used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading There was an occasional nervous twitching of its tail, but otherwise it was as motionless as if it had been carved of marble.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
move towards
From this reading So intense was the interest of the savage beast in the young hunter directly beneath it that it was unaware of the approach of James Boone.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading There was an occasional nervous twitching of its tail, but otherwise it was as motionless as if it had been carved of marble.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading So intense was the interest of the savage beast in the young hunter directly beneath it that it was unaware of the approach of James Boone.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading So intense was the interest of the savage beast in the young hunter directly beneath it that it was unaware of the approach of James Boone.
BoonenounUS /buːn/
an American pioneer and guide and explorer (1734-1820)
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
a youthful male person
From this reading Even as he perceived the animal, however, its muscles tightened, and it prepared for a leap upon the unsuspecting boy.
plural of “branch” — a division of some larger or more complex organization
From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading There was an occasional nervous twitching of its tail, but otherwise it was as motionless as if it had been carved of marble.
carvedadjectiveUS /kɑːrvd/
made for or formed by carving (“carven” is archaic or literary)
From this reading There was an occasional nervous twitching of its tail, but otherwise it was as motionless as if it had been carved of marble.
chestnutadjectiveUS /ˈtʃesnʌt/
(of hair or feathers) of a golden brown to reddish brown color
From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
having or capable of producing colors
From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
crouchingverbUS /ˈkraʊtʃɪŋ/
-ing form of “crouch” — bend one's back forward from the waist on down
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
without deviation
From this reading So intense was the interest of the savage beast in the young hunter directly beneath it that it was unaware of the approach of James Boone.
having escaped, especially from confinement
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
divisible by two
From this reading Even as he perceived the animal, however, its muscles tightened, and it prepared for a leap upon the unsuspecting boy.
foliagenounUS /ˈfoʊlɪdʒ/
the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Even as he perceived the animal, however, its muscles tightened, and it prepared for a leap upon the unsuspecting boy.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Even as he perceived the animal, however, its muscles tightened, and it prepared for a leap upon the unsuspecting boy.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading Even as he perceived the animal, however, its muscles tightened, and it prepared for a leap upon the unsuspecting boy.
someone who hunts game
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading So intense was the interest of the savage beast in the young hunter directly beneath it that it was unaware of the approach of James Boone.
possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree
From this reading So intense was the interest of the savage beast in the young hunter directly beneath it that it was unaware of the approach of James Boone.
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading So intense was the interest of the savage beast in the young hunter directly beneath it that it was unaware of the approach of James Boone.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
leapnounUS /liːp/
a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards
From this reading Even as he perceived the animal, however, its muscles tightened, and it prepared for a leap upon the unsuspecting boy.
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
a hard crystalline metamorphic rock that takes a high polish; used for sculpture and as building material
From this reading There was an occasional nervous twitching of its tail, but otherwise it was as motionless as if it had been carved of marble.
not in physical motion
From this reading There was an occasional nervous twitching of its tail, but otherwise it was as motionless as if it had been carved of marble.
musclesnounUS /ˈmʌsəlz/
plural of “muscle” — one of the contractile organs of the body
From this reading Even as he perceived the animal, however, its muscles tightened, and it prepared for a leap upon the unsuspecting boy.
easily agitated
From this reading There was an occasional nervous twitching of its tail, but otherwise it was as motionless as if it had been carved of marble.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
occasionaladjectiveUS /əˈkeɪʒənəl/
occurring from time to time
From this reading There was an occasional nervous twitching of its tail, but otherwise it was as motionless as if it had been carved of marble.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
in other respects or ways
From this reading There was an occasional nervous twitching of its tail, but otherwise it was as motionless as if it had been carved of marble.
detected by instinct or inference rather than by recognized perceptual cues
From this reading Even as he perceived the animal, however, its muscles tightened, and it prepared for a leap upon the unsuspecting boy.
made ready or fit or suitable beforehand
From this reading Even as he perceived the animal, however, its muscles tightened, and it prepared for a leap upon the unsuspecting boy.
a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading So intense was the interest of the savage beast in the young hunter directly beneath it that it was unaware of the approach of James Boone.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
a natural protective body covering and site of the sense of touch
From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So intense was the interest of the savage beast in the young hunter directly beneath it that it was unaware of the approach of James Boone.
the posterior part of the body of a vertebrate especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body
From this reading There was an occasional nervous twitching of its tail, but otherwise it was as motionless as if it had been carved of marble.
tawnyadjectiveUS /ˈtɑːni/
of a light brown to brownish orange color; the color of tanned leather
From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was an occasional nervous twitching of its tail, but otherwise it was as motionless as if it had been carved of marble.
tightenedverbUS /ˈtaɪtənd/
past form of “tighten” — make tight or tighter
From this reading Even as he perceived the animal, however, its muscles tightened, and it prepared for a leap upon the unsuspecting boy.
tingedverbUS /tɪŋd/
past form of “tinge” — affect as in thought or feeling
From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
trainedadjectiveUS /treɪnd/
shaped or conditioned or disciplined by training; often used as a combining form
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
twitchingnounUS /ˈtwɪtʃɪŋ/
a sudden muscle spasm; especially one caused by a nervous condition
From this reading There was an occasional nervous twitching of its tail, but otherwise it was as motionless as if it had been carved of marble.
unawareadjectiveUS /ˌʌnəˈwer/
(often followed by “of”) not aware
From this reading So intense was the interest of the savage beast in the young hunter directly beneath it that it was unaware of the approach of James Boone.
unlikeadjectiveUS /ənˈlaɪk/
marked by dissimilarity
From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
unsuspectingadjectiveUS /ˌʌnsəˈspektɪŋ/
not suspicious
From this reading Even as he perceived the animal, however, its muscles tightened, and it prepared for a leap upon the unsuspecting boy.
unusuallyadverbUS /əˈnjuːʒuːəli/
to a remarkable degree or extent
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
a vivid mental image
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Its tawny skin was of a colour not unlike that of the tinged foliage of the branches of the chestnut upon which it was lying.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading HUNTER SAM If the vision of James Boone had not been trained, and unusually keen, the sight of the crouching animal would have escaped him.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading So intense was the interest of the savage beast in the young hunter directly beneath it that it was unaware of the approach of James Boone.
