used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He had known by the look in Gomez's eyes that he was going to throw a knife.
alleynounUS /ˈæli/
a narrow street with walls on both sides
From this reading THE COMPASS FAILS In the alley behind the buildings fronting on the main street, Rathburn paused in indecision, while he shoved his gun into the holster on his thigh.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Instinct had caused him to watch the Mexican's right hand, and, in the instant when Gomez had secured the knife from his hat and snapped back his hand for the throw, Rathburn had drawn and fired.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Instinct had caused him to watch the Mexican's right hand, and, in the instant when Gomez had secured the knife from his hat and snapped back his hand for the throw, Rathburn had drawn and fired.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading THE COMPASS FAILS In the alley behind the buildings fronting on the main street, Rathburn paused in indecision, while he shoved his gun into the holster on his thigh.
buildingsnounUS /ˈbɪldɪŋz/
plural of “building” — a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading THE COMPASS FAILS In the alley behind the buildings fronting on the main street, Rathburn paused in indecision, while he shoved his gun into the holster on his thigh.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He had known by the look in Gomez's eyes that he was going to throw a knife.
past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally
From this reading Instinct had caused him to watch the Mexican's right hand, and, in the instant when Gomez had secured the knife from his hat and snapped back his hand for the throw, Rathburn had drawn and fired.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading The gun route was the only chance to protect his life.
COMPASSnounUS /ˈkʌmpəs/
navigational instrument for finding directions
From this reading THE COMPASS FAILS In the alley behind the buildings fronting on the main street, Rathburn paused in indecision, while he shoved his gun into the holster on his thigh.
dexteritynounUS /dekˈsterəti/
adroitness in using the hands
From this reading He knew well the dexterity of a man of Gomez's stamp with a knife.
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading Instinct had caused him to watch the Mexican's right hand, and, in the instant when Gomez had secured the knife from his hat and snapped back his hand for the throw, Rathburn had drawn and fired.
opinion or judgment
From this reading He had known by the look in Gomez's eyes that he was going to throw a knife.
FAILSverbUS /feɪlz/
third-person singular of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone
From this reading THE COMPASS FAILS In the alley behind the buildings fronting on the main street, Rathburn paused in indecision, while he shoved his gun into the holster on his thigh.
firedadjectiveUS /ˈfaɪərd/
having lost your job
From this reading Instinct had caused him to watch the Mexican's right hand, and, in the instant when Gomez had secured the knife from his hat and snapped back his hand for the throw, Rathburn had drawn and fired.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Instinct had caused him to watch the Mexican's right hand, and, in the instant when Gomez had secured the knife from his hat and snapped back his hand for the throw, Rathburn had drawn and fired.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Instinct had caused him to watch the Mexican's right hand, and, in the instant when Gomez had secured the knife from his hat and snapped back his hand for the throw, Rathburn had drawn and fired.
frontingverbUS /ˈfrʌntɪŋ/
-ing form of “front” — be oriented in a certain direction, often with respect to another reference point; be opposite to
From this reading THE COMPASS FAILS In the alley behind the buildings fronting on the main street, Rathburn paused in indecision, while he shoved his gun into the holster on his thigh.
the act of departing
From this reading He had known by the look in Gomez's eyes that he was going to throw a knife.
Gomez
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Instinct had caused him to watch the Mexican's right hand, and, in the instant when Gomez had secured the knife from his hat and snapped back his hand for the throw, Rathburn had drawn and fired.
Gomez's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had known by the look in Gomez's eyes that he was going to throw a knife.
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading THE COMPASS FAILS In the alley behind the buildings fronting on the main street, Rathburn paused in indecision, while he shoved his gun into the holster on his thigh.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had known by the look in Gomez's eyes that he was going to throw a knife.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Instinct had caused him to watch the Mexican's right hand, and, in the instant when Gomez had secured the knife from his hat and snapped back his hand for the throw, Rathburn had drawn and fired.
headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim
From this reading Instinct had caused him to watch the Mexican's right hand, and, in the instant when Gomez had secured the knife from his hat and snapped back his hand for the throw, Rathburn had drawn and fired.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE COMPASS FAILS In the alley behind the buildings fronting on the main street, Rathburn paused in indecision, while he shoved his gun into the holster on his thigh.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Instinct had caused him to watch the Mexican's right hand, and, in the instant when Gomez had secured the knife from his hat and snapped back his hand for the throw, Rathburn had drawn and fired.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading THE COMPASS FAILS In the alley behind the buildings fronting on the main street, Rathburn paused in indecision, while he shoved his gun into the holster on his thigh.
holsternounUS /ˈhoʊlstər/
a sheath (usually leather) for carrying a handgun
From this reading THE COMPASS FAILS In the alley behind the buildings fronting on the main street, Rathburn paused in indecision, while he shoved his gun into the holster on his thigh.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE COMPASS FAILS In the alley behind the buildings fronting on the main street, Rathburn paused in indecision, while he shoved his gun into the holster on his thigh.
