used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A STARTLING SURPRISE "Hello!
addressingverbUS /əˈdresɪŋ/
-ing form of “address” — speak to
From this reading That was Billy addressing Hugh on the following morning, the scout master, as well as Alec Sands and Arthur Cameron, being up and around.
Alec
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That was Billy addressing Hugh on the following morning, the scout master, as well as Alec Sands and Arthur Cameron, being up and around.
amidstprepositionUS /əˈmɪdst/
in the middle of; surrounded by
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Is it safe to come out; and is the coast clear of ghosts?"
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading That was Billy addressing Hugh on the following morning, the scout master, as well as Alec Sands and Arthur Cameron, being up and around.
elected vice president and became 21st President of the United States when Garfield was assassinated (1830-1886)
From this reading That was Billy addressing Hugh on the following morning, the scout master, as well as Alec Sands and Arthur Cameron, being up and around.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading That was Billy addressing Hugh on the following morning, the scout master, as well as Alec Sands and Arthur Cameron, being up and around.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading That was Billy addressing Hugh on the following morning, the scout master, as well as Alec Sands and Arthur Cameron, being up and around.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
a short stout club used primarily by policemen
From this reading That was Billy addressing Hugh on the following morning, the scout master, as well as Alec Sands and Arthur Cameron, being up and around.
blanketnounUS /ˈblæŋkət/
bedding that keeps a person warm in bed
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
Cameron
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That was Billy addressing Hugh on the following morning, the scout master, as well as Alec Sands and Arthur Cameron, being up and around.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "Nothing doing in the ghost line, Billy," Hugh told him, "so you can stretch yourself as much as you please.
capaciousadjectiveUS /kəˈpeɪʃəs/
large in capacity
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
cautiousadjectiveUS /ˈkɔːʃəs/
showing careful forethought
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
rid of obstructions
From this reading Is it safe to come out; and is the coast clear of ghosts?"
the shore of a sea or ocean
From this reading Is it safe to come out; and is the coast clear of ghosts?"
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Is it safe to come out; and is the coast clear of ghosts?"
confinesnounUS /ˈkɑːnfaɪnz/
a bounded scope
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading "Nothing doing in the ghost line, Billy," Hugh told him, "so you can stretch yourself as much as you please.
entrustingverbUS /enˈtrʌstɪŋ/
-ing form of “entrust” — confer a trust upon
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
flippersnounUS /ˈflɪpərz/
plural of “flipper” — a shoe for swimming; the paddle-like front is an aid in swimming (especially underwater)
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
foldsnounUS /foʊldz/
plural of “fold” — an angular or rounded shape made by folding
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading That was Billy addressing Hugh on the following morning, the scout master, as well as Alec Sands and Arthur Cameron, being up and around.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
a mental representation of some haunting experience
From this reading "Nothing doing in the ghost line, Billy," Hugh told him, "so you can stretch yourself as much as you please.
ghostsnounUS /ɡoʊsts/
plural of “ghost” — a mental representation of some haunting experience
From this reading Is it safe to come out; and is the coast clear of ghosts?"
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
HellonounUS /həˈloʊ/
an expression of greeting
From this reading A STARTLING SURPRISE "Hello!
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Nothing doing in the ghost line, Billy," Hugh told him, "so you can stretch yourself as much as you please.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
Hugh
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That was Billy addressing Hugh on the following morning, the scout master, as well as Alec Sands and Arthur Cameron, being up and around.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Nothing doing in the ghost line, Billy," Hugh told him, "so you can stretch yourself as much as you please.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Is it safe to come out; and is the coast clear of ghosts?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Is it safe to come out; and is the coast clear of ghosts?"
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading "Nothing doing in the ghost line, Billy," Hugh told him, "so you can stretch yourself as much as you please.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
an artist of consummate skill
From this reading That was Billy addressing Hugh on the following morning, the scout master, as well as Alec Sands and Arthur Cameron, being up and around.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading That was Billy addressing Hugh on the following morning, the scout master, as well as Alec Sands and Arthur Cameron, being up and around.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading "Nothing doing in the ghost line, Billy," Hugh told him, "so you can stretch yourself as much as you please.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading "Nothing doing in the ghost line, Billy," Hugh told him, "so you can stretch yourself as much as you please.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Is it safe to come out; and is the coast clear of ghosts?"
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading That was Billy addressing Hugh on the following morning, the scout master, as well as Alec Sands and Arthur Cameron, being up and around.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Is it safe to come out; and is the coast clear of ghosts?"
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading "Nothing doing in the ghost line, Billy," Hugh told him, "so you can stretch yourself as much as you please.
pokingnounUS /ˈpoʊkɪŋ/
a sharp hand gesture (resembling a blow)
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
red-and-black
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
past form of “remind” — put in the mind of someone
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
free from danger or the risk of harm
From this reading Is it safe to come out; and is the coast clear of ghosts?"
SandsnounUS /sændz/
the region of the shore of a lake or sea or ocean
From this reading That was Billy addressing Hugh on the following morning, the scout master, as well as Alec Sands and Arthur Cameron, being up and around.
scoutnounUS /skaʊt/
a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
From this reading That was Billy addressing Hugh on the following morning, the scout master, as well as Alec Sands and Arthur Cameron, being up and around.
shellnounUS /ʃel/
ammunition consisting of a cylindrical metal casing containing an explosive charge and a projectile; fired from a large gun
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "Nothing doing in the ghost line, Billy," Hugh told him, "so you can stretch yourself as much as you please.
in some unspecified way or manner; or by some unspecified means
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
spyverbUS /spaɪ/
catch sight of
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
STARTLINGadjectiveUS /ˈstɑːrtlɪŋ/
so remarkably different or sudden as to cause momentary shock or alarm
From this reading A STARTLING SURPRISE "Hello!
stretchverbUS /stretʃ/
occupy a large, elongated area
From this reading "Nothing doing in the ghost line, Billy," Hugh told him, "so you can stretch yourself as much as you please.
stripedadjectiveUS /straɪpt/
marked or decorated with stripes
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading A STARTLING SURPRISE "Hello!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That was Billy addressing Hugh on the following morning, the scout master, as well as Alec Sands and Arthur Cameron, being up and around.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Is it safe to come out; and is the coast clear of ghosts?"
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Is it safe to come out; and is the coast clear of ghosts?"
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading "Nothing doing in the ghost line, Billy," Hugh told him, "so you can stretch yourself as much as you please.
tortoisenounUS /ˈtɔːrtəs/
usually herbivorous land turtles having clawed elephant-like limbs; worldwide in arid area except Australia and Antarctica
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
hard to endure
From this reading They looked at Billy poking his head out from amidst the folds of his capacious red-and-black striped blanket, and laughed, for somehow he reminded them of a cautious old tortoise trying to spy out the land before entrusting his flippers beyond the confines of his shell.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading That was Billy addressing Hugh on the following morning, the scout master, as well as Alec Sands and Arthur Cameron, being up and around.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading That was Billy addressing Hugh on the following morning, the scout master, as well as Alec Sands and Arthur Cameron, being up and around.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading That was Billy addressing Hugh on the following morning, the scout master, as well as Alec Sands and Arthur Cameron, being up and around.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Nothing doing in the ghost line, Billy," Hugh told him, "so you can stretch yourself as much as you please.
used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action
From this reading "Nothing doing in the ghost line, Billy," Hugh told him, "so you can stretch yourself as much as you please.
