used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Concealed in the branches of a wide-spreading oak, Gabriel hoped against hope to remain hidden from the Micmac trailers, now close on his heels.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Concealed in the branches of a wide-spreading oak, Gabriel hoped against hope to remain hidden from the Micmac trailers, now close on his heels.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Listening thus, every nerve an ear, he heard a slight sound in the deep glade beneath.
any thing at all
From this reading To the novice it might mean anything or nothing; to his practised understanding it was the crack of a twig beneath a human foot.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading His very breathing seemed as if it must betray him.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading Listening thus, every nerve an ear, he heard a slight sound in the deep glade beneath.
betrayverbUS /bɪˈtreɪ/
reveal unintentionally
From this reading His very breathing seemed as if it must betray him.
plural of “branch” — a division of some larger or more complex organization
From this reading Concealed in the branches of a wide-spreading oak, Gabriel hoped against hope to remain hidden from the Micmac trailers, now close on his heels.
the bodily process of inhalation and exhalation; the process of taking in oxygen from inhaled air and releasing carbon dioxide by exhalation
From this reading His very breathing seemed as if it must betray him.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading White men his woodcraft would enable him to elude, but Indians hardly.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading Concealed in the branches of a wide-spreading oak, Gabriel hoped against hope to remain hidden from the Micmac trailers, now close on his heels.
not accessible to view
From this reading Concealed in the branches of a wide-spreading oak, Gabriel hoped against hope to remain hidden from the Micmac trailers, now close on his heels.
crackverbUS /kræk/
become fractured; break or crack on the surface only
From this reading To the novice it might mean anything or nothing; to his practised understanding it was the crack of a twig beneath a human foot.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading Listening thus, every nerve an ear, he heard a slight sound in the deep glade beneath.
the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading Listening thus, every nerve an ear, he heard a slight sound in the deep glade beneath.
eludeverbUS /ɪˈluːd/
escape, either physically or mentally
From this reading White men his woodcraft would enable him to elude, but Indians hardly.
enableverbUS /eˈneɪbəl/
render capable or able for some task
From this reading White men his woodcraft would enable him to elude, but Indians hardly.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Listening thus, every nerve an ear, he heard a slight sound in the deep glade beneath.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading To the novice it might mean anything or nothing; to his practised understanding it was the crack of a twig beneath a human foot.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Concealed in the branches of a wide-spreading oak, Gabriel hoped against hope to remain hidden from the Micmac trailers, now close on his heels.
GabrielnounUS /ˈɡeɪbriəl/
(Bible) the archangel who was the messenger of God
From this reading Concealed in the branches of a wide-spreading oak, Gabriel hoped against hope to remain hidden from the Micmac trailers, now close on his heels.
gladenounUS /ɡleɪd/
a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area
From this reading Listening thus, every nerve an ear, he heard a slight sound in the deep glade beneath.
only a very short time before
From this reading White men his woodcraft would enable him to elude, but Indians hardly.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Listening thus, every nerve an ear, he heard a slight sound in the deep glade beneath.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Listening thus, every nerve an ear, he heard a slight sound in the deep glade beneath.
plural of “heel” — the bottom of a shoe or boot; the back part of a shoe or boot that touches the ground and provides elevation
From this reading Concealed in the branches of a wide-spreading oak, Gabriel hoped against hope to remain hidden from the Micmac trailers, now close on his heels.
not accessible to view
From this reading Concealed in the branches of a wide-spreading oak, Gabriel hoped against hope to remain hidden from the Micmac trailers, now close on his heels.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading White men his woodcraft would enable him to elude, but Indians hardly.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Concealed in the branches of a wide-spreading oak, Gabriel hoped against hope to remain hidden from the Micmac trailers, now close on his heels.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading Concealed in the branches of a wide-spreading oak, Gabriel hoped against hope to remain hidden from the Micmac trailers, now close on his heels.
past form of “hope” — expect and wish
From this reading Concealed in the branches of a wide-spreading oak, Gabriel hoped against hope to remain hidden from the Micmac trailers, now close on his heels.
