adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Now she was within ten paces of it and could see that a man stood on guard at its doorway.
almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Already she had almost reached them, when of a sudden, and for an instant only, the moon shone out between two thick clouds, revealing her, though indistinctly, to the eyes of the guard.
AlreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading Already she had almost reached them, when of a sudden, and for an instant only, the moon shone out between two thick clouds, revealing her, though indistinctly, to the eyes of the guard.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Already she had almost reached them, when of a sudden, and for an instant only, the moon shone out between two thick clouds, revealing her, though indistinctly, to the eyes of the guard.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading WHAT PASSED IN THE HUT Going on to her hands and knees Sihamba crawled towards the hut.
animal'snounUS /ˈænəməlz/
possessive form of “animal” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading Now Sihamba was wearing a fur cape made of wild dog’s hide, and, crouched as she was upon her hands and knees, half-hidden, moreover, by a tuft of dry grass, the man took her to be a wild dog or a jackal, and the hair which stood out round her head for the ruff upon the animal’s neck.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Now Sihamba was wearing a fur cape made of wild dog’s hide, and, crouched as she was upon her hands and knees, half-hidden, moreover, by a tuft of dry grass, the man took her to be a wild dog or a jackal, and the hair which stood out round her head for the ruff upon the animal’s neck.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Now she was within ten paces of it and could see that a man stood on guard at its doorway.
backadverbUS /bæk/
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading “I must creep round to the back,” she thought, and began to do so, heading for some shrubs which grew to the right.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Now Sihamba was wearing a fur cape made of wild dog’s hide, and, crouched as she was upon her hands and knees, half-hidden, moreover, by a tuft of dry grass, the man took her to be a wild dog or a jackal, and the hair which stood out round her head for the ruff upon the animal’s neck.
beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading “I must creep round to the back,” she thought, and began to do so, heading for some shrubs which grew to the right.
betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading Already she had almost reached them, when of a sudden, and for an instant only, the moon shone out between two thick clouds, revealing her, though indistinctly, to the eyes of the guard.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Now Sihamba was wearing a fur cape made of wild dog’s hide, and, crouched as she was upon her hands and knees, half-hidden, moreover, by a tuft of dry grass, the man took her to be a wild dog or a jackal, and the hair which stood out round her head for the ruff upon the animal’s neck.
capenounUS /keɪp/
a strip of land projecting into a body of water
From this reading Now Sihamba was wearing a fur cape made of wild dog’s hide, and, crouched as she was upon her hands and knees, half-hidden, moreover, by a tuft of dry grass, the man took her to be a wild dog or a jackal, and the hair which stood out round her head for the ruff upon the animal’s neck.
cloudsnounUS /klaʊdz/
plural of “cloud” — any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible
From this reading Already she had almost reached them, when of a sudden, and for an instant only, the moon shone out between two thick clouds, revealing her, though indistinctly, to the eyes of the guard.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Now she was within ten paces of it and could see that a man stood on guard at its doorway.
crawledverbUS /krɔːld/
past form of “crawl” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading WHAT PASSED IN THE HUT Going on to her hands and knees Sihamba crawled towards the hut.
creepverbUS /kriːp/
move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading “I must creep round to the back,” she thought, and began to do so, heading for some shrubs which grew to the right.
crouchedverbUS /kraʊtʃt/
past form of “crouch” — bend one's back forward from the waist on down
From this reading Now Sihamba was wearing a fur cape made of wild dog’s hide, and, crouched as she was upon her hands and knees, half-hidden, moreover, by a tuft of dry grass, the man took her to be a wild dog or a jackal, and the hair which stood out round her head for the ruff upon the animal’s neck.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “I must creep round to the back,” she thought, and began to do so, heading for some shrubs which grew to the right.
dognounUS /dɔːɡ/
a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading Now Sihamba was wearing a fur cape made of wild dog’s hide, and, crouched as she was upon her hands and knees, half-hidden, moreover, by a tuft of dry grass, the man took her to be a wild dog or a jackal, and the hair which stood out round her head for the ruff upon the animal’s neck.
dog'snounUS /dɔːɡz/
possessive form of “dog” — a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading Now Sihamba was wearing a fur cape made of wild dog’s hide, and, crouched as she was upon her hands and knees, half-hidden, moreover, by a tuft of dry grass, the man took her to be a wild dog or a jackal, and the hair which stood out round her head for the ruff upon the animal’s neck.
doorwaynounUS /ˈdɔːrweɪ/
the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close
From this reading Now she was within ten paces of it and could see that a man stood on guard at its doorway.
