adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading With a shuddering hiss, a rocket from a headland beyond the village leapt up and burst hot gold against the glare, and the sound of the third and fourth guns reached me.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading The windows of the dark bungalows, one after another, leapt out, squares of ruddy brightness that flared and flickered and became steadily bright.
againadverbUS /əˈɡen/
anew
From this reading “Boom! boom!” and when I looked again at the great ironclad, a little torchlike spurt of flame wavered behind her funnels.
againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading With a shuddering hiss, a rocket from a headland beyond the village leapt up and burst hot gold against the glare, and the sound of the third and fourth guns reached me.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading With a shuddering hiss, a rocket from a headland beyond the village leapt up and burst hot gold against the glare, and the sound of the third and fourth guns reached me.
anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading The windows of the dark bungalows, one after another, leapt out, squares of ruddy brightness that flared and flickered and became steadily bright.
appearedverbUS /əˈpɪrd/
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Dark heads appeared looking seaward, a door opened, and sent out a brief lane of yellow to mingle and be lost in the comet’s brightness.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “Boom! boom!” and when I looked again at the great ironclad, a little torchlike spurt of flame wavered behind her funnels.
backadverbUS /bæk/
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading That brought me back to the business in hand.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Dark heads appeared looking seaward, a door opened, and sent out a brief lane of yellow to mingle and be lost in the comet’s brightness.
becameverbUS /bɪˈkeɪm/
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading The windows of the dark bungalows, one after another, leapt out, squares of ruddy brightness that flared and flickered and became steadily bright.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading “Boom! boom!” and when I looked again at the great ironclad, a little torchlike spurt of flame wavered behind her funnels.
beyondprepositionUS /bɪˈɑːnd/
on the far side of; further than
From this reading With a shuddering hiss, a rocket from a headland beyond the village leapt up and burst hot gold against the glare, and the sound of the third and fourth guns reached me.
BoomverbUS /buːm/
make a resonant sound, like artillery
From this reading “Boom! boom!” and when I looked again at the great ironclad, a little torchlike spurt of flame wavered behind her funnels.
briefadjectiveUS /briːf/
of short duration or distance
From this reading Dark heads appeared looking seaward, a door opened, and sent out a brief lane of yellow to mingle and be lost in the comet’s brightness.
brightadjectiveUS /braɪt/
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading The windows of the dark bungalows, one after another, leapt out, squares of ruddy brightness that flared and flickered and became steadily bright.
brightnessnounUS /ˈbraɪtnəs/
the location of a visual perception along a continuum from black to white
From this reading The windows of the dark bungalows, one after another, leapt out, squares of ruddy brightness that flared and flickered and became steadily bright.
broughtverbUS /brɔːt/
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading That brought me back to the business in hand.
bungalowsnounUS /ˈbʌŋɡəloʊz/
plural of “bungalow” — a small house with a single story
From this reading The windows of the dark bungalows, one after another, leapt out, squares of ruddy brightness that flared and flickered and became steadily bright.
burstverbUS /bɜːrst/
come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading With a shuddering hiss, a rocket from a headland beyond the village leapt up and burst hot gold against the glare, and the sound of the third and fourth guns reached me.
businessnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading That brought me back to the business in hand.
comet'snounUS /ˈkɑːməts/
possessive form of “comet” — (astronomy) a relatively small extraterrestrial body consisting of a frozen mass that travels around the sun in a highly elliptical orbit
From this reading Dark heads appeared looking seaward, a door opened, and sent out a brief lane of yellow to mingle and be lost in the comet’s brightness.
darknounUS /dɑːrk/
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The windows of the dark bungalows, one after another, leapt out, squares of ruddy brightness that flared and flickered and became steadily bright.
doornounUS /dɔːr/
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Dark heads appeared looking seaward, a door opened, and sent out a brief lane of yellow to mingle and be lost in the comet’s brightness.
flamenounUS /fleɪm/
A hot glowing body of ignited gas produced by fire.
