used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Short of the edge, Ned faltered for a moment, sick and trembling, and it was Bob who crouched on hands and knees and looked first down the steeply sloping face of rock.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading ON THE QUARRY SHELF There was an instant of incredulous horror on the cliff top.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Then Polly’s smothered gasp broke the silence, and the two boys were on their feet.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading For a second Bob’s gaze, fearfully searching the rocky débris far below, saw nothing.
next to; at the side of
From this reading Beside him the earth was still trickling where Laurie’s unwary foot had broken off an overhanging crust.
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading Short of the edge, Ned faltered for a moment, sick and trembling, and it was Bob who crouched on hands and knees and looked first down the steeply sloping face of rock.
Bob'snounUS /bɑːbz/
possessive form of “bob” — a former monetary unit in Great Britain
From this reading For a second Bob’s gaze, fearfully searching the rocky débris far below, saw nothing.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading Then Polly’s smothered gasp broke the silence, and the two boys were on their feet.
lacking funds
From this reading Then Polly’s smothered gasp broke the silence, and the two boys were on their feet.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading Beside him the earth was still trickling where Laurie’s unwary foot had broken off an overhanging crust.
a steep high face of rock
From this reading ON THE QUARRY SHELF There was an instant of incredulous horror on the cliff top.
crouchedverbUS /kraʊtʃt/
past form of “crouch” — bend one's back forward from the waist on down
From this reading Short of the edge, Ned faltered for a moment, sick and trembling, and it was Bob who crouched on hands and knees and looked first down the steeply sloping face of rock.
crustnounUS /krʌst/
the outer layer of the Earth
From this reading Beside him the earth was still trickling where Laurie’s unwary foot had broken off an overhanging crust.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Short of the edge, Ned faltered for a moment, sick and trembling, and it was Bob who crouched on hands and knees and looked first down the steeply sloping face of rock.
débris
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a second Bob’s gaze, fearfully searching the rocky débris far below, saw nothing.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading Beside him the earth was still trickling where Laurie’s unwary foot had broken off an overhanging crust.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading Short of the edge, Ned faltered for a moment, sick and trembling, and it was Bob who crouched on hands and knees and looked first down the steeply sloping face of rock.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Short of the edge, Ned faltered for a moment, sick and trembling, and it was Bob who crouched on hands and knees and looked first down the steeply sloping face of rock.
falteredverbUS /ˈfɑːltərd/
past form of “falter” — be unsure or weak
From this reading Short of the edge, Ned faltered for a moment, sick and trembling, and it was Bob who crouched on hands and knees and looked first down the steeply sloping face of rock.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading For a second Bob’s gaze, fearfully searching the rocky débris far below, saw nothing.
fearfullyadverb
in fear
From this reading For a second Bob’s gaze, fearfully searching the rocky débris far below, saw nothing.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Then Polly’s smothered gasp broke the silence, and the two boys were on their feet.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Short of the edge, Ned faltered for a moment, sick and trembling, and it was Bob who crouched on hands and knees and looked first down the steeply sloping face of rock.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Beside him the earth was still trickling where Laurie’s unwary foot had broken off an overhanging crust.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Short of the edge, Ned faltered for a moment, sick and trembling, and it was Bob who crouched on hands and knees and looked first down the steeply sloping face of rock.
gaspnounUS /ɡæsp/
a short labored intake of breath with the mouth open
From this reading Then Polly’s smothered gasp broke the silence, and the two boys were on their feet.
a long fixed look
From this reading For a second Bob’s gaze, fearfully searching the rocky débris far below, saw nothing.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Beside him the earth was still trickling where Laurie’s unwary foot had broken off an overhanging crust.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Short of the edge, Ned faltered for a moment, sick and trembling, and it was Bob who crouched on hands and knees and looked first down the steeply sloping face of rock.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Beside him the earth was still trickling where Laurie’s unwary foot had broken off an overhanging crust.
intense and profound fear
From this reading ON THE QUARRY SHELF There was an instant of incredulous horror on the cliff top.
incredulousadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈkredʒələs/
not disposed or willing to believe; unbelieving
From this reading ON THE QUARRY SHELF There was an instant of incredulous horror on the cliff top.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading ON THE QUARRY SHELF There was an instant of incredulous horror on the cliff top.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Short of the edge, Ned faltered for a moment, sick and trembling, and it was Bob who crouched on hands and knees and looked first down the steeply sloping face of rock.
plural of “knee” — hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella
From this reading Short of the edge, Ned faltered for a moment, sick and trembling, and it was Bob who crouched on hands and knees and looked first down the steeply sloping face of rock.
Laurie's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Beside him the earth was still trickling where Laurie’s unwary foot had broken off an overhanging crust.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Short of the edge, Ned faltered for a moment, sick and trembling, and it was Bob who crouched on hands and knees and looked first down the steeply sloping face of rock.
a particular point in time
From this reading Short of the edge, Ned faltered for a moment, sick and trembling, and it was Bob who crouched on hands and knees and looked first down the steeply sloping face of rock.