dryadjectiveUS /draɪ/
free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet
From this reading Now Sihamba was wearing a fur cape made of wild dog’s hide, and, crouched as she was upon her hands and knees, half-hidden, moreover, by a tuft of dry grass, the man took her to be a wild dog or a jackal, and the hair which stood out round her head for the ruff upon the animal’s neck.
eyesnounUS /aɪz/
opinion or judgment
From this reading Already she had almost reached them, when of a sudden, and for an instant only, the moon shone out between two thick clouds, revealing her, though indistinctly, to the eyes of the guard.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “I must creep round to the back,” she thought, and began to do so, heading for some shrubs which grew to the right.
furnounUS /fɜːr/
the dressed hairy coat of a mammal
From this reading Now Sihamba was wearing a fur cape made of wild dog’s hide, and, crouched as she was upon her hands and knees, half-hidden, moreover, by a tuft of dry grass, the man took her to be a wild dog or a jackal, and the hair which stood out round her head for the ruff upon the animal’s neck.
GoingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/
the act of departing
From this reading WHAT PASSED IN THE HUT Going on to her hands and knees Sihamba crawled towards the hut.
grassverbUS /ɡræs/
shoot down, of birds
From this reading Now Sihamba was wearing a fur cape made of wild dog’s hide, and, crouched as she was upon her hands and knees, half-hidden, moreover, by a tuft of dry grass, the man took her to be a wild dog or a jackal, and the hair which stood out round her head for the ruff upon the animal’s neck.
grewverbUS /ɡruː/
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading “I must creep round to the back,” she thought, and began to do so, heading for some shrubs which grew to the right.
guardnounUS /ɡɑːrd/
a person who keeps watch over something or someone
From this reading Now she was within ten paces of it and could see that a man stood on guard at its doorway.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Already she had almost reached them, when of a sudden, and for an instant only, the moon shone out between two thick clouds, revealing her, though indistinctly, to the eyes of the guard.
hairnounUS /her/
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading Now Sihamba was wearing a fur cape made of wild dog’s hide, and, crouched as she was upon her hands and knees, half-hidden, moreover, by a tuft of dry grass, the man took her to be a wild dog or a jackal, and the hair which stood out round her head for the ruff upon the animal’s neck.
half-hidden
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now Sihamba was wearing a fur cape made of wild dog’s hide, and, crouched as she was upon her hands and knees, half-hidden, moreover, by a tuft of dry grass, the man took her to be a wild dog or a jackal, and the hair which stood out round her head for the ruff upon the animal’s neck.
handsnounUS /hændz/
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading WHAT PASSED IN THE HUT Going on to her hands and knees Sihamba crawled towards the hut.
headnounUS /hed/
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Now Sihamba was wearing a fur cape made of wild dog’s hide, and, crouched as she was upon her hands and knees, half-hidden, moreover, by a tuft of dry grass, the man took her to be a wild dog or a jackal, and the hair which stood out round her head for the ruff upon the animal’s neck.
headingnounUS /ˈhedɪŋ/
a line of text serving to indicate what the passage below it is about
From this reading “I must creep round to the back,” she thought, and began to do so, heading for some shrubs which grew to the right.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading WHAT PASSED IN THE HUT Going on to her hands and knees Sihamba crawled towards the hut.
hideverbUS /haɪd/
prevent from being seen or discovered
From this reading Now Sihamba was wearing a fur cape made of wild dog’s hide, and, crouched as she was upon her hands and knees, half-hidden, moreover, by a tuft of dry grass, the man took her to be a wild dog or a jackal, and the hair which stood out round her head for the ruff upon the animal’s neck.
HUTnounUS /hʌt/
temporary military shelter
From this reading WHAT PASSED IN THE HUT Going on to her hands and knees Sihamba crawled towards the hut.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I must creep round to the back,” she thought, and began to do so, heading for some shrubs which grew to the right.
INprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading WHAT PASSED IN THE HUT Going on to her hands and knees Sihamba crawled towards the hut.
indistinctlyadverb
in a dim indistinct manner
From this reading Already she had almost reached them, when of a sudden, and for an instant only, the moon shone out between two thick clouds, revealing her, though indistinctly, to the eyes of the guard.
instantnounUS /ˈɪnstənt/
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading Already she had almost reached them, when of a sudden, and for an instant only, the moon shone out between two thick clouds, revealing her, though indistinctly, to the eyes of the guard.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Now she was within ten paces of it and could see that a man stood on guard at its doorway.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Now she was within ten paces of it and could see that a man stood on guard at its doorway.
