used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading At the first clank of the meeting steel he had risen to his feet, and strained his eager eyes to see what was about to happen; but, even though he drew a little nearer, he could distinguish nothing clearly.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading At the first clank of the meeting steel he had risen to his feet, and strained his eager eyes to see what was about to happen; but, even though he drew a little nearer, he could distinguish nothing clearly.
anew
From this reading Only in the dusk a pair of tall forms dashed from right to left, or bounded from side to side, meeting, recoiling, and meeting again.
Extreme physical or mental suffering; intense anguish.
From this reading While this frightful battle raged, Lucius stood some little distance off, in an agony of apprehension for the safety of his friend.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading Oh for a gun! he thought, as he ran wildly backwards and forwards, groping along the ground, in the hope that he might come upon some straggler’s discarded piece.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading While this frightful battle raged, Lucius stood some little distance off, in an agony of apprehension for the safety of his friend.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading At the first clank of the meeting steel he had risen to his feet, and strained his eager eyes to see what was about to happen; but, even though he drew a little nearer, he could distinguish nothing clearly.
apprehensionnounUS /ˌæprɪˈhenʃən/
fearful expectation or anticipation
From this reading While this frightful battle raged, Lucius stood some little distance off, in an agony of apprehension for the safety of his friend.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Oh for a gun! he thought, as he ran wildly backwards and forwards, groping along the ground, in the hope that he might come upon some straggler’s discarded piece.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At the first clank of the meeting steel he had risen to his feet, and strained his eager eyes to see what was about to happen; but, even though he drew a little nearer, he could distinguish nothing clearly.
backwardsadverbUS /ˈbækwərdz/
at or to or toward the back or rear
From this reading Oh for a gun! he thought, as he ran wildly backwards and forwards, groping along the ground, in the hope that he might come upon some straggler’s discarded piece.
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading While this frightful battle raged, Lucius stood some little distance off, in an agony of apprehension for the safety of his friend.
bayonetsnounUS /ˈbeɪənets/
plural of “bayonet” — a knife that can be fixed to the end of a rifle and used as a weapon
From this reading But if he could not see, he could hear; and at each jarring clank of the clashing bayonets his heart leaped, and his hair rose on his head, for he could not believe that Ephraim would win the fight.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading But if he could not see, he could hear; and at each jarring clank of the clashing bayonets his heart leaped, and his hair rose on his head, for he could not believe that Ephraim would win the fight.
boundedadjectiveUS /ˈbaʊndəd/
having the limits or boundaries established
From this reading Only in the dusk a pair of tall forms dashed from right to left, or bounded from side to side, meeting, recoiling, and meeting again.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading At the first clank of the meeting steel he had risen to his feet, and strained his eager eyes to see what was about to happen; but, even though he drew a little nearer, he could distinguish nothing clearly.
clankverbUS /klæŋk/
make a clank
From this reading At the first clank of the meeting steel he had risen to his feet, and strained his eager eyes to see what was about to happen; but, even though he drew a little nearer, he could distinguish nothing clearly.
clashingadjectiveUS /ˈklæʃɪŋ/
sharply and harshly discordant
From this reading But if he could not see, he could hear; and at each jarring clank of the clashing bayonets his heart leaped, and his hair rose on his head, for he could not believe that Ephraim would win the fight.
without doubt or question
From this reading At the first clank of the meeting steel he had risen to his feet, and strained his eager eyes to see what was about to happen; but, even though he drew a little nearer, he could distinguish nothing clearly.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Oh for a gun! he thought, as he ran wildly backwards and forwards, groping along the ground, in the hope that he might come upon some straggler’s discarded piece.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading At the first clank of the meeting steel he had risen to his feet, and strained his eager eyes to see what was about to happen; but, even though he drew a little nearer, he could distinguish nothing clearly.
having gaps or spaces
From this reading Only in the dusk a pair of tall forms dashed from right to left, or bounded from side to side, meeting, recoiling, and meeting again.
discardedadjectiveUS /dɪˈskɑːrdɪd/
thrown away
From this reading Oh for a gun! he thought, as he ran wildly backwards and forwards, groping along the ground, in the hope that he might come upon some straggler’s discarded piece.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading While this frightful battle raged, Lucius stood some little distance off, in an agony of apprehension for the safety of his friend.
