used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading At last the wells were reached, and after the wants of the wounded had been supplied, Jack and his comrades got a chance of quenching their parching thirst.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading "And so he lay quite still, while the shot rattled through the rushes, and gun after gun was fired over him."--_The Ugly Duckling_.
anew
From this reading It was a moving sight--a crowd of men standing round a pit, at the bottom of which appeared a little puddle, which when emptied out would gradually drain in again, the spectators watching its progress with greedy eyes.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "And so he lay quite still, while the shot rattled through the rushes, and gun after gun was fired over him."--_The Ugly Duckling_.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading It was a moving sight--a crowd of men standing round a pit, at the bottom of which appeared a little puddle, which when emptied out would gradually drain in again, the spectators watching its progress with greedy eyes.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At last the wells were reached, and after the wants of the wounded had been supplied, Jack and his comrades got a chance of quenching their parching thirst.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading At last the wells were reached, and after the wants of the wounded had been supplied, Jack and his comrades got a chance of quenching their parching thirst.
the lower side of anything
From this reading It was a moving sight--a crowd of men standing round a pit, at the bottom of which appeared a little puddle, which when emptied out would gradually drain in again, the spectators watching its progress with greedy eyes.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading At last the wells were reached, and after the wants of the wounded had been supplied, Jack and his comrades got a chance of quenching their parching thirst.
comradesnounUS /ˈkɑːmrædz/
plural of “comrade” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading At last the wells were reached, and after the wants of the wounded had been supplied, Jack and his comrades got a chance of quenching their parching thirst.
cause to herd, drive, or crowd together
From this reading It was a moving sight--a crowd of men standing round a pit, at the bottom of which appeared a little puddle, which when emptied out would gradually drain in again, the spectators watching its progress with greedy eyes.
drainverbUS /dreɪn/
flow off gradually
From this reading It was a moving sight--a crowd of men standing round a pit, at the bottom of which appeared a little puddle, which when emptied out would gradually drain in again, the spectators watching its progress with greedy eyes.
DucklingnounUS /ˈdʌklɪŋ/
flesh of a young domestic duck
From this reading "And so he lay quite still, while the shot rattled through the rushes, and gun after gun was fired over him."--_The Ugly Duckling_.
emptiedverbUS /ˈemptid/
inflected form of “empty” — make void or empty of contents
From this reading It was a moving sight--a crowd of men standing round a pit, at the bottom of which appeared a little puddle, which when emptied out would gradually drain in again, the spectators watching its progress with greedy eyes.
opinion or judgment
From this reading It was a moving sight--a crowd of men standing round a pit, at the bottom of which appeared a little puddle, which when emptied out would gradually drain in again, the spectators watching its progress with greedy eyes.
firedadjectiveUS /ˈfaɪərd/
having lost your job
From this reading "And so he lay quite still, while the shot rattled through the rushes, and gun after gun was fired over him."--_The Ugly Duckling_.
any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue
From this reading "FOOD FOR POWDER."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "FOOD FOR POWDER."
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading At last the wells were reached, and after the wants of the wounded had been supplied, Jack and his comrades got a chance of quenching their parching thirst.
in a gradual manner
From this reading It was a moving sight--a crowd of men standing round a pit, at the bottom of which appeared a little puddle, which when emptied out would gradually drain in again, the spectators watching its progress with greedy eyes.
greedyadjectiveUS /ˈɡriːdi/
immoderately desirous of acquiring e.g. wealth
From this reading It was a moving sight--a crowd of men standing round a pit, at the bottom of which appeared a little puddle, which when emptied out would gradually drain in again, the spectators watching its progress with greedy eyes.