jackalnounUS /ˈdʒækəl/
Old World nocturnal canine mammal closely related to the dog; smaller than a wolf; sometimes hunts in a pack but usually singly or as a member of a pair
From this reading Now Sihamba was wearing a fur cape made of wild dog’s hide, and, crouched as she was upon her hands and knees, half-hidden, moreover, by a tuft of dry grass, the man took her to be a wild dog or a jackal, and the hair which stood out round her head for the ruff upon the animal’s neck.
kneesnounUS /niːz/
plural of “knee” — hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella
From this reading WHAT PASSED IN THE HUT Going on to her hands and knees Sihamba crawled towards the hut.
madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Now Sihamba was wearing a fur cape made of wild dog’s hide, and, crouched as she was upon her hands and knees, half-hidden, moreover, by a tuft of dry grass, the man took her to be a wild dog or a jackal, and the hair which stood out round her head for the ruff upon the animal’s neck.
mannounUS /mæn/
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Now she was within ten paces of it and could see that a man stood on guard at its doorway.
moonnounUS /muːn/
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading Already she had almost reached them, when of a sudden, and for an instant only, the moon shone out between two thick clouds, revealing her, though indistinctly, to the eyes of the guard.
moreoveradverbUS /mɔːˈroʊvər/
in addition to what has just been said
From this reading Now Sihamba was wearing a fur cape made of wild dog’s hide, and, crouched as she was upon her hands and knees, half-hidden, moreover, by a tuft of dry grass, the man took her to be a wild dog or a jackal, and the hair which stood out round her head for the ruff upon the animal’s neck.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading “I must creep round to the back,” she thought, and began to do so, heading for some shrubs which grew to the right.
necknounUS /nek/
the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body
From this reading Now Sihamba was wearing a fur cape made of wild dog’s hide, and, crouched as she was upon her hands and knees, half-hidden, moreover, by a tuft of dry grass, the man took her to be a wild dog or a jackal, and the hair which stood out round her head for the ruff upon the animal’s neck.
NowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now she was within ten paces of it and could see that a man stood on guard at its doorway.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Now she was within ten paces of it and could see that a man stood on guard at its doorway.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading WHAT PASSED IN THE HUT Going on to her hands and knees Sihamba crawled towards the hut.
onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/
and nothing more
From this reading Already she had almost reached them, when of a sudden, and for an instant only, the moon shone out between two thick clouds, revealing her, though indistinctly, to the eyes of the guard.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Now Sihamba was wearing a fur cape made of wild dog’s hide, and, crouched as she was upon her hands and knees, half-hidden, moreover, by a tuft of dry grass, the man took her to be a wild dog or a jackal, and the hair which stood out round her head for the ruff upon the animal’s neck.
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Already she had almost reached them, when of a sudden, and for an instant only, the moon shone out between two thick clouds, revealing her, though indistinctly, to the eyes of the guard.
pacesnounUS /ˈpeɪsɪz/
plural of “pace” — the rate of moving (especially walking or running)
From this reading Now she was within ten paces of it and could see that a man stood on guard at its doorway.
PASSEDverbUS /pæst/
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading WHAT PASSED IN THE HUT Going on to her hands and knees Sihamba crawled towards the hut.
reachedverbUS /riːtʃt/
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading Already she had almost reached them, when of a sudden, and for an instant only, the moon shone out between two thick clouds, revealing her, though indistinctly, to the eyes of the guard.
revealingadjectiveUS /rɪˈviːlɪŋ/
disclosing unintentionally something concealed
From this reading Already she had almost reached them, when of a sudden, and for an instant only, the moon shone out between two thick clouds, revealing her, though indistinctly, to the eyes of the guard.
rightadverbUS /raɪt/
precisely, exactly
From this reading “I must creep round to the back,” she thought, and began to do so, heading for some shrubs which grew to the right.
roundnounUS /raʊnd/
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading “I must creep round to the back,” she thought, and began to do so, heading for some shrubs which grew to the right.
ruffnounUS /rʌf/
an external body part consisting of feathers or hair about the neck of a bird or other animal
From this reading Now Sihamba was wearing a fur cape made of wild dog’s hide, and, crouched as she was upon her hands and knees, half-hidden, moreover, by a tuft of dry grass, the man took her to be a wild dog or a jackal, and the hair which stood out round her head for the ruff upon the animal’s neck.
seeverbUS /siː/
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Now she was within ten paces of it and could see that a man stood on guard at its doorway.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Now she was within ten paces of it and could see that a man stood on guard at its doorway.
shoneverbUS /ʃoʊn/
inflected form of “shine” — be bright by reflecting or casting light
From this reading Already she had almost reached them, when of a sudden, and for an instant only, the moon shone out between two thick clouds, revealing her, though indistinctly, to the eyes of the guard.
shrubsnounUS /ʃrʌbz/
plural of “shrub” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading “I must creep round to the back,” she thought, and began to do so, heading for some shrubs which grew to the right.