From this reading “Boom! boom!” and when I looked again at the great ironclad, a little torchlike spurt of flame wavered behind her funnels.
flaredverbUS /flerd/
past form of “flare” — burn brightly
From this reading The windows of the dark bungalows, one after another, leapt out, squares of ruddy brightness that flared and flickered and became steadily bright.
flickeredverbUS /ˈflɪkərd/
past form of “flicker” — move back and forth very rapidly
From this reading The windows of the dark bungalows, one after another, leapt out, squares of ruddy brightness that flared and flickered and became steadily bright.
fourthnounUS /fɔːrθ/
following the third position; number four in a countable series
From this reading With a shuddering hiss, a rocket from a headland beyond the village leapt up and burst hot gold against the glare, and the sound of the third and fourth guns reached me.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading With a shuddering hiss, a rocket from a headland beyond the village leapt up and burst hot gold against the glare, and the sound of the third and fourth guns reached me.
funnelsnounUS /ˈfʌnəlz/
plural of “funnel” — a conical shape with a wider and a narrower opening at the two ends
From this reading “Boom! boom!” and when I looked again at the great ironclad, a little torchlike spurt of flame wavered behind her funnels.
glarenounUS /ɡler/
a light within the field of vision that is brighter than the brightness to which the eyes are adapted
From this reading With a shuddering hiss, a rocket from a headland beyond the village leapt up and burst hot gold against the glare, and the sound of the third and fourth guns reached me.
goldnounUS /ɡoʊld/
coins made of gold
From this reading With a shuddering hiss, a rocket from a headland beyond the village leapt up and burst hot gold against the glare, and the sound of the third and fourth guns reached me.
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading “Boom! boom!” and when I looked again at the great ironclad, a little torchlike spurt of flame wavered behind her funnels.
gunsnounUS /ɡʌnz/
plural of “gun” — a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading With a shuddering hiss, a rocket from a headland beyond the village leapt up and burst hot gold against the glare, and the sound of the third and fourth guns reached me.
handnounUS /hænd/
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading That brought me back to the business in hand.
headlandnoun
a natural elevation (especially a rocky one that juts out into the sea)
From this reading With a shuddering hiss, a rocket from a headland beyond the village leapt up and burst hot gold against the glare, and the sound of the third and fourth guns reached me.
headsnounUS /hedz/
plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Dark heads appeared looking seaward, a door opened, and sent out a brief lane of yellow to mingle and be lost in the comet’s brightness.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading “Boom! boom!” and when I looked again at the great ironclad, a little torchlike spurt of flame wavered behind her funnels.
hissverbUS /hɪs/
make a sharp hissing sound, as if to show disapproval
From this reading With a shuddering hiss, a rocket from a headland beyond the village leapt up and burst hot gold against the glare, and the sound of the third and fourth guns reached me.
hotadjectiveUS /hɑːt/
used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning
From this reading With a shuddering hiss, a rocket from a headland beyond the village leapt up and burst hot gold against the glare, and the sound of the third and fourth guns reached me.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Boom! boom!” and when I looked again at the great ironclad, a little torchlike spurt of flame wavered behind her funnels.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Dark heads appeared looking seaward, a door opened, and sent out a brief lane of yellow to mingle and be lost in the comet’s brightness.
ironcladadjectiveUS /ˈaɪərnklæd/
sheathed in iron plates for protection
From this reading “Boom! boom!” and when I looked again at the great ironclad, a little torchlike spurt of flame wavered behind her funnels.
lanenounUS /leɪn/
a narrow way or road
From this reading Dark heads appeared looking seaward, a door opened, and sent out a brief lane of yellow to mingle and be lost in the comet’s brightness.
leaptverbUS /lept/
inflected form of “leap” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading With a shuddering hiss, a rocket from a headland beyond the village leapt up and burst hot gold against the glare, and the sound of the third and fourth guns reached me.
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “Boom! boom!” and when I looked again at the great ironclad, a little torchlike spurt of flame wavered behind her funnels.
lookedverbUS /lʊkt/
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading “Boom! boom!” and when I looked again at the great ironclad, a little torchlike spurt of flame wavered behind her funnels.
lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading Dark heads appeared looking seaward, a door opened, and sent out a brief lane of yellow to mingle and be lost in the comet’s brightness.
lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading Dark heads appeared looking seaward, a door opened, and sent out a brief lane of yellow to mingle and be lost in the comet’s brightness.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading With a shuddering hiss, a rocket from a headland beyond the village leapt up and burst hot gold against the glare, and the sound of the third and fourth guns reached me.
mingleverbUS /ˈmɪŋɡəl/
to bring or combine together or with something else
From this reading Dark heads appeared looking seaward, a door opened, and sent out a brief lane of yellow to mingle and be lost in the comet’s brightness.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading With a shuddering hiss, a rocket from a headland beyond the village leapt up and burst hot gold against the glare, and the sound of the third and fourth guns reached me.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The windows of the dark bungalows, one after another, leapt out, squares of ruddy brightness that flared and flickered and became steadily bright.
openedadjectiveUS /ˈoʊpənd/
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading Dark heads appeared looking seaward, a door opened, and sent out a brief lane of yellow to mingle and be lost in the comet’s brightness.
