used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Catastrophe For a long, blank moment of dismay and horror, I stood staring out across that deserted passageway.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading Catastrophe For a long, blank moment of dismay and horror, I stood staring out across that deserted passageway.
fear resulting from the awareness of danger
From this reading Yet my alarm was not for myself.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Catastrophe For a long, blank moment of dismay and horror, I stood staring out across that deserted passageway.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I was as one who, in mid-ocean, suddenly feels the waves foaming over him with no sign of a rescuing sail.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Now that Clay was gone, it was as if the very under-pinnings of my world had been torn from beneath me.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading Now that Clay was gone, it was as if the very under-pinnings of my world had been torn from beneath me.
blankadjectiveUS /blæŋk/
(of a surface) not written or printed on
From this reading Catastrophe For a long, blank moment of dismay and horror, I stood staring out across that deserted passageway.
CatastrophenounUS /kəˈtæstrəfi/
an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
From this reading Catastrophe For a long, blank moment of dismay and horror, I stood staring out across that deserted passageway.
ClaynounUS /kleɪ/
a very fine-grained soil that is plastic when moist but hard when fired
From this reading Now that Clay was gone, it was as if the very under-pinnings of my world had been torn from beneath me.
forsaken by owner or inhabitants
From this reading Catastrophe For a long, blank moment of dismay and horror, I stood staring out across that deserted passageway.
dismaynounUS /dɪˈsmeɪ/
the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles
From this reading Catastrophe For a long, blank moment of dismay and horror, I stood staring out across that deserted passageway.
plural of “feel” — an intuitive awareness
From this reading I was as one who, in mid-ocean, suddenly feels the waves foaming over him with no sign of a rescuing sail.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading Not until this instant had the full terror of my plight overwhelmed me; not until this instant had I felt utterly hopeless and helpless.
foamingadjectiveUS /ˈfoʊmɪŋ/
emitting or filled with bubbles as from carbonation or fermentation
From this reading I was as one who, in mid-ocean, suddenly feels the waves foaming over him with no sign of a rescuing sail.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Catastrophe For a long, blank moment of dismay and horror, I stood staring out across that deserted passageway.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Now that Clay was gone, it was as if the very under-pinnings of my world had been torn from beneath me.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading Not until this instant had the full terror of my plight overwhelmed me; not until this instant had I felt utterly hopeless and helpless.
destroyed or killed
From this reading Now that Clay was gone, it was as if the very under-pinnings of my world had been torn from beneath me.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Not until this instant had the full terror of my plight overwhelmed me; not until this instant had I felt utterly hopeless and helpless.
lacking in or deprived of strength or power
From this reading Not until this instant had the full terror of my plight overwhelmed me; not until this instant had I felt utterly hopeless and helpless.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I was as one who, in mid-ocean, suddenly feels the waves foaming over him with no sign of a rescuing sail.
hopelessadjectiveUS /ˈhoʊpləs/
without hope because there seems to be no possibility of comfort or success
From this reading Not until this instant had the full terror of my plight overwhelmed me; not until this instant had I felt utterly hopeless and helpless.
intense and profound fear
From this reading Catastrophe For a long, blank moment of dismay and horror, I stood staring out across that deserted passageway.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Catastrophe For a long, blank moment of dismay and horror, I stood staring out across that deserted passageway.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Now that Clay was gone, it was as if the very under-pinnings of my world had been torn from beneath me.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I was as one who, in mid-ocean, suddenly feels the waves foaming over him with no sign of a rescuing sail.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading Not until this instant had the full terror of my plight overwhelmed me; not until this instant had I felt utterly hopeless and helpless.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Now that Clay was gone, it was as if the very under-pinnings of my world had been torn from beneath me.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading Catastrophe For a long, blank moment of dismay and horror, I stood staring out across that deserted passageway.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Not until this instant had the full terror of my plight overwhelmed me; not until this instant had I felt utterly hopeless and helpless.
mid-ocean
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was as one who, in mid-ocean, suddenly feels the waves foaming over him with no sign of a rescuing sail.