distinguishverbUS /dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/
mark as different
From this reading At the first clank of the meeting steel he had risen to his feet, and strained his eager eyes to see what was about to happen; but, even though he drew a little nearer, he could distinguish nothing clearly.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading At the first clank of the meeting steel he had risen to his feet, and strained his eager eyes to see what was about to happen; but, even though he drew a little nearer, he could distinguish nothing clearly.
dusknounUS /dʌsk/
the time of day immediately following sunset
From this reading Only in the dusk a pair of tall forms dashed from right to left, or bounded from side to side, meeting, recoiling, and meeting again.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading But if he could not see, he could hear; and at each jarring clank of the clashing bayonets his heart leaped, and his hair rose on his head, for he could not believe that Ephraim would win the fight.
eageradjectiveUS /ˈiːɡər/
having or showing keen interest or intense desire or impatient expectancy
From this reading At the first clank of the meeting steel he had risen to his feet, and strained his eager eyes to see what was about to happen; but, even though he drew a little nearer, he could distinguish nothing clearly.
Ephraim
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But if he could not see, he could hear; and at each jarring clank of the clashing bayonets his heart leaped, and his hair rose on his head, for he could not believe that Ephraim would win the fight.
divisible by two
From this reading At the first clank of the meeting steel he had risen to his feet, and strained his eager eyes to see what was about to happen; but, even though he drew a little nearer, he could distinguish nothing clearly.
opinion or judgment
From this reading At the first clank of the meeting steel he had risen to his feet, and strained his eager eyes to see what was about to happen; but, even though he drew a little nearer, he could distinguish nothing clearly.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading At the first clank of the meeting steel he had risen to his feet, and strained his eager eyes to see what was about to happen; but, even though he drew a little nearer, he could distinguish nothing clearly.
be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading But if he could not see, he could hear; and at each jarring clank of the clashing bayonets his heart leaped, and his hair rose on his head, for he could not believe that Ephraim would win the fight.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading At the first clank of the meeting steel he had risen to his feet, and strained his eager eyes to see what was about to happen; but, even though he drew a little nearer, he could distinguish nothing clearly.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading While this frightful battle raged, Lucius stood some little distance off, in an agony of apprehension for the safety of his friend.
plural of “form” — the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading Only in the dusk a pair of tall forms dashed from right to left, or bounded from side to side, meeting, recoiling, and meeting again.
forwardsadverbUS /ˈfɔːrwərdz/
at or to or toward the front
From this reading Oh for a gun! he thought, as he ran wildly backwards and forwards, groping along the ground, in the hope that he might come upon some straggler’s discarded piece.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading While this frightful battle raged, Lucius stood some little distance off, in an agony of apprehension for the safety of his friend.
frightfuladjectiveUS /ˈfraɪtfəl/
provoking horror
From this reading While this frightful battle raged, Lucius stood some little distance off, in an agony of apprehension for the safety of his friend.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Only in the dusk a pair of tall forms dashed from right to left, or bounded from side to side, meeting, recoiling, and meeting again.
gropingadjectiveUS /ˈɡroʊpɪŋ/
acting with uncertainty or hesitance or lack of confidence
From this reading Oh for a gun! he thought, as he ran wildly backwards and forwards, groping along the ground, in the hope that he might come upon some straggler’s discarded piece.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading Oh for a gun! he thought, as he ran wildly backwards and forwards, groping along the ground, in the hope that he might come upon some straggler’s discarded piece.
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading Oh for a gun! he thought, as he ran wildly backwards and forwards, groping along the ground, in the hope that he might come upon some straggler’s discarded piece.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading At the first clank of the meeting steel he had risen to his feet, and strained his eager eyes to see what was about to happen; but, even though he drew a little nearer, he could distinguish nothing clearly.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading But if he could not see, he could hear; and at each jarring clank of the clashing bayonets his heart leaped, and his hair rose on his head, for he could not believe that Ephraim would win the fight.
