adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE FLYING MEN For a breath the boys stood petrified and then Billy hastily slipped a cartridge into the rifle he had taken from the dead slave-trader.
airnounUS /er/
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading But even as he did so the lioness curved her lithe body, as if her backbone had been a steel spring, and launched her great form through the air.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE FLYING MEN For a breath the boys stood petrified and then Billy hastily slipped a cartridge into the rifle he had taken from the dead slave-trader.
anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading With a howl of pain the brute fell short in her spring and, before she could make another attack, Billy had reloaded and sent a bullet crashing between her eyes.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But even as he did so the lioness curved her lithe body, as if her backbone had been a steel spring, and launched her great form through the air.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading While the tawny brute was in mid-spring, her cruel claws outspread to maul the unhappy reporter, a great spear whizzed straight at her and buried itself in her heart just behind the left shoulder.
attacknounUS /əˈtæk/
(military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)
From this reading With a howl of pain the brute fell short in her spring and, before she could make another attack, Billy had reloaded and sent a bullet crashing between her eyes.
backbonenounUS /ˈbækboʊn/
a central cohesive source of support and stability
From this reading But even as he did so the lioness curved her lithe body, as if her backbone had been a steel spring, and launched her great form through the air.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading But even as he did so the lioness curved her lithe body, as if her backbone had been a steel spring, and launched her great form through the air.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading That minute would have been Billy's last--for in his excitement he pulled the trigger before he had brought the rifle to his shoulder and the bullet whistled harmlessly into the air--but for a strange thing that now occurred.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading While the tawny brute was in mid-spring, her cruel claws outspread to maul the unhappy reporter, a great spear whizzed straight at her and buried itself in her heart just behind the left shoulder.
betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading With a howl of pain the brute fell short in her spring and, before she could make another attack, Billy had reloaded and sent a bullet crashing between her eyes.
BillynounUS /ˈbɪli/
a short stout club used primarily by policemen
From this reading THE FLYING MEN For a breath the boys stood petrified and then Billy hastily slipped a cartridge into the rifle he had taken from the dead slave-trader.
Billy'snounUS /ˈbɪliz/
possessive form of “billy” — a short stout club used primarily by policemen
From this reading That minute would have been Billy's last--for in his excitement he pulled the trigger before he had brought the rifle to his shoulder and the bullet whistled harmlessly into the air--but for a strange thing that now occurred.
bodynounUS /ˈbɑːdi/
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading But even as he did so the lioness curved her lithe body, as if her backbone had been a steel spring, and launched her great form through the air.
boysnounUS /bɔɪz/
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading THE FLYING MEN For a breath the boys stood petrified and then Billy hastily slipped a cartridge into the rifle he had taken from the dead slave-trader.
breathnounUS /breθ/
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading THE FLYING MEN For a breath the boys stood petrified and then Billy hastily slipped a cartridge into the rifle he had taken from the dead slave-trader.
broughtverbUS /brɔːt/
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading That minute would have been Billy's last--for in his excitement he pulled the trigger before he had brought the rifle to his shoulder and the bullet whistled harmlessly into the air--but for a strange thing that now occurred.
brutenounUS /bruːt/
a cruelly rapacious person
From this reading While the tawny brute was in mid-spring, her cruel claws outspread to maul the unhappy reporter, a great spear whizzed straight at her and buried itself in her heart just behind the left shoulder.
bulletnounUS /ˈbʊlət/
a projectile that is fired from a gun
From this reading That minute would have been Billy's last--for in his excitement he pulled the trigger before he had brought the rifle to his shoulder and the bullet whistled harmlessly into the air--but for a strange thing that now occurred.
buriedadjectiveUS /ˈberid/
placed in a grave
From this reading While the tawny brute was in mid-spring, her cruel claws outspread to maul the unhappy reporter, a great spear whizzed straight at her and buried itself in her heart just behind the left shoulder.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But even as he did so the lioness curved her lithe body, as if her backbone had been a steel spring, and launched her great form through the air.
