used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They had followed the beach for only a short distance after passing Murphy and had then turned off into the swamp on a deer trail with which they were familiar.
absorbedadjectiveUS /əbˈzɔːrbd/
giving or marked by complete attention to
From this reading Each was absorbed in his own brooding and there was no talking with the exception of frequent angry exclamations when some one of the party tripped over a hidden stick or root.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading They had followed the beach for only a short distance after passing Murphy and had then turned off into the swamp on a deer trail with which they were familiar.
(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 all in an ugly mood, especially Roberts, whose disposition was never very pleasant.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading Progress was slow in the darkness of the swamp and the rough going did not better their already ragged tempers.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading They were all in an ugly mood, especially Roberts, whose disposition was never very pleasant.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading In the meanwhile nothing had occurred to put Qualley and Roberts to sleep.
angryadjectiveUS /ˈæŋɡri/
feeling or showing anger
From this reading Each was absorbed in his own brooding and there was no talking with the exception of frequent angry exclamations when some one of the party tripped over a hidden stick or root.
an area of sand sloping down to the water of a sea or lake
From this reading They had followed the beach for only a short distance after passing Murphy and had then turned off into the swamp on a deer trail with which they were familiar.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading Progress was slow in the darkness of the swamp and the rough going did not better their already ragged tempers.
broodingnounUS /ˈbruːdɪŋ/
sitting on eggs so as to hatch them by the warmth of the body
From this reading Each was absorbed in his own brooding and there was no talking with the exception of frequent angry exclamations when some one of the party tripped over a hidden stick or root.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Progress was slow in the darkness of the swamp and the rough going did not better their already ragged tempers.
distinguished from Bovidae by the male's having solid deciduous antlers
From this reading They had followed the beach for only a short distance after passing Murphy and had then turned off into the swamp on a deer trail with which they were familiar.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Progress was slow in the darkness of the swamp and the rough going did not better their already ragged tempers.
dispositionnounUS /ˌdɪspəˈzɪʃən/
your usual mood
From this reading They were all in an ugly mood, especially Roberts, whose disposition was never very pleasant.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading They had followed the beach for only a short distance after passing Murphy and had then turned off into the swamp on a deer trail with which they were familiar.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading Each was absorbed in his own brooding and there was no talking with the exception of frequent angry exclamations when some one of the party tripped over a hidden stick or root.
to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common
From this reading They were all in an ugly mood, especially Roberts, whose disposition was never very pleasant.
exceptionnounUS /ɪkˈsepʃən/
a deliberate act of omission
From this reading Each was absorbed in his own brooding and there was no talking with the exception of frequent angry exclamations when some one of the party tripped over a hidden stick or root.
exclamationsnounUS /ˌekskləˈmeɪʃənz/
plural of “exclamation” — an abrupt excited utterance
From this reading Each was absorbed in his own brooding and there was no talking with the exception of frequent angry exclamations when some one of the party tripped over a hidden stick or root.
well known or easily recognized
From this reading They had followed the beach for only a short distance after passing Murphy and had then turned off into the swamp on a deer trail with which they were familiar.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading They had followed the beach for only a short distance after passing Murphy and had then turned off into the swamp on a deer trail with which they were familiar.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading They had followed the beach for only a short distance after passing Murphy and had then turned off into the swamp on a deer trail with which they were familiar.
frequentverbUS /ˈfriːkwənt/
do one's shopping at; do business with; be a customer or client of
From this reading Each was absorbed in his own brooding and there was no talking with the exception of frequent angry exclamations when some one of the party tripped over a hidden stick or root.
the act of departing
From this reading Progress was slow in the darkness of the swamp and the rough going did not better their already ragged tempers.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading In the meanwhile nothing had occurred to put Qualley and Roberts to sleep.
not accessible to view
From this reading Each was absorbed in his own brooding and there was no talking with the exception of frequent angry exclamations when some one of the party tripped over a hidden stick or root.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Each was absorbed in his own brooding and there was no talking with the exception of frequent angry exclamations when some one of the party tripped over a hidden stick or root.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the meanwhile nothing had occurred to put Qualley and Roberts to sleep.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading They had followed the beach for only a short distance after passing Murphy and had then turned off into the swamp on a deer trail with which they were familiar.
at the same time but in another place
From this reading In the meanwhile nothing had occurred to put Qualley and Roberts to sleep.
a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling
From this reading They were all in an ugly mood, especially Roberts, whose disposition was never very pleasant.
MurphynounUS /ˈmɜːrfi/
an edible tuber native to South America; a staple food of Ireland
From this reading They had followed the beach for only a short distance after passing Murphy and had then turned off into the swamp on a deer trail with which they were familiar.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading They were all in an ugly mood, especially Roberts, whose disposition was never very pleasant.
not any; not one
From this reading Each was absorbed in his own brooding and there was no talking with the exception of frequent angry exclamations when some one of the party tripped over a hidden stick or root.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Progress was slow in the darkness of the swamp and the rough going did not better their already ragged tempers.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading In the meanwhile nothing had occurred to put Qualley and Roberts to sleep.
inflected form of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading In the meanwhile nothing had occurred to put Qualley and Roberts to sleep.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Progress was slow in the darkness of the swamp and the rough going did not better their already ragged tempers.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading They had followed the beach for only a short distance after passing Murphy and had then turned off into the swamp on a deer trail with which they were familiar.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading They had followed the beach for only a short distance after passing Murphy and had then turned off into the swamp on a deer trail with which they were familiar.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Each was absorbed in his own brooding and there was no talking with the exception of frequent angry exclamations when some one of the party tripped over a hidden stick or root.
