used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The end came just before dawn, with a swiftness that stunned the faculties--as though one saw the naked wrath of God leap like lightning from the sky.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading The harsh, shapeless light of imminent day alone manufactured a colour of difference: Whitaker now was able to see as two dark shapes the men in the body of the leading boat.
at or in the front
From this reading One of the men was standing by the wheel, forward, staring ahead.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading The harsh, shapeless light of imminent day alone manufactured a colour of difference: Whitaker now was able to see as two dark shapes the men in the body of the leading boat.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading They were precisely as they had been, within a certain distance of one another, toiling on and ever on like strange misshapen spirits doomed to run an endless race.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They were precisely as they had been, within a certain distance of one another, toiling on and ever on like strange misshapen spirits doomed to run an endless race.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading They were precisely as they had been, within a certain distance of one another, toiling on and ever on like strange misshapen spirits doomed to run an endless race.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The end came just before dawn, with a swiftness that stunned the faculties--as though one saw the naked wrath of God leap like lightning from the sky.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The woman was not visible, but the doors to the cabin were closed, confirming his surmise that she at least had been sheltered through the night.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading They were precisely as they had been, within a certain distance of one another, toiling on and ever on like strange misshapen spirits doomed to run an endless race.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The end came just before dawn, with a swiftness that stunned the faculties--as though one saw the naked wrath of God leap like lightning from the sky.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading The harsh, shapeless light of imminent day alone manufactured a colour of difference: Whitaker now was able to see as two dark shapes the men in the body of the leading boat.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading The harsh, shapeless light of imminent day alone manufactured a colour of difference: Whitaker now was able to see as two dark shapes the men in the body of the leading boat.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The woman was not visible, but the doors to the cabin were closed, confirming his surmise that she at least had been sheltered through the night.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading One of the men was standing by the wheel, forward, staring ahead.
small room on a ship or boat where people sleep
From this reading The woman was not visible, but the doors to the cabin were closed, confirming his surmise that she at least had been sheltered through the night.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The end came just before dawn, with a swiftness that stunned the faculties--as though one saw the naked wrath of God leap like lightning from the sky.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading They were precisely as they had been, within a certain distance of one another, toiling on and ever on like strange misshapen spirits doomed to run an endless race.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading The woman was not visible, but the doors to the cabin were closed, confirming his surmise that she at least had been sheltered through the night.
having or capable of producing colors
From this reading The harsh, shapeless light of imminent day alone manufactured a colour of difference: Whitaker now was able to see as two dark shapes the men in the body of the leading boat.
confirmingadjectiveUS /kənˈfɜːrmɪŋ/
indicating existence or presence of a suspected condition or pathogen
From this reading The woman was not visible, but the doors to the cabin were closed, confirming his surmise that she at least had been sheltered through the night.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The harsh, shapeless light of imminent day alone manufactured a colour of difference: Whitaker now was able to see as two dark shapes the men in the body of the leading boat.
the first light of day
From this reading The end came just before dawn, with a swiftness that stunned the faculties--as though one saw the naked wrath of God leap like lightning from the sky.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading The harsh, shapeless light of imminent day alone manufactured a colour of difference: Whitaker now was able to see as two dark shapes the men in the body of the leading boat.
the quality of being unlike or dissimilar
From this reading The harsh, shapeless light of imminent day alone manufactured a colour of difference: Whitaker now was able to see as two dark shapes the men in the body of the leading boat.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading They were precisely as they had been, within a certain distance of one another, toiling on and ever on like strange misshapen spirits doomed to run an endless race.
doomedadjectiveUS /duːmd/
marked for certain death
From this reading They were precisely as they had been, within a certain distance of one another, toiling on and ever on like strange misshapen spirits doomed to run an endless race.
plural of “door” — a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading The woman was not visible, but the doors to the cabin were closed, confirming his surmise that she at least had been sheltered through the night.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading The end came just before dawn, with a swiftness that stunned the faculties--as though one saw the naked wrath of God leap like lightning from the sky.
endlessadjectiveUS /ˈendləs/
tiresomely long; seemingly without end
From this reading They were precisely as they had been, within a certain distance of one another, toiling on and ever on like strange misshapen spirits doomed to run an endless race.
at any time
From this reading They were precisely as they had been, within a certain distance of one another, toiling on and ever on like strange misshapen spirits doomed to run an endless race.
