used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Then it was only to go skulking along the beach, and to perch himself at last, owl-like, on a huge pile of sand which overlooked a particular stretch of the beach on which a huge fire of driftwood had been built.
AboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading About the fire eight negroes were seated.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading Then it was only to go skulking along the beach, and to perch himself at last, owl-like, on a huge pile of sand which overlooked a particular stretch of the beach on which a huge fire of driftwood had been built.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Then it was only to go skulking along the beach, and to perch himself at last, owl-like, on a huge pile of sand which overlooked a particular stretch of the beach on which a huge fire of driftwood had been built.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Then it was only to go skulking along the beach, and to perch himself at last, owl-like, on a huge pile of sand which overlooked a particular stretch of the beach on which a huge fire of driftwood had been built.
an area of sand sloping down to the water of a sea or lake
From this reading Then it was only to go skulking along the beach, and to perch himself at last, owl-like, on a huge pile of sand which overlooked a particular stretch of the beach on which a huge fire of driftwood had been built.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading The fire had died down now to a great, glowing bed of coals.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Then it was only to go skulking along the beach, and to perch himself at last, owl-like, on a huge pile of sand which overlooked a particular stretch of the beach on which a huge fire of driftwood had been built.
(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness
From this reading Then it was only to go skulking along the beach, and to perch himself at last, owl-like, on a huge pile of sand which overlooked a particular stretch of the beach on which a huge fire of driftwood had been built.
circusnounUS /ˈsɜːrkəs/
a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals
From this reading Pant did not return to the neighborhood of the circus grounds until darkness had fallen.
coalsnounUS /koʊlz/
plural of “coal” — fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period
From this reading The fire had died down now to a great, glowing bed of coals.
commentnounUS /ˈkɑːment/
a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information
From this reading "Razor-backs from the circus," was Pant's mental comment.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Pant did not return to the neighborhood of the circus grounds until darkness had fallen.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Pant did not return to the neighborhood of the circus grounds until darkness had fallen.
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading The fire had died down now to a great, glowing bed of coals.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The fire had died down now to a great, glowing bed of coals.
driftwoodnounUS /ˈdrɪftwʊd/
wood that is floating or that has been washed ashore
From this reading Then it was only to go skulking along the beach, and to perch himself at last, owl-like, on a huge pile of sand which overlooked a particular stretch of the beach on which a huge fire of driftwood had been built.
being one more than seven
From this reading About the fire eight negroes were seated.
having dropped by the force of gravity
From this reading Pant did not return to the neighborhood of the circus grounds until darkness had fallen.
start firing a weapon
From this reading Then it was only to go skulking along the beach, and to perch himself at last, owl-like, on a huge pile of sand which overlooked a particular stretch of the beach on which a huge fire of driftwood had been built.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "Razor-backs from the circus," was Pant's mental comment.
glowingadjectiveUS /ˈɡloʊɪŋ/
highly enthusiastic
From this reading The fire had died down now to a great, glowing bed of coals.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Then it was only to go skulking along the beach, and to perch himself at last, owl-like, on a huge pile of sand which overlooked a particular stretch of the beach on which a huge fire of driftwood had been built.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The fire had died down now to a great, glowing bed of coals.
your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief
From this reading Pant did not return to the neighborhood of the circus grounds until darkness had fallen.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Pant did not return to the neighborhood of the circus grounds until darkness had fallen.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Then it was only to go skulking along the beach, and to perch himself at last, owl-like, on a huge pile of sand which overlooked a particular stretch of the beach on which a huge fire of driftwood had been built.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading Then it was only to go skulking along the beach, and to perch himself at last, owl-like, on a huge pile of sand which overlooked a particular stretch of the beach on which a huge fire of driftwood had been built.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Then it was only to go skulking along the beach, and to perch himself at last, owl-like, on a huge pile of sand which overlooked a particular stretch of the beach on which a huge fire of driftwood had been built.
immediately past
From this reading Then it was only to go skulking along the beach, and to perch himself at last, owl-like, on a huge pile of sand which overlooked a particular stretch of the beach on which a huge fire of driftwood had been built.