and nothing more
From this reading They had followed the beach for only a short distance after passing Murphy and had then turned off into the swamp on a deer trail with which they were familiar.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Each was absorbed in his own brooding and there was no talking with the exception of frequent angry exclamations when some one of the party tripped over a hidden stick or root.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Each was absorbed in his own brooding and there was no talking with the exception of frequent angry exclamations when some one of the party tripped over a hidden stick or root.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Each was absorbed in his own brooding and there was no talking with the exception of frequent angry exclamations when some one of the party tripped over a hidden stick or root.
an organization to gain political power
From this reading Each was absorbed in his own brooding and there was no talking with the exception of frequent angry exclamations when some one of the party tripped over a hidden stick or root.
(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate
From this reading They had followed the beach for only a short distance after passing Murphy and had then turned off into the swamp on a deer trail with which they were familiar.
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading They were all in an ugly mood, especially Roberts, whose disposition was never very pleasant.
gradual improvement or growth or development
From this reading Progress was slow in the darkness of the swamp and the rough going did not better their already ragged tempers.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading In the meanwhile nothing had occurred to put Qualley and Roberts to sleep.
Qualley
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the meanwhile nothing had occurred to put Qualley and Roberts to sleep.
raggedadjectiveUS /ˈræɡəd/
being or dressed in clothes that are worn or torn
From this reading Progress was slow in the darkness of the swamp and the rough going did not better their already ragged tempers.
RobertsnounUS /ˈrɑːbərts/
United States biochemist (born in England) honored for his discovery that some genes contain introns (born in 1943)
From this reading In the meanwhile nothing had occurred to put Qualley and Roberts to sleep.
rootnounUS /ruːt/
(botany) the usually underground organ that lacks buds or leaves or nodes; absorbs water and mineral salts; usually it anchors the plant to the ground
From this reading Each was absorbed in his own brooding and there was no talking with the exception of frequent angry exclamations when some one of the party tripped over a hidden stick or root.
having or caused by an irregular surface
From this reading Progress was slow in the darkness of the swamp and the rough going did not better their already ragged tempers.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading They had followed the beach for only a short distance after passing Murphy and had then turned off into the swamp on a deer trail with which they were familiar.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading In the meanwhile nothing had occurred to put Qualley and Roberts to sleep.
not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time
From this reading Progress was slow in the darkness of the swamp and the rough going did not better their already ragged tempers.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Each was absorbed in his own brooding and there was no talking with the exception of frequent angry exclamations when some one of the party tripped over a hidden stick or root.
put, fix, force, or implant
From this reading Each was absorbed in his own brooding and there was no talking with the exception of frequent angry exclamations when some one of the party tripped over a hidden stick or root.
swampverbUS /swɑːmp/
drench or submerge or be drenched or submerged
From this reading They had followed the beach for only a short distance after passing Murphy and had then turned off into the swamp on a deer trail with which they were familiar.
an exchange of ideas via conversation
From this reading Each was absorbed in his own brooding and there was no talking with the exception of frequent angry exclamations when some one of the party tripped over a hidden stick or root.
tempersnounUS /ˈtempərz/
plural of “temper” — a sudden outburst of anger
From this reading Progress was slow in the darkness of the swamp and the rough going did not better their already ragged tempers.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading In the meanwhile nothing had occurred to put Qualley and Roberts to sleep.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Progress was slow in the darkness of the swamp and the rough going did not better their already ragged tempers.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading They had followed the beach for only a short distance after passing Murphy and had then turned off into the swamp on a deer trail with which they were familiar.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Each was absorbed in his own brooding and there was no talking with the exception of frequent angry exclamations when some one of the party tripped over a hidden stick or root.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had followed the beach for only a short distance after passing Murphy and had then turned off into the swamp on a deer trail with which they were familiar.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In the meanwhile nothing had occurred to put Qualley and Roberts to sleep.
a track or mark left by something that has passed
From this reading They had followed the beach for only a short distance after passing Murphy and had then turned off into the swamp on a deer trail with which they were familiar.
trippedverbUS /trɪpt/
inflected form of “trip” — miss a step and fall or nearly fall
From this reading Each was absorbed in his own brooding and there was no talking with the exception of frequent angry exclamations when some one of the party tripped over a hidden stick or root.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading They had followed the beach for only a short distance after passing Murphy and had then turned off into the swamp on a deer trail with which they were familiar.
displeasing to the senses
From this reading They were all in an ugly mood, especially Roberts, whose disposition was never very pleasant.
precisely as stated
From this reading They were all in an ugly mood, especially Roberts, whose disposition was never very pleasant.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Progress was slow in the darkness of the swamp and the rough going did not better their already ragged tempers.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They had followed the beach for only a short distance after passing Murphy and had then turned off into the swamp on a deer trail with which they were familiar.
at the time that
From this reading Each was absorbed in his own brooding and there was no talking with the exception of frequent angry exclamations when some one of the party tripped over a hidden stick or root.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading They had followed the beach for only a short distance after passing Murphy and had then turned off into the swamp on a deer trail with which they were familiar.
belonging to which person
From this reading They were all in an ugly mood, especially Roberts, whose disposition was never very pleasant.
in the company of; together with
From this reading They had followed the beach for only a short distance after passing Murphy and had then turned off into the swamp on a deer trail with which they were familiar.
