used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The rescue had been easy, and had occupied but a very few moments of time.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading As soon as he felt the ground beneath him, however, he seized the half-suffocated singer by the arm and dragged him ashore.
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading The unfortunate man presented a still odder and uglier appearance than before; his long black hair hung in dripping locks over his pale face, and his wrinkled coat clinging to his spare figure was more ridiculous than ever.
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 soon as he felt the ground beneath him, however, he seized the half-suffocated singer by the arm and dragged him ashore.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As soon as he felt the ground beneath him, however, he seized the half-suffocated singer by the arm and dragged him ashore.
towards the shore from the water
From this reading As soon as he felt the ground beneath him, however, he seized the half-suffocated singer by the arm and dragged him ashore.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading For a while the rescued man lay gasping on the bank; then he started up and gazed wildly at his preserver, who stood quietly looking at him.
sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)
From this reading For a while the rescued man lay gasping on the bank; then he started up and gazed wildly at his preserver, who stood quietly looking at him.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The rescue had been easy, and had occupied but a very few moments of time.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The unfortunate man presented a still odder and uglier appearance than before; his long black hair hung in dripping locks over his pale face, and his wrinkled coat clinging to his spare figure was more ridiculous than ever.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading As soon as he felt the ground beneath him, however, he seized the half-suffocated singer by the arm and dragged him ashore.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading The unfortunate man presented a still odder and uglier appearance than before; his long black hair hung in dripping locks over his pale face, and his wrinkled coat clinging to his spare figure was more ridiculous than ever.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The rescue had been easy, and had occupied but a very few moments of time.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading As soon as he felt the ground beneath him, however, he seized the half-suffocated singer by the arm and dragged him ashore.
clingingverbUS /ˈklɪŋɪŋ/
-ing form of “cling” — come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation
From this reading The unfortunate man presented a still odder and uglier appearance than before; his long black hair hung in dripping locks over his pale face, and his wrinkled coat clinging to his spare figure was more ridiculous than ever.
an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors
From this reading The unfortunate man presented a still odder and uglier appearance than before; his long black hair hung in dripping locks over his pale face, and his wrinkled coat clinging to his spare figure was more ridiculous than ever.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading "Why did you not let me die?" he cried, wringing his hands.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "Why did you not let me die?" he cried, wringing his hands.
pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading "Why did you not let me die?" he cried, wringing his hands.
inflected form of “drag” — pull, as against a resistance
From this reading As soon as he felt the ground beneath him, however, he seized the half-suffocated singer by the arm and dragged him ashore.
drippingnounUS /ˈdrɪpɪŋ/
a liquid (as water) that flows in drops (as from the eaves of house)
From this reading The unfortunate man presented a still odder and uglier appearance than before; his long black hair hung in dripping locks over his pale face, and his wrinkled coat clinging to his spare figure was more ridiculous than ever.
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading The rescue had been easy, and had occupied but a very few moments of time.
at any time
From this reading The unfortunate man presented a still odder and uglier appearance than before; his long black hair hung in dripping locks over his pale face, and his wrinkled coat clinging to his spare figure was more ridiculous than ever.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading The unfortunate man presented a still odder and uglier appearance than before; his long black hair hung in dripping locks over his pale face, and his wrinkled coat clinging to his spare figure was more ridiculous than ever.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading As soon as he felt the ground beneath him, however, he seized the half-suffocated singer by the arm and dragged him ashore.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The rescue had been easy, and had occupied but a very few moments of time.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading The unfortunate man presented a still odder and uglier appearance than before; his long black hair hung in dripping locks over his pale face, and his wrinkled coat clinging to his spare figure was more ridiculous than ever.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For a while the rescued man lay gasping on the bank; then he started up and gazed wildly at his preserver, who stood quietly looking at him.
gaspingverbUS /ˈɡæspɪŋ/
-ing form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading For a while the rescued man lay gasping on the bank; then he started up and gazed wildly at his preserver, who stood quietly looking at him.
