used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A cry of astonishment went up from the quartette and then they stood silent to see what would be the next move.
AbnounUS /æb/
a bachelor's degree in arts and sciences
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A cry of astonishment went up from the quartette and then they stood silent to see what would be the next move.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising
From this reading A cry of astonishment went up from the quartette and then they stood silent to see what would be the next move.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading A cry of astonishment went up from the quartette and then they stood silent to see what would be the next move.
beggarnounUS /ˈbeɡər/
a pauper who lives by begging
From this reading "I'm glad I didn't shoot the little beggar."
Billie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "That must be his master," muttered Billie.
bramblesnounUS /ˈbræmbəlz/
plural of “bramble” — any of various rough thorny shrubs or vines
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
plural of “cry” — a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading A cry of astonishment went up from the quartette and then they stood silent to see what would be the next move.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
didn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm glad I didn't shoot the little beggar."
having dropped by the force of gravity
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A cry of astonishment went up from the quartette and then they stood silent to see what would be the next move.
gauntadjectiveUS /ɡɔːnt/
very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
the act of giving
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy
From this reading "I'm glad I didn't shoot the little beggar."
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "That must be his master," muttered Billie.
hoarseadjectiveUS /hɔːrs/
deep and harsh sounding as if from shouting or illness or emotion
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I'm glad I didn't shoot the little beggar."
I'm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm glad I didn't shoot the little beggar."
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "I'm glad I didn't shoot the little beggar."
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 did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
an artist of consummate skill
From this reading "That must be his master," muttered Billie.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading A cry of astonishment went up from the quartette and then they stood silent to see what would be the next move.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading "That must be his master," muttered Billie.
past form of “mutter” — talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice
From this reading "That must be his master," muttered Billie.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading WHEN THE OLD WAS NEW.
newcomernounUS /ˈnuːkʌmər/
any new participant in some activity
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading A cry of astonishment went up from the quartette and then they stood silent to see what would be the next move.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A cry of astonishment went up from the quartette and then they stood silent to see what would be the next move.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading WHEN THE OLD WAS NEW.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
in the near future
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
quartettenoun
four performers or singers who perform together
From this reading A cry of astonishment went up from the quartette and then they stood silent to see what would be the next move.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading A cry of astonishment went up from the quartette and then they stood silent to see what would be the next move.
hit with a missile from a weapon
From this reading "I'm glad I didn't shoot the little beggar."
utter in a loud voice; talk in a loud voice (usually denoting characteristic manner of speaking)
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
shrilladjectiveUS /ʃrɪl/
having or emitting a high-pitched and sharp tone or tones
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading A cry of astonishment went up from the quartette and then they stood silent to see what would be the next move.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading A cry of astonishment went up from the quartette and then they stood silent to see what would be the next move.
strodeverbUS /stroʊd/
inflected form of “stride” — walk with long steps
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "That must be his master," muttered Billie.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading WHEN THE OLD WAS NEW.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading A cry of astonishment went up from the quartette and then they stood silent to see what would be the next move.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A cry of astonishment went up from the quartette and then they stood silent to see what would be the next move.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A cry of astonishment went up from the quartette and then they stood silent to see what would be the next move.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading A cry of astonishment went up from the quartette and then they stood silent to see what would be the next move.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
communicated in words
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
ventnounUS /vent/
a hole for the escape of gas or air
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
WASauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading WHEN THE OLD WAS NEW.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading A cry of astonishment went up from the quartette and then they stood silent to see what would be the next move.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading A cry of astonishment went up from the quartette and then they stood silent to see what would be the next move.
at the time that
From this reading WHEN THE OLD WAS NEW.
in or at the place that
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading A cry of astonishment went up from the quartette and then they stood silent to see what would be the next move.
plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading They did not have long to wait, for presently a tall, gaunt figure strode out of the brambles some yards from the fallen horse and uttered a hoarse shout, upon which Ab sprang from the spot where he had fallen and ran toward the newcomer, giving vent to shrill cries as he ran.
