we were not here I wish that it might be deep enough to drown every human brute upon this island.”
(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness
From this reading Seldom in my life have I heard such rain as that which fell upon the roof of the house where we were, which must have been wonderfully well built, for otherwise it would have given way.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading THE SLUICE GATE All that night it poured, not merely in the usual tropical torrent, but positively in waterspouts.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading “I think so, too,” I answered, “and if we were not here I wish that it might be deep enough to drown every human brute upon this island.”
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading When we rose in the morning and went to the door to look out, all the place was swimming and a solid wall of water seemed to stretch from earth to heaven.
drownverbUS /draʊn/
cover completely or make imperceptible
From this reading “I think so, too,” I answered, “and if we were not here I wish that it might be deep enough to drown every human brute upon this island.”
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading When we rose in the morning and went to the door to look out, all the place was swimming and a solid wall of water seemed to stretch from earth to heaven.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading “I think so, too,” I answered, “and if we were not here I wish that it might be deep enough to drown every human brute upon this island.”
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading “I think so, too,” I answered, “and if we were not here I wish that it might be deep enough to drown every human brute upon this island.”
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading Seldom in my life have I heard such rain as that which fell upon the roof of the house where we were, which must have been wonderfully well built, for otherwise it would have given way.
the rising of a body of water and its overflowing onto normally dry land
From this reading “I think there will be a flood after this, Baas,” remarked Hans.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Seldom in my life have I heard such rain as that which fell upon the roof of the house where we were, which must have been wonderfully well built, for otherwise it would have given way.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading When we rose in the morning and went to the door to look out, all the place was swimming and a solid wall of water seemed to stretch from earth to heaven.
a movable barrier in a fence or wall
From this reading THE SLUICE GATE All that night it poured, not merely in the usual tropical torrent, but positively in waterspouts.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading Seldom in my life have I heard such rain as that which fell upon the roof of the house where we were, which must have been wonderfully well built, for otherwise it would have given way.
HansnounUS /hɑːns/
plural of “han” — imperial dynasty that ruled China (most of the time from 206 BC to AD 220) and expanded its boundaries and developed its bureaucracy; remembered as one of the great eras of Chinese civilization
From this reading “I think there will be a flood after this, Baas,” remarked Hans.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Seldom in my life have I heard such rain as that which fell upon the roof of the house where we were, which must have been wonderfully well built, for otherwise it would have given way.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Seldom in my life have I heard such rain as that which fell upon the roof of the house where we were, which must have been wonderfully well built, for otherwise it would have given way.
any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
From this reading When we rose in the morning and went to the door to look out, all the place was swimming and a solid wall of water seemed to stretch from earth to heaven.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading “I think so, too,” I answered, “and if we were not here I wish that it might be deep enough to drown every human brute upon this island.”
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Seldom in my life have I heard such rain as that which fell upon the roof of the house where we were, which must have been wonderfully well built, for otherwise it would have given way.
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading “I think so, too,” I answered, “and if we were not here I wish that it might be deep enough to drown every human brute upon this island.”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Seldom in my life have I heard such rain as that which fell upon the roof of the house where we were, which must have been wonderfully well built, for otherwise it would have given way.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “I think so, too,” I answered, “and if we were not here I wish that it might be deep enough to drown every human brute upon this island.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE SLUICE GATE All that night it poured, not merely in the usual tropical torrent, but positively in waterspouts.
a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading “I think so, too,” I answered, “and if we were not here I wish that it might be deep enough to drown every human brute upon this island.”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE SLUICE GATE All that night it poured, not merely in the usual tropical torrent, but positively in waterspouts.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Seldom in my life have I heard such rain as that which fell upon the roof of the house where we were, which must have been wonderfully well built, for otherwise it would have given way.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading When we rose in the morning and went to the door to look out, all the place was swimming and a solid wall of water seemed to stretch from earth to heaven.
and nothing more
From this reading THE SLUICE GATE All that night it poured, not merely in the usual tropical torrent, but positively in waterspouts.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading “I think so, too,” I answered, “and if we were not here I wish that it might be deep enough to drown every human brute upon this island.”
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading When we rose in the morning and went to the door to look out, all the place was swimming and a solid wall of water seemed to stretch from earth to heaven.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Seldom in my life have I heard such rain as that which fell upon the roof of the house where we were, which must have been wonderfully well built, for otherwise it would have given way.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Seldom in my life have I heard such rain as that which fell upon the roof of the house where we were, which must have been wonderfully well built, for otherwise it would have given way.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading THE SLUICE GATE All that night it poured, not merely in the usual tropical torrent, but positively in waterspouts.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading THE SLUICE GATE All that night it poured, not merely in the usual tropical torrent, but positively in waterspouts.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Seldom in my life have I heard such rain as that which fell upon the roof of the house where we were, which must have been wonderfully well built, for otherwise it would have given way.
in other respects or ways
From this reading Seldom in my life have I heard such rain as that which fell upon the roof of the house where we were, which must have been wonderfully well built, for otherwise it would have given way.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading When we rose in the morning and went to the door to look out, all the place was swimming and a solid wall of water seemed to stretch from earth to heaven.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading When we rose in the morning and went to the door to look out, all the place was swimming and a solid wall of water seemed to stretch from earth to heaven.
positivelyadverbUS /ˈpɑːzətɪvli/
extremely
From this reading THE SLUICE GATE All that night it poured, not merely in the usual tropical torrent, but positively in waterspouts.
