used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The night was one of deep darkness, without moon or stars, and nothing could be seen, even at a short distance, except towards the lake, where a shimmer of dubious light rested on the waters.
alertadjectiveUS /əˈlɜːrt/
engaged in or accustomed to close observation
From this reading Keen ears and eyes were on the alert, but no sight or sound of wolf rewarded their watchfulness.
(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 The Kalkas said the wolves were simply waiting until all was silent in the camp to make another dash at the horses.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There was little fuel left, and it was necessary, therefore, to be doubly vigilant.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading The Kalkas said the wolves were simply waiting until all was silent in the camp to make another dash at the horses.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The night was one of deep darkness, without moon or stars, and nothing could be seen, even at a short distance, except towards the lake, where a shimmer of dubious light rested on the waters.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading There was little fuel left, and it was necessary, therefore, to be doubly vigilant.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Keen ears and eyes were on the alert, but no sight or sound of wolf rewarded their watchfulness.
temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers
From this reading The Kalkas said the wolves were simply waiting until all was silent in the camp to make another dash at the horses.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The night was one of deep darkness, without moon or stars, and nothing could be seen, even at a short distance, except towards the lake, where a shimmer of dubious light rested on the waters.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The night was one of deep darkness, without moon or stars, and nothing could be seen, even at a short distance, except towards the lake, where a shimmer of dubious light rested on the waters.
dashverbUS /dæʃ/
run or move very quickly or hastily
From this reading The Kalkas said the wolves were simply waiting until all was silent in the camp to make another dash at the horses.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading The night was one of deep darkness, without moon or stars, and nothing could be seen, even at a short distance, except towards the lake, where a shimmer of dubious light rested on the waters.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading The night was one of deep darkness, without moon or stars, and nothing could be seen, even at a short distance, except towards the lake, where a shimmer of dubious light rested on the waters.
doublyadverbUS /ˈdʌbli/
to double the degree
From this reading There was little fuel left, and it was necessary, therefore, to be doubly vigilant.
dubiousadjectiveUS /ˈduːbiəs/
fraught with uncertainty or doubt
From this reading The night was one of deep darkness, without moon or stars, and nothing could be seen, even at a short distance, except towards the lake, where a shimmer of dubious light rested on the waters.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading Keen ears and eyes were on the alert, but no sight or sound of wolf rewarded their watchfulness.
divisible by two
From this reading The night was one of deep darkness, without moon or stars, and nothing could be seen, even at a short distance, except towards the lake, where a shimmer of dubious light rested on the waters.
apart from; not including
From this reading The night was one of deep darkness, without moon or stars, and nothing could be seen, even at a short distance, except towards the lake, where a shimmer of dubious light rested on the waters.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Keen ears and eyes were on the alert, but no sight or sound of wolf rewarded their watchfulness.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For a long time, however, no movement was made, when two of the horses grew uneasy, tugging at the thongs and snorting loudly.
fuelverbUS /ˈfjuːəl/
provide with a combustible substance that provides energy
From this reading There was little fuel left, and it was necessary, therefore, to be doubly vigilant.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading For a long time, however, no movement was made, when two of the horses grew uneasy, tugging at the thongs and snorting loudly.
plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading The Kalkas said the wolves were simply waiting until all was silent in the camp to make another dash at the horses.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading For a long time, however, no movement was made, when two of the horses grew uneasy, tugging at the thongs and snorting loudly.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The Kalkas said the wolves were simply waiting until all was silent in the camp to make another dash at the horses.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading There was little fuel left, and it was necessary, therefore, to be doubly vigilant.
Kalkas
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Kalkas said the wolves were simply waiting until all was silent in the camp to make another dash at the horses.
having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
From this reading Keen ears and eyes were on the alert, but no sight or sound of wolf rewarded their watchfulness.
a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land
From this reading The night was one of deep darkness, without moon or stars, and nothing could be seen, even at a short distance, except towards the lake, where a shimmer of dubious light rested on the waters.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading There was little fuel left, and it was necessary, therefore, to be doubly vigilant.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading The night was one of deep darkness, without moon or stars, and nothing could be seen, even at a short distance, except towards the lake, where a shimmer of dubious light rested on the waters.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading There was little fuel left, and it was necessary, therefore, to be doubly vigilant.
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 For a long time, however, no movement was made, when two of the horses grew uneasy, tugging at the thongs and snorting loudly.
loudlyadverbUS /ˈlaʊdli/
with relatively high volume
From this reading For a long time, however, no movement was made, when two of the horses grew uneasy, tugging at the thongs and snorting loudly.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading For a long time, however, no movement was made, when two of the horses grew uneasy, tugging at the thongs and snorting loudly.
engage in
From this reading The Kalkas said the wolves were simply waiting until all was silent in the camp to make another dash at the horses.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading The night was one of deep darkness, without moon or stars, and nothing could be seen, even at a short distance, except towards the lake, where a shimmer of dubious light rested on the waters.
a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading For a long time, however, no movement was made, when two of the horses grew uneasy, tugging at the thongs and snorting loudly.
absolutely essential
From this reading There was little fuel left, and it was necessary, therefore, to be doubly vigilant.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading The night was one of deep darkness, without moon or stars, and nothing could be seen, even at a short distance, except towards the lake, where a shimmer of dubious light rested on the waters.