cartridgenounUS /ˈkɑːrtrədʒ/
ammunition consisting of a cylindrical casing containing an explosive charge and a bullet; fired from a rifle or handgun
From this reading THE FLYING MEN For a breath the boys stood petrified and then Billy hastily slipped a cartridge into the rifle he had taken from the dead slave-trader.
clawsnounUS /klɔːz/
plural of “claw” — sharp curved horny process on the toe of a bird or some mammals or reptiles
From this reading While the tawny brute was in mid-spring, her cruel claws outspread to maul the unhappy reporter, a great spear whizzed straight at her and buried itself in her heart just behind the left shoulder.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading With a howl of pain the brute fell short in her spring and, before she could make another attack, Billy had reloaded and sent a bullet crashing between her eyes.
crashingadjectiveUS /ˈkræʃɪŋ/
informal intensifiers
From this reading With a howl of pain the brute fell short in her spring and, before she could make another attack, Billy had reloaded and sent a bullet crashing between her eyes.
crueladjectiveUS /ˈkruːəl/
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading While the tawny brute was in mid-spring, her cruel claws outspread to maul the unhappy reporter, a great spear whizzed straight at her and buried itself in her heart just behind the left shoulder.
curvedadjectiveUS /kɜːrvd/
having or marked by a curve or smoothly rounded bend
From this reading But even as he did so the lioness curved her lithe body, as if her backbone had been a steel spring, and launched her great form through the air.
deadadjectiveUS /ded/
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading THE FLYING MEN For a breath the boys stood petrified and then Billy hastily slipped a cartridge into the rifle he had taken from the dead slave-trader.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading But even as he did so the lioness curved her lithe body, as if her backbone had been a steel spring, and launched her great form through the air.
evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/
divisible by two
From this reading But even as he did so the lioness curved her lithe body, as if her backbone had been a steel spring, and launched her great form through the air.
excitementnounUS /ɪkˈsaɪtmənt/
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading That minute would have been Billy's last--for in his excitement he pulled the trigger before he had brought the rifle to his shoulder and the bullet whistled harmlessly into the air--but for a strange thing that now occurred.
eyesnounUS /aɪz/
opinion or judgment
From this reading With a howl of pain the brute fell short in her spring and, before she could make another attack, Billy had reloaded and sent a bullet crashing between her eyes.
fellverbUS /fel/
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading With a howl of pain the brute fell short in her spring and, before she could make another attack, Billy had reloaded and sent a bullet crashing between her eyes.
FLYINGadjectiveUS /ˈflaɪɪŋ/
moving swiftly
From this reading THE FLYING MEN For a breath the boys stood petrified and then Billy hastily slipped a cartridge into the rifle he had taken from the dead slave-trader.
ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading THE FLYING MEN For a breath the boys stood petrified and then Billy hastily slipped a cartridge into the rifle he had taken from the dead slave-trader.
formnounUS /fɔːrm/
the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading But even as he did so the lioness curved her lithe body, as if her backbone had been a steel spring, and launched her great form through the air.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading THE FLYING MEN For a breath the boys stood petrified and then Billy hastily slipped a cartridge into the rifle he had taken from the dead slave-trader.
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading But even as he did so the lioness curved her lithe body, as if her backbone had been a steel spring, and launched her great form through the air.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE FLYING MEN For a breath the boys stood petrified and then Billy hastily slipped a cartridge into the rifle he had taken from the dead slave-trader.
harmlesslyadverbUS /ˈhɑːrmləsli/
in a harmless manner
From this reading That minute would have been Billy's last--for in his excitement he pulled the trigger before he had brought the rifle to his shoulder and the bullet whistled harmlessly into the air--but for a strange thing that now occurred.