involving the mind or an intellectual process
From this reading "Razor-backs from the circus," was Pant's mental comment.
negroesnounUS /ˈniːɡroʊz/
plural of “negro” — a person with African ancestry, "Negro" and "Negroid" are archaic and pejorative today
From this reading About the fire eight negroes were seated.
neighborhoodnounUS /ˈneɪbərhʊd/
a surrounding or nearby region
From this reading Pant did not return to the neighborhood of the circus grounds until darkness had fallen.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Pant did not return to the neighborhood of the circus grounds until darkness had fallen.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The fire had died down now to a great, glowing bed of coals.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Pant did not return to the neighborhood of the circus grounds until darkness had fallen.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Then it was only to go skulking along the beach, and to perch himself at last, owl-like, on a huge pile of sand which overlooked a particular stretch of the beach on which a huge fire of driftwood had been built.
and nothing more
From this reading Then it was only to go skulking along the beach, and to perch himself at last, owl-like, on a huge pile of sand which overlooked a particular stretch of the beach on which a huge fire of driftwood had been built.
overlookedadjectiveUS /ˈoʊvərlʊkt/
not taken into account
From this reading Then it was only to go skulking along the beach, and to perch himself at last, owl-like, on a huge pile of sand which overlooked a particular stretch of the beach on which a huge fire of driftwood had been built.
owl-like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then it was only to go skulking along the beach, and to perch himself at last, owl-like, on a huge pile of sand which overlooked a particular stretch of the beach on which a huge fire of driftwood had been built.
PantverbUS /pænt/
breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading Pant did not return to the neighborhood of the circus grounds until darkness had fallen.
Pant's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Razor-backs from the circus," was Pant's mental comment.
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading Then it was only to go skulking along the beach, and to perch himself at last, owl-like, on a huge pile of sand which overlooked a particular stretch of the beach on which a huge fire of driftwood had been built.
perchnounUS /pɜːrtʃ/
support consisting of a branch or rod that serves as a resting place (especially for a bird)
From this reading Then it was only to go skulking along the beach, and to perch himself at last, owl-like, on a huge pile of sand which overlooked a particular stretch of the beach on which a huge fire of driftwood had been built.
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading Then it was only to go skulking along the beach, and to perch himself at last, owl-like, on a huge pile of sand which overlooked a particular stretch of the beach on which a huge fire of driftwood had been built.
Razor-backs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Razor-backs from the circus," was Pant's mental comment.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading Pant did not return to the neighborhood of the circus grounds until darkness had fallen.
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading Then it was only to go skulking along the beach, and to perch himself at last, owl-like, on a huge pile of sand which overlooked a particular stretch of the beach on which a huge fire of driftwood had been built.
(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks
From this reading About the fire eight negroes were seated.
skulkingnounUS /ˈskʌlkɪŋ/
evading duty or work by pretending to be incapacitated
From this reading Then it was only to go skulking along the beach, and to perch himself at last, owl-like, on a huge pile of sand which overlooked a particular stretch of the beach on which a huge fire of driftwood had been built.
stretchverbUS /stretʃ/
occupy a large, elongated area
From this reading Then it was only to go skulking along the beach, and to perch himself at last, owl-like, on a huge pile of sand which overlooked a particular stretch of the beach on which a huge fire of driftwood had been built.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Pant did not return to the neighborhood of the circus grounds until darkness had fallen.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then it was only to go skulking along the beach, and to perch himself at last, owl-like, on a huge pile of sand which overlooked a particular stretch of the beach on which a huge fire of driftwood had been built.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Pant did not return to the neighborhood of the circus grounds until darkness had fallen.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Pant did not return to the neighborhood of the circus grounds until darkness had fallen.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Then it was only to go skulking along the beach, and to perch himself at last, owl-like, on a huge pile of sand which overlooked a particular stretch of the beach on which a huge fire of driftwood had been built.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading About the fire eight negroes were seated.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Then it was only to go skulking along the beach, and to perch himself at last, owl-like, on a huge pile of sand which overlooked a particular stretch of the beach on which a huge fire of driftwood had been built.
