used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A STRANGE CAMP Through the air, over the heads of Rick, Chot and Ruddy, now seemingly on one side and now on the other—surrounding them, as it were—the mysterious noise came and went.
anew
From this reading Then again, it would fairly howl around them.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading A STRANGE CAMP Through the air, over the heads of Rick, Chot and Ruddy, now seemingly on one side and now on the other—surrounding them, as it were—the mysterious noise came and went.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Now it almost died away—an expiring groan it might be from some unseen inhabitant of the tunnel.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Now it almost died away—an expiring groan it might be from some unseen inhabitant of the tunnel.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A STRANGE CAMP Through the air, over the heads of Rick, Chot and Ruddy, now seemingly on one side and now on the other—surrounding them, as it were—the mysterious noise came and went.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Then again, it would fairly howl around them.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading A STRANGE CAMP Through the air, over the heads of Rick, Chot and Ruddy, now seemingly on one side and now on the other—surrounding them, as it were—the mysterious noise came and went.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading And at the conclusion of one of these weird howls Ruddy again joined his voice to that of the unseen one, making so nerve-racking a combination of notes as to cause cold shivers to run down the spines of the lads.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Now it almost died away—an expiring groan it might be from some unseen inhabitant of the tunnel.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Now it almost died away—an expiring groan it might be from some unseen inhabitant of the tunnel.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading “Whew!” whistled Chot, as the sound seemed to vanish into the mysterious black recesses of the place, “this is too much for me!”
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading A STRANGE CAMP Through the air, over the heads of Rick, Chot and Ruddy, now seemingly on one side and now on the other—surrounding them, as it were—the mysterious noise came and went.
temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers
From this reading A STRANGE CAMP Through the air, over the heads of Rick, Chot and Ruddy, now seemingly on one side and now on the other—surrounding them, as it were—the mysterious noise came and went.
events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something
From this reading And at the conclusion of one of these weird howls Ruddy again joined his voice to that of the unseen one, making so nerve-racking a combination of notes as to cause cold shivers to run down the spines of the lads.
Chot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A STRANGE CAMP Through the air, over the heads of Rick, Chot and Ruddy, now seemingly on one side and now on the other—surrounding them, as it were—the mysterious noise came and went.
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 And at the conclusion of one of these weird howls Ruddy again joined his voice to that of the unseen one, making so nerve-racking a combination of notes as to cause cold shivers to run down the spines of the lads.
combinationnounUS /ˌkɑːmbəˈneɪʃən/
a collection of things that have been combined; an assemblage of separate parts or qualities
From this reading And at the conclusion of one of these weird howls Ruddy again joined his voice to that of the unseen one, making so nerve-racking a combination of notes as to cause cold shivers to run down the spines of the lads.
a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration
From this reading And at the conclusion of one of these weird howls Ruddy again joined his voice to that of the unseen one, making so nerve-racking a combination of notes as to cause cold shivers to run down the spines of the lads.
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading Now it almost died away—an expiring groan it might be from some unseen inhabitant of the tunnel.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading And at the conclusion of one of these weird howls Ruddy again joined his voice to that of the unseen one, making so nerve-racking a combination of notes as to cause cold shivers to run down the spines of the lads.
expiringverbUS /ɪkˈspaɪrɪŋ/
-ing form of “expire” — lose validity
From this reading Now it almost died away—an expiring groan it might be from some unseen inhabitant of the tunnel.
to certain extent or degree
From this reading Then again, it would fairly howl around them.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “Whew!” whistled Chot, as the sound seemed to vanish into the mysterious black recesses of the place, “this is too much for me!”
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Now it almost died away—an expiring groan it might be from some unseen inhabitant of the tunnel.
groannounUS /ɡroʊn/
an utterance expressing pain or disapproval
From this reading Now it almost died away—an expiring groan it might be from some unseen inhabitant of the tunnel.
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 A STRANGE CAMP Through the air, over the heads of Rick, Chot and Ruddy, now seemingly on one side and now on the other—surrounding them, as it were—the mysterious noise came and went.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading And at the conclusion of one of these weird howls Ruddy again joined his voice to that of the unseen one, making so nerve-racking a combination of notes as to cause cold shivers to run down the spines of the lads.
howlverbUS /haʊl/
emit long loud cries
From this reading Then again, it would fairly howl around them.
howlsnounUS /haʊlz/
plural of “howl” — a long loud emotional utterance
From this reading And at the conclusion of one of these weird howls Ruddy again joined his voice to that of the unseen one, making so nerve-racking a combination of notes as to cause cold shivers to run down the spines of the lads.