not any; not one
From this reading Keen ears and eyes were on the alert, but no sight or sound of wolf rewarded their watchfulness.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading The night was one of deep darkness, without moon or stars, and nothing could be seen, even at a short distance, except towards the lake, where a shimmer of dubious light rested on the waters.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The night was one of deep darkness, without moon or stars, and nothing could be seen, even at a short distance, except towards the lake, where a shimmer of dubious light rested on the waters.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The night was one of deep darkness, without moon or stars, and nothing could be seen, even at a short distance, except towards the lake, where a shimmer of dubious light rested on the waters.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The night was one of deep darkness, without moon or stars, and nothing could be seen, even at a short distance, except towards the lake, where a shimmer of dubious light rested on the waters.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The night was one of deep darkness, without moon or stars, and nothing could be seen, even at a short distance, except towards the lake, where a shimmer of dubious light rested on the waters.
not tired; refreshed as by sleeping or relaxing
From this reading The night was one of deep darkness, without moon or stars, and nothing could be seen, even at a short distance, except towards the lake, where a shimmer of dubious light rested on the waters.
rewardedverbUS /rɪˈwɔːrdɪd/
past form of “reward” — bestow honor or rewards upon
From this reading Keen ears and eyes were on the alert, but no sight or sound of wolf rewarded their watchfulness.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading The Kalkas said the wolves were simply waiting until all was silent in the camp to make another dash at the horses.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading The night was one of deep darkness, without moon or stars, and nothing could be seen, even at a short distance, except towards the lake, where a shimmer of dubious light rested on the waters.
shimmerverbUS /ˈʃɪmər/
shine with a weak or fitful light
From this reading The night was one of deep darkness, without moon or stars, and nothing could be seen, even at a short distance, except towards the lake, where a shimmer of dubious light rested on the waters.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading The night was one of deep darkness, without moon or stars, and nothing could be seen, even at a short distance, except towards the lake, where a shimmer of dubious light rested on the waters.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading Keen ears and eyes were on the alert, but no sight or sound of wolf rewarded their watchfulness.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading The Kalkas said the wolves were simply waiting until all was silent in the camp to make another dash at the horses.
and nothing more
From this reading The Kalkas said the wolves were simply waiting until all was silent in the camp to make another dash at the horses.
snortingnounUS /ˈsnɔːrtɪŋ/
an act of forcible exhalation
From this reading For a long time, however, no movement was made, when two of the horses grew uneasy, tugging at the thongs and snorting loudly.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading Keen ears and eyes were on the alert, but no sight or sound of wolf rewarded their watchfulness.
plural of “star” — (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading The night was one of deep darkness, without moon or stars, and nothing could be seen, even at a short distance, except towards the lake, where a shimmer of dubious light rested on the waters.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The night was one of deep darkness, without moon or stars, and nothing could be seen, even at a short distance, except towards the lake, where a shimmer of dubious light rested on the waters.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Keen ears and eyes were on the alert, but no sight or sound of wolf rewarded their watchfulness.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was little fuel left, and it was necessary, therefore, to be doubly vigilant.
for that reason; as a result
From this reading There was little fuel left, and it was necessary, therefore, to be doubly vigilant.
thongs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a long time, however, no movement was made, when two of the horses grew uneasy, tugging at the thongs and snorting loudly.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading For a long time, however, no movement was made, when two of the horses grew uneasy, tugging at the thongs and snorting loudly.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There was little fuel left, and it was necessary, therefore, to be doubly vigilant.
in the direction of
From this reading The night was one of deep darkness, without moon or stars, and nothing could be seen, even at a short distance, except towards the lake, where a shimmer of dubious light rested on the waters.
tuggingverbUS /ˈtʌɡɪŋ/
inflected form of “tug” — pull hard
From this reading For a long time, however, no movement was made, when two of the horses grew uneasy, tugging at the thongs and snorting loudly.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading For a long time, however, no movement was made, when two of the horses grew uneasy, tugging at the thongs and snorting loudly.
uneasyadjectiveUS /əˈniːzi/
lacking a sense of security or affording no ease or reassurance
From this reading For a long time, however, no movement was made, when two of the horses grew uneasy, tugging at the thongs and snorting loudly.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading The Kalkas said the wolves were simply waiting until all was silent in the camp to make another dash at the horses.
vigilantadjectiveUS /ˈvɪdʒələnt/
carefully observant or attentive; on the lookout for possible danger
From this reading There was little fuel left, and it was necessary, therefore, to be doubly vigilant.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading The Kalkas said the wolves were simply waiting until all was silent in the camp to make another dash at the horses.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was little fuel left, and it was necessary, therefore, to be doubly vigilant.
watchfulnessnoun
the process of paying close and continuous attention
From this reading Keen ears and eyes were on the alert, but no sight or sound of wolf rewarded their watchfulness.
United States actress and singer (1896-1977)
From this reading The night was one of deep darkness, without moon or stars, and nothing could be seen, even at a short distance, except towards the lake, where a shimmer of dubious light rested on the waters.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Keen ears and eyes were on the alert, but no sight or sound of wolf rewarded their watchfulness.
at the time that
From this reading For a long time, however, no movement was made, when two of the horses grew uneasy, tugging at the thongs and snorting loudly.
in or at the place that
From this reading The night was one of deep darkness, without moon or stars, and nothing could be seen, even at a short distance, except towards the lake, where a shimmer of dubious light rested on the waters.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading The night was one of deep darkness, without moon or stars, and nothing could be seen, even at a short distance, except towards the lake, where a shimmer of dubious light rested on the waters.
any of various predatory carnivorous canine mammals of North America and Eurasia that usually hunt in packs
From this reading Keen ears and eyes were on the alert, but no sight or sound of wolf rewarded their watchfulness.
wolvesnounUS /wʊlvz/
plural of “wolf” — any of various predatory carnivorous canine mammals of North America and Eurasia that usually hunt in packs
From this reading The Kalkas said the wolves were simply waiting until all was silent in the camp to make another dash at the horses.