indecisionnounUS /ˌɪndɪˈsɪʒən/
doubt concerning two or more possible alternatives or courses of action
From this reading THE COMPASS FAILS In the alley behind the buildings fronting on the main street, Rathburn paused in indecision, while he shoved his gun into the holster on his thigh.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading Instinct had caused him to watch the Mexican's right hand, and, in the instant when Gomez had secured the knife from his hat and snapped back his hand for the throw, Rathburn had drawn and fired.
inborn pattern of behavior often responsive to specific stimuli
From this reading Instinct had caused him to watch the Mexican's right hand, and, in the instant when Gomez had secured the knife from his hat and snapped back his hand for the throw, Rathburn had drawn and fired.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading THE COMPASS FAILS In the alley behind the buildings fronting on the main street, Rathburn paused in indecision, while he shoved his gun into the holster on his thigh.
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 well the dexterity of a man of Gomez's stamp with a knife.
edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle
From this reading He had known by the look in Gomez's eyes that he was going to throw a knife.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading He had known by the look in Gomez's eyes that he was going to throw a knife.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading The gun route was the only chance to protect his life.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He had known by the look in Gomez's eyes that he was going to throw a knife.
most important element
From this reading THE COMPASS FAILS In the alley behind the buildings fronting on the main street, Rathburn paused in indecision, while he shoved his gun into the holster on his thigh.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading He knew well the dexterity of a man of Gomez's stamp with a knife.
Mexican's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Instinct had caused him to watch the Mexican's right hand, and, in the instant when Gomez had secured the knife from his hat and snapped back his hand for the throw, Rathburn had drawn and fired.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He knew well the dexterity of a man of Gomez's stamp with a knife.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading THE COMPASS FAILS In the alley behind the buildings fronting on the main street, Rathburn paused in indecision, while he shoved his gun into the holster on his thigh.
and nothing more
From this reading The gun route was the only chance to protect his life.
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading THE COMPASS FAILS In the alley behind the buildings fronting on the main street, Rathburn paused in indecision, while he shoved his gun into the holster on his thigh.
shield from danger, injury, destruction, or damage
From this reading The gun route was the only chance to protect his life.
Rathburn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE COMPASS FAILS In the alley behind the buildings fronting on the main street, Rathburn paused in indecision, while he shoved his gun into the holster on his thigh.
precisely, exactly
From this reading Instinct had caused him to watch the Mexican's right hand, and, in the instant when Gomez had secured the knife from his hat and snapped back his hand for the throw, Rathburn had drawn and fired.
routenounUS /ruːt/
an established line of travel or access
From this reading The gun route was the only chance to protect his life.
securedverbUS /sɪˈkjʊrd/
past form of “secure” — get by special effort
From this reading Instinct had caused him to watch the Mexican's right hand, and, in the instant when Gomez had secured the knife from his hat and snapped back his hand for the throw, Rathburn had drawn and fired.
shovedverbUS /ʃʌvd/
past form of “shove” — come into rough contact with while moving
From this reading THE COMPASS FAILS In the alley behind the buildings fronting on the main street, Rathburn paused in indecision, while he shoved his gun into the holster on his thigh.
snappedverbUS /snæpt/
inflected form of “snap” — utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
From this reading Instinct had caused him to watch the Mexican's right hand, and, in the instant when Gomez had secured the knife from his hat and snapped back his hand for the throw, Rathburn had drawn and fired.
stampverbUS /stæmp/
walk heavily
From this reading He knew well the dexterity of a man of Gomez's stamp with a knife.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading THE COMPASS FAILS In the alley behind the buildings fronting on the main street, Rathburn paused in indecision, while he shoved his gun into the holster on his thigh.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He had known by the look in Gomez's eyes that he was going to throw a knife.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE COMPASS FAILS In the alley behind the buildings fronting on the main street, Rathburn paused in indecision, while he shoved his gun into the holster on his thigh.
thighnounUS /θaɪ/
the part of the leg between the hip and the knee
From this reading THE COMPASS FAILS In the alley behind the buildings fronting on the main street, Rathburn paused in indecision, while he shoved his gun into the holster on his thigh.
propel through the air
From this reading He had known by the look in Gomez's eyes that he was going to throw a knife.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He had known by the look in Gomez's eyes that he was going to throw a knife.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He had known by the look in Gomez's eyes that he was going to throw a knife.
look attentively
From this reading Instinct had caused him to watch the Mexican's right hand, and, in the instant when Gomez had secured the knife from his hat and snapped back his hand for the throw, Rathburn had drawn and fired.
(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 He knew well the dexterity of a man of Gomez's stamp with a knife.
at the time that
From this reading Instinct had caused him to watch the Mexican's right hand, and, in the instant when Gomez had secured the knife from his hat and snapped back his hand for the throw, Rathburn had drawn and fired.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading THE COMPASS FAILS In the alley behind the buildings fronting on the main street, Rathburn paused in indecision, while he shoved his gun into the holster on his thigh.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He knew well the dexterity of a man of Gomez's stamp with a knife.