past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading For a while the rescued man lay gasping on the bank; then he started up and gazed wildly at his preserver, who stood quietly looking at him.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading As soon as he felt the ground beneath him, however, he seized the half-suffocated singer by the arm and dragged him ashore.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The rescue had been easy, and had occupied but a very few moments of time.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading The unfortunate man presented a still odder and uglier appearance than before; his long black hair hung in dripping locks over his pale face, and his wrinkled coat clinging to his spare figure was more ridiculous than ever.
half-suffocated
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As soon as he felt the ground beneath him, however, he seized the half-suffocated singer by the arm and dragged him ashore.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading "Why did you not let me die?" he cried, wringing his hands.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As soon as he felt the ground beneath him, however, he seized the half-suffocated singer by the arm and dragged him ashore.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading As soon as he felt the ground beneath him, however, he seized the half-suffocated singer by the arm and dragged him ashore.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading For a while the rescued man lay gasping on the bank; then he started up and gazed wildly at his preserver, who stood quietly looking at him.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading As soon as he felt the ground beneath him, however, he seized the half-suffocated singer by the arm and dragged him ashore.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading The unfortunate man presented a still odder and uglier appearance than before; his long black hair hung in dripping locks over his pale face, and his wrinkled coat clinging to his spare figure was more ridiculous than ever.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The unfortunate man presented a still odder and uglier appearance than before; his long black hair hung in dripping locks over his pale face, and his wrinkled coat clinging to his spare figure was more ridiculous than ever.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading For a while the rescued man lay gasping on the bank; then he started up and gazed wildly at his preserver, who stood quietly looking at him.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading "Why did you not let me die?" he cried, wringing his hands.
locksnounUS /lɑːks/
plural of “lock” — a fastener fitted to a door or drawer to keep it firmly closed
From this reading The unfortunate man presented a still odder and uglier appearance than before; his long black hair hung in dripping locks over his pale face, and his wrinkled coat clinging to his spare figure was more ridiculous than ever.
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 The unfortunate man presented a still odder and uglier appearance than before; his long black hair hung in dripping locks over his pale face, and his wrinkled coat clinging to his spare figure was more ridiculous than ever.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading For a while the rescued man lay gasping on the bank; then he started up and gazed wildly at his preserver, who stood quietly looking at him.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading For a while the rescued man lay gasping on the bank; then he started up and gazed wildly at his preserver, who stood quietly looking at him.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Why did you not let me die?" he cried, wringing his hands.
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading The rescue had been easy, and had occupied but a very few moments of time.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The unfortunate man presented a still odder and uglier appearance than before; his long black hair hung in dripping locks over his pale face, and his wrinkled coat clinging to his spare figure was more ridiculous than ever.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "Why did you not let me die?" he cried, wringing his hands.
held or filled or in use
From this reading The rescue had been easy, and had occupied but a very few moments of time.
odderadjectiveUS /ˈɑːdər/
comparative of “odd” — not divisible by two
From this reading The unfortunate man presented a still odder and uglier appearance than before; his long black hair hung in dripping locks over his pale face, and his wrinkled coat clinging to his spare figure was more ridiculous than ever.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The rescue had been easy, and had occupied but a very few moments of time.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading For a while the rescued man lay gasping on the bank; then he started up and gazed wildly at his preserver, who stood quietly looking at him.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The unfortunate man presented a still odder and uglier appearance than before; his long black hair hung in dripping locks over his pale face, and his wrinkled coat clinging to his spare figure was more ridiculous than ever.
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading The unfortunate man presented a still odder and uglier appearance than before; his long black hair hung in dripping locks over his pale face, and his wrinkled coat clinging to his spare figure was more ridiculous than ever.
past form of “present” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading The unfortunate man presented a still odder and uglier appearance than before; his long black hair hung in dripping locks over his pale face, and his wrinkled coat clinging to his spare figure was more ridiculous than ever.
preservernounUS /priˈzɜːrvər/
a skilled worker who is employed to restore or refinish buildings or antique furniture
From this reading For a while the rescued man lay gasping on the bank; then he started up and gazed wildly at his preserver, who stood quietly looking at him.
with low volume
From this reading For a while the rescued man lay gasping on the bank; then he started up and gazed wildly at his preserver, who stood quietly looking at him.
free from harm or evil
From this reading The rescue had been easy, and had occupied but a very few moments of time.