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading To the novice it might mean anything or nothing; to his practised understanding it was the crack of a twig beneath a human foot.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading His very breathing seemed as if it must betray him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Concealed in the branches of a wide-spreading oak, Gabriel hoped against hope to remain hidden from the Micmac trailers, now close on his heels.
plural of “indian” — a native or inhabitant of India
From this reading White men his woodcraft would enable him to elude, but Indians hardly.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading His very breathing seemed as if it must betray him.
the act of hearing attentively
From this reading Listening thus, every nerve an ear, he heard a slight sound in the deep glade beneath.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading To the novice it might mean anything or nothing; to his practised understanding it was the crack of a twig beneath a human foot.
the force of workers available
From this reading White men his woodcraft would enable him to elude, but Indians hardly.
Micmacnoun
a member of the Algonquian people inhabiting the Maritime Provinces of Canada
From this reading Concealed in the branches of a wide-spreading oak, Gabriel hoped against hope to remain hidden from the Micmac trailers, now close on his heels.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading To the novice it might mean anything or nothing; to his practised understanding it was the crack of a twig beneath a human foot.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading His very breathing seemed as if it must betray him.
nervenounUS /nɜːrv/
any bundle of nerve fibers running to various organs and tissues of the body
From this reading Listening thus, every nerve an ear, he heard a slight sound in the deep glade beneath.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading To the novice it might mean anything or nothing; to his practised understanding it was the crack of a twig beneath a human foot.
novicenounUS /ˈnɑːvəs/
someone who has entered a religious order but has not taken final vows
From this reading To the novice it might mean anything or nothing; to his practised understanding it was the crack of a twig beneath a human foot.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Concealed in the branches of a wide-spreading oak, Gabriel hoped against hope to remain hidden from the Micmac trailers, now close on his heels.
the hard durable wood of any oak; used especially for furniture and flooring
From this reading Concealed in the branches of a wide-spreading oak, Gabriel hoped against hope to remain hidden from the Micmac trailers, now close on his heels.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Concealed in the branches of a wide-spreading oak, Gabriel hoped against hope to remain hidden from the Micmac trailers, now close on his heels.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Concealed in the branches of a wide-spreading oak, Gabriel hoped against hope to remain hidden from the Micmac trailers, now close on his heels.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading To the novice it might mean anything or nothing; to his practised understanding it was the crack of a twig beneath a human foot.
practisedadjectiveUS /ˈpræktɪst/
skillful after much practice
From this reading To the novice it might mean anything or nothing; to his practised understanding it was the crack of a twig beneath a human foot.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading Concealed in the branches of a wide-spreading oak, Gabriel hoped against hope to remain hidden from the Micmac trailers, now close on his heels.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading His very breathing seemed as if it must betray him.
a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)
From this reading Listening thus, every nerve an ear, he heard a slight sound in the deep glade beneath.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading Listening thus, every nerve an ear, he heard a slight sound in the deep glade beneath.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Concealed in the branches of a wide-spreading oak, Gabriel hoped against hope to remain hidden from the Micmac trailers, now close on his heels.
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading Listening thus, every nerve an ear, he heard a slight sound in the deep glade beneath.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Concealed in the branches of a wide-spreading oak, Gabriel hoped against hope to remain hidden from the Micmac trailers, now close on his heels.
trailersnounUS /ˈtreɪlərz/
plural of “trailer” — someone who takes more time than necessary; someone who lags behind
From this reading Concealed in the branches of a wide-spreading oak, Gabriel hoped against hope to remain hidden from the Micmac trailers, now close on his heels.
twigverbUS /twɪɡ/
branch out in a twiglike manner
From this reading To the novice it might mean anything or nothing; to his practised understanding it was the crack of a twig beneath a human foot.
the cognitive condition of someone who understands
From this reading To the novice it might mean anything or nothing; to his practised understanding it was the crack of a twig beneath a human foot.
precisely as stated
From this reading His very breathing seemed as if it must betray him.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading To the novice it might mean anything or nothing; to his practised understanding it was the crack of a twig beneath a human foot.
a Caucasian
From this reading White men his woodcraft would enable him to elude, but Indians hardly.
wide-spreading
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Concealed in the branches of a wide-spreading oak, Gabriel hoped against hope to remain hidden from the Micmac trailers, now close on his heels.
woodcraftnoun
skill and experience in matters relating to the woods (as hunting or fishing or camping)
From this reading White men his woodcraft would enable him to elude, but Indians hardly.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading White men his woodcraft would enable him to elude, but Indians hardly.
