used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A FREE FIGHT.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
any thing at all
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He and the rest of the flock had been down to the valley to slake their thirst at the brook, and were now returning to their feeding-grounds.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He and the rest of the flock had been down to the valley to slake their thirst at the brook, and were now returning to their feeding-grounds.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Probably the sheep the wolves had killed was a member of the same flock, which had been left behind by his companions.
brooknounUS /brʊk/
a natural stream of water smaller than a river (and often a tributary of a river)
From this reading He and the rest of the flock had been down to the valley to slake their thirst at the brook, and were now returning to their feeding-grounds.
buckverbUS /bʌk/
to strive with determination
From this reading He knew now where the leading buck came from so suddenly.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Probably the sheep the wolves had killed was a member of the same flock, which had been left behind by his companions.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He knew now where the leading buck came from so suddenly.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
plural of “companion” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading Probably the sheep the wolves had killed was a member of the same flock, which had been left behind by his companions.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He and the rest of the flock had been down to the valley to slake their thirst at the brook, and were now returning to their feeding-grounds.
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
divisible by two
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
having experience; having knowledge or skill from observation or participation
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
feeding-grounds
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He and the rest of the flock had been down to the valley to slake their thirst at the brook, and were now returning to their feeding-grounds.
be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading A FREE FIGHT.
flocknounUS /flɑːk/
a church congregation guided by a pastor
From this reading He and the rest of the flock had been down to the valley to slake their thirst at the brook, and were now returning to their feeding-grounds.
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading A FREE FIGHT.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He knew now where the leading buck came from so suddenly.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He knew now where the leading buck came from so suddenly.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Probably the sheep the wolves had killed was a member of the same flock, which had been left behind by his companions.
someone who hunts game
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
past form of “kill” — cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
From this reading Probably the sheep the wolves had killed was a member of the same flock, which had been left behind by his companions.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading He knew now where the leading buck came from so suddenly.
indicating the most important performer or role
From this reading He knew now where the leading buck came from so suddenly.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading Probably the sheep the wolves had killed was a member of the same flock, which had been left behind by his companions.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)
From this reading Probably the sheep the wolves had killed was a member of the same flock, which had been left behind by his companions.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
an uneasy psychological state
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading He knew now where the leading buck came from so suddenly.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
OscarnounUS /ˈɔːskər/
an annual award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for achievements in motion picture production and performance
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
From this reading Probably the sheep the wolves had killed was a member of the same flock, which had been left behind by his companions.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading He and the rest of the flock had been down to the valley to slake their thirst at the brook, and were now returning to their feeding-grounds.
tending to return to an earlier state
From this reading He and the rest of the flock had been down to the valley to slake their thirst at the brook, and were now returning to their feeding-grounds.
Identical; not different.
From this reading Probably the sheep the wolves had killed was a member of the same flock, which had been left behind by his companions.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
woolly usually horned ruminant mammal related to the goat
From this reading Probably the sheep the wolves had killed was a member of the same flock, which had been left behind by his companions.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
slakeverb
satisfy
From this reading He and the rest of the flock had been down to the valley to slake their thirst at the brook, and were now returning to their feeding-grounds.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He knew now where the leading buck came from so suddenly.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading He knew now where the leading buck came from so suddenly.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading He and the rest of the flock had been down to the valley to slake their thirst at the brook, and were now returning to their feeding-grounds.
thirstnounUS /θɜːrst/
a physiological need to drink
From this reading He and the rest of the flock had been down to the valley to slake their thirst at the brook, and were now returning to their feeding-grounds.
thrillnounUS /θrɪl/
the swift release of a store of affective force
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He and the rest of the flock had been down to the valley to slake their thirst at the brook, and were now returning to their feeding-grounds.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading He and the rest of the flock had been down to the valley to slake their thirst at the brook, and were now returning to their feeding-grounds.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He and the rest of the flock had been down to the valley to slake their thirst at the brook, and were now returning to their feeding-grounds.
in or at the place that
From this reading He knew now where the leading buck came from so suddenly.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Probably the sheep the wolves had killed was a member of the same flock, which had been left behind by his companions.
which person or people
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
wolvesnounUS /wʊlvz/
plural of “wolf” — any of various predatory carnivorous canine mammals of North America and Eurasia that usually hunt in packs
From this reading Probably the sheep the wolves had killed was a member of the same flock, which had been left behind by his companions.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The sight was one that would have made the nerves of even an experienced hunter thrill with excitement; and we can imagine the effect it must have had upon Oscar, who had never seen anything like it before.
