used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading And then, after an interminable time, a crash, and a shriek of fear, and a growling.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading And then, after an interminable time, a crash, and a shriek of fear, and a growling.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading They held their breath, so that almost the only sounds were the patter of the rain and the hiss of the raindrops in the ashes.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading And then, after an interminable time, a crash, and a shriek of fear, and a growling.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They held their breath, so that almost the only sounds were the patter of the rain and the hiss of the raindrops in the ashes.
ashesnounUS /ˈæʃ.ɪz/
The powdery residue left after the burning of a substance.
From this reading They held their breath, so that almost the only sounds were the patter of the rain and the hiss of the raindrops in the ashes.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading They sprang to their feet, shouting, screaming, running this way and that, but brands would not burn, and in a minute the victim was being dragged away through the ferns.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading They sprang to their feet, shouting, screaming, running this way and that, but brands would not burn, and in a minute the victim was being dragged away through the ferns.
brandsnounUS /brændz/
plural of “brand” — a name given to a product or service
From this reading They sprang to their feet, shouting, screaming, running this way and that, but brands would not burn, and in a minute the victim was being dragged away through the ferns.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading They held their breath, so that almost the only sounds were the patter of the rain and the hiss of the raindrops in the ashes.
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading It was Irk, the brother of Wau.
To consume or be consumed by fire.
From this reading They sprang to their feet, shouting, screaming, running this way and that, but brands would not burn, and in a minute the victim was being dragged away through the ferns.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading They sprang to their feet, shouting, screaming, running this way and that, but brands would not burn, and in a minute the victim was being dragged away through the ferns.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading So the lion came.
crashverbUS /kræʃ/
fall or come down violently
From this reading And then, after an interminable time, a crash, and a shriek of fear, and a growling.
inflected form of “drag” — pull, as against a resistance
From this reading They sprang to their feet, shouting, screaming, running this way and that, but brands would not burn, and in a minute the victim was being dragged away through the ferns.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading And then, after an interminable time, a crash, and a shriek of fear, and a growling.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading They sprang to their feet, shouting, screaming, running this way and that, but brands would not burn, and in a minute the victim was being dragged away through the ferns.
fernsnounUS /fɜːrnz/
plural of “fern” — any of numerous flowerless and seedless vascular plants having true roots from a rhizome and fronds that uncurl upward; reproduce by spores
From this reading They sprang to their feet, shouting, screaming, running this way and that, but brands would not burn, and in a minute the victim was being dragged away through the ferns.
growlingnounUS /ˈɡroʊlɪŋ/
a gruff or angry utterance (suggestive of the growling of an animal)
From this reading And then, after an interminable time, a crash, and a shriek of fear, and a growling.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading They held their breath, so that almost the only sounds were the patter of the rain and the hiss of the raindrops in the ashes.
hissverbUS /hɪs/
make a sharp hissing sound, as if to show disapproval
From this reading They held their breath, so that almost the only sounds were the patter of the rain and the hiss of the raindrops in the ashes.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They held their breath, so that almost the only sounds were the patter of the rain and the hiss of the raindrops in the ashes.
interminableadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtɜːrmənəbəl/
tiresomely long; seemingly without end
From this reading And then, after an interminable time, a crash, and a shriek of fear, and a growling.
IrkverbUS /ɜːrk/
irritate or vex
From this reading It was Irk, the brother of Wau.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was Irk, the brother of Wau.
large gregarious predatory feline of Africa and India having a tawny coat with a shaggy mane in the male
From this reading So the lion came.
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading They sprang to their feet, shouting, screaming, running this way and that, but brands would not burn, and in a minute the victim was being dragged away through the ferns.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading They sprang to their feet, shouting, screaming, running this way and that, but brands would not burn, and in a minute the victim was being dragged away through the ferns.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They held their breath, so that almost the only sounds were the patter of the rain and the hiss of the raindrops in the ashes.
and nothing more
From this reading They held their breath, so that almost the only sounds were the patter of the rain and the hiss of the raindrops in the ashes.
patternounUS /ˈpætər/
plausible glib talk (especially useful to a salesperson)
From this reading They held their breath, so that almost the only sounds were the patter of the rain and the hiss of the raindrops in the ashes.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading They held their breath, so that almost the only sounds were the patter of the rain and the hiss of the raindrops in the ashes.
raindropsnounUS /ˈreɪndrɑːps/
plural of “raindrop” — a drop of rain
From this reading They held their breath, so that almost the only sounds were the patter of the rain and the hiss of the raindrops in the ashes.
(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream
From this reading They sprang to their feet, shouting, screaming, running this way and that, but brands would not burn, and in a minute the victim was being dragged away through the ferns.
screamingadjectiveUS /ˈskriːmɪŋ/
so extremely intense as to evoke screams
From this reading They sprang to their feet, shouting, screaming, running this way and that, but brands would not burn, and in a minute the victim was being dragged away through the ferns.
encouragement in the form of cheers from spectators
From this reading They sprang to their feet, shouting, screaming, running this way and that, but brands would not burn, and in a minute the victim was being dragged away through the ferns.
shrieknounUS /ʃriːk/
sharp piercing cry
From this reading And then, after an interminable time, a crash, and a shriek of fear, and a growling.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading They held their breath, so that almost the only sounds were the patter of the rain and the hiss of the raindrops in the ashes.
plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading They held their breath, so that almost the only sounds were the patter of the rain and the hiss of the raindrops in the ashes.
inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading They sprang to their feet, shouting, screaming, running this way and that, but brands would not burn, and in a minute the victim was being dragged away through the ferns.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading They held their breath, so that almost the only sounds were the patter of the rain and the hiss of the raindrops in the ashes.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading They held their breath, so that almost the only sounds were the patter of the rain and the hiss of the raindrops in the ashes.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They held their breath, so that almost the only sounds were the patter of the rain and the hiss of the raindrops in the ashes.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading And then, after an interminable time, a crash, and a shriek of fear, and a growling.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They held their breath, so that almost the only sounds were the patter of the rain and the hiss of the raindrops in the ashes.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading They sprang to their feet, shouting, screaming, running this way and that, but brands would not burn, and in a minute the victim was being dragged away through the ferns.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading They sprang to their feet, shouting, screaming, running this way and that, but brands would not burn, and in a minute the victim was being dragged away through the ferns.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading And then, after an interminable time, a crash, and a shriek of fear, and a growling.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They sprang to their feet, shouting, screaming, running this way and that, but brands would not burn, and in a minute the victim was being dragged away through the ferns.
an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance
From this reading They sprang to their feet, shouting, screaming, running this way and that, but brands would not burn, and in a minute the victim was being dragged away through the ferns.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading They sprang to their feet, shouting, screaming, running this way and that, but brands would not burn, and in a minute the victim was being dragged away through the ferns.
Wau
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was Irk, the brother of Wau.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading They sprang to their feet, shouting, screaming, running this way and that, but brands would not burn, and in a minute the victim was being dragged away through the ferns.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They held their breath, so that almost the only sounds were the patter of the rain and the hiss of the raindrops in the ashes.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading They sprang to their feet, shouting, screaming, running this way and that, but brands would not burn, and in a minute the victim was being dragged away through the ferns.
