used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A RESCUE AND A VIGILANCE COMMITTEE At the end of an hour, or so, the lion withdrew and Wade thought he had seen the last of it.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading It walked about and sniffed at the edges of the fissure for some minutes; then it sneaked off into the timber with a cat-like whimper.
anew
From this reading He began to pace up and down the fissure once more, for now that his thin shirt was damp with perspiration, set flowing by the nervous strain he had been under, he began to get chilly again.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading He crouched back against the cavern wall, but the lion had evidently lost the zest for such impossible prey.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A RESCUE AND A VIGILANCE COMMITTEE At the end of an hour, or so, the lion withdrew and Wade thought he had seen the last of it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A RESCUE AND A VIGILANCE COMMITTEE At the end of an hour, or so, the lion withdrew and Wade thought he had seen the last of it.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading He had just begun to warm up, when he heard the animal returning.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A RESCUE AND A VIGILANCE COMMITTEE At the end of an hour, or so, the lion withdrew and Wade thought he had seen the last of it.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading He crouched back against the cavern wall, but the lion had evidently lost the zest for such impossible prey.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He began to pace up and down the fissure once more, for now that his thin shirt was damp with perspiration, set flowing by the nervous strain he had been under, he began to get chilly again.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading He began to pace up and down the fissure once more, for now that his thin shirt was damp with perspiration, set flowing by the nervous strain he had been under, he began to get chilly again.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading He had just begun to warm up, when he heard the animal returning.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He crouched back against the cavern wall, but the lion had evidently lost the zest for such impossible prey.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He began to pace up and down the fissure once more, for now that his thin shirt was damp with perspiration, set flowing by the nervous strain he had been under, he began to get chilly again.
cat-like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It walked about and sniffed at the edges of the fissure for some minutes; then it sneaked off into the timber with a cat-like whimper.
cavernnounUS /ˈkæv.ərn/
A large, vast underground cave, often filled with forgotten ancient treasures.
From this reading He crouched back against the cavern wall, but the lion had evidently lost the zest for such impossible prey.
chillyadjectiveUS /ˈtʃɪli/
not characterized by emotion
From this reading He began to pace up and down the fissure once more, for now that his thin shirt was damp with perspiration, set flowing by the nervous strain he had been under, he began to get chilly again.
COMMITTEEnounUS /kəˈmɪti/
a special group delegated to consider some matter
From this reading A RESCUE AND A VIGILANCE COMMITTEE At the end of an hour, or so, the lion withdrew and Wade thought he had seen the last of it.
crouchedverbUS /kraʊtʃt/
past form of “crouch” — bend one's back forward from the waist on down
From this reading He crouched back against the cavern wall, but the lion had evidently lost the zest for such impossible prey.
dampadjectiveUS /dæmp/
slightly wet
From this reading He began to pace up and down the fissure once more, for now that his thin shirt was damp with perspiration, set flowing by the nervous strain he had been under, he began to get chilly again.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He began to pace up and down the fissure once more, for now that his thin shirt was damp with perspiration, set flowing by the nervous strain he had been under, he began to get chilly again.
edgesnounUS /ˈedʒəz/
plural of “edge” — the boundary of a surface
From this reading It walked about and sniffed at the edges of the fissure for some minutes; then it sneaked off into the timber with a cat-like whimper.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading A RESCUE AND A VIGILANCE COMMITTEE At the end of an hour, or so, the lion withdrew and Wade thought he had seen the last of it.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading He crouched back against the cavern wall, but the lion had evidently lost the zest for such impossible prey.
fissurenounUS /ˈfɪʃər/
a long narrow depression in a surface
From this reading He began to pace up and down the fissure once more, for now that his thin shirt was damp with perspiration, set flowing by the nervous strain he had been under, he began to get chilly again.