hastilyadverbUS /ˈheɪstəli/
in a hurried or hasty manner
From this reading THE FLYING MEN For a breath the boys stood petrified and then Billy hastily slipped a cartridge into the rifle he had taken from the dead slave-trader.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading That minute would have been Billy's last--for in his excitement he pulled the trigger before he had brought the rifle to his shoulder and the bullet whistled harmlessly into the air--but for a strange thing that now occurred.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE FLYING MEN For a breath the boys stood petrified and then Billy hastily slipped a cartridge into the rifle he had taken from the dead slave-trader.
heartnounUS /hɑːrt/
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading While the tawny brute was in mid-spring, her cruel claws outspread to maul the unhappy reporter, a great spear whizzed straight at her and buried itself in her heart just behind the left shoulder.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading But even as he did so the lioness curved her lithe body, as if her backbone had been a steel spring, and launched her great form through the air.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading That minute would have been Billy's last--for in his excitement he pulled the trigger before he had brought the rifle to his shoulder and the bullet whistled harmlessly into the air--but for a strange thing that now occurred.
howlverbUS /haʊl/
emit long loud cries
From this reading With a howl of pain the brute fell short in her spring and, before she could make another attack, Billy had reloaded and sent a bullet crashing between her eyes.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading But even as he did so the lioness curved her lithe body, as if her backbone had been a steel spring, and launched her great form through the air.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading That minute would have been Billy's last--for in his excitement he pulled the trigger before he had brought the rifle to his shoulder and the bullet whistled harmlessly into the air--but for a strange thing that now occurred.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading THE FLYING MEN For a breath the boys stood petrified and then Billy hastily slipped a cartridge into the rifle he had taken from the dead slave-trader.
itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading While the tawny brute was in mid-spring, her cruel claws outspread to maul the unhappy reporter, a great spear whizzed straight at her and buried itself in her heart just behind the left shoulder.
justadverbUS /dʒʌst/
and nothing more
From this reading While the tawny brute was in mid-spring, her cruel claws outspread to maul the unhappy reporter, a great spear whizzed straight at her and buried itself in her heart just behind the left shoulder.
lastadjectiveUS /læst/
immediately past
From this reading That minute would have been Billy's last--for in his excitement he pulled the trigger before he had brought the rifle to his shoulder and the bullet whistled harmlessly into the air--but for a strange thing that now occurred.
launchedverbUS /lɔːntʃt/
past form of “launch” — set up or found
From this reading But even as he did so the lioness curved her lithe body, as if her backbone had been a steel spring, and launched her great form through the air.
leftnounUS /left/
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 While the tawny brute was in mid-spring, her cruel claws outspread to maul the unhappy reporter, a great spear whizzed straight at her and buried itself in her heart just behind the left shoulder.
lionessnoun
a female lion
From this reading But even as he did so the lioness curved her lithe body, as if her backbone had been a steel spring, and launched her great form through the air.
litheadjectiveUS /laɪð/
gracefully thin and bending and moving with ease
From this reading But even as he did so the lioness curved her lithe body, as if her backbone had been a steel spring, and launched her great form through the air.
makeverbUS /meɪk/
engage in
From this reading With a howl of pain the brute fell short in her spring and, before she could make another attack, Billy had reloaded and sent a bullet crashing between her eyes.
maulverbUS /mɔːl/
split (wood) with a maul and wedges
From this reading While the tawny brute was in mid-spring, her cruel claws outspread to maul the unhappy reporter, a great spear whizzed straight at her and buried itself in her heart just behind the left shoulder.
MENnounUS /men/
the force of workers available
From this reading THE FLYING MEN For a breath the boys stood petrified and then Billy hastily slipped a cartridge into the rifle he had taken from the dead slave-trader.
mid-spring
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading While the tawny brute was in mid-spring, her cruel claws outspread to maul the unhappy reporter, a great spear whizzed straight at her and buried itself in her heart just behind the left shoulder.
minutenounUS /ˈmɪnət/
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading That minute would have been Billy's last--for in his excitement he pulled the trigger before he had brought the rifle to his shoulder and the bullet whistled harmlessly into the air--but for a strange thing that now occurred.
