used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading All at once a dog was heard to utter three distinct barks.
commonly used or practiced; usual
From this reading Marengo stood by, looking into the darkness, and at intervals uttering the growl with which he was accustomed to hail the presence of an enemy.
(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 All at once a dog was heard to utter three distinct barks.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading They were, of course, already seen by the animals, sitting as they did in the light of the fire.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Marengo stood by, looking into the darkness, and at intervals uttering the growl with which he was accustomed to hail the presence of an enemy.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The boys talked in whispers, looking to the locks of their pieces, and preparing themselves for the worst.
plural of “animal” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading They were, of course, already seen by the animals, sitting as they did in the light of the fire.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The shining eyes appeared to multiply.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading They were, of course, already seen by the animals, sitting as they did in the light of the fire.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Marengo stood by, looking into the darkness, and at intervals uttering the growl with which he was accustomed to hail the presence of an enemy.
barksnounUS /bɑːrks/
plural of “bark” — tough protective covering of the woody stems and roots of trees and other woody plants
From this reading All at once a dog was heard to utter three distinct barks.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading The boys talked in whispers, looking to the locks of their pieces, and preparing themselves for the worst.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading They were, of course, already seen by the animals, sitting as they did in the light of the fire.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading They were, of course, already seen by the animals, sitting as they did in the light of the fire.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Marengo stood by, looking into the darkness, and at intervals uttering the growl with which he was accustomed to hail the presence of an enemy.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading They were, of course, already seen by the animals, sitting as they did in the light of the fire.
distinctadjectiveUS /dɪˈstɪŋkt/
(often followed by “from”) not alike; different in nature or quality
From this reading All at once a dog was heard to utter three distinct barks.
a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading All at once a dog was heard to utter three distinct barks.
an opposing military force
From this reading Marengo stood by, looking into the darkness, and at intervals uttering the growl with which he was accustomed to hail the presence of an enemy.
opinion or judgment
From this reading The shining eyes appeared to multiply.
start firing a weapon
From this reading They were, of course, already seen by the animals, sitting as they did in the light of the fire.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The boys talked in whispers, looking to the locks of their pieces, and preparing themselves for the worst.
growlnounUS /ɡraʊl/
the sound of growling (as made by animals)
From this reading Marengo stood by, looking into the darkness, and at intervals uttering the growl with which he was accustomed to hail the presence of an enemy.
hailverbUS /heɪl/
praise vociferously
From this reading Marengo stood by, looking into the darkness, and at intervals uttering the growl with which he was accustomed to hail the presence of an enemy.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Marengo stood by, looking into the darkness, and at intervals uttering the growl with which he was accustomed to hail the presence of an enemy.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading All at once a dog was heard to utter three distinct barks.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The boys talked in whispers, looking to the locks of their pieces, and preparing themselves for the worst.
plural of “interval” — a definite length of time marked off by two instants
From this reading Marengo stood by, looking into the darkness, and at intervals uttering the growl with which he was accustomed to hail the presence of an enemy.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Marengo stood by, looking into the darkness, and at intervals uttering the growl with which he was accustomed to hail the presence of an enemy.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading They were, of course, already seen by the animals, sitting as they did in the light of the fire.
locksnounUS /lɑːks/
plural of “lock” — a fastener fitted to a door or drawer to keep it firmly closed
From this reading The boys talked in whispers, looking to the locks of their pieces, and preparing themselves for the worst.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading The boys talked in whispers, looking to the locks of their pieces, and preparing themselves for the worst.
Marengonoun
a battle in 1800 in which the French under Napoleon Bonaparte won a great victory over the Austrians
From this reading Marengo stood by, looking into the darkness, and at intervals uttering the growl with which he was accustomed to hail the presence of an enemy.
multiplyverbUS /ˈmʌltəplaɪ/
combine by multiplication
From this reading The shining eyes appeared to multiply.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The boys talked in whispers, looking to the locks of their pieces, and preparing themselves for the worst.
on one occasion
From this reading All at once a dog was heard to utter three distinct barks.
plural of “piece” — a separate part of a whole
From this reading The boys talked in whispers, looking to the locks of their pieces, and preparing themselves for the worst.
preparingverbUS /priˈperɪŋ/
-ing form of “prepare” — make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc
From this reading The boys talked in whispers, looking to the locks of their pieces, and preparing themselves for the worst.
the state of being present; current existence
From this reading Marengo stood by, looking into the darkness, and at intervals uttering the growl with which he was accustomed to hail the presence of an enemy.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading They were, of course, already seen by the animals, sitting as they did in the light of the fire.
marked by exceptional merit
From this reading The shining eyes appeared to multiply.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading They were, of course, already seen by the animals, sitting as they did in the light of the fire.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Marengo stood by, looking into the darkness, and at intervals uttering the growl with which he was accustomed to hail the presence of an enemy.
past form of “talk” — exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading The boys talked in whispers, looking to the locks of their pieces, and preparing themselves for the worst.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The boys talked in whispers, looking to the locks of their pieces, and preparing themselves for the worst.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The boys talked in whispers, looking to the locks of their pieces, and preparing themselves for the worst.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading The boys talked in whispers, looking to the locks of their pieces, and preparing themselves for the worst.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were, of course, already seen by the animals, sitting as they did in the light of the fire.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading All at once a dog was heard to utter three distinct barks.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The boys talked in whispers, looking to the locks of their pieces, and preparing themselves for the worst.
articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise
From this reading All at once a dog was heard to utter three distinct barks.
utteringverbUS /ˈʌtərɪŋ/
-ing form of “utter” — articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise
From this reading Marengo stood by, looking into the darkness, and at intervals uttering the growl with which he was accustomed to hail the presence of an enemy.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Marengo stood by, looking into the darkness, and at intervals uttering the growl with which he was accustomed to hail the presence of an enemy.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were, of course, already seen by the animals, sitting as they did in the light of the fire.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Marengo stood by, looking into the darkness, and at intervals uttering the growl with which he was accustomed to hail the presence of an enemy.
whispersnounUS /ˈwɪspərz/
plural of “whisper” — speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords
From this reading The boys talked in whispers, looking to the locks of their pieces, and preparing themselves for the worst.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Marengo stood by, looking into the darkness, and at intervals uttering the growl with which he was accustomed to hail the presence of an enemy.
the least favorable outcome
From this reading The boys talked in whispers, looking to the locks of their pieces, and preparing themselves for the worst.