flowingnounUS /ˈfloʊɪŋ/
the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases)
From this reading He began to pace up and down the fissure once more, for now that his thin shirt was damp with perspiration, set flowing by the nervous strain he had been under, he began to get chilly again.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He began to pace up and down the fissure once more, for now that his thin shirt was damp with perspiration, set flowing by the nervous strain he had been under, he began to get chilly again.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading He began to pace up and down the fissure once more, for now that his thin shirt was damp with perspiration, set flowing by the nervous strain he had been under, he began to get chilly again.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A RESCUE AND A VIGILANCE COMMITTEE At the end of an hour, or so, the lion withdrew and Wade thought he had seen the last of it.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A RESCUE AND A VIGILANCE COMMITTEE At the end of an hour, or so, the lion withdrew and Wade thought he had seen the last of it.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading He had just begun to warm up, when he heard the animal returning.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He began to pace up and down the fissure once more, for now that his thin shirt was damp with perspiration, set flowing by the nervous strain he had been under, he began to get chilly again.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading A RESCUE AND A VIGILANCE COMMITTEE At the end of an hour, or so, the lion withdrew and Wade thought he had seen the last of it.
not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with
From this reading He crouched back against the cavern wall, but the lion had evidently lost the zest for such impossible prey.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading It walked about and sniffed at the edges of the fissure for some minutes; then it sneaked off into the timber with a cat-like whimper.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading A RESCUE AND A VIGILANCE COMMITTEE At the end of an hour, or so, the lion withdrew and Wade thought he had seen the last of it.
and nothing more
From this reading He had just begun to warm up, when he heard the animal returning.
immediately past
From this reading A RESCUE AND A VIGILANCE COMMITTEE At the end of an hour, or so, the lion withdrew and Wade thought he had seen the last of it.
large gregarious predatory feline of Africa and India having a tawny coat with a shaggy mane in the male
From this reading A RESCUE AND A VIGILANCE COMMITTEE At the end of an hour, or so, the lion withdrew and Wade thought he had seen the last of it.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading He crouched back against the cavern wall, but the lion had evidently lost the zest for such impossible prey.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading It walked about and sniffed at the edges of the fissure for some minutes; then it sneaked off into the timber with a cat-like whimper.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading He began to pace up and down the fissure once more, for now that his thin shirt was damp with perspiration, set flowing by the nervous strain he had been under, he began to get chilly again.
easily agitated
From this reading He began to pace up and down the fissure once more, for now that his thin shirt was damp with perspiration, set flowing by the nervous strain he had been under, he began to get chilly again.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading He began to pace up and down the fissure once more, for now that his thin shirt was damp with perspiration, set flowing by the nervous strain he had been under, he began to get chilly again.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A RESCUE AND A VIGILANCE COMMITTEE At the end of an hour, or so, the lion withdrew and Wade thought he had seen the last of it.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading It walked about and sniffed at the edges of the fissure for some minutes; then it sneaked off into the timber with a cat-like whimper.
on one occasion
From this reading He began to pace up and down the fissure once more, for now that his thin shirt was damp with perspiration, set flowing by the nervous strain he had been under, he began to get chilly again.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading A RESCUE AND A VIGILANCE COMMITTEE At the end of an hour, or so, the lion withdrew and Wade thought he had seen the last of it.
the rate of moving (especially walking or running)
From this reading He began to pace up and down the fissure once more, for now that his thin shirt was damp with perspiration, set flowing by the nervous strain he had been under, he began to get chilly again.
perspirationnounUS /ˌpɜːrspərˈeɪʃən/
salty fluid secreted by sweat glands
From this reading He began to pace up and down the fissure once more, for now that his thin shirt was damp with perspiration, set flowing by the nervous strain he had been under, he began to get chilly again.
preynounUS /preɪ/
a person who is the aim of an attack (especially a victim of ridicule or exploitation) by some hostile person or influence
From this reading He crouched back against the cavern wall, but the lion had evidently lost the zest for such impossible prey.
RESCUEverbUS /ˈreskjuː/
free from harm or evil
From this reading A RESCUE AND A VIGILANCE COMMITTEE At the end of an hour, or so, the lion withdrew and Wade thought he had seen the last of it.
tending to return to an earlier state
From this reading He had just begun to warm up, when he heard the animal returning.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading A RESCUE AND A VIGILANCE COMMITTEE At the end of an hour, or so, the lion withdrew and Wade thought he had seen the last of it.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading He began to pace up and down the fissure once more, for now that his thin shirt was damp with perspiration, set flowing by the nervous strain he had been under, he began to get chilly again.