Ned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Short of the edge, Ned faltered for a moment, sick and trembling, and it was Bob who crouched on hands and knees and looked first down the steeply sloping face of rock.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading For a second Bob’s gaze, fearfully searching the rocky débris far below, saw nothing.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading ON THE QUARRY SHELF There was an instant of incredulous horror on the cliff top.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Beside him the earth was still trickling where Laurie’s unwary foot had broken off an overhanging crust.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading ON THE QUARRY SHELF There was an instant of incredulous horror on the cliff top.
overhangingverbUS /ˈoʊvərhæŋɪŋ/
-ing form of “overhang” — project over
From this reading Beside him the earth was still trickling where Laurie’s unwary foot had broken off an overhanging crust.
Polly's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then Polly’s smothered gasp broke the silence, and the two boys were on their feet.
QUARRYnounUS /ˈkwɔːri/
a person who is the aim of an attack (especially a victim of ridicule or exploitation) by some hostile person or influence
From this reading ON THE QUARRY SHELF There was an instant of incredulous horror on the cliff top.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading Short of the edge, Ned faltered for a moment, sick and trembling, and it was Bob who crouched on hands and knees and looked first down the steeply sloping face of rock.
rockyadjectiveUS /ˈrɑːki/
abounding in rocks or stones
From this reading For a second Bob’s gaze, fearfully searching the rocky débris far below, saw nothing.
cut with a saw
From this reading For a second Bob’s gaze, fearfully searching the rocky débris far below, saw nothing.
diligent and thorough in inquiry or investigation
From this reading For a second Bob’s gaze, fearfully searching the rocky débris far below, saw nothing.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading For a second Bob’s gaze, fearfully searching the rocky débris far below, saw nothing.
SHELFnounUS /ʃelf/
A flat horizontal plane used to hold books or scrolls in a library.
From this reading ON THE QUARRY SHELF There was an instant of incredulous horror on the cliff top.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading Short of the edge, Ned faltered for a moment, sick and trembling, and it was Bob who crouched on hands and knees and looked first down the steeply sloping face of rock.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading Short of the edge, Ned faltered for a moment, sick and trembling, and it was Bob who crouched on hands and knees and looked first down the steeply sloping face of rock.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading Then Polly’s smothered gasp broke the silence, and the two boys were on their feet.
slopingadjectiveUS /ˈsloʊpɪŋ/
having an oblique or slanted direction
From this reading Short of the edge, Ned faltered for a moment, sick and trembling, and it was Bob who crouched on hands and knees and looked first down the steeply sloping face of rock.
smotheredadjectiveUS /ˈsmʌðərd/
held in check with difficulty
From this reading Then Polly’s smothered gasp broke the silence, and the two boys were on their feet.
steeplyadverbUS /ˈstiːpli/
in a steep manner
From this reading Short of the edge, Ned faltered for a moment, sick and trembling, and it was Bob who crouched on hands and knees and looked first down the steeply sloping face of rock.
not in physical motion
From this reading Beside him the earth was still trickling where Laurie’s unwary foot had broken off an overhanging crust.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ON THE QUARRY SHELF There was an instant of incredulous horror on the cliff top.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Then Polly’s smothered gasp broke the silence, and the two boys were on their feet.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then Polly’s smothered gasp broke the silence, and the two boys were on their feet.
in or at that place or location
From this reading ON THE QUARRY SHELF There was an instant of incredulous horror on the cliff top.
the upper part of anything
From this reading ON THE QUARRY SHELF There was an instant of incredulous horror on the cliff top.
a shaky motion
From this reading Short of the edge, Ned faltered for a moment, sick and trembling, and it was Bob who crouched on hands and knees and looked first down the steeply sloping face of rock.
tricklingverbUS /ˈtrɪklɪŋ/
-ing form of “trickle” — run or flow slowly, as in drops or in an unsteady stream
From this reading Beside him the earth was still trickling where Laurie’s unwary foot had broken off an overhanging crust.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Then Polly’s smothered gasp broke the silence, and the two boys were on their feet.
unwaryadjectiveUS /ənˈweri/
not alert to danger or deception
From this reading Beside him the earth was still trickling where Laurie’s unwary foot had broken off an overhanging crust.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading ON THE QUARRY SHELF There was an instant of incredulous horror on the cliff top.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Then Polly’s smothered gasp broke the silence, and the two boys were on their feet.
in or at the place that
From this reading Beside him the earth was still trickling where Laurie’s unwary foot had broken off an overhanging crust.
which person or people
From this reading Short of the edge, Ned faltered for a moment, sick and trembling, and it was Bob who crouched on hands and knees and looked first down the steeply sloping face of rock.