past form of “pour” — cause to run
From this reading THE SLUICE GATE All that night it poured, not merely in the usual tropical torrent, but positively in waterspouts.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading Seldom in my life have I heard such rain as that which fell upon the roof of the house where we were, which must have been wonderfully well built, for otherwise it would have given way.
past form of “remark” — make mention of
From this reading “I think there will be a flood after this, Baas,” remarked Hans.
a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
From this reading Seldom in my life have I heard such rain as that which fell upon the roof of the house where we were, which must have been wonderfully well built, for otherwise it would have given way.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading When we rose in the morning and went to the door to look out, all the place was swimming and a solid wall of water seemed to stretch from earth to heaven.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading When we rose in the morning and went to the door to look out, all the place was swimming and a solid wall of water seemed to stretch from earth to heaven.
not often
From this reading Seldom in my life have I heard such rain as that which fell upon the roof of the house where we were, which must have been wonderfully well built, for otherwise it would have given way.
SLUICEverbUS /sluːs/
pour as if from a sluice
From this reading THE SLUICE GATE All that night it poured, not merely in the usual tropical torrent, but positively in waterspouts.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “I think so, too,” I answered, “and if we were not here I wish that it might be deep enough to drown every human brute upon this island.”
solidadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːləd/
characterized by good substantial quality
From this reading When we rose in the morning and went to the door to look out, all the place was swimming and a solid wall of water seemed to stretch from earth to heaven.
stretchverbUS /stretʃ/
occupy a large, elongated area
From this reading When we rose in the morning and went to the door to look out, all the place was swimming and a solid wall of water seemed to stretch from earth to heaven.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Seldom in my life have I heard such rain as that which fell upon the roof of the house where we were, which must have been wonderfully well built, for otherwise it would have given way.
swimmingnounUS /ˈswɪmɪŋ/
the act of swimming
From this reading When we rose in the morning and went to the door to look out, all the place was swimming and a solid wall of water seemed to stretch from earth to heaven.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE SLUICE GATE All that night it poured, not merely in the usual tropical torrent, but positively in waterspouts.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE SLUICE GATE All that night it poured, not merely in the usual tropical torrent, but positively in waterspouts.
in or at that place or location
From this reading “I think there will be a flood after this, Baas,” remarked Hans.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading “I think there will be a flood after this, Baas,” remarked Hans.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “I think there will be a flood after this, Baas,” remarked Hans.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When we rose in the morning and went to the door to look out, all the place was swimming and a solid wall of water seemed to stretch from earth to heaven.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading “I think so, too,” I answered, “and if we were not here I wish that it might be deep enough to drown every human brute upon this island.”
torrentnounUS /ˈtɔːrənt/
a heavy rain
From this reading THE SLUICE GATE All that night it poured, not merely in the usual tropical torrent, but positively in waterspouts.
tropicaladjectiveUS /ˈtrɑːpɪkəl/
relating to or situated in or characteristic of the tropics (the region on either side of the equator)
From this reading THE SLUICE GATE All that night it poured, not merely in the usual tropical torrent, but positively in waterspouts.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Seldom in my life have I heard such rain as that which fell upon the roof of the house where we were, which must have been wonderfully well built, for otherwise it would have given way.
usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/
occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure
From this reading THE SLUICE GATE All that night it poured, not merely in the usual tropical torrent, but positively in waterspouts.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading When we rose in the morning and went to the door to look out, all the place was swimming and a solid wall of water seemed to stretch from earth to heaven.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When we rose in the morning and went to the door to look out, all the place was swimming and a solid wall of water seemed to stretch from earth to heaven.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading When we rose in the morning and went to the door to look out, all the place was swimming and a solid wall of water seemed to stretch from earth to heaven.
waterspouts
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SLUICE GATE All that night it poured, not merely in the usual tropical torrent, but positively in waterspouts.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Seldom in my life have I heard such rain as that which fell upon the roof of the house where we were, which must have been wonderfully well built, for otherwise it would have given way.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Seldom in my life have I heard such rain as that which fell upon the roof of the house where we were, which must have been wonderfully well built, for otherwise it would have given way.
(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 Seldom in my life have I heard such rain as that which fell upon the roof of the house where we were, which must have been wonderfully well built, for otherwise it would have given way.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading When we rose in the morning and went to the door to look out, all the place was swimming and a solid wall of water seemed to stretch from earth to heaven.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Seldom in my life have I heard such rain as that which fell upon the roof of the house where we were, which must have been wonderfully well built, for otherwise it would have given way.
at the time that
From this reading When we rose in the morning and went to the door to look out, all the place was swimming and a solid wall of water seemed to stretch from earth to heaven.
in or at the place that
From this reading Seldom in my life have I heard such rain as that which fell upon the roof of the house where we were, which must have been wonderfully well built, for otherwise it would have given way.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Seldom in my life have I heard such rain as that which fell upon the roof of the house where we were, which must have been wonderfully well built, for otherwise it would have given way.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading “I think there will be a flood after this, Baas,” remarked Hans.
hope for; have a wish
From this reading “I think so, too,” I answered, “and if we were not here I wish that it might be deep enough to drown every human brute upon this island.”
wonderfullyadverbUS /ˈwʌndərfəli/
(used as an intensifier) extremely well
From this reading Seldom in my life have I heard such rain as that which fell upon the roof of the house where we were, which must have been wonderfully well built, for otherwise it would have given way.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Seldom in my life have I heard such rain as that which fell upon the roof of the house where we were, which must have been wonderfully well built, for otherwise it would have given way.
