used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Night was coming on, he was alone in a place of which he had no knowledge, and he believed himself surrounded by enemies.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading ON THE LAKE Nahma gazed about him in dismay.
AboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Above all, the companion upon whom he had relied for guidance and counsel lay dead at his feet.
commonly used or practiced; usual
From this reading Although a savage himself, accustomed only to savage sights and ways, our lad had seen so little of death that this last fact seemed incredible.
(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 Above all, the companion upon whom he had relied for guidance and counsel lay dead at his feet.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading Night was coming on, he was alone in a place of which he had no knowledge, and he believed himself surrounded by enemies.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Although a savage himself, accustomed only to savage sights and ways, our lad had seen so little of death that this last fact seemed incredible.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Night was coming on, he was alone in a place of which he had no knowledge, and he believed himself surrounded by enemies.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He even fancied he could see dark faces peering at him from behind the shadowy tree-trunks.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading He even fancied he could see dark faces peering at him from behind the shadowy tree-trunks.
past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true
From this reading Night was coming on, he was alone in a place of which he had no knowledge, and he believed himself surrounded by enemies.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Night was coming on, he was alone in a place of which he had no knowledge, and he believed himself surrounded by enemies.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading Night was coming on, he was alone in a place of which he had no knowledge, and he believed himself surrounded by enemies.
a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading Above all, the companion upon whom he had relied for guidance and counsel lay dead at his feet.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He even fancied he could see dark faces peering at him from behind the shadowy tree-trunks.
a lawyer who pleads cases in court
From this reading Above all, the companion upon whom he had relied for guidance and counsel lay dead at his feet.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading He even fancied he could see dark faces peering at him from behind the shadowy tree-trunks.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading Above all, the companion upon whom he had relied for guidance and counsel lay dead at his feet.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading Although a savage himself, accustomed only to savage sights and ways, our lad had seen so little of death that this last fact seemed incredible.
dismaynounUS /dɪˈsmeɪ/
the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles
From this reading ON THE LAKE Nahma gazed about him in dismay.
plural of “enemy” — an opposing military force
From this reading Night was coming on, he was alone in a place of which he had no knowledge, and he believed himself surrounded by enemies.
divisible by two
From this reading He even fancied he could see dark faces peering at him from behind the shadowy tree-trunks.
plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading He even fancied he could see dark faces peering at him from behind the shadowy tree-trunks.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading Although a savage himself, accustomed only to savage sights and ways, our lad had seen so little of death that this last fact seemed incredible.
formed or conceived by the imagination
From this reading He even fancied he could see dark faces peering at him from behind the shadowy tree-trunks.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Above all, the companion upon whom he had relied for guidance and counsel lay dead at his feet.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Above all, the companion upon whom he had relied for guidance and counsel lay dead at his feet.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He even fancied he could see dark faces peering at him from behind the shadowy tree-trunks.
past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading ON THE LAKE Nahma gazed about him in dismay.
guidancenounUS /ˈɡaɪdəns/
something that provides direction or advice as to a decision or course of action
From this reading Above all, the companion upon whom he had relied for guidance and counsel lay dead at his feet.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Night was coming on, he was alone in a place of which he had no knowledge, and he believed himself surrounded by enemies.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Night was coming on, he was alone in a place of which he had no knowledge, and he believed himself surrounded by enemies.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading ON THE LAKE Nahma gazed about him in dismay.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Night was coming on, he was alone in a place of which he had no knowledge, and he believed himself surrounded by enemies.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Above all, the companion upon whom he had relied for guidance and counsel lay dead at his feet.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading ON THE LAKE Nahma gazed about him in dismay.
incredibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈkredəbəl/
beyond belief or understanding
From this reading Although a savage himself, accustomed only to savage sights and ways, our lad had seen so little of death that this last fact seemed incredible.
the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
From this reading Night was coming on, he was alone in a place of which he had no knowledge, and he believed himself surrounded by enemies.
a boy or man
From this reading Although a savage himself, accustomed only to savage sights and ways, our lad had seen so little of death that this last fact seemed incredible.
a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land
From this reading ON THE LAKE Nahma gazed about him in dismay.
immediately past
From this reading Although a savage himself, accustomed only to savage sights and ways, our lad had seen so little of death that this last fact seemed incredible.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Above all, the companion upon whom he had relied for guidance and counsel lay dead at his feet.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Although a savage himself, accustomed only to savage sights and ways, our lad had seen so little of death that this last fact seemed incredible.
Nahma
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ON THE LAKE Nahma gazed about him in dismay.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Night was coming on, he was alone in a place of which he had no knowledge, and he believed himself surrounded by enemies.
not any; not one
From this reading Night was coming on, he was alone in a place of which he had no knowledge, and he believed himself surrounded by enemies.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Night was coming on, he was alone in a place of which he had no knowledge, and he believed himself surrounded by enemies.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading ON THE LAKE Nahma gazed about him in dismay.
and nothing more
From this reading Although a savage himself, accustomed only to savage sights and ways, our lad had seen so little of death that this last fact seemed incredible.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Although a savage himself, accustomed only to savage sights and ways, our lad had seen so little of death that this last fact seemed incredible.
peeringverbUS /ˈpiːrɪŋ/
-ing form of “peer” — look searchingly
From this reading He even fancied he could see dark faces peering at him from behind the shadowy tree-trunks.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Night was coming on, he was alone in a place of which he had no knowledge, and he believed himself surrounded by enemies.
reliedverbUS /rɪˈlaɪd/
inflected form of “rely” — have faith or confidence in
From this reading Above all, the companion upon whom he had relied for guidance and counsel lay dead at his feet.
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading Although a savage himself, accustomed only to savage sights and ways, our lad had seen so little of death that this last fact seemed incredible.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading He even fancied he could see dark faces peering at him from behind the shadowy tree-trunks.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Although a savage himself, accustomed only to savage sights and ways, our lad had seen so little of death that this last fact seemed incredible.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Although a savage himself, accustomed only to savage sights and ways, our lad had seen so little of death that this last fact seemed incredible.
shadowyadjectiveUS /ˈʃædoʊi/
filled with shade
From this reading He even fancied he could see dark faces peering at him from behind the shadowy tree-trunks.
sightsnounUS /saɪts/
an optical instrument for aiding the eye in aiming, as on a firearm or surveying instrument
From this reading Although a savage himself, accustomed only to savage sights and ways, our lad had seen so little of death that this last fact seemed incredible.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Although a savage himself, accustomed only to savage sights and ways, our lad had seen so little of death that this last fact seemed incredible.
confined on all sides
From this reading Night was coming on, he was alone in a place of which he had no knowledge, and he believed himself surrounded by enemies.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Although a savage himself, accustomed only to savage sights and ways, our lad had seen so little of death that this last fact seemed incredible.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ON THE LAKE Nahma gazed about him in dismay.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Although a savage himself, accustomed only to savage sights and ways, our lad had seen so little of death that this last fact seemed incredible.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Although a savage himself, accustomed only to savage sights and ways, our lad had seen so little of death that this last fact seemed incredible.
tree-trunks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He even fancied he could see dark faces peering at him from behind the shadowy tree-trunks.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Above all, the companion upon whom he had relied for guidance and counsel lay dead at his feet.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Night was coming on, he was alone in a place of which he had no knowledge, and he believed himself surrounded by enemies.
structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired
From this reading Although a savage himself, accustomed only to savage sights and ways, our lad had seen so little of death that this last fact seemed incredible.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Night was coming on, he was alone in a place of which he had no knowledge, and he believed himself surrounded by enemies.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Above all, the companion upon whom he had relied for guidance and counsel lay dead at his feet.
