used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
declared publicly; made widely known
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Faye found her heart beating wildly as she seized the slender line that spanned the rushing water.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Well enough she knew that should this line fail them, a half score of lives must be lost.
the act of overcoming or outdoing
From this reading Faye found her heart beating wildly as she seized the slender line that spanned the rushing water.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Slowly, steadily, they began to haul away.
come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
DuncannounUS /ˈdʌŋkən/
United States dancer and pioneer of modern dance (1878-1927)
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
Duncan's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
elapsedadjectiveUS /ɪˈlæpst/
(of time) having passed or slipped by
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading Well enough she knew that should this line fail them, a half score of lives must be lost.
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
fail to do something; leave something undone
From this reading Well enough she knew that should this line fail them, a half score of lives must be lost.
Faye
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
set up or found
From this reading Faye found her heart beating wildly as she seized the slender line that spanned the rushing water.
Gordon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading Well enough she knew that should this line fail them, a half score of lives must be lost.
haulverbUS /hɔːl/
draw slowly or heavily
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading Faye found her heart beating wildly as she seized the slender line that spanned the rushing water.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Faye found her heart beating wildly as she seized the slender line that spanned the rushing water.
heritagenounUS /ˈherətədʒ/
practices that are handed down from the past by tradition
From this reading “And life,” she told herself as her lips moved in silent prayer, “life is such a precious heritage.”
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading “And life,” she told herself as her lips moved in silent prayer, “life is such a precious heritage.”
homespunadjectiveUS /ˈhoʊmspʌn/
of textiles; having a rough surface
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “And life,” she told herself as her lips moved in silent prayer, “life is such a precious heritage.”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “And life,” she told herself as her lips moved in silent prayer, “life is such a precious heritage.”
a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Well enough she knew that should this line fail them, a half score of lives must be lost.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading “And life,” she told herself as her lips moved in silent prayer, “life is such a precious heritage.”
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading “And life,” she told herself as her lips moved in silent prayer, “life is such a precious heritage.”
plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Well enough she knew that should this line fail them, a half score of lives must be lost.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading Well enough she knew that should this line fail them, a half score of lives must be lost.
measuredadjectiveUS /ˈmeʒərd/
having notes of fixed rhythmic value
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading “And life,” she told herself as her lips moved in silent prayer, “life is such a precious heritage.”
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Well enough she knew that should this line fail them, a half score of lives must be lost.
plural of “native” — an indigenous person who was born in a particular place
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
the act of communicating with a deity (especially as a petition or in adoration or contrition or thanksgiving)
From this reading “And life,” she told herself as her lips moved in silent prayer, “life is such a precious heritage.”
characterized by feeling or showing fond affection for
From this reading “And life,” she told herself as her lips moved in silent prayer, “life is such a precious heritage.”
one of four equal parts
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
(American football) an attempt to advance the ball by running into the line
From this reading Faye found her heart beating wildly as she seized the slender line that spanned the rushing water.
a number or letter indicating quality (especially of a student's performance)
From this reading Well enough she knew that should this line fail them, a half score of lives must be lost.
past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab
From this reading Faye found her heart beating wildly as she seized the slender line that spanned the rushing water.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Faye found her heart beating wildly as she seized the slender line that spanned the rushing water.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading Well enough she knew that should this line fail them, a half score of lives must be lost.
encouragement in the form of cheers from spectators
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading “And life,” she told herself as her lips moved in silent prayer, “life is such a precious heritage.”
being of delicate or slender build
From this reading Faye found her heart beating wildly as she seized the slender line that spanned the rushing water.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading Slowly, steadily, they began to haul away.
spannedverbUS /spænd/
inflected form of “span” — to cover or extend over an area or time period
From this reading Faye found her heart beating wildly as she seized the slender line that spanned the rushing water.
at a steady rate or pace
From this reading Slowly, steadily, they began to haul away.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading “And life,” she told herself as her lips moved in silent prayer, “life is such a precious heritage.”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Well enough she knew that should this line fail them, a half score of lives must be lost.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Well enough she knew that should this line fail them, a half score of lives must be lost.
timepiecenounUS /ˈtaɪmpiːs/
a measuring instrument or device for keeping time
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading “And life,” she told herself as her lips moved in silent prayer, “life is such a precious heritage.”
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 Faye found her heart beating wildly as she seized the slender line that spanned the rushing water.
(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 Well enough she knew that should this line fail them, a half score of lives must be lost.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
wildlyadverbUS /ˈwaɪldli/
to an extreme or greatly exaggerated degree
From this reading Faye found her heart beating wildly as she seized the slender line that spanned the rushing water.
yarnnounUS /jɑːrn/
the act of giving an account describing incidents or a course of events
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