rescuedadjectiveUS /ˈreskjuːd/
delivered from danger
From this reading For a while the rescued man lay gasping on the bank; then he started up and gazed wildly at his preserver, who stood quietly looking at him.
inspiring scornful pity
From this reading The unfortunate man presented a still odder and uglier appearance than before; his long black hair hung in dripping locks over his pale face, and his wrinkled coat clinging to his spare figure was more ridiculous than ever.
past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab
From this reading As soon as he felt the ground beneath him, however, he seized the half-suffocated singer by the arm and dragged him ashore.
singernounUS /ˈsɪŋər/
a person who sings
From this reading As soon as he felt the ground beneath him, however, he seized the half-suffocated singer by the arm and dragged him ashore.
in the near future
From this reading As soon as he felt the ground beneath him, however, he seized the half-suffocated singer by the arm and dragged him ashore.
refrain from harming
From this reading The unfortunate man presented a still odder and uglier appearance than before; his long black hair hung in dripping locks over his pale face, and his wrinkled coat clinging to his spare figure was more ridiculous than ever.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading For a while the rescued man lay gasping on the bank; then he started up and gazed wildly at his preserver, who stood quietly looking at him.
not in physical motion
From this reading The unfortunate man presented a still odder and uglier appearance than before; his long black hair hung in dripping locks over his pale face, and his wrinkled coat clinging to his spare figure was more ridiculous than ever.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading For a while the rescued man lay gasping on the bank; then he started up and gazed wildly at his preserver, who stood quietly looking at him.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The unfortunate man presented a still odder and uglier appearance than before; his long black hair hung in dripping locks over his pale face, and his wrinkled coat clinging to his spare figure was more ridiculous than ever.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As soon as he felt the ground beneath him, however, he seized the half-suffocated singer by the arm and dragged him ashore.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading For a while the rescued man lay gasping on the bank; then he started up and gazed wildly at his preserver, who stood quietly looking at him.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The rescue had been easy, and had occupied but a very few moments of time.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The unfortunate man presented a still odder and uglier appearance than before; his long black hair hung in dripping locks over his pale face, and his wrinkled coat clinging to his spare figure was more ridiculous than ever.
uglieradjectiveUS /ˈʌɡliər/
comparative of “ugly” — displeasing to the senses
From this reading The unfortunate man presented a still odder and uglier appearance than before; his long black hair hung in dripping locks over his pale face, and his wrinkled coat clinging to his spare figure was more ridiculous than ever.
not favored by fortune; marked or accompanied by or resulting in ill fortune
From this reading The unfortunate man presented a still odder and uglier appearance than before; his long black hair hung in dripping locks over his pale face, and his wrinkled coat clinging to his spare figure was more ridiculous than ever.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading For a while the rescued man lay gasping on the bank; then he started up and gazed wildly at his preserver, who stood quietly looking at him.
precisely as stated
From this reading The rescue had been easy, and had occupied but a very few moments of time.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The unfortunate man presented a still odder and uglier appearance than before; his long black hair hung in dripping locks over his pale face, and his wrinkled coat clinging to his spare figure was more ridiculous than ever.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading For a while the rescued man lay gasping on the bank; then he started up and gazed wildly at his preserver, who stood quietly looking at him.
which person or people
From this reading For a while the rescued man lay gasping on the bank; then he started up and gazed wildly at his preserver, who stood quietly looking at him.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why did you not let me die?" he cried, wringing his hands.
wildlyadverbUS /ˈwaɪldli/
to an extreme or greatly exaggerated degree
From this reading For a while the rescued man lay gasping on the bank; then he started up and gazed wildly at his preserver, who stood quietly looking at him.
wringingverbUS /ˈrɪŋɪŋ/
-ing form of “wring” — twist and press out of shape
From this reading "Why did you not let me die?" he cried, wringing his hands.
wrinkledadjectiveUS /ˈrɪŋkəld/
marked by wrinkles
From this reading The unfortunate man presented a still odder and uglier appearance than before; his long black hair hung in dripping locks over his pale face, and his wrinkled coat clinging to his spare figure was more ridiculous than ever.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Why did you not let me die?" he cried, wringing his hands.
