used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He sought an entrance, which led to a passage.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading But always the feel of them was cold.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He sought an entrance, which led to a passage.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But always the feel of them was cold.
chasms
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading But always the feel of them was cold.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.
cracksnounUS /kræks/
plural of “crack” — a long narrow opening
From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.
edgesnounUS /ˈedʒəz/
plural of “edge” — the boundary of a surface
From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.
something that provides access (to get in or get out)
From this reading He sought an entrance, which led to a passage.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading But always the feel of them was cold.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading He must find it soon or perish.
fissuresnounUS /ˈfɪʃərz/
plural of “fissure” — a long narrow depression in a surface
From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.
water frozen in the solid state
From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He must find it soon or perish.
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 He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.
take somebody somewhere
From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.
diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
From this reading He sought an entrance, which led to a passage.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.
the act of passing from one state or place to the next
From this reading He sought an entrance, which led to a passage.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.
perishverbUS /ˈperɪʃ/
pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading He must find it soon or perish.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.
a general conscious awareness
From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.
in the near future
From this reading He must find it soon or perish.
that is looked for
From this reading And this was what he sought.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading But always the feel of them was cold.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading And this was what he sought.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He sought an entrance, which led to a passage.
uncoveredadjectiveUS /ənˈkʌvərd/
not covered with clothing
From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And this was what he sought.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading And this was what he sought.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He sought an entrance, which led to a passage.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading He had passed wide cracks in the ice, chasms and fissures that he knew must lead down: sometimes he could almost see, or sense, uncovered earth or the edges of rock far below.