used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He heard the noise of big wings far beneath him, and his one idea was to out-distance his pursuer and then come down again to earth and rest his wings in the branches of a tree till he could devise some plan how to find the governess.
in actual fact
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
anew
From this reading He heard the noise of big wings far beneath him, and his one idea was to out-distance his pursuer and then come down again to earth and rest his wings in the branches of a tree till he could devise some plan how to find the governess.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading So at first he raced at full speed through the air, taking no thought of direction.
(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 HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading When he looked down, all he could see was that something vague and shadowy, shaking out a pair of enormous wings between him and the earth, move along with him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
from appearances alone
From this reading Its path was parallel with his own, but apparently it made no effort to rise up to his higher level.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading So at first he raced at full speed through the air, taking no thought of direction.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading He heard the noise of big wings far beneath him, and his one idea was to out-distance his pursuer and then come down again to earth and rest his wings in the branches of a tree till he could devise some plan how to find the governess.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He heard the noise of big wings far beneath him, and his one idea was to out-distance his pursuer and then come down again to earth and rest his wings in the branches of a tree till he could devise some plan how to find the governess.
a youthful male person
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
plural of “branch” — a division of some larger or more complex organization
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He heard the noise of big wings far beneath him, and his one idea was to out-distance his pursuer and then come down again to earth and rest his wings in the branches of a tree till he could devise some plan how to find the governess.
concentratedadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːnsəntreɪtɪd/
gathered together or made less diffuse
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He heard the noise of big wings far beneath him, and his one idea was to out-distance his pursuer and then come down again to earth and rest his wings in the branches of a tree till he could devise some plan how to find the governess.
crashingadjectiveUS /ˈkræʃɪŋ/
informal intensifiers
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
deviseverbUS /dɪˈvaɪz/
come up with (an idea, plan, explanation, theory, or principle) after a mental effort
From this reading He heard the noise of big wings far beneath him, and his one idea was to out-distance his pursuer and then come down again to earth and rest his wings in the branches of a tree till he could devise some plan how to find the governess.
a line leading to a place or point
From this reading So at first he raced at full speed through the air, taking no thought of direction.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He heard the noise of big wings far beneath him, and his one idea was to out-distance his pursuer and then come down again to earth and rest his wings in the branches of a tree till he could devise some plan how to find the governess.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading He heard the noise of big wings far beneath him, and his one idea was to out-distance his pursuer and then come down again to earth and rest his wings in the branches of a tree till he could devise some plan how to find the governess.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading Its path was parallel with his own, but apparently it made no effort to rise up to his higher level.
plural of “effort” — earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
elmsnounUS /elmz/
plural of “elm” — any of various trees of the genus Ulmus: important timber or shade trees
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
make void or empty of contents
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
extraordinarily large in size or extent or amount or power or degree
From this reading When he looked down, all he could see was that something vague and shadowy, shaking out a pair of enormous wings between him and the earth, move along with him.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading He heard the noise of big wings far beneath him, and his one idea was to out-distance his pursuer and then come down again to earth and rest his wings in the branches of a tree till he could devise some plan how to find the governess.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading He heard the noise of big wings far beneath him, and his one idea was to out-distance his pursuer and then come down again to earth and rest his wings in the branches of a tree till he could devise some plan how to find the governess.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading So at first he raced at full speed through the air, taking no thought of direction.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading So at first he raced at full speed through the air, taking no thought of direction.
governessnounUS /ˈɡʌvərnəs/
a woman entrusted with the care and supervision of a child (especially in a private home)
From this reading He heard the noise of big wings far beneath him, and his one idea was to out-distance his pursuer and then come down again to earth and rest his wings in the branches of a tree till he could devise some plan how to find the governess.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading He heard the noise of big wings far beneath him, and his one idea was to out-distance his pursuer and then come down again to earth and rest his wings in the branches of a tree till he could devise some plan how to find the governess.
to a considerable degree
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
advanced in complexity or elaboration
From this reading Its path was parallel with his own, but apparently it made no effort to rise up to his higher level.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He heard the noise of big wings far beneath him, and his one idea was to out-distance his pursuer and then come down again to earth and rest his wings in the branches of a tree till he could devise some plan how to find the governess.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
intense and profound fear
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He heard the noise of big wings far beneath him, and his one idea was to out-distance his pursuer and then come down again to earth and rest his wings in the branches of a tree till he could devise some plan how to find the governess.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading He heard the noise of big wings far beneath him, and his one idea was to out-distance his pursuer and then come down again to earth and rest his wings in the branches of a tree till he could devise some plan how to find the governess.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He heard the noise of big wings far beneath him, and his one idea was to out-distance his pursuer and then come down again to earth and rest his wings in the branches of a tree till he could devise some plan how to find the governess.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Its path was parallel with his own, but apparently it made no effort to rise up to his higher level.
a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
From this reading Its path was parallel with his own, but apparently it made no effort to rise up to his higher level.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading When he looked down, all he could see was that something vague and shadowy, shaking out a pair of enormous wings between him and the earth, move along with him.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading When he looked down, all he could see was that something vague and shadowy, shaking out a pair of enormous wings between him and the earth, move along with him.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
not any; not one
From this reading So at first he raced at full speed through the air, taking no thought of direction.
