used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE STROKE As she lay, listening, through the black darkness and the singing of the sea came a faint sound as of something dragging itself along the sand at the cave entrance.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading She drew up her feet and sat crouched against the sailcloth, the knife half-held in her lap, her fingers nerveless, her mind paralysed with the knowledge that now, immediately, she would _have_ to fight, that the Beast was all but upon her.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading She drew up her feet and sat crouched against the sailcloth, the knife half-held in her lap, her fingers nerveless, her mind paralysed with the knowledge that now, immediately, she would _have_ to fight, that the Beast was all but upon her.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading THE STROKE As she lay, listening, through the black darkness and the singing of the sea came a faint sound as of something dragging itself along the sand at the cave entrance.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE STROKE As she lay, listening, through the black darkness and the singing of the sea came a faint sound as of something dragging itself along the sand at the cave entrance.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading THE STROKE As she lay, listening, through the black darkness and the singing of the sea came a faint sound as of something dragging itself along the sand at the cave entrance.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE STROKE As she lay, listening, through the black darkness and the singing of the sea came a faint sound as of something dragging itself along the sand at the cave entrance.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading She drew up her feet and sat crouched against the sailcloth, the knife half-held in her lap, her fingers nerveless, her mind paralysed with the knowledge that now, immediately, she would _have_ to fight, that the Beast was all but upon her.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading THE STROKE As she lay, listening, through the black darkness and the singing of the sea came a faint sound as of something dragging itself along the sand at the cave entrance.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading A waft of wind brought with it a tang of stale tobacco and rain-wet clothes.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She drew up her feet and sat crouched against the sailcloth, the knife half-held in her lap, her fingers nerveless, her mind paralysed with the knowledge that now, immediately, she would _have_ to fight, that the Beast was all but upon her.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading THE STROKE As she lay, listening, through the black darkness and the singing of the sea came a faint sound as of something dragging itself along the sand at the cave entrance.
a geological formation consisting of an underground enclosure with access from the surface of the ground or from the sea
From this reading THE STROKE As she lay, listening, through the black darkness and the singing of the sea came a faint sound as of something dragging itself along the sand at the cave entrance.
clothing in general
From this reading A waft of wind brought with it a tang of stale tobacco and rain-wet clothes.
clutchedverbUS /klʌtʃt/
past form of “clutch” — take hold of; grab
From this reading She clutched the knife and sat up.
crouchedverbUS /kraʊtʃt/
past form of “crouch” — bend one's back forward from the waist on down
From this reading She drew up her feet and sat crouched against the sailcloth, the knife half-held in her lap, her fingers nerveless, her mind paralysed with the knowledge that now, immediately, she would _have_ to fight, that the Beast was all but upon her.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading THE STROKE As she lay, listening, through the black darkness and the singing of the sea came a faint sound as of something dragging itself along the sand at the cave entrance.
draggingadjectiveUS /ˈdræɡɪŋ/
marked by a painfully slow and effortful manner
From this reading THE STROKE As she lay, listening, through the black darkness and the singing of the sea came a faint sound as of something dragging itself along the sand at the cave entrance.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading She drew up her feet and sat crouched against the sailcloth, the knife half-held in her lap, her fingers nerveless, her mind paralysed with the knowledge that now, immediately, she would _have_ to fight, that the Beast was all but upon her.
something that provides access (to get in or get out)
From this reading THE STROKE As she lay, listening, through the black darkness and the singing of the sea came a faint sound as of something dragging itself along the sand at the cave entrance.
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading THE STROKE As she lay, listening, through the black darkness and the singing of the sea came a faint sound as of something dragging itself along the sand at the cave entrance.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading She drew up her feet and sat crouched against the sailcloth, the knife half-held in her lap, her fingers nerveless, her mind paralysed with the knowledge that now, immediately, she would _have_ to fight, that the Beast was all but upon her.
be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading She drew up her feet and sat crouched against the sailcloth, the knife half-held in her lap, her fingers nerveless, her mind paralysed with the knowledge that now, immediately, she would _have_ to fight, that the Beast was all but upon her.
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading She drew up her feet and sat crouched against the sailcloth, the knife half-held in her lap, her fingers nerveless, her mind paralysed with the knowledge that now, immediately, she would _have_ to fight, that the Beast was all but upon her.
half-held
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She drew up her feet and sat crouched against the sailcloth, the knife half-held in her lap, her fingers nerveless, her mind paralysed with the knowledge that now, immediately, she would _have_ to fight, that the Beast was all but upon her.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading She drew up her feet and sat crouched against the sailcloth, the knife half-held in her lap, her fingers nerveless, her mind paralysed with the knowledge that now, immediately, she would _have_ to fight, that the Beast was all but upon her.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She drew up her feet and sat crouched against the sailcloth, the knife half-held in her lap, her fingers nerveless, her mind paralysed with the knowledge that now, immediately, she would _have_ to fight, that the Beast was all but upon her.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading She drew up her feet and sat crouched against the sailcloth, the knife half-held in her lap, her fingers nerveless, her mind paralysed with the knowledge that now, immediately, she would _have_ to fight, that the Beast was all but upon her.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She drew up her feet and sat crouched against the sailcloth, the knife half-held in her lap, her fingers nerveless, her mind paralysed with the knowledge that now, immediately, she would _have_ to fight, that the Beast was all but upon her.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading A waft of wind brought with it a tang of stale tobacco and rain-wet clothes.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading THE STROKE As she lay, listening, through the black darkness and the singing of the sea came a faint sound as of something dragging itself along the sand at the cave entrance.
edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle
From this reading She clutched the knife and sat up.
the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
From this reading She drew up her feet and sat crouched against the sailcloth, the knife half-held in her lap, her fingers nerveless, her mind paralysed with the knowledge that now, immediately, she would _have_ to fight, that the Beast was all but upon her.
a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth
From this reading It was La Touche.
lapverbUS /læp/
lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
From this reading She drew up her feet and sat crouched against the sailcloth, the knife half-held in her lap, her fingers nerveless, her mind paralysed with the knowledge that now, immediately, she would _have_ to fight, that the Beast was all but upon her.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading THE STROKE As she lay, listening, through the black darkness and the singing of the sea came a faint sound as of something dragging itself along the sand at the cave entrance.
the act of hearing attentively
From this reading THE STROKE As she lay, listening, through the black darkness and the singing of the sea came a faint sound as of something dragging itself along the sand at the cave entrance.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading She drew up her feet and sat crouched against the sailcloth, the knife half-held in her lap, her fingers nerveless, her mind paralysed with the knowledge that now, immediately, she would _have_ to fight, that the Beast was all but upon her.
nervelessadjective
marked by calm self-control (especially in trying circumstances); unemotional
From this reading She drew up her feet and sat crouched against the sailcloth, the knife half-held in her lap, her fingers nerveless, her mind paralysed with the knowledge that now, immediately, she would _have_ to fight, that the Beast was all but upon her.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading She drew up her feet and sat crouched against the sailcloth, the knife half-held in her lap, her fingers nerveless, her mind paralysed with the knowledge that now, immediately, she would _have_ to fight, that the Beast was all but upon her.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE STROKE As she lay, listening, through the black darkness and the singing of the sea came a faint sound as of something dragging itself along the sand at the cave entrance.
paralysed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She drew up her feet and sat crouched against the sailcloth, the knife half-held in her lap, her fingers nerveless, her mind paralysed with the knowledge that now, immediately, she would _have_ to fight, that the Beast was all but upon her.
rain-wet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A waft of wind brought with it a tang of stale tobacco and rain-wet clothes.
sailclothnoun
a strong fabric (such as cotton canvas) used for making sails and tents
From this reading She drew up her feet and sat crouched against the sailcloth, the knife half-held in her lap, her fingers nerveless, her mind paralysed with the knowledge that now, immediately, she would _have_ to fight, that the Beast was all but upon her.
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading THE STROKE As she lay, listening, through the black darkness and the singing of the sea came a faint sound as of something dragging itself along the sand at the cave entrance.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading She clutched the knife and sat up.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading THE STROKE As she lay, listening, through the black darkness and the singing of the sea came a faint sound as of something dragging itself along the sand at the cave entrance.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE STROKE As she lay, listening, through the black darkness and the singing of the sea came a faint sound as of something dragging itself along the sand at the cave entrance.
the act of singing vocal music
From this reading THE STROKE As she lay, listening, through the black darkness and the singing of the sea came a faint sound as of something dragging itself along the sand at the cave entrance.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading THE STROKE As she lay, listening, through the black darkness and the singing of the sea came a faint sound as of something dragging itself along the sand at the cave entrance.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading THE STROKE As she lay, listening, through the black darkness and the singing of the sea came a faint sound as of something dragging itself along the sand at the cave entrance.
staleadjectiveUS /steɪl/
lacking freshness, palatability, or showing deterioration from age
From this reading A waft of wind brought with it a tang of stale tobacco and rain-wet clothes.
(sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand
From this reading THE STROKE As she lay, listening, through the black darkness and the singing of the sea came a faint sound as of something dragging itself along the sand at the cave entrance.
tangnounUS /tæŋ/
a tart spicy quality
From this reading A waft of wind brought with it a tang of stale tobacco and rain-wet clothes.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She drew up her feet and sat crouched against the sailcloth, the knife half-held in her lap, her fingers nerveless, her mind paralysed with the knowledge that now, immediately, she would _have_ to fight, that the Beast was all but upon her.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE STROKE As she lay, listening, through the black darkness and the singing of the sea came a faint sound as of something dragging itself along the sand at the cave entrance.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading THE STROKE As she lay, listening, through the black darkness and the singing of the sea came a faint sound as of something dragging itself along the sand at the cave entrance.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She drew up her feet and sat crouched against the sailcloth, the knife half-held in her lap, her fingers nerveless, her mind paralysed with the knowledge that now, immediately, she would _have_ to fight, that the Beast was all but upon her.
tobacconounUS /təˈbækoʊ/
leaves of the tobacco plant dried and prepared for smoking or ingestion
From this reading A waft of wind brought with it a tang of stale tobacco and rain-wet clothes.
Touche
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was La Touche.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading She clutched the knife and sat up.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading She drew up her feet and sat crouched against the sailcloth, the knife half-held in her lap, her fingers nerveless, her mind paralysed with the knowledge that now, immediately, she would _have_ to fight, that the Beast was all but upon her.
waftverbUS /wɑːft/
be driven or carried along, as by the air
From this reading A waft of wind brought with it a tang of stale tobacco and rain-wet clothes.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was La Touche.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading A waft of wind brought with it a tang of stale tobacco and rain-wet clothes.
in the company of; together with
From this reading A waft of wind brought with it a tang of stale tobacco and rain-wet clothes.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading She drew up her feet and sat crouched against the sailcloth, the knife half-held in her lap, her fingers nerveless, her mind paralysed with the knowledge that now, immediately, she would _have_ to fight, that the Beast was all but upon her.
