Chapter XII · Chapter 12

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading He was waiting his opportunity; and the moment a sharp, scattered burst of firing was over, he rose and ran for his life.

perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

(Old Testament) in Judeo-Christian mythology; the first man and the husband of Eve and the progenitor of the human race

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading At last, though, he crawled behind some trees, with only an open space between him and the fort.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading At last, though, he crawled behind some trees, with only an open space between him and the fort.

a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

inflected form of “arise” — come into existence; take on form or shape

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At last, though, he crawled behind some trees, with only an open space between him and the fort.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

at or toward the back of something

From this reading At last, though, he crawled behind some trees, with only an open space between him and the fort.

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading At last, though, he crawled behind some trees, with only an open space between him and the fort.

come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure

From this reading He was waiting his opportunity; and the moment a sharp, scattered burst of firing was over, he rose and ran for his life.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled

From this reading CHAPTER FORTY THREE.

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

past form of “crawl” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground

From this reading At last, though, he crawled behind some trees, with only an open space between him and the fort.

absence of light or illumination

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

the act of firing weapons or artillery at an enemy

From this reading He was waiting his opportunity; and the moment a sharp, scattered burst of firing was over, he rose and ran for his life.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He was waiting his opportunity; and the moment a sharp, scattered burst of firing was over, he rose and ran for his life.

a fortified military post where troops are stationed

From this reading At last, though, he crawled behind some trees, with only an open space between him and the fort.

being ten more than thirty

From this reading CHAPTER FORTY THREE.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

scraped or touched lightly in passing

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading At last, though, he crawled behind some trees, with only an open space between him and the fort.

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 TOM LONG HEADS A SALLY-PARTY.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading At last, though, he crawled behind some trees, with only an open space between him and the fort.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading He was waiting his opportunity; and the moment a sharp, scattered burst of firing was over, he rose and ran for his life.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

immediately past

From this reading At last, though, he crawled behind some trees, with only an open space between him and the fort.

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading He was waiting his opportunity; and the moment a sharp, scattered burst of firing was over, he rose and ran for his life.

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 TOM LONG HEADS A SALLY-PARTY.

engage in

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

plural of “matter” — a vaguely specified concern

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

a particular point in time

From this reading He was waiting his opportunity; and the moment a sharp, scattered burst of firing was over, he rose and ran for his life.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He was waiting his opportunity; and the moment a sharp, scattered burst of firing was over, he rose and ran for his life.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

and nothing more

From this reading At last, though, he crawled behind some trees, with only an open space between him and the fort.

To move from a closed position.

From this reading At last, though, he crawled behind some trees, with only an open space between him and the fort.

a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances

From this reading He was waiting his opportunity; and the moment a sharp, scattered burst of firing was over, he rose and ran for his life.

above and across; more than

From this reading He was waiting his opportunity; and the moment a sharp, scattered burst of firing was over, he rose and ran for his life.

keep from happening or arising; make impossible

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading He was waiting his opportunity; and the moment a sharp, scattered burst of firing was over, he rose and ran for his life.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

From this reading He was waiting his opportunity; and the moment a sharp, scattered burst of firing was over, he rose and ran for his life.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading TOM LONG HEADS A SALLY-PARTY.

occurring or distributed over widely spaced and irregular intervals in time or space

From this reading He was waiting his opportunity; and the moment a sharp, scattered burst of firing was over, he rose and ran for his life.

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

(of something seen or heard) clearly defined

From this reading He was waiting his opportunity; and the moment a sharp, scattered burst of firing was over, he rose and ran for his life.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading At last, though, he crawled behind some trees, with only an open space between him and the fort.

the unlimited expanse in which everything is located

From this reading At last, though, he crawled behind some trees, with only an open space between him and the fort.

plural of “spear” — a long pointed rod used as a tool or weapon

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

disclosing unintentionally something concealed

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading At last, though, he crawled behind some trees, with only an open space between him and the fort.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading At last, though, he crawled behind some trees, with only an open space between him and the fort.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading CHAPTER FORTY THREE.

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

male cat

From this reading TOM LONG HEADS A SALLY-PARTY.

plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading At last, though, he crawled behind some trees, with only an open space between him and the fort.

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading He was waiting his opportunity; and the moment a sharp, scattered burst of firing was over, he rose and ran for his life.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading He was waiting his opportunity; and the moment a sharp, scattered burst of firing was over, he rose and ran for his life.

during the time that

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

inflected form of “whiz” — make a soft swishing sound

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

in the company of; together with

From this reading At last, though, he crawled behind some trees, with only an open space between him and the fort.

(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.

a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition

From this reading As Adam Gray ran through the darkness, a yell arose from behind him, telling him that his act had been seen, and, as if to prevent him, half-a-dozen spears came whizzing through the air, one of them so close that it grazed his arm; while, to make matters worse, the firing recommenced from the fort.