used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Whether he had fainted, slept or merely lost consciousness for a moment he could not tell, nor did he ponder it much.
Abington
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Abington came to himself he was in darkness, the lamp having fallen on its side and gone out.
abysmnoun
a bottomless gulf or pit; any unfathomable (or apparently unfathomable) cavity or chasm or void extending below (often used figuratively)
From this reading He wanted no more of that particular abysm.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When Abington came to himself he was in darkness, the lamp having fallen on its side and gone out.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading Until he had put several yards between himself and what seemed to him now a black, bottomless void, he did not think of the lamp.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading Until he had put several yards between himself and what seemed to him now a black, bottomless void, he did not think of the lamp.
bottomlessadjectiveUS /ˈbɑːtəmləs/
extremely deep
From this reading Until he had put several yards between himself and what seemed to him now a black, bottomless void, he did not think of the lamp.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading When Abington came to himself he was in darkness, the lamp having fallen on its side and gone out.
an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation
From this reading Whether he had fainted, slept or merely lost consciousness for a moment he could not tell, nor did he ponder it much.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Whether he had fainted, slept or merely lost consciousness for a moment he could not tell, nor did he ponder it much.
crawlingnounUS /ˈkrɔːlɪŋ/
a slow mode of locomotion on hands and knees or dragging the body
From this reading The fact that his toes hung over the edge set him crawling forward on his hands and knees, obeying the primal instinct of self-preservation.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading When Abington came to himself he was in darkness, the lamp having fallen on its side and gone out.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Whether he had fainted, slept or merely lost consciousness for a moment he could not tell, nor did he ponder it much.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading The fact that his toes hung over the edge set him crawling forward on his hands and knees, obeying the primal instinct of self-preservation.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading The fact that his toes hung over the edge set him crawling forward on his hands and knees, obeying the primal instinct of self-preservation.
faintedverbUS /ˈfeɪntɪd/
past form of “faint” — pass out from weakness, physical or emotional distress due to a loss of blood supply to the brain
From this reading Whether he had fainted, slept or merely lost consciousness for a moment he could not tell, nor did he ponder it much.
having dropped by the force of gravity
From this reading When Abington came to himself he was in darkness, the lamp having fallen on its side and gone out.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Whether he had fainted, slept or merely lost consciousness for a moment he could not tell, nor did he ponder it much.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading The fact that his toes hung over the edge set him crawling forward on his hands and knees, obeying the primal instinct of self-preservation.
destroyed or killed
From this reading When Abington came to himself he was in darkness, the lamp having fallen on its side and gone out.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Whether he had fainted, slept or merely lost consciousness for a moment he could not tell, nor did he ponder it much.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading The fact that his toes hung over the edge set him crawling forward on his hands and knees, obeying the primal instinct of self-preservation.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading When Abington came to himself he was in darkness, the lamp having fallen on its side and gone out.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When Abington came to himself he was in darkness, the lamp having fallen on its side and gone out.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The fact that his toes hung over the edge set him crawling forward on his hands and knees, obeying the primal instinct of self-preservation.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading When Abington came to himself he was in darkness, the lamp having fallen on its side and gone out.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The fact that his toes hung over the edge set him crawling forward on his hands and knees, obeying the primal instinct of self-preservation.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading The fact that his toes hung over the edge set him crawling forward on his hands and knees, obeying the primal instinct of self-preservation.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When Abington came to himself he was in darkness, the lamp having fallen on its side and gone out.
inborn pattern of behavior often responsive to specific stimuli
From this reading The fact that his toes hung over the edge set him crawling forward on his hands and knees, obeying the primal instinct of self-preservation.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Whether he had fainted, slept or merely lost consciousness for a moment he could not tell, nor did he ponder it much.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading When Abington came to himself he was in darkness, the lamp having fallen on its side and gone out.