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading "And so he lay quite still, while the shot rattled through the rushes, and gun after gun was fired over him."--_The Ugly Duckling_.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading At last the wells were reached, and after the wants of the wounded had been supplied, Jack and his comrades got a chance of quenching their parching thirst.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "And so he lay quite still, while the shot rattled through the rushes, and gun after gun was fired over him."--_The Ugly Duckling_.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "And so he lay quite still, while the shot rattled through the rushes, and gun after gun was fired over him."--_The Ugly Duckling_.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading At last the wells were reached, and after the wants of the wounded had been supplied, Jack and his comrades got a chance of quenching their parching thirst.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was a moving sight--a crowd of men standing round a pit, at the bottom of which appeared a little puddle, which when emptied out would gradually drain in again, the spectators watching its progress with greedy eyes.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a moving sight--a crowd of men standing round a pit, at the bottom of which appeared a little puddle, which when emptied out would gradually drain in again, the spectators watching its progress with greedy eyes.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading It was a moving sight--a crowd of men standing round a pit, at the bottom of which appeared a little puddle, which when emptied out would gradually drain in again, the spectators watching its progress with greedy eyes.
a small worthless amount
From this reading At last the wells were reached, and after the wants of the wounded had been supplied, Jack and his comrades got a chance of quenching their parching thirst.
immediately past
From this reading At last the wells were reached, and after the wants of the wounded had been supplied, Jack and his comrades got a chance of quenching their parching thirst.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading "And so he lay quite still, while the shot rattled through the rushes, and gun after gun was fired over him."--_The Ugly Duckling_.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading It was a moving sight--a crowd of men standing round a pit, at the bottom of which appeared a little puddle, which when emptied out would gradually drain in again, the spectators watching its progress with greedy eyes.
the force of workers available
From this reading It was a moving sight--a crowd of men standing round a pit, at the bottom of which appeared a little puddle, which when emptied out would gradually drain in again, the spectators watching its progress with greedy eyes.
in motion
From this reading It was a moving sight--a crowd of men standing round a pit, at the bottom of which appeared a little puddle, which when emptied out would gradually drain in again, the spectators watching its progress with greedy eyes.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At last the wells were reached, and after the wants of the wounded had been supplied, Jack and his comrades got a chance of quenching their parching thirst.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading It was a moving sight--a crowd of men standing round a pit, at the bottom of which appeared a little puddle, which when emptied out would gradually drain in again, the spectators watching its progress with greedy eyes.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading "And so he lay quite still, while the shot rattled through the rushes, and gun after gun was fired over him."--_The Ugly Duckling_.
parching
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At last the wells were reached, and after the wants of the wounded had been supplied, Jack and his comrades got a chance of quenching their parching thirst.
pitnounUS /pɪt/
A large hole in the ground, or an abyss of darkness and peril.
From this reading It was a moving sight--a crowd of men standing round a pit, at the bottom of which appeared a little puddle, which when emptied out would gradually drain in again, the spectators watching its progress with greedy eyes.
POWDERnounUS /ˈpaʊdər/
a solid substance in the form of tiny loose particles; a solid that has been pulverized
From this reading "FOOD FOR POWDER."
gradual improvement or growth or development
From this reading It was a moving sight--a crowd of men standing round a pit, at the bottom of which appeared a little puddle, which when emptied out would gradually drain in again, the spectators watching its progress with greedy eyes.
puddleverbUS /ˈpʌdəl/
wade or dabble in a puddle
From this reading It was a moving sight--a crowd of men standing round a pit, at the bottom of which appeared a little puddle, which when emptied out would gradually drain in again, the spectators watching its progress with greedy eyes.
quenchingnounUS /ˈkwentʃɪŋ/
the act of extinguishing; causing to stop burning
From this reading At last the wells were reached, and after the wants of the wounded had been supplied, Jack and his comrades got a chance of quenching their parching thirst.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading "And so he lay quite still, while the shot rattled through the rushes, and gun after gun was fired over him."--_The Ugly Duckling_.
rattledadjectiveUS /ˈrætəld/
thrown into a state of agitated confusion; (“rattled” is an informal term)
From this reading "And so he lay quite still, while the shot rattled through the rushes, and gun after gun was fired over him."--_The Ugly Duckling_.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading At last the wells were reached, and after the wants of the wounded had been supplied, Jack and his comrades got a chance of quenching their parching thirst.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading It was a moving sight--a crowd of men standing round a pit, at the bottom of which appeared a little puddle, which when emptied out would gradually drain in again, the spectators watching its progress with greedy eyes.