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading That minute would have been Billy's last--for in his excitement he pulled the trigger before he had brought the rifle to his shoulder and the bullet whistled harmlessly into the air--but for a strange thing that now occurred.
occurredverbUS /əˈkɜːrd/
inflected form of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading That minute would have been Billy's last--for in his excitement he pulled the trigger before he had brought the rifle to his shoulder and the bullet whistled harmlessly into the air--but for a strange thing that now occurred.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading With a howl of pain the brute fell short in her spring and, before she could make another attack, Billy had reloaded and sent a bullet crashing between her eyes.
outspreadadjective
fully extended in width
From this reading While the tawny brute was in mid-spring, her cruel claws outspread to maul the unhappy reporter, a great spear whizzed straight at her and buried itself in her heart just behind the left shoulder.
painnounUS /peɪn/
a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder
From this reading With a howl of pain the brute fell short in her spring and, before she could make another attack, Billy had reloaded and sent a bullet crashing between her eyes.
petrifiedverbUS /ˈpetrəfaɪd/
inflected form of “petrify” — cause to become stonelike or stiff or dazed and stunned from fright
From this reading THE FLYING MEN For a breath the boys stood petrified and then Billy hastily slipped a cartridge into the rifle he had taken from the dead slave-trader.
pulledverbUS /pʊld/
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading That minute would have been Billy's last--for in his excitement he pulled the trigger before he had brought the rifle to his shoulder and the bullet whistled harmlessly into the air--but for a strange thing that now occurred.
reloadedverbUS /ˌriːˈloʊdɪd/
past form of “reload” — load anew
From this reading With a howl of pain the brute fell short in her spring and, before she could make another attack, Billy had reloaded and sent a bullet crashing between her eyes.
reporternounUS /rɪˈpɔːrtər/
a person who investigates and reports or edits news stories
From this reading While the tawny brute was in mid-spring, her cruel claws outspread to maul the unhappy reporter, a great spear whizzed straight at her and buried itself in her heart just behind the left shoulder.
rifleverbUS /ˈraɪfəl/
steal goods; take as spoils
From this reading THE FLYING MEN For a breath the boys stood petrified and then Billy hastily slipped a cartridge into the rifle he had taken from the dead slave-trader.
sentnounUS /sent/
100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia
From this reading With a howl of pain the brute fell short in her spring and, before she could make another attack, Billy had reloaded and sent a bullet crashing between her eyes.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading With a howl of pain the brute fell short in her spring and, before she could make another attack, Billy had reloaded and sent a bullet crashing between her eyes.
shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrt/
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading With a howl of pain the brute fell short in her spring and, before she could make another attack, Billy had reloaded and sent a bullet crashing between her eyes.
shoulderverbUS /ˈʃoʊldər/
lift onto one's shoulders
From this reading That minute would have been Billy's last--for in his excitement he pulled the trigger before he had brought the rifle to his shoulder and the bullet whistled harmlessly into the air--but for a strange thing that now occurred.
slave-trader
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE FLYING MEN For a breath the boys stood petrified and then Billy hastily slipped a cartridge into the rifle he had taken from the dead slave-trader.
slippedverbUS /slɪpt/
inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily
From this reading THE FLYING MEN For a breath the boys stood petrified and then Billy hastily slipped a cartridge into the rifle he had taken from the dead slave-trader.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading But even as he did so the lioness curved her lithe body, as if her backbone had been a steel spring, and launched her great form through the air.
spearnounUS /spɪr/
a long pointed rod used as a tool or weapon
From this reading While the tawny brute was in mid-spring, her cruel claws outspread to maul the unhappy reporter, a great spear whizzed straight at her and buried itself in her heart just behind the left shoulder.
springnounUS /sprɪŋ/
the season of growth
From this reading But even as he did so the lioness curved her lithe body, as if her backbone had been a steel spring, and launched her great form through the air.
steelnounUS /stiːl/
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 But even as he did so the lioness curved her lithe body, as if her backbone had been a steel spring, and launched her great form through the air.