come to pass
From this reading At the first clank of the meeting steel he had risen to his feet, and strained his eager eyes to see what was about to happen; but, even though he drew a little nearer, he could distinguish nothing clearly.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading At the first clank of the meeting steel he had risen to his feet, and strained his eager eyes to see what was about to happen; but, even though he drew a little nearer, he could distinguish nothing clearly.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading But if he could not see, he could hear; and at each jarring clank of the clashing bayonets his heart leaped, and his hair rose on his head, for he could not believe that Ephraim would win the fight.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading But if he could not see, he could hear; and at each jarring clank of the clashing bayonets his heart leaped, and his hair rose on his head, for he could not believe that Ephraim would win the fight.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading But if he could not see, he could hear; and at each jarring clank of the clashing bayonets his heart leaped, and his hair rose on his head, for he could not believe that Ephraim would win the fight.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading While this frightful battle raged, Lucius stood some little distance off, in an agony of apprehension for the safety of his friend.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading Oh for a gun! he thought, as he ran wildly backwards and forwards, groping along the ground, in the hope that he might come upon some straggler’s discarded piece.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading But if he could not see, he could hear; and at each jarring clank of the clashing bayonets his heart leaped, and his hair rose on his head, for he could not believe that Ephraim would win the fight.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading While this frightful battle raged, Lucius stood some little distance off, in an agony of apprehension for the safety of his friend.
jarringadjectiveUS /ˈdʒɑːrɪŋ/
making or causing a harsh and irritating sound
From this reading But if he could not see, he could hear; and at each jarring clank of the clashing bayonets his heart leaped, and his hair rose on his head, for he could not believe that Ephraim would win the fight.
past form of “leap” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading But if he could not see, he could hear; and at each jarring clank of the clashing bayonets his heart leaped, and his hair rose on his head, for he could not believe that Ephraim would win the fight.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading Only in the dusk a pair of tall forms dashed from right to left, or bounded from side to side, meeting, recoiling, and meeting again.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading While this frightful battle raged, Lucius stood some little distance off, in an agony of apprehension for the safety of his friend.
Lucius
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading While this frightful battle raged, Lucius stood some little distance off, in an agony of apprehension for the safety of his friend.
a formally arranged gathering
From this reading At the first clank of the meeting steel he had risen to his feet, and strained his eager eyes to see what was about to happen; but, even though he drew a little nearer, he could distinguish nothing clearly.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Oh for a gun! he thought, as he ran wildly backwards and forwards, groping along the ground, in the hope that he might come upon some straggler’s discarded piece.
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading At the first clank of the meeting steel he had risen to his feet, and strained his eager eyes to see what was about to happen; but, even though he drew a little nearer, he could distinguish nothing clearly.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But if he could not see, he could hear; and at each jarring clank of the clashing bayonets his heart leaped, and his hair rose on his head, for he could not believe that Ephraim would win the fight.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading At the first clank of the meeting steel he had risen to his feet, and strained his eager eyes to see what was about to happen; but, even though he drew a little nearer, he could distinguish nothing clearly.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading While this frightful battle raged, Lucius stood some little distance off, in an agony of apprehension for the safety of his friend.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading While this frightful battle raged, Lucius stood some little distance off, in an agony of apprehension for the safety of his friend.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading Oh for a gun! he thought, as he ran wildly backwards and forwards, groping along the ground, in the hope that he might come upon some straggler’s discarded piece.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading But if he could not see, he could hear; and at each jarring clank of the clashing bayonets his heart leaped, and his hair rose on his head, for he could not believe that Ephraim would win the fight.
and nothing more
From this reading Only in the dusk a pair of tall forms dashed from right to left, or bounded from side to side, meeting, recoiling, and meeting again.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Only in the dusk a pair of tall forms dashed from right to left, or bounded from side to side, meeting, recoiling, and meeting again.
a set of two similar things considered as a unit
From this reading Only in the dusk a pair of tall forms dashed from right to left, or bounded from side to side, meeting, recoiling, and meeting again.
a separate part of a whole
From this reading Oh for a gun! he thought, as he ran wildly backwards and forwards, groping along the ground, in the hope that he might come upon some straggler’s discarded piece.
ragedverbUS /reɪdʒd/
past form of “rage” — behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading While this frightful battle raged, Lucius stood some little distance off, in an agony of apprehension for the safety of his friend.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading Oh for a gun! he thought, as he ran wildly backwards and forwards, groping along the ground, in the hope that he might come upon some straggler’s discarded piece.
