used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was hard to believe that a human voice could develop such penetration and volume.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The most outstanding thing about that sound was its amazing loudness.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading It was probably true that the moist, hot atmosphere, hanging almost without motion, was a perfect medium for transmitting sound.
amazingadjectiveUS /əˈmeɪzɪŋ/
surprising greatly
From this reading The most outstanding thing about that sound was its amazing loudness.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It had an explosive quality, bursting upon the eardrums with no warning whatsoever, and the man who had cried out had evidently given the full power of his lungs.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was hard to believe that a human voice could develop such penetration and volume.
a particular environment or surrounding influence
From this reading It was probably true that the moist, hot atmosphere, hanging almost without motion, was a perfect medium for transmitting sound.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading It was hard to believe that a human voice could develop such penetration and volume.
in addition to; as well as
From this reading Besides, my windows were open, facing the lagoon.
burstingverbUS /ˈbɜːrstɪŋ/
-ing form of “burst” — come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading It had an explosive quality, bursting upon the eardrums with no warning whatsoever, and the man who had cried out had evidently given the full power of his lungs.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading It was hard to believe that a human voice could develop such penetration and volume.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading It had an explosive quality, bursting upon the eardrums with no warning whatsoever, and the man who had cried out had evidently given the full power of his lungs.
developverbUS /dɪˈveləp/
make something new, such as a product or a mental or artistic creation
From this reading It was hard to believe that a human voice could develop such penetration and volume.
eardrums
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It had an explosive quality, bursting upon the eardrums with no warning whatsoever, and the man who had cried out had evidently given the full power of his lungs.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading It had an explosive quality, bursting upon the eardrums with no warning whatsoever, and the man who had cried out had evidently given the full power of his lungs.
explosiveadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsploʊsɪv/
serving to explode or characterized by explosion or sudden outburst
From this reading It had an explosive quality, bursting upon the eardrums with no warning whatsoever, and the man who had cried out had evidently given the full power of his lungs.
facingnounUS /ˈfeɪsɪŋ/
a lining applied to the edge of a garment for ornamentation or strengthening
From this reading Besides, my windows were open, facing the lagoon.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was probably true that the moist, hot atmosphere, hanging almost without motion, was a perfect medium for transmitting sound.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading It had an explosive quality, bursting upon the eardrums with no warning whatsoever, and the man who had cried out had evidently given the full power of his lungs.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading It had an explosive quality, bursting upon the eardrums with no warning whatsoever, and the man who had cried out had evidently given the full power of his lungs.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It had an explosive quality, bursting upon the eardrums with no warning whatsoever, and the man who had cried out had evidently given the full power of his lungs.
decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window
From this reading It was probably true that the moist, hot atmosphere, hanging almost without motion, was a perfect medium for transmitting sound.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading It was hard to believe that a human voice could develop such penetration and volume.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It had an explosive quality, bursting upon the eardrums with no warning whatsoever, and the man who had cried out had evidently given the full power of his lungs.
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 It was probably true that the moist, hot atmosphere, hanging almost without motion, was a perfect medium for transmitting sound.
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading It was hard to believe that a human voice could develop such penetration and volume.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was hard to believe that a human voice could develop such penetration and volume.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The most outstanding thing about that sound was its amazing loudness.
lagoonnounUS /ləˈɡuːn/
a body of water cut off from a larger body by a reef of sand or coral
From this reading Besides, my windows were open, facing the lagoon.
loudnessnoun
the magnitude of sound (usually in a specified direction)
From this reading The most outstanding thing about that sound was its amazing loudness.
lungsnounUS /lʌŋz/
plural of “lung” — either of two saclike respiratory organs in the chest of vertebrates; serves to remove carbon dioxide and provide oxygen to the blood
From this reading It had an explosive quality, bursting upon the eardrums with no warning whatsoever, and the man who had cried out had evidently given the full power of his lungs.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading It had an explosive quality, bursting upon the eardrums with no warning whatsoever, and the man who had cried out had evidently given the full power of his lungs.