stoodverbUS /stʊd/
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading THE FLYING MEN For a breath the boys stood petrified and then Billy hastily slipped a cartridge into the rifle he had taken from the dead slave-trader.
straightadjectiveUS /streɪt/
successive (without a break)
From this reading While the tawny brute was in mid-spring, her cruel claws outspread to maul the unhappy reporter, a great spear whizzed straight at her and buried itself in her heart just behind the left shoulder.
strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading That minute would have been Billy's last--for in his excitement he pulled the trigger before he had brought the rifle to his shoulder and the bullet whistled harmlessly into the air--but for a strange thing that now occurred.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading THE FLYING MEN For a breath the boys stood petrified and then Billy hastily slipped a cartridge into the rifle he had taken from the dead slave-trader.
tawnyadjectiveUS /ˈtɑːni/
of a light brown to brownish orange color; the color of tanned leather
From this reading While the tawny brute was in mid-spring, her cruel claws outspread to maul the unhappy reporter, a great spear whizzed straight at her and buried itself in her heart just behind the left shoulder.
ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That minute would have been Billy's last--for in his excitement he pulled the trigger before he had brought the rifle to his shoulder and the bullet whistled harmlessly into the air--but for a strange thing that now occurred.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE FLYING MEN For a breath the boys stood petrified and then Billy hastily slipped a cartridge into the rifle he had taken from the dead slave-trader.
thenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading THE FLYING MEN For a breath the boys stood petrified and then Billy hastily slipped a cartridge into the rifle he had taken from the dead slave-trader.
thingnounUS /θɪŋ/
a special situation
From this reading That minute would have been Billy's last--for in his excitement he pulled the trigger before he had brought the rifle to his shoulder and the bullet whistled harmlessly into the air--but for a strange thing that now occurred.
throughprepositionUS /θruː/
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading But even as he did so the lioness curved her lithe body, as if her backbone had been a steel spring, and launched her great form through the air.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading That minute would have been Billy's last--for in his excitement he pulled the trigger before he had brought the rifle to his shoulder and the bullet whistled harmlessly into the air--but for a strange thing that now occurred.
triggerverbUS /ˈtrɪɡər/
put in motion or move to act
From this reading That minute would have been Billy's last--for in his excitement he pulled the trigger before he had brought the rifle to his shoulder and the bullet whistled harmlessly into the air--but for a strange thing that now occurred.
unhappyadjectiveUS /ənˈhæpi/
experiencing or marked by or causing sadness or sorrow or discontent
From this reading While the tawny brute was in mid-spring, her cruel claws outspread to maul the unhappy reporter, a great spear whizzed straight at her and buried itself in her heart just behind the left shoulder.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading While the tawny brute was in mid-spring, her cruel claws outspread to maul the unhappy reporter, a great spear whizzed straight at her and buried itself in her heart just behind the left shoulder.
WhileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading While the tawny brute was in mid-spring, her cruel claws outspread to maul the unhappy reporter, a great spear whizzed straight at her and buried itself in her heart just behind the left shoulder.
whistledverbUS /ˈwɪsəld/
past form of “whistle” — make whistling sounds
From this reading That minute would have been Billy's last--for in his excitement he pulled the trigger before he had brought the rifle to his shoulder and the bullet whistled harmlessly into the air--but for a strange thing that now occurred.
whizzedverbUS /wɪzd/
inflected form of “whiz” — make a soft swishing sound
From this reading While the tawny brute was in mid-spring, her cruel claws outspread to maul the unhappy reporter, a great spear whizzed straight at her and buried itself in her heart just behind the left shoulder.
WithprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading With a howl of pain the brute fell short in her spring and, before she could make another attack, Billy had reloaded and sent a bullet crashing between her eyes.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading That minute would have been Billy's last--for in his excitement he pulled the trigger before he had brought the rifle to his shoulder and the bullet whistled harmlessly into the air--but for a strange thing that now occurred.