recoiling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Only in the dusk a pair of tall forms dashed from right to left, or bounded from side to side, meeting, recoiling, and meeting again.
precisely, exactly
From this reading Only in the dusk a pair of tall forms dashed from right to left, or bounded from side to side, meeting, recoiling, and meeting again.
risenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪzən/
(of e.g. celestial bodies) above the horizon
From this reading At the first clank of the meeting steel he had risen to his feet, and strained his eager eyes to see what was about to happen; but, even though he drew a little nearer, he could distinguish nothing clearly.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading But if he could not see, he could hear; and at each jarring clank of the clashing bayonets his heart leaped, and his hair rose on his head, for he could not believe that Ephraim would win the fight.
the state of being certain that adverse effects will not be caused by some agent under defined conditions
From this reading While this frightful battle raged, Lucius stood some little distance off, in an agony of apprehension for the safety of his friend.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading At the first clank of the meeting steel he had risen to his feet, and strained his eager eyes to see what was about to happen; but, even though he drew a little nearer, he could distinguish nothing clearly.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading Only in the dusk a pair of tall forms dashed from right to left, or bounded from side to side, meeting, recoiling, and meeting again.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading While this frightful battle raged, Lucius stood some little distance off, in an agony of apprehension for the safety of his friend.
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading At the first clank of the meeting steel he had risen to his feet, and strained his eager eyes to see what was about to happen; but, even though he drew a little nearer, he could distinguish nothing clearly.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading While this frightful battle raged, Lucius stood some little distance off, in an agony of apprehension for the safety of his friend.
straggler's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Oh for a gun! he thought, as he ran wildly backwards and forwards, groping along the ground, in the hope that he might come upon some straggler’s discarded piece.
strainedadjectiveUS /streɪnd/
lacking natural ease
From this reading At the first clank of the meeting steel he had risen to his feet, and strained his eager eyes to see what was about to happen; but, even though he drew a little nearer, he could distinguish nothing clearly.
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading Only in the dusk a pair of tall forms dashed from right to left, or bounded from side to side, meeting, recoiling, and meeting again.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But if he could not see, he could hear; and at each jarring clank of the clashing bayonets his heart leaped, and his hair rose on his head, for he could not believe that Ephraim would win the fight.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading While this frightful battle raged, Lucius stood some little distance off, in an agony of apprehension for the safety of his friend.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading While this frightful battle raged, Lucius stood some little distance off, in an agony of apprehension for the safety of his friend.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading At the first clank of the meeting steel he had risen to his feet, and strained his eager eyes to see what was about to happen; but, even though he drew a little nearer, he could distinguish nothing clearly.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Oh for a gun! he thought, as he ran wildly backwards and forwards, groping along the ground, in the hope that he might come upon some straggler’s discarded piece.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading At the first clank of the meeting steel he had risen to his feet, and strained his eager eyes to see what was about to happen; but, even though he drew a little nearer, he could distinguish nothing clearly.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Oh for a gun! he thought, as he ran wildly backwards and forwards, groping along the ground, in the hope that he might come upon some straggler’s discarded piece.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading At the first clank of the meeting steel he had risen to his feet, and strained his eager eyes to see what was about to happen; but, even though he drew a little nearer, he could distinguish nothing clearly.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading At the first clank of the meeting steel he had risen to his feet, and strained his eager eyes to see what was about to happen; but, even though he drew a little nearer, he could distinguish nothing clearly.
WhileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading While this frightful battle raged, Lucius stood some little distance off, in an agony of apprehension for the safety of his friend.
wildlyadverbUS /ˈwaɪldli/
to an extreme or greatly exaggerated degree
From this reading Oh for a gun! he thought, as he ran wildly backwards and forwards, groping along the ground, in the hope that he might come upon some straggler’s discarded piece.
be the winner in a contest or competition; be victorious
From this reading But if he could not see, he could hear; and at each jarring clank of the clashing bayonets his heart leaped, and his hair rose on his head, for he could not believe that Ephraim would win the fight.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading But if he could not see, he could hear; and at each jarring clank of the clashing bayonets his heart leaped, and his hair rose on his head, for he could not believe that Ephraim would win the fight.