inhabitantnounUS /ɪnˈhæbətənt/
a person who inhabits a particular place
From this reading Now it almost died away—an expiring groan it might be from some unseen inhabitant of the tunnel.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading “Whew!” whistled Chot, as the sound seemed to vanish into the mysterious black recesses of the place, “this is too much for me!”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Whew!” whistled Chot, as the sound seemed to vanish into the mysterious black recesses of the place, “this is too much for me!”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading A STRANGE CAMP Through the air, over the heads of Rick, Chot and Ruddy, now seemingly on one side and now on the other—surrounding them, as it were—the mysterious noise came and went.
of or relating to two people who are married to each other
From this reading And at the conclusion of one of these weird howls Ruddy again joined his voice to that of the unseen one, making so nerve-racking a combination of notes as to cause cold shivers to run down the spines of the lads.
plural of “lad” — a boy or man
From this reading And at the conclusion of one of these weird howls Ruddy again joined his voice to that of the unseen one, making so nerve-racking a combination of notes as to cause cold shivers to run down the spines of the lads.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading And at the conclusion of one of these weird howls Ruddy again joined his voice to that of the unseen one, making so nerve-racking a combination of notes as to cause cold shivers to run down the spines of the lads.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Whew!” whistled Chot, as the sound seemed to vanish into the mysterious black recesses of the place, “this is too much for me!”
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Now it almost died away—an expiring groan it might be from some unseen inhabitant of the tunnel.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading “Whew!” whistled Chot, as the sound seemed to vanish into the mysterious black recesses of the place, “this is too much for me!”
of an obscure nature
From this reading A STRANGE CAMP Through the air, over the heads of Rick, Chot and Ruddy, now seemingly on one side and now on the other—surrounding them, as it were—the mysterious noise came and went.
nerve-rackingadjectiveUS /ˌnɜːrˈvrækɪŋ/
extremely irritating to the nerves
From this reading And at the conclusion of one of these weird howls Ruddy again joined his voice to that of the unseen one, making so nerve-racking a combination of notes as to cause cold shivers to run down the spines of the lads.
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading A STRANGE CAMP Through the air, over the heads of Rick, Chot and Ruddy, now seemingly on one side and now on the other—surrounding them, as it were—the mysterious noise came and went.
plural of “note” — a brief written record
From this reading And at the conclusion of one of these weird howls Ruddy again joined his voice to that of the unseen one, making so nerve-racking a combination of notes as to cause cold shivers to run down the spines of the lads.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading A STRANGE CAMP Through the air, over the heads of Rick, Chot and Ruddy, now seemingly on one side and now on the other—surrounding them, as it were—the mysterious noise came and went.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A STRANGE CAMP Through the air, over the heads of Rick, Chot and Ruddy, now seemingly on one side and now on the other—surrounding them, as it were—the mysterious noise came and went.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A STRANGE CAMP Through the air, over the heads of Rick, Chot and Ruddy, now seemingly on one side and now on the other—surrounding them, as it were—the mysterious noise came and went.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading A STRANGE CAMP Through the air, over the heads of Rick, Chot and Ruddy, now seemingly on one side and now on the other—surrounding them, as it were—the mysterious noise came and went.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading A STRANGE CAMP Through the air, over the heads of Rick, Chot and Ruddy, now seemingly on one side and now on the other—surrounding them, as it were—the mysterious noise came and went.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading A STRANGE CAMP Through the air, over the heads of Rick, Chot and Ruddy, now seemingly on one side and now on the other—surrounding them, as it were—the mysterious noise came and went.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading “Whew!” whistled Chot, as the sound seemed to vanish into the mysterious black recesses of the place, “this is too much for me!”
recessesnounUS /ˈriːsesəz/
plural of “recess” — a state of abeyance or suspended business
From this reading “Whew!” whistled Chot, as the sound seemed to vanish into the mysterious black recesses of the place, “this is too much for me!”
RicknounUS /rɪk/
a painful muscle spasm especially in the neck or back (“rick” and “wrick” are British)
From this reading A STRANGE CAMP Through the air, over the heads of Rick, Chot and Ruddy, now seemingly on one side and now on the other—surrounding them, as it were—the mysterious noise came and went.
RuddyadjectiveUS /ˈrʌdi/
inclined to a healthy reddish color often associated with outdoor life
From this reading A STRANGE CAMP Through the air, over the heads of Rick, Chot and Ruddy, now seemingly on one side and now on the other—surrounding them, as it were—the mysterious noise came and went.
