used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
at or in the front
From this reading As an experiment he threw his buoy ahead of him by a snap of wrist and forearm, then tried to swim to it.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading As an experiment he threw his buoy ahead of him by a snap of wrist and forearm, then tried to swim to it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading As an experiment he threw his buoy ahead of him by a snap of wrist and forearm, then tried to swim to it.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading He pawed his way forward with his arms, legs stretched out idle.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading The long yielding growth slid under and around him, but it took all the dash out of his stroke.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As an experiment he threw his buoy ahead of him by a snap of wrist and forearm, then tried to swim to it.
a line of approach
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading A thousand wet sticky fingers dragged their length over his body, retarding, clogging, holding him.
fearless and daring
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
buoyverbUS /ˈbuːi/
float on the surface of water
From this reading As an experiment he threw his buoy ahead of him by a snap of wrist and forearm, then tried to swim to it.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The long yielding growth slid under and around him, but it took all the dash out of his stroke.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading As an experiment he threw his buoy ahead of him by a snap of wrist and forearm, then tried to swim to it.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
cloggingadjectiveUS /ˈklɑːɡɪŋ/
preventing movement
From this reading A thousand wet sticky fingers dragged their length over his body, retarding, clogging, holding him.
closingnounUS /ˈkloʊzɪŋ/
the act of closing something
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
dashverbUS /dæʃ/
run or move very quickly or hastily
From this reading The long yielding growth slid under and around him, but it took all the dash out of his stroke.
dismayedadjectiveUS /dɪˈsmeɪd/
struck with fear, dread, or consternation
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
inflected form of “drag” — pull, as against a resistance
From this reading A thousand wet sticky fingers dragged their length over his body, retarding, clogging, holding him.
experimentnounUS /ɪkˈsperəmənt/
the act of conducting a controlled test or investigation
From this reading As an experiment he threw his buoy ahead of him by a snap of wrist and forearm, then tried to swim to it.
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading A thousand wet sticky fingers dragged their length over his body, retarding, clogging, holding him.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
forearmnounUS /fɔːˈrɑːrm/
the part of the superior limb between the elbow and the wrist
From this reading As an experiment he threw his buoy ahead of him by a snap of wrist and forearm, then tried to swim to it.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading He pawed his way forward with his arms, legs stretched out idle.
growthnounUS /ɡroʊθ/
(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level
From this reading The long yielding growth slid under and around him, but it took all the dash out of his stroke.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading As an experiment he threw his buoy ahead of him by a snap of wrist and forearm, then tried to swim to it.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading As an experiment he threw his buoy ahead of him by a snap of wrist and forearm, then tried to swim to it.
the act of retaining something
From this reading A thousand wet sticky fingers dragged their length over his body, retarding, clogging, holding him.
not in action or at work
From this reading He pawed his way forward with his arms, legs stretched out idle.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading As an experiment he threw his buoy ahead of him by a snap of wrist and forearm, then tried to swim to it.
staying power
From this reading He pawed his way forward with his arms, legs stretched out idle.
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading A thousand wet sticky fingers dragged their length over his body, retarding, clogging, holding him.
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 The long yielding growth slid under and around him, but it took all the dash out of his stroke.
MaddenverbUS /ˈmædən/
cause to go crazy; cause to lose one's mind
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
a particular point in time
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading A thousand wet sticky fingers dragged their length over his body, retarding, clogging, holding him.
pawedverbUS /pɔːd/
past form of “paw” — scrape with the paws
From this reading He pawed his way forward with his arms, legs stretched out idle.
retardingverbUS /rɪˈtɑːrdɪŋ/
-ing form of “retard” — cause to move more slowly or operate at a slower rate
From this reading A thousand wet sticky fingers dragged their length over his body, retarding, clogging, holding him.
(military) withdrawal of troops to a more favorable position to escape the enemy's superior forces or after a defeat
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
schoonernounUS /ˈskuːnər/
a large beer glass
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
sinisteradjectiveUS /ˈsɪnɪstər/
threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
slidverbUS /slɪd/
inflected form of “slide” — move obliquely or sideways, usually in an uncontrolled manner
From this reading The long yielding growth slid under and around him, but it took all the dash out of his stroke.
snapverbUS /snæp/
utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
From this reading As an experiment he threw his buoy ahead of him by a snap of wrist and forearm, then tried to swim to it.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
stickyadjectiveUS /ˈstɪki/
having the sticky properties of an adhesive
From this reading A thousand wet sticky fingers dragged their length over his body, retarding, clogging, holding him.
(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching
From this reading He pawed his way forward with his arms, legs stretched out idle.
(sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand
From this reading The long yielding growth slid under and around him, but it took all the dash out of his stroke.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
swimverbUS /swɪm/
travel through water
From this reading As an experiment he threw his buoy ahead of him by a snap of wrist and forearm, then tried to swim to it.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading A thousand wet sticky fingers dragged their length over his body, retarding, clogging, holding him.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
in or at that place or location
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading A thousand wet sticky fingers dragged their length over his body, retarding, clogging, holding him.
inflected form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading As an experiment he threw his buoy ahead of him by a snap of wrist and forearm, then tried to swim to it.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading As an experiment he threw his buoy ahead of him by a snap of wrist and forearm, then tried to swim to it.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading The long yielding growth slid under and around him, but it took all the dash out of his stroke.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
TRAPPEDadjectiveUS /træpt/
forced to turn and face attackers
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading As an experiment he threw his buoy ahead of him by a snap of wrist and forearm, then tried to swim to it.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading The long yielding growth slid under and around him, but it took all the dash out of his stroke.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading He pawed his way forward with his arms, legs stretched out idle.
wearinessnounUS /ˈwɪrinəs/
temporary loss of strength and energy resulting from hard physical or mental work
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
covered or soaked with a liquid such as water
From this reading A thousand wet sticky fingers dragged their length over his body, retarding, clogging, holding him.
in the company of; together with
From this reading TRAPPED There was something so sinister in this silent closing of all avenue of retreat that for a moment Madden was dismayed, then he struck out toward the schooner with a certain bold weariness.
wristnounUS /rɪst/
a joint between the distal end of the radius and the proximal row of carpal bones
From this reading As an experiment he threw his buoy ahead of him by a snap of wrist and forearm, then tried to swim to it.
yieldingadjectiveUS /ˈjiːldɪŋ/
inclined to yield to argument or influence or control
From this reading The long yielding growth slid under and around him, but it took all the dash out of his stroke.
