Chapter II · A Friend in Need

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading A yellow dog of no particular breed but of the kind generally denominated “cur,” came tearing around the corner of the street.

(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 They were not long in discovering the cause of all that commotion.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading A yellow dog of no particular breed but of the kind generally denominated “cur,” came tearing around the corner of the street.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

past form of “bang” — strike violently

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

call forth

From this reading A yellow dog of no particular breed but of the kind generally denominated “cur,” came tearing around the corner of the street.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading A yellow dog of no particular breed but of the kind generally denominated “cur,” came tearing around the corner of the street.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading A yellow dog of no particular breed but of the kind generally denominated “cur,” came tearing around the corner of the street.

events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

From this reading They were not long in discovering the cause of all that commotion.

a disorderly outburst or tumult

From this reading They were not long in discovering the cause of all that commotion.

a place off to the side of an area

From this reading A yellow dog of no particular breed but of the kind generally denominated “cur,” came tearing around the corner of the street.

an inferior dog or one of mixed breed

From this reading A yellow dog of no particular breed but of the kind generally denominated “cur,” came tearing around the corner of the street.

past form of “denominate” — assign a name or title to

From this reading A yellow dog of no particular breed but of the kind generally denominated “cur,” came tearing around the corner of the street.

-ing form of “discover” — discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of

From this reading They were not long in discovering the cause of all that commotion.

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 A yellow dog of no particular breed but of the kind generally denominated “cur,” came tearing around the corner of the street.

plural of “door” — a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading People thrust their heads out of windows and doors.

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

usually; as a rule

From this reading A yellow dog of no particular breed but of the kind generally denominated “cur,” came tearing around the corner of the street.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading People thrust their heads out of windows and doors.

plural of “heel” — the bottom of a shoe or boot; the back part of a shoe or boot that touches the ground and provides elevation

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading They were not long in discovering the cause of all that commotion.

move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading A yellow dog of no particular breed but of the kind generally denominated “cur,” came tearing around the corner of the street.

past form of “laugh” — produce laughter

From this reading Most of them smiled or laughed outright at the spectacle.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

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 They were not long in discovering the cause of all that commotion.

roused to anger

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

used to form the superlative

From this reading Most of them smiled or laughed outright at the spectacle.

not any; not one

From this reading A yellow dog of no particular breed but of the kind generally denominated “cur,” came tearing around the corner of the street.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading They were not long in discovering the cause of all that commotion.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading They were not long in discovering the cause of all that commotion.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Most of them smiled or laughed outright at the spectacle.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading People thrust their heads out of windows and doors.

without restrictions or stipulations or further payments

From this reading Most of them smiled or laughed outright at the spectacle.

run faster than

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

make a sweeping movement

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

unique or specific to a person or thing or category

From this reading A yellow dog of no particular breed but of the kind generally denominated “cur,” came tearing around the corner of the street.

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading People thrust their heads out of windows and doors.

capable of happening or existing

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

thrown into a state of agitated confusion; (“rattled” is an informal term)

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

covered with or consisting of rust

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure

From this reading Most of them smiled or laughed outright at the spectacle.

something or someone seen (especially a notable or unusual sight)

From this reading Most of them smiled or laughed outright at the spectacle.

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading A yellow dog of no particular breed but of the kind generally denominated “cur,” came tearing around the corner of the street.

(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

the posterior part of the body of a vertebrate especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

shedding tears

From this reading A yellow dog of no particular breed but of the kind generally denominated “cur,” came tearing around the corner of the street.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading They were not long in discovering the cause of all that commotion.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading They were not long in discovering the cause of all that commotion.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading People thrust their heads out of windows and doors.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Most of them smiled or laughed outright at the spectacle.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They were not long in discovering the cause of all that commotion.

a special situation

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

push forcefully

From this reading People thrust their heads out of windows and doors.

bound or secured closely

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

a silvery malleable metallic element that resists corrosion; used in many alloys and to coat other metals to prevent corrosion; obtained chiefly from cassiterite where it occurs as tin oxide

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

hard to endure

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading They were not long in discovering the cause of all that commotion.

(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface

From this reading People thrust their heads out of windows and doors.

of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk

From this reading A yellow dog of no particular breed but of the kind generally denominated “cur,” came tearing around the corner of the street.

a sharp high-pitched cry (especially by a dog)

From this reading He had an old rusty tin pan tied to his tail, and as this struck him at every jump, he was yelping like mad and trying every way possible to outrun the strange thing that rattled and banged at his heels.