shirtnounUS /ʃɜːrt/
a garment worn on the upper half of the body
From this reading He began to pace up and down the fissure once more, for now that his thin shirt was damp with perspiration, set flowing by the nervous strain he had been under, he began to get chilly again.
sneakedverbUS /sniːkt/
past form of “sneak” — to go stealthily or furtively
From this reading It walked about and sniffed at the edges of the fissure for some minutes; then it sneaked off into the timber with a cat-like whimper.
sniffedverbUS /snɪft/
past form of “sniff” — perceive by inhaling through the nose
From this reading It walked about and sniffed at the edges of the fissure for some minutes; then it sneaked off into the timber with a cat-like whimper.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading A RESCUE AND A VIGILANCE COMMITTEE At the end of an hour, or so, the lion withdrew and Wade thought he had seen the last of it.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading It walked about and sniffed at the edges of the fissure for some minutes; then it sneaked off into the timber with a cat-like whimper.
(physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces
From this reading He began to pace up and down the fissure once more, for now that his thin shirt was damp with perspiration, set flowing by the nervous strain he had been under, he began to get chilly again.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading He crouched back against the cavern wall, but the lion had evidently lost the zest for such impossible prey.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He began to pace up and down the fissure once more, for now that his thin shirt was damp with perspiration, set flowing by the nervous strain he had been under, he began to get chilly again.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A RESCUE AND A VIGILANCE COMMITTEE At the end of an hour, or so, the lion withdrew and Wade thought he had seen the last of it.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading It walked about and sniffed at the edges of the fissure for some minutes; then it sneaked off into the timber with a cat-like whimper.
Having little thickness or extent.
From this reading He began to pace up and down the fissure once more, for now that his thin shirt was damp with perspiration, set flowing by the nervous strain he had been under, he began to get chilly again.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading A RESCUE AND A VIGILANCE COMMITTEE At the end of an hour, or so, the lion withdrew and Wade thought he had seen the last of it.
timbernounUS /ˈtɪmbər/
the wood of trees cut and prepared for use as building material
From this reading It walked about and sniffed at the edges of the fissure for some minutes; then it sneaked off into the timber with a cat-like whimper.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He began to pace up and down the fissure once more, for now that his thin shirt was damp with perspiration, set flowing by the nervous strain he had been under, he began to get chilly again.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading He began to pace up and down the fissure once more, for now that his thin shirt was damp with perspiration, set flowing by the nervous strain he had been under, he began to get chilly again.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He began to pace up and down the fissure once more, for now that his thin shirt was damp with perspiration, set flowing by the nervous strain he had been under, he began to get chilly again.
VIGILANCEnounUS /ˈvɪdʒələns/
the process of paying close and continuous attention
From this reading A RESCUE AND A VIGILANCE COMMITTEE At the end of an hour, or so, the lion withdrew and Wade thought he had seen the last of it.
WadeverbUS /weɪd/
walk (through relatively shallow water)
From this reading A RESCUE AND A VIGILANCE COMMITTEE At the end of an hour, or so, the lion withdrew and Wade thought he had seen the last of it.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading It walked about and sniffed at the edges of the fissure for some minutes; then it sneaked off into the timber with a cat-like whimper.
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 He crouched back against the cavern wall, but the lion had evidently lost the zest for such impossible prey.
having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat
From this reading He had just begun to warm up, when he heard the animal returning.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He began to pace up and down the fissure once more, for now that his thin shirt was damp with perspiration, set flowing by the nervous strain he had been under, he began to get chilly again.
at the time that
From this reading He had just begun to warm up, when he heard the animal returning.
whimperverbUS /ˈwɪmpər/
cry weakly or softly
From this reading It walked about and sniffed at the edges of the fissure for some minutes; then it sneaked off into the timber with a cat-like whimper.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He began to pace up and down the fissure once more, for now that his thin shirt was damp with perspiration, set flowing by the nervous strain he had been under, he began to get chilly again.
withdrewverbUS /wɪθˈdruː/
inflected form of “withdraw” — pull back or move away or backward
From this reading A RESCUE AND A VIGILANCE COMMITTEE At the end of an hour, or so, the lion withdrew and Wade thought he had seen the last of it.
zestnounUS /zest/
vigorous and enthusiastic enjoyment
From this reading He crouched back against the cavern wall, but the lion had evidently lost the zest for such impossible prey.