a particular point in time
From this reading Catastrophe For a long, blank moment of dismay and horror, I stood staring out across that deserted passageway.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Not until this instant had the full terror of my plight overwhelmed me; not until this instant had I felt utterly hopeless and helpless.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading Yet my alarm was not for myself.
not any; not one
From this reading I was as one who, in mid-ocean, suddenly feels the waves foaming over him with no sign of a rescuing sail.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not until this instant had the full terror of my plight overwhelmed me; not until this instant had I felt utterly hopeless and helpless.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now that Clay was gone, it was as if the very under-pinnings of my world had been torn from beneath me.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Catastrophe For a long, blank moment of dismay and horror, I stood staring out across that deserted passageway.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading I was as one who, in mid-ocean, suddenly feels the waves foaming over him with no sign of a rescuing sail.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Catastrophe For a long, blank moment of dismay and horror, I stood staring out across that deserted passageway.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading I was as one who, in mid-ocean, suddenly feels the waves foaming over him with no sign of a rescuing sail.
overwhelmedverbUS /ˌoʊvərˈwelmd/
past form of “overwhelm” — overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli
From this reading Not until this instant had the full terror of my plight overwhelmed me; not until this instant had I felt utterly hopeless and helpless.
passagewaynounUS /ˈpæsədʒweɪ/
a passage between rooms or between buildings
From this reading Catastrophe For a long, blank moment of dismay and horror, I stood staring out across that deserted passageway.
plightnounUS /plaɪt/
a situation from which extrication is difficult especially an unpleasant or trying one
From this reading Not until this instant had the full terror of my plight overwhelmed me; not until this instant had I felt utterly hopeless and helpless.
rescuingverbUS /ˈreskjuːɪŋ/
-ing form of “rescue” — free from harm or evil
From this reading I was as one who, in mid-ocean, suddenly feels the waves foaming over him with no sign of a rescuing sail.
traverse or travel on (a body of water)
From this reading I was as one who, in mid-ocean, suddenly feels the waves foaming over him with no sign of a rescuing sail.
a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading I was as one who, in mid-ocean, suddenly feels the waves foaming over him with no sign of a rescuing sail.
(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder
From this reading Catastrophe For a long, blank moment of dismay and horror, I stood staring out across that deserted passageway.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Catastrophe For a long, blank moment of dismay and horror, I stood staring out across that deserted passageway.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading I was as one who, in mid-ocean, suddenly feels the waves foaming over him with no sign of a rescuing sail.
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading Not until this instant had the full terror of my plight overwhelmed me; not until this instant had I felt utterly hopeless and helpless.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Catastrophe For a long, blank moment of dismay and horror, I stood staring out across that deserted passageway.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I was as one who, in mid-ocean, suddenly feels the waves foaming over him with no sign of a rescuing sail.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Not until this instant had the full terror of my plight overwhelmed me; not until this instant had I felt utterly hopeless and helpless.
having edges that are jagged from injury
From this reading Now that Clay was gone, it was as if the very under-pinnings of my world had been torn from beneath me.
under-pinnings
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now that Clay was gone, it was as if the very under-pinnings of my world had been torn from beneath me.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Not until this instant had the full terror of my plight overwhelmed me; not until this instant had I felt utterly hopeless and helpless.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading Not until this instant had the full terror of my plight overwhelmed me; not until this instant had I felt utterly hopeless and helpless.
precisely as stated
From this reading Now that Clay was gone, it was as if the very under-pinnings of my world had been torn from beneath me.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was as one who, in mid-ocean, suddenly feels the waves foaming over him with no sign of a rescuing sail.
plural of “wave” — one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)
From this reading I was as one who, in mid-ocean, suddenly feels the waves foaming over him with no sign of a rescuing sail.
which person or people
From this reading I was as one who, in mid-ocean, suddenly feels the waves foaming over him with no sign of a rescuing sail.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I was as one who, in mid-ocean, suddenly feels the waves foaming over him with no sign of a rescuing sail.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading Now that Clay was gone, it was as if the very under-pinnings of my world had been torn from beneath me.
but in spite of that
From this reading Yet my alarm was not for myself.