Sihamba
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WHAT PASSED IN THE HUT Going on to her hands and knees Sihamba crawled towards the hut.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “I must creep round to the back,” she thought, and began to do so, heading for some shrubs which grew to the right.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading “I must creep round to the back,” she thought, and began to do so, heading for some shrubs which grew to the right.
stoodverbUS /stʊd/
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Now she was within ten paces of it and could see that a man stood on guard at its doorway.
suddenadjectiveUS /ˈsʌdən/
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading Already she had almost reached them, when of a sudden, and for an instant only, the moon shone out between two thick clouds, revealing her, though indistinctly, to the eyes of the guard.
tennounUS /ten/
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading Now she was within ten paces of it and could see that a man stood on guard at its doorway.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Now she was within ten paces of it and could see that a man stood on guard at its doorway.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading WHAT PASSED IN THE HUT Going on to her hands and knees Sihamba crawled towards the hut.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Already she had almost reached them, when of a sudden, and for an instant only, the moon shone out between two thick clouds, revealing her, though indistinctly, to the eyes of the guard.
thickadjectiveUS /θɪk/
not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions
From this reading Already she had almost reached them, when of a sudden, and for an instant only, the moon shone out between two thick clouds, revealing her, though indistinctly, to the eyes of the guard.
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Already she had almost reached them, when of a sudden, and for an instant only, the moon shone out between two thick clouds, revealing her, though indistinctly, to the eyes of the guard.
thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading “I must creep round to the back,” she thought, and began to do so, heading for some shrubs which grew to the right.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading WHAT PASSED IN THE HUT Going on to her hands and knees Sihamba crawled towards the hut.
tookverbUS /tʊk/
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Now Sihamba was wearing a fur cape made of wild dog’s hide, and, crouched as she was upon her hands and knees, half-hidden, moreover, by a tuft of dry grass, the man took her to be a wild dog or a jackal, and the hair which stood out round her head for the ruff upon the animal’s neck.
towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/
in the direction of
From this reading WHAT PASSED IN THE HUT Going on to her hands and knees Sihamba crawled towards the hut.
tuftnounUS /tʌft/
a bunch of hair or feathers or growing grass
From this reading Now Sihamba was wearing a fur cape made of wild dog’s hide, and, crouched as she was upon her hands and knees, half-hidden, moreover, by a tuft of dry grass, the man took her to be a wild dog or a jackal, and the hair which stood out round her head for the ruff upon the animal’s neck.
twonounUS /tuː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Already she had almost reached them, when of a sudden, and for an instant only, the moon shone out between two thick clouds, revealing her, though indistinctly, to the eyes of the guard.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Now Sihamba was wearing a fur cape made of wild dog’s hide, and, crouched as she was upon her hands and knees, half-hidden, moreover, by a tuft of dry grass, the man took her to be a wild dog or a jackal, and the hair which stood out round her head for the ruff upon the animal’s neck.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Now she was within ten paces of it and could see that a man stood on guard at its doorway.
wearingnounUS /ˈwerɪŋ/
(geology) the mechanical process of wearing or grinding something down (as by particles washing over it)
From this reading Now Sihamba was wearing a fur cape made of wild dog’s hide, and, crouched as she was upon her hands and knees, half-hidden, moreover, by a tuft of dry grass, the man took her to be a wild dog or a jackal, and the hair which stood out round her head for the ruff upon the animal’s neck.
WHATpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading WHAT PASSED IN THE HUT Going on to her hands and knees Sihamba crawled towards the hut.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading Already she had almost reached them, when of a sudden, and for an instant only, the moon shone out between two thick clouds, revealing her, though indistinctly, to the eyes of the guard.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading “I must creep round to the back,” she thought, and began to do so, heading for some shrubs which grew to the right.
wildadjectiveUS /waɪld/
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading Now Sihamba was wearing a fur cape made of wild dog’s hide, and, crouched as she was upon her hands and knees, half-hidden, moreover, by a tuft of dry grass, the man took her to be a wild dog or a jackal, and the hair which stood out round her head for the ruff upon the animal’s neck.
withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading Now she was within ten paces of it and could see that a man stood on guard at its doorway.
