used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When the word was given both kept their feet for a few minutes.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Neither seemed inclined to begin the attack, and they danced cautiously about the circle with their faces close together.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading They were so ponderous, and it all seemed to mean so much.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Neither seemed inclined to begin the attack, and they danced cautiously about the circle with their faces close together.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading They held their arms down stiff, keeping the cane close to their bodies in order to prevent the other from jumping in between.
(military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)
From this reading Neither seemed inclined to begin the attack, and they danced cautiously about the circle with their faces close together.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Neither seemed inclined to begin the attack, and they danced cautiously about the circle with their faces close together.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading They held their arms down stiff, keeping the cane close to their bodies in order to prevent the other from jumping in between.
plural of “body” — the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading They held their arms down stiff, keeping the cane close to their bodies in order to prevent the other from jumping in between.
the two together, not just one
From this reading When the word was given both kept their feet for a few minutes.
canenounUS /keɪn/
a stick that people can lean on to help them walk
From this reading They held their arms down stiff, keeping the cane close to their bodies in order to prevent the other from jumping in between.
cautiouslyadverbUS /ˈkɔːʃəsli/
as if with kid gloves; with caution or prudence or tact
From this reading Neither seemed inclined to begin the attack, and they danced cautiously about the circle with their faces close together.
ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point
From this reading Neither seemed inclined to begin the attack, and they danced cautiously about the circle with their faces close together.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading They held their arms down stiff, keeping the cane close to their bodies in order to prevent the other from jumping in between.
past form of “dance” — move in a graceful and rhythmical way
From this reading Neither seemed inclined to begin the attack, and they danced cautiously about the circle with their faces close together.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading They held their arms down stiff, keeping the cane close to their bodies in order to prevent the other from jumping in between.
plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Neither seemed inclined to begin the attack, and they danced cautiously about the circle with their faces close together.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading When the word was given both kept their feet for a few minutes.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading When the word was given both kept their feet for a few minutes.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading When the word was given both kept their feet for a few minutes.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading They held their arms down stiff, keeping the cane close to their bodies in order to prevent the other from jumping in between.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading When the word was given both kept their feet for a few minutes.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading They held their arms down stiff, keeping the cane close to their bodies in order to prevent the other from jumping in between.
impressiveadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpresɪv/
making a strong or vivid impression
From this reading There was something impressive in the sight of these two, pounding about in the moonlight.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They held their arms down stiff, keeping the cane close to their bodies in order to prevent the other from jumping in between.
(often followed by “to”) having a preference, disposition, or tendency
From this reading Neither seemed inclined to begin the attack, and they danced cautiously about the circle with their faces close together.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading They were so ponderous, and it all seemed to mean so much.
jumpingnounUS /ˈdʒʌmpɪŋ/
the act of participating in an athletic competition in which you must jump
From this reading They held their arms down stiff, keeping the cane close to their bodies in order to prevent the other from jumping in between.
conformity or harmony
From this reading They held their arms down stiff, keeping the cane close to their bodies in order to prevent the other from jumping in between.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading When the word was given both kept their feet for a few minutes.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading They were so ponderous, and it all seemed to mean so much.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading When the word was given both kept their feet for a few minutes.
the light of the Moon
From this reading There was something impressive in the sight of these two, pounding about in the moonlight.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading They were so ponderous, and it all seemed to mean so much.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading Neither seemed inclined to begin the attack, and they danced cautiously about the circle with their faces close together.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There was something impressive in the sight of these two, pounding about in the moonlight.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading They held their arms down stiff, keeping the cane close to their bodies in order to prevent the other from jumping in between.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading They held their arms down stiff, keeping the cane close to their bodies in order to prevent the other from jumping in between.
ponderousadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːndərəs/
slow and laborious because of weight
From this reading They were so ponderous, and it all seemed to mean so much.
poundingnounUS /ˈpaʊndɪŋ/
repeated heavy blows
From this reading There was something impressive in the sight of these two, pounding about in the moonlight.
keep from happening or arising; make impossible
From this reading They held their arms down stiff, keeping the cane close to their bodies in order to prevent the other from jumping in between.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Neither seemed inclined to begin the attack, and they danced cautiously about the circle with their faces close together.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading There was something impressive in the sight of these two, pounding about in the moonlight.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading They were so ponderous, and it all seemed to mean so much.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading There was something impressive in the sight of these two, pounding about in the moonlight.
not moving or operating freely
From this reading They held their arms down stiff, keeping the cane close to their bodies in order to prevent the other from jumping in between.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When the word was given both kept their feet for a few minutes.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading When the word was given both kept their feet for a few minutes.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was something impressive in the sight of these two, pounding about in the moonlight.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading There was something impressive in the sight of these two, pounding about in the moonlight.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They held their arms down stiff, keeping the cane close to their bodies in order to prevent the other from jumping in between.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They held their arms down stiff, keeping the cane close to their bodies in order to prevent the other from jumping in between.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading Neither seemed inclined to begin the attack, and they danced cautiously about the circle with their faces close together.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading There was something impressive in the sight of these two, pounding about in the moonlight.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When the word was given both kept their feet for a few minutes.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were so ponderous, and it all seemed to mean so much.
at the time that
From this reading When the word was given both kept their feet for a few minutes.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Neither seemed inclined to begin the attack, and they danced cautiously about the circle with their faces close together.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading When the word was given both kept their feet for a few minutes.
