used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The rattler was all of ten feet long and as thick around as a good-sized fence rail.
(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 The rattler was all of ten feet long and as thick around as a good-sized fence rail.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The reptile had been enraged by the shot the great scout fired, and now meant to strike, and that fatally.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading The rattler was all of ten feet long and as thick around as a good-sized fence rail.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The rattler was all of ten feet long and as thick around as a good-sized fence rail.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The reptile had been enraged by the shot the great scout fired, and now meant to strike, and that fatally.
boomernounUS /ˈbuːmər/
a member of the baby boom generation in the 1950s
From this reading Listening with ears strained to their utmost, the boomer heard the form of the snake slide from rock to rock of the uneven flooring.
an orange of low brightness and saturation
From this reading Slowly but surely the great rattlesnake came closer to where Pawnee Brown stood motionless in the darkness of the cavern.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Slowly but surely the great rattlesnake came closer to where Pawnee Brown stood motionless in the darkness of the cavern.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The reptile had been enraged by the shot the great scout fired, and now meant to strike, and that fatally.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Slowly but surely the great rattlesnake came closer to where Pawnee Brown stood motionless in the darkness of the cavern.
CAVERNnounUS /ˈkæv.ərn/
A large, vast underground cave, often filled with forgotten ancient treasures.
From this reading OUT OF THE CAVERN.
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading Slowly but surely the great rattlesnake came closer to where Pawnee Brown stood motionless in the darkness of the cavern.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Slowly but surely the great rattlesnake came closer to where Pawnee Brown stood motionless in the darkness of the cavern.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading Listening with ears strained to their utmost, the boomer heard the form of the snake slide from rock to rock of the uneven flooring.
enragedadjectiveUS /enˈreɪdʒd/
marked by extreme anger
From this reading The reptile had been enraged by the shot the great scout fired, and now meant to strike, and that fatally.
fatallyadverbUS /ˈfeɪtəli/
with fatal consequences or implications
From this reading The reptile had been enraged by the shot the great scout fired, and now meant to strike, and that fatally.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading The rattler was all of ten feet long and as thick around as a good-sized fence rail.
enclose with a fence
From this reading The rattler was all of ten feet long and as thick around as a good-sized fence rail.
firedadjectiveUS /ˈfaɪərd/
having lost your job
From this reading The reptile had been enraged by the shot the great scout fired, and now meant to strike, and that fatally.
flooringnounUS /ˈflɔːrɪŋ/
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading Listening with ears strained to their utmost, the boomer heard the form of the snake slide from rock to rock of the uneven flooring.
the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading Listening with ears strained to their utmost, the boomer heard the form of the snake slide from rock to rock of the uneven flooring.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Listening with ears strained to their utmost, the boomer heard the form of the snake slide from rock to rock of the uneven flooring.
good-sized
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The rattler was all of ten feet long and as thick around as a good-sized fence rail.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Slowly but surely the great rattlesnake came closer to where Pawnee Brown stood motionless in the darkness of the cavern.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The reptile had been enraged by the shot the great scout fired, and now meant to strike, and that fatally.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Listening with ears strained to their utmost, the boomer heard the form of the snake slide from rock to rock of the uneven flooring.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Slowly but surely the great rattlesnake came closer to where Pawnee Brown stood motionless in the darkness of the cavern.
the act of hearing attentively
From this reading Listening with ears strained to their utmost, the boomer heard the form of the snake slide from rock to rock of the uneven flooring.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading The rattler was all of ten feet long and as thick around as a good-sized fence rail.
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading The reptile had been enraged by the shot the great scout fired, and now meant to strike, and that fatally.
not in physical motion
From this reading Slowly but surely the great rattlesnake came closer to where Pawnee Brown stood motionless in the darkness of the cavern.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The reptile had been enraged by the shot the great scout fired, and now meant to strike, and that fatally.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading OUT OF THE CAVERN.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading OUT OF THE CAVERN.
PawneenounUS /ˈpɔːˈniː/
a member of the Pawnee nation formerly living in Nebraska and Kansas but now largely in Oklahoma
From this reading Slowly but surely the great rattlesnake came closer to where Pawnee Brown stood motionless in the darkness of the cavern.
railnounUS /reɪl/
a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports
From this reading The rattler was all of ten feet long and as thick around as a good-sized fence rail.
rattlernounUS /ˈrætələr/
pit viper with horny segments at the end of the tail that rattle when shaken
From this reading The rattler was all of ten feet long and as thick around as a good-sized fence rail.
rattlesnakenounUS /ˈrætəlsneɪk/
pit viper with horny segments at the end of the tail that rattle when shaken
From this reading Slowly but surely the great rattlesnake came closer to where Pawnee Brown stood motionless in the darkness of the cavern.
reptilenounUS /ˈreptaɪl/
any cold-blooded vertebrate of the class Reptilia including tortoises, turtles, snakes, lizards, alligators, crocodiles, and extinct forms
From this reading The reptile had been enraged by the shot the great scout fired, and now meant to strike, and that fatally.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading Listening with ears strained to their utmost, the boomer heard the form of the snake slide from rock to rock of the uneven flooring.
scoutnounUS /skaʊt/
a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
From this reading The reptile had been enraged by the shot the great scout fired, and now meant to strike, and that fatally.
the act of firing a projectile
From this reading The reptile had been enraged by the shot the great scout fired, and now meant to strike, and that fatally.
slidenounUS /slaɪd/
a small flat rectangular piece of glass on which specimens can be mounted for microscopic study
From this reading Listening with ears strained to their utmost, the boomer heard the form of the snake slide from rock to rock of the uneven flooring.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading Slowly but surely the great rattlesnake came closer to where Pawnee Brown stood motionless in the darkness of the cavern.
snakenounUS /sneɪk/
limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
From this reading Listening with ears strained to their utmost, the boomer heard the form of the snake slide from rock to rock of the uneven flooring.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Slowly but surely the great rattlesnake came closer to where Pawnee Brown stood motionless in the darkness of the cavern.
strainedadjectiveUS /streɪnd/
lacking natural ease
From this reading Listening with ears strained to their utmost, the boomer heard the form of the snake slide from rock to rock of the uneven flooring.
deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon
From this reading The reptile had been enraged by the shot the great scout fired, and now meant to strike, and that fatally.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading Slowly but surely the great rattlesnake came closer to where Pawnee Brown stood motionless in the darkness of the cavern.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading The rattler was all of ten feet long and as thick around as a good-sized fence rail.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The reptile had been enraged by the shot the great scout fired, and now meant to strike, and that fatally.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading OUT OF THE CAVERN.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Listening with ears strained to their utmost, the boomer heard the form of the snake slide from rock to rock of the uneven flooring.
not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions
From this reading The rattler was all of ten feet long and as thick around as a good-sized fence rail.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Slowly but surely the great rattlesnake came closer to where Pawnee Brown stood motionless in the darkness of the cavern.
unevenadjectiveUS /əˈniːvən/
not even or uniform as e.g. in shape or texture
From this reading Listening with ears strained to their utmost, the boomer heard the form of the snake slide from rock to rock of the uneven flooring.
of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity
From this reading Listening with ears strained to their utmost, the boomer heard the form of the snake slide from rock to rock of the uneven flooring.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The rattler was all of ten feet long and as thick around as a good-sized fence rail.
in or at the place that
From this reading Slowly but surely the great rattlesnake came closer to where Pawnee Brown stood motionless in the darkness of the cavern.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Listening with ears strained to their utmost, the boomer heard the form of the snake slide from rock to rock of the uneven flooring.