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The windows of the dark bungalows, one after another, leapt out, squares of ruddy brightness that flared and flickered and became steadily bright.
reachedverbUS /riːtʃt/
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading With a shuddering hiss, a rocket from a headland beyond the village leapt up and burst hot gold against the glare, and the sound of the third and fourth guns reached me.
rocketnounUS /ˈrɑːkət/
any vehicle self-propelled by a rocket engine
From this reading With a shuddering hiss, a rocket from a headland beyond the village leapt up and burst hot gold against the glare, and the sound of the third and fourth guns reached me.
ruddyadjectiveUS /ˈrʌdi/
inclined to a healthy reddish color often associated with outdoor life
From this reading The windows of the dark bungalows, one after another, leapt out, squares of ruddy brightness that flared and flickered and became steadily bright.
seawardadjectiveUS /ˈsiːwərd/
(of winds) coming from the land
From this reading Dark heads appeared looking seaward, a door opened, and sent out a brief lane of yellow to mingle and be lost in the comet’s brightness.
sentnounUS /sent/
100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia
From this reading Dark heads appeared looking seaward, a door opened, and sent out a brief lane of yellow to mingle and be lost in the comet’s brightness.
shudderingadjectiveUS /ˈʃʌdərɪŋ/
shaking convulsively or violently
From this reading With a shuddering hiss, a rocket from a headland beyond the village leapt up and burst hot gold against the glare, and the sound of the third and fourth guns reached me.
soundnounUS /saʊnd/
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading With a shuddering hiss, a rocket from a headland beyond the village leapt up and burst hot gold against the glare, and the sound of the third and fourth guns reached me.
spurtverbUS /spɜːrt/
gush forth in a sudden stream or jet
From this reading “Boom! boom!” and when I looked again at the great ironclad, a little torchlike spurt of flame wavered behind her funnels.
squaresnounUS /skwerz/
plural of “square” — (geometry) a plane rectangle with four equal sides and four right angles; a four-sided regular polygon
From this reading The windows of the dark bungalows, one after another, leapt out, squares of ruddy brightness that flared and flickered and became steadily bright.
steadilyadverbUS /ˈstedəli/
at a steady rate or pace
From this reading The windows of the dark bungalows, one after another, leapt out, squares of ruddy brightness that flared and flickered and became steadily bright.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The windows of the dark bungalows, one after another, leapt out, squares of ruddy brightness that flared and flickered and became steadily bright.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading With a shuddering hiss, a rocket from a headland beyond the village leapt up and burst hot gold against the glare, and the sound of the third and fourth guns reached me.
thirdnounUS /θɜːrd/
one of three equal parts of a divisible whole
From this reading With a shuddering hiss, a rocket from a headland beyond the village leapt up and burst hot gold against the glare, and the sound of the third and fourth guns reached me.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Dark heads appeared looking seaward, a door opened, and sent out a brief lane of yellow to mingle and be lost in the comet’s brightness.
torchlike
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Boom! boom!” and when I looked again at the great ironclad, a little torchlike spurt of flame wavered behind her funnels.
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading With a shuddering hiss, a rocket from a headland beyond the village leapt up and burst hot gold against the glare, and the sound of the third and fourth guns reached me.
villagenounUS /ˈvɪlədʒ/
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading With a shuddering hiss, a rocket from a headland beyond the village leapt up and burst hot gold against the glare, and the sound of the third and fourth guns reached me.
waveredverbUS /ˈweɪvərd/
past form of “waver” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading “Boom! boom!” and when I looked again at the great ironclad, a little torchlike spurt of flame wavered behind her funnels.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading “Boom! boom!” and when I looked again at the great ironclad, a little torchlike spurt of flame wavered behind her funnels.
windowsnounUS /ˈwɪndoʊz/
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading The windows of the dark bungalows, one after another, leapt out, squares of ruddy brightness that flared and flickered and became steadily bright.
WithprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading With a shuddering hiss, a rocket from a headland beyond the village leapt up and burst hot gold against the glare, and the sound of the third and fourth guns reached me.
yellowadjectiveUS /ˈjeloʊ/
of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk
From this reading Dark heads appeared looking seaward, a door opened, and sent out a brief lane of yellow to mingle and be lost in the comet’s brightness.