rushesnounUS /ˈrʌʃəz/
plural of “rush” — the act of moving hurriedly and in a careless manner
From this reading "And so he lay quite still, while the shot rattled through the rushes, and gun after gun was fired over him."--_The Ugly Duckling_.
the act of firing a projectile
From this reading "And so he lay quite still, while the shot rattled through the rushes, and gun after gun was fired over him."--_The Ugly Duckling_.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading It was a moving sight--a crowd of men standing round a pit, at the bottom of which appeared a little puddle, which when emptied out would gradually drain in again, the spectators watching its progress with greedy eyes.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "And so he lay quite still, while the shot rattled through the rushes, and gun after gun was fired over him."--_The Ugly Duckling_.
spectatorsnounUS /ˈspekteɪtərz/
plural of “spectator” — a close observer; someone who looks at something (such as an exhibition of some kind)
From this reading It was a moving sight--a crowd of men standing round a pit, at the bottom of which appeared a little puddle, which when emptied out would gradually drain in again, the spectators watching its progress with greedy eyes.
having a supporting base
From this reading It was a moving sight--a crowd of men standing round a pit, at the bottom of which appeared a little puddle, which when emptied out would gradually drain in again, the spectators watching its progress with greedy eyes.
not in physical motion
From this reading "And so he lay quite still, while the shot rattled through the rushes, and gun after gun was fired over him."--_The Ugly Duckling_.
suppliedverbUS /səˈplaɪd/
inflected form of “supply” — give something useful or necessary to
From this reading At last the wells were reached, and after the wants of the wounded had been supplied, Jack and his comrades got a chance of quenching their parching thirst.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "And so he lay quite still, while the shot rattled through the rushes, and gun after gun was fired over him."--_The Ugly Duckling_.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading At last the wells were reached, and after the wants of the wounded had been supplied, Jack and his comrades got a chance of quenching their parching thirst.
thirstnounUS /θɜːrst/
a physiological need to drink
From this reading At last the wells were reached, and after the wants of the wounded had been supplied, Jack and his comrades got a chance of quenching their parching thirst.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading "And so he lay quite still, while the shot rattled through the rushes, and gun after gun was fired over him."--_The Ugly Duckling_.
displeasing to the senses
From this reading "And so he lay quite still, while the shot rattled through the rushes, and gun after gun was fired over him."--_The Ugly Duckling_.
plural of “want” — a state of extreme poverty
From this reading At last the wells were reached, and after the wants of the wounded had been supplied, Jack and his comrades got a chance of quenching their parching thirst.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "And so he lay quite still, while the shot rattled through the rushes, and gun after gun was fired over him."--_The Ugly Duckling_.
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading It was a moving sight--a crowd of men standing round a pit, at the bottom of which appeared a little puddle, which when emptied out would gradually drain in again, the spectators watching its progress with greedy eyes.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading Water!
wellsnounUS /welz/
prolific English writer best known for his science-fiction novels; he also wrote on contemporary social problems and wrote popular accounts of history and science (1866-1946)
From this reading At last the wells were reached, and after the wants of the wounded had been supplied, Jack and his comrades got a chance of quenching their parching thirst.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading At last the wells were reached, and after the wants of the wounded had been supplied, Jack and his comrades got a chance of quenching their parching thirst.
at the time that
From this reading It was a moving sight--a crowd of men standing round a pit, at the bottom of which appeared a little puddle, which when emptied out would gradually drain in again, the spectators watching its progress with greedy eyes.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading It was a moving sight--a crowd of men standing round a pit, at the bottom of which appeared a little puddle, which when emptied out would gradually drain in again, the spectators watching its progress with greedy eyes.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading "And so he lay quite still, while the shot rattled through the rushes, and gun after gun was fired over him."--_The Ugly Duckling_.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It was a moving sight--a crowd of men standing round a pit, at the bottom of which appeared a little puddle, which when emptied out would gradually drain in again, the spectators watching its progress with greedy eyes.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It was a moving sight--a crowd of men standing round a pit, at the bottom of which appeared a little puddle, which when emptied out would gradually drain in again, the spectators watching its progress with greedy eyes.
people who are wounded
From this reading At last the wells were reached, and after the wants of the wounded had been supplied, Jack and his comrades got a chance of quenching their parching thirst.