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 The fact that his toes hung over the edge set him crawling forward on his hands and knees, obeying the primal instinct of self-preservation.
an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading When Abington came to himself he was in darkness, the lamp having fallen on its side and gone out.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading Whether he had fainted, slept or merely lost consciousness for a moment he could not tell, nor did he ponder it much.
and nothing more
From this reading Whether he had fainted, slept or merely lost consciousness for a moment he could not tell, nor did he ponder it much.
a particular point in time
From this reading Whether he had fainted, slept or merely lost consciousness for a moment he could not tell, nor did he ponder it much.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading He wanted no more of that particular abysm.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Whether he had fainted, slept or merely lost consciousness for a moment he could not tell, nor did he ponder it much.
not any; not one
From this reading He wanted no more of that particular abysm.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading Whether he had fainted, slept or merely lost consciousness for a moment he could not tell, nor did he ponder it much.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Whether he had fainted, slept or merely lost consciousness for a moment he could not tell, nor did he ponder it much.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Until he had put several yards between himself and what seemed to him now a black, bottomless void, he did not think of the lamp.
obeyingverbUS /oʊˈbeɪɪŋ/
-ing form of “obey” — be obedient to
From this reading The fact that his toes hung over the edge set him crawling forward on his hands and knees, obeying the primal instinct of self-preservation.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The fact that his toes hung over the edge set him crawling forward on his hands and knees, obeying the primal instinct of self-preservation.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading When Abington came to himself he was in darkness, the lamp having fallen on its side and gone out.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Whether he had fainted, slept or merely lost consciousness for a moment he could not tell, nor did he ponder it much.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading When Abington came to himself he was in darkness, the lamp having fallen on its side and gone out.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The fact that his toes hung over the edge set him crawling forward on his hands and knees, obeying the primal instinct of self-preservation.
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading He wanted no more of that particular abysm.
ponderverbUS /ˈpɑːndər/
reflect deeply on a subject
From this reading Whether he had fainted, slept or merely lost consciousness for a moment he could not tell, nor did he ponder it much.
primaladjectiveUS /ˈpraɪməl/
serving as an essential component
From this reading The fact that his toes hung over the edge set him crawling forward on his hands and knees, obeying the primal instinct of self-preservation.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Until he had put several yards between himself and what seemed to him now a black, bottomless void, he did not think of the lamp.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Until he had put several yards between himself and what seemed to him now a black, bottomless void, he did not think of the lamp.
self-preservationnoun
preservation of yourself from harm; a natural or instinctive tendency
From this reading The fact that his toes hung over the edge set him crawling forward on his hands and knees, obeying the primal instinct of self-preservation.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The fact that his toes hung over the edge set him crawling forward on his hands and knees, obeying the primal instinct of self-preservation.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading Until he had put several yards between himself and what seemed to him now a black, bottomless void, he did not think of the lamp.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading When Abington came to himself he was in darkness, the lamp having fallen on its side and gone out.
inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep
From this reading Whether he had fainted, slept or merely lost consciousness for a moment he could not tell, nor did he ponder it much.
express in words
From this reading Whether he had fainted, slept or merely lost consciousness for a moment he could not tell, nor did he ponder it much.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The fact that his toes hung over the edge set him crawling forward on his hands and knees, obeying the primal instinct of self-preservation.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When Abington came to himself he was in darkness, the lamp having fallen on its side and gone out.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading Until he had put several yards between himself and what seemed to him now a black, bottomless void, he did not think of the lamp.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When Abington came to himself he was in darkness, the lamp having fallen on its side and gone out.
toesnounUS /toʊz/
plural of “toe” — one of the digits of the foot
From this reading The fact that his toes hung over the edge set him crawling forward on his hands and knees, obeying the primal instinct of self-preservation.
UntilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Until he had put several yards between himself and what seemed to him now a black, bottomless void, he did not think of the lamp.
voidadjectiveUS /vɔɪd/
lacking any legal or binding force
From this reading Until he had put several yards between himself and what seemed to him now a black, bottomless void, he did not think of the lamp.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading He wanted no more of that particular abysm.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When Abington came to himself he was in darkness, the lamp having fallen on its side and gone out.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Until he had put several yards between himself and what seemed to him now a black, bottomless void, he did not think of the lamp.
at the time that
From this reading When Abington came to himself he was in darkness, the lamp having fallen on its side and gone out.
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading Whether he had fainted, slept or merely lost consciousness for a moment he could not tell, nor did he ponder it much.
plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading Until he had put several yards between himself and what seemed to him now a black, bottomless void, he did not think of the lamp.