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading And at the conclusion of one of these weird howls Ruddy again joined his voice to that of the unseen one, making so nerve-racking a combination of notes as to cause cold shivers to run down the spines of the lads.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading “Whew!” whistled Chot, as the sound seemed to vanish into the mysterious black recesses of the place, “this is too much for me!”
seeminglyadverbUS /ˈsiːmɪŋli/
from appearances alone
From this reading A STRANGE CAMP Through the air, over the heads of Rick, Chot and Ruddy, now seemingly on one side and now on the other—surrounding them, as it were—the mysterious noise came and went.
shiversnounUS /ˈʃɪvərz/
plural of “shiver” — a reflex motion caused by cold or fear or excitement
From this reading And at the conclusion of one of these weird howls Ruddy again joined his voice to that of the unseen one, making so nerve-racking a combination of notes as to cause cold shivers to run down the spines of the lads.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading A STRANGE CAMP Through the air, over the heads of Rick, Chot and Ruddy, now seemingly on one side and now on the other—surrounding them, as it were—the mysterious noise came and went.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading And at the conclusion of one of these weird howls Ruddy again joined his voice to that of the unseen one, making so nerve-racking a combination of notes as to cause cold shivers to run down the spines of the lads.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Now it almost died away—an expiring groan it might be from some unseen inhabitant of the tunnel.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading “Whew!” whistled Chot, as the sound seemed to vanish into the mysterious black recesses of the place, “this is too much for me!”
spinesnounUS /spaɪnz/
plural of “spine” — the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord
From this reading And at the conclusion of one of these weird howls Ruddy again joined his voice to that of the unseen one, making so nerve-racking a combination of notes as to cause cold shivers to run down the spines of the lads.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading A STRANGE CAMP Through the air, over the heads of Rick, Chot and Ruddy, now seemingly on one side and now on the other—surrounding them, as it were—the mysterious noise came and went.
surroundingadjectiveUS /sərˈaʊndɪŋ/
closely encircling
From this reading A STRANGE CAMP Through the air, over the heads of Rick, Chot and Ruddy, now seemingly on one side and now on the other—surrounding them, as it were—the mysterious noise came and went.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading And at the conclusion of one of these weird howls Ruddy again joined his voice to that of the unseen one, making so nerve-racking a combination of notes as to cause cold shivers to run down the spines of the lads.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A STRANGE CAMP Through the air, over the heads of Rick, Chot and Ruddy, now seemingly on one side and now on the other—surrounding them, as it were—the mysterious noise came and went.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading A STRANGE CAMP Through the air, over the heads of Rick, Chot and Ruddy, now seemingly on one side and now on the other—surrounding them, as it were—the mysterious noise came and went.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then again, it would fairly howl around them.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading And at the conclusion of one of these weird howls Ruddy again joined his voice to that of the unseen one, making so nerve-racking a combination of notes as to cause cold shivers to run down the spines of the lads.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “Whew!” whistled Chot, as the sound seemed to vanish into the mysterious black recesses of the place, “this is too much for me!”
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading A STRANGE CAMP Through the air, over the heads of Rick, Chot and Ruddy, now seemingly on one side and now on the other—surrounding them, as it were—the mysterious noise came and went.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading And at the conclusion of one of these weird howls Ruddy again joined his voice to that of the unseen one, making so nerve-racking a combination of notes as to cause cold shivers to run down the spines of the lads.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading “Whew!” whistled Chot, as the sound seemed to vanish into the mysterious black recesses of the place, “this is too much for me!”
tunnelverbUS /ˈtʌnəl/
move through by or as by digging
From this reading Now it almost died away—an expiring groan it might be from some unseen inhabitant of the tunnel.
unseenadjectiveUS /ənˈsiːn/
not seen or perceived
From this reading Now it almost died away—an expiring groan it might be from some unseen inhabitant of the tunnel.
vanishverbUS /ˈvænɪʃ/
get lost, as without warning or explanation
From this reading “Whew!” whistled Chot, as the sound seemed to vanish into the mysterious black recesses of the place, “this is too much for me!”
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading And at the conclusion of one of these weird howls Ruddy again joined his voice to that of the unseen one, making so nerve-racking a combination of notes as to cause cold shivers to run down the spines of the lads.
weirdadjectiveUS /wɪrd/
suggesting the operation of supernatural influences
From this reading And at the conclusion of one of these weird howls Ruddy again joined his voice to that of the unseen one, making so nerve-racking a combination of notes as to cause cold shivers to run down the spines of the lads.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading A STRANGE CAMP Through the air, over the heads of Rick, Chot and Ruddy, now seemingly on one side and now on the other—surrounding them, as it were—the mysterious noise came and went.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading A STRANGE CAMP Through the air, over the heads of Rick, Chot and Ruddy, now seemingly on one side and now on the other—surrounding them, as it were—the mysterious noise came and went.
Whew
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Whew!” whistled Chot, as the sound seemed to vanish into the mysterious black recesses of the place, “this is too much for me!”
whistledverbUS /ˈwɪsəld/
past form of “whistle” — make whistling sounds
From this reading “Whew!” whistled Chot, as the sound seemed to vanish into the mysterious black recesses of the place, “this is too much for me!”
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Then again, it would fairly howl around them.
