used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "There's a hole here," he whispered to Jem.
perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading He was in the act of recovering himself, so as to try how wide the crack or fault might be, when a peculiar strangling sensation attacked him, and he felt that he was falling.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
attackedverbUS /əˈtækt/
past form of “attack” — launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with
From this reading He was in the act of recovering himself, so as to try how wide the crack or fault might be, when a peculiar strangling sensation attacked him, and he felt that he was falling.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He was in the act of recovering himself, so as to try how wide the crack or fault might be, when a peculiar strangling sensation attacked him, and he felt that he was falling.
the lower side of anything
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
crackverbUS /kræk/
become fractured; break or crack on the surface only
From this reading He was in the act of recovering himself, so as to try how wide the crack or fault might be, when a peculiar strangling sensation attacked him, and he felt that he was falling.
the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
downwardadjectiveUS /ˈdaʊnwərd/
extending or moving from a higher to a lower place
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading The next thing he felt was Jem's lips to his ear, and feeling his whisper,-- "Hold on, lad.
decreasing in amount or degree
From this reading He was in the act of recovering himself, so as to try how wide the crack or fault might be, when a peculiar strangling sensation attacked him, and he felt that he was falling.
a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading He was in the act of recovering himself, so as to try how wide the crack or fault might be, when a peculiar strangling sensation attacked him, and he felt that he was falling.
the experiencing of affective and emotional states
From this reading The next thing he felt was Jem's lips to his ear, and feeling his whisper,-- "Hold on, lad.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
with resolute determination
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
set up or found
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
grippedverbUS /ɡrɪpt/
inflected form of “grip” — hold fast or firmly
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading "Hold my hand."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "There's a hole here," he whispered to Jem.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "There's a hole here," he whispered to Jem.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He was in the act of recovering himself, so as to try how wide the crack or fault might be, when a peculiar strangling sensation attacked him, and he felt that he was falling.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The next thing he felt was Jem's lips to his ear, and feeling his whisper,-- "Hold on, lad.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading "Hold my hand."
an opening into or through something
From this reading "There's a hole here," he whispered to Jem.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was in the act of recovering himself, so as to try how wide the crack or fault might be, when a peculiar strangling sensation attacked him, and he felt that he was falling.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He was in the act of recovering himself, so as to try how wide the crack or fault might be, when a peculiar strangling sensation attacked him, and he felt that he was falling.
JemnounUS /dʒem/
a terrorist organization founded in 2000; a militant Islamic group active in Kashmir and closely aligned with al-Rashid Trust; seeks to secure release of imprisoned fellow militants by kidnappings
From this reading "There's a hole here," he whispered to Jem.
Jem'snounUS /dʒemz/
possessive form of “jem” — a terrorist organization founded in 2000; a militant Islamic group active in Kashmir and closely aligned with al-Rashid Trust; seeks to secure release of imprisoned fellow militants by kidnappings
From this reading The next thing he felt was Jem's lips to his ear, and feeling his whisper,-- "Hold on, lad.
and nothing more
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
a boy or man
From this reading The next thing he felt was Jem's lips to his ear, and feeling his whisper,-- "Hold on, lad.
a human limb; commonly used to refer to a whole limb but technically only the part of the limb between the knee and ankle
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading The next thing he felt was Jem's lips to his ear, and feeling his whisper,-- "Hold on, lad.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading He was in the act of recovering himself, so as to try how wide the crack or fault might be, when a peculiar strangling sensation attacked him, and he felt that he was falling.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Hold my hand."
immediately following in time or order
From this reading The next thing he felt was Jem's lips to his ear, and feeling his whisper,-- "Hold on, lad.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He was in the act of recovering himself, so as to try how wide the crack or fault might be, when a peculiar strangling sensation attacked him, and he felt that he was falling.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The next thing he felt was Jem's lips to his ear, and feeling his whisper,-- "Hold on, lad.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading He was in the act of recovering himself, so as to try how wide the crack or fault might be, when a peculiar strangling sensation attacked him, and he felt that he was falling.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
outwardadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtwərd/
relating to physical reality rather than with thoughts or the mind
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading He was in the act of recovering himself, so as to try how wide the crack or fault might be, when a peculiar strangling sensation attacked him, and he felt that he was falling.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
recoveringadjectiveUS /rəˈkʌvərɪŋ/
returning to health after illness or debility
From this reading He was in the act of recovering himself, so as to try how wide the crack or fault might be, when a peculiar strangling sensation attacked him, and he felt that he was falling.
(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
an unelaborated elementary awareness of stimulation
From this reading He was in the act of recovering himself, so as to try how wide the crack or fault might be, when a peculiar strangling sensation attacked him, and he felt that he was falling.
shudderverbUS /ˈʃʌdər/
shake, as from cold
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He was in the act of recovering himself, so as to try how wide the crack or fault might be, when a peculiar strangling sensation attacked him, and he felt that he was falling.
stranglingnounUS /ˈstræŋɡəlɪŋ/
the act of suffocating (someone) by constricting the windpipe
From this reading He was in the act of recovering himself, so as to try how wide the crack or fault might be, when a peculiar strangling sensation attacked him, and he felt that he was falling.
terriblyadverbUS /ˈterəbli/
used as intensifiers
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
There's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "There's a hole here," he whispered to Jem.
a special situation
From this reading The next thing he felt was Jem's lips to his ear, and feeling his whisper,-- "Hold on, lad.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "There's a hole here," he whispered to Jem.
make physical contact with, come in contact with
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
make an effort or attempt
From this reading He was in the act of recovering himself, so as to try how wide the crack or fault might be, when a peculiar strangling sensation attacked him, and he felt that he was falling.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
at the time that
From this reading He was in the act of recovering himself, so as to try how wide the crack or fault might be, when a peculiar strangling sensation attacked him, and he felt that he was falling.
speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords
From this reading The next thing he felt was Jem's lips to his ear, and feeling his whisper,-- "Hold on, lad.
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading "There's a hole here," he whispered to Jem.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading He was in the act of recovering himself, so as to try how wide the crack or fault might be, when a peculiar strangling sensation attacked him, and he felt that he was falling.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Jem gripped him firmly, and he reached out with one leg, and felt over the side outward and downward; and, just as he was coming to the conclusion that the place was terribly deep, and a shudder at the danger was running through him, he found that he could touch bottom.