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading He heard the noise of big wings far beneath him, and his one idea was to out-distance his pursuer and then come down again to earth and rest his wings in the branches of a tree till he could devise some plan how to find the governess.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He heard the noise of big wings far beneath him, and his one idea was to out-distance his pursuer and then come down again to earth and rest his wings in the branches of a tree till he could devise some plan how to find the governess.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading When he looked down, all he could see was that something vague and shadowy, shaking out a pair of enormous wings between him and the earth, move along with him.
out-distance
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He heard the noise of big wings far beneath him, and his one idea was to out-distance his pursuer and then come down again to earth and rest his wings in the branches of a tree till he could devise some plan how to find the governess.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Its path was parallel with his own, but apparently it made no effort to rise up to his higher level.
a set of two similar things considered as a unit
From this reading When he looked down, all he could see was that something vague and shadowy, shaking out a pair of enormous wings between him and the earth, move along with him.
parallelnounUS /ˈperəlel/
something having the property of being analogous to something else
From this reading Its path was parallel with his own, but apparently it made no effort to rise up to his higher level.
a course of conduct
From this reading Its path was parallel with his own, but apparently it made no effort to rise up to his higher level.
have the will and intention to carry out some action
From this reading He heard the noise of big wings far beneath him, and his one idea was to out-distance his pursuer and then come down again to earth and rest his wings in the branches of a tree till he could devise some plan how to find the governess.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
pursuernounUS /pərˈsuːər/
a person who is pursuing and trying to overtake or capture
From this reading He heard the noise of big wings far beneath him, and his one idea was to out-distance his pursuer and then come down again to earth and rest his wings in the branches of a tree till he could devise some plan how to find the governess.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
racedverbUS /reɪst/
past form of “race” — move hurridly
From this reading So at first he raced at full speed through the air, taking no thought of direction.
realiseverbUS /ˈriːəlaɪz/
earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading He heard the noise of big wings far beneath him, and his one idea was to out-distance his pursuer and then come down again to earth and rest his wings in the branches of a tree till he could devise some plan how to find the governess.
move upward
From this reading Its path was parallel with his own, but apparently it made no effort to rise up to his higher level.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading When he looked down, all he could see was that something vague and shadowy, shaking out a pair of enormous wings between him and the earth, move along with him.
shadowyadjectiveUS /ˈʃædoʊi/
filled with shade
From this reading When he looked down, all he could see was that something vague and shadowy, shaking out a pair of enormous wings between him and the earth, move along with him.
the act of causing something to move up and down (or back and forth) with quick movements
From this reading When he looked down, all he could see was that something vague and shadowy, shaking out a pair of enormous wings between him and the earth, move along with him.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So at first he raced at full speed through the air, taking no thought of direction.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading He heard the noise of big wings far beneath him, and his one idea was to out-distance his pursuer and then come down again to earth and rest his wings in the branches of a tree till he could devise some plan how to find the governess.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
move hurridly
From this reading So at first he raced at full speed through the air, taking no thought of direction.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading So at first he raced at full speed through the air, taking no thought of direction.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading He heard the noise of big wings far beneath him, and his one idea was to out-distance his pursuer and then come down again to earth and rest his wings in the branches of a tree till he could devise some plan how to find the governess.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading So at first he raced at full speed through the air, taking no thought of direction.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
up to a particular time
From this reading He heard the noise of big wings far beneath him, and his one idea was to out-distance his pursuer and then come down again to earth and rest his wings in the branches of a tree till he could devise some plan how to find the governess.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
the upper part of anything
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading He heard the noise of big wings far beneath him, and his one idea was to out-distance his pursuer and then come down again to earth and rest his wings in the branches of a tree till he could devise some plan how to find the governess.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Its path was parallel with his own, but apparently it made no effort to rise up to his higher level.
not clearly expressed or understood
From this reading When he looked down, all he could see was that something vague and shadowy, shaking out a pair of enormous wings between him and the earth, move along with him.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading HOME But it was the sound of something crashing heavily through the top branches of the elms that made the boy realise he was actually being followed; and all his efforts became concentrated into the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and the horror of the Empty House.
at the time that
From this reading When he looked down, all he could see was that something vague and shadowy, shaking out a pair of enormous wings between him and the earth, move along with him.
a means of flight or ascent
From this reading He heard the noise of big wings far beneath him, and his one idea was to out-distance his pursuer and then come down again to earth and rest his wings in the branches of a tree till he could devise some plan how to find the governess.
in the company of; together with
From this reading When he looked down, all he could see was that something vague and shadowy, shaking out a pair of enormous wings between him and the earth, move along with him.