mediumnounUS /ˈmiːdiəm/
a means or instrumentality for storing or communicating information
From this reading It was probably true that the moist, hot atmosphere, hanging almost without motion, was a perfect medium for transmitting sound.
moistadjectiveUS /mɔɪst/
slightly wet
From this reading It was probably true that the moist, hot atmosphere, hanging almost without motion, was a perfect medium for transmitting sound.
used to form the superlative
From this reading The most outstanding thing about that sound was its amazing loudness.
the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals
From this reading It was probably true that the moist, hot atmosphere, hanging almost without motion, was a perfect medium for transmitting sound.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Besides, my windows were open, facing the lagoon.
not any; not one
From this reading It had an explosive quality, bursting upon the eardrums with no warning whatsoever, and the man who had cried out had evidently given the full power of his lungs.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It had an explosive quality, bursting upon the eardrums with no warning whatsoever, and the man who had cried out had evidently given the full power of his lungs.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading Besides, my windows were open, facing the lagoon.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading It had an explosive quality, bursting upon the eardrums with no warning whatsoever, and the man who had cried out had evidently given the full power of his lungs.
outstandingadjectiveUS /ˌaʊtˈstændɪŋ/
distinguished from others in excellence
From this reading The most outstanding thing about that sound was its amazing loudness.
penetrationnounUS /ˌpenəˈtreɪʃən/
an attack that penetrates into enemy territory
From this reading It was hard to believe that a human voice could develop such penetration and volume.
being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish
From this reading It was probably true that the moist, hot atmosphere, hanging almost without motion, was a perfect medium for transmitting sound.
possession of controlling influence
From this reading It had an explosive quality, bursting upon the eardrums with no warning whatsoever, and the man who had cried out had evidently given the full power of his lungs.
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
From this reading It was probably true that the moist, hot atmosphere, hanging almost without motion, was a perfect medium for transmitting sound.
an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone
From this reading It had an explosive quality, bursting upon the eardrums with no warning whatsoever, and the man who had cried out had evidently given the full power of his lungs.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading The most outstanding thing about that sound was its amazing loudness.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading It was hard to believe that a human voice could develop such penetration and volume.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The most outstanding thing about that sound was its amazing loudness.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The most outstanding thing about that sound was its amazing loudness.
a special situation
From this reading The most outstanding thing about that sound was its amazing loudness.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was hard to believe that a human voice could develop such penetration and volume.
transmittingnounUS /trænˈsmɪtɪŋ/
the act of sending a message; causing a message to be transmitted
From this reading It was probably true that the moist, hot atmosphere, hanging almost without motion, was a perfect medium for transmitting sound.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading It was probably true that the moist, hot atmosphere, hanging almost without motion, was a perfect medium for transmitting sound.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading It had an explosive quality, bursting upon the eardrums with no warning whatsoever, and the man who had cried out had evidently given the full power of his lungs.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading It was hard to believe that a human voice could develop such penetration and volume.
the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object
From this reading It was hard to believe that a human voice could develop such penetration and volume.
a message informing of danger
From this reading It had an explosive quality, bursting upon the eardrums with no warning whatsoever, and the man who had cried out had evidently given the full power of his lungs.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The most outstanding thing about that sound was its amazing loudness.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Besides, my windows were open, facing the lagoon.
whatsoeveradjectiveUS /ˌwʌtsoʊˈevər/
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading It had an explosive quality, bursting upon the eardrums with no warning whatsoever, and the man who had cried out had evidently given the full power of his lungs.
which person or people
From this reading It had an explosive quality, bursting upon the eardrums with no warning whatsoever, and the man who had cried out had evidently given the full power of his lungs.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading Besides, my windows were open, facing the lagoon.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It had an explosive quality, bursting upon the eardrums with no warning whatsoever, and the man who had cried out had evidently given the full power of his lungs.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading It was probably true that the moist, hot atmosphere, hanging almost without motion, was a perfect medium for transmitting sound.