facultiesnounUS /ˈfækəltiz/
plural of “faculty” — one of the inherent cognitive or perceptual powers of the mind
From this reading The end came just before dawn, with a swiftness that stunned the faculties--as though one saw the naked wrath of God leap like lightning from the sky.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading One of the men was standing by the wheel, forward, staring ahead.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The end came just before dawn, with a swiftness that stunned the faculties--as though one saw the naked wrath of God leap like lightning from the sky.
the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading The end came just before dawn, with a swiftness that stunned the faculties--as though one saw the naked wrath of God leap like lightning from the sky.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They were precisely as they had been, within a certain distance of one another, toiling on and ever on like strange misshapen spirits doomed to run an endless race.
harshadjectiveUS /hɑːrʃ/
unpleasantly stern
From this reading The harsh, shapeless light of imminent day alone manufactured a colour of difference: Whitaker now was able to see as two dark shapes the men in the body of the leading boat.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The woman was not visible, but the doors to the cabin were closed, confirming his surmise that she at least had been sheltered through the night.
imminentadjectiveUS /ˈɪmənənt/
close in time; about to occur
From this reading The harsh, shapeless light of imminent day alone manufactured a colour of difference: Whitaker now was able to see as two dark shapes the men in the body of the leading boat.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The harsh, shapeless light of imminent day alone manufactured a colour of difference: Whitaker now was able to see as two dark shapes the men in the body of the leading boat.
and nothing more
From this reading The end came just before dawn, with a swiftness that stunned the faculties--as though one saw the naked wrath of God leap like lightning from the sky.
indicating the most important performer or role
From this reading The harsh, shapeless light of imminent day alone manufactured a colour of difference: Whitaker now was able to see as two dark shapes the men in the body of the leading boat.
leapnounUS /liːp/
a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards
From this reading The end came just before dawn, with a swiftness that stunned the faculties--as though one saw the naked wrath of God leap like lightning from the sky.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading The woman was not visible, but the doors to the cabin were closed, confirming his surmise that she at least had been sheltered through the night.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading The harsh, shapeless light of imminent day alone manufactured a colour of difference: Whitaker now was able to see as two dark shapes the men in the body of the leading boat.
abrupt electric discharge from cloud to cloud or from cloud to earth accompanied by the emission of light
From this reading The end came just before dawn, with a swiftness that stunned the faculties--as though one saw the naked wrath of God leap like lightning from the sky.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The end came just before dawn, with a swiftness that stunned the faculties--as though one saw the naked wrath of God leap like lightning from the sky.
manufacturedadjectiveUS /ˌmænjəˈfæktʃərd/
produced in a large-scale industrial operation
From this reading The harsh, shapeless light of imminent day alone manufactured a colour of difference: Whitaker now was able to see as two dark shapes the men in the body of the leading boat.
the force of workers available
From this reading The harsh, shapeless light of imminent day alone manufactured a colour of difference: Whitaker now was able to see as two dark shapes the men in the body of the leading boat.
misshapenadjectiveUS /mɪsˈʃeɪpən/
so badly formed or out of shape as to be ugly
From this reading They were precisely as they had been, within a certain distance of one another, toiling on and ever on like strange misshapen spirits doomed to run an endless race.
nakedadjectiveUS /ˈneɪkəd/
completely unclothed
From this reading The end came just before dawn, with a swiftness that stunned the faculties--as though one saw the naked wrath of God leap like lightning from the sky.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading The woman was not visible, but the doors to the cabin were closed, confirming his surmise that she at least had been sheltered through the night.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The woman was not visible, but the doors to the cabin were closed, confirming his surmise that she at least had been sheltered through the night.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The harsh, shapeless light of imminent day alone manufactured a colour of difference: Whitaker now was able to see as two dark shapes the men in the body of the leading boat.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The end came just before dawn, with a swiftness that stunned the faculties--as though one saw the naked wrath of God leap like lightning from the sky.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading They were precisely as they had been, within a certain distance of one another, toiling on and ever on like strange misshapen spirits doomed to run an endless race.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The end came just before dawn, with a swiftness that stunned the faculties--as though one saw the naked wrath of God leap like lightning from the sky.
preciselyadverbUS /prɪˈsaɪsli/
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading They were precisely as they had been, within a certain distance of one another, toiling on and ever on like strange misshapen spirits doomed to run an endless race.
any competition
From this reading They were precisely as they had been, within a certain distance of one another, toiling on and ever on like strange misshapen spirits doomed to run an endless race.
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading They were precisely as they had been, within a certain distance of one another, toiling on and ever on like strange misshapen spirits doomed to run an endless race.
cut with a saw
From this reading The end came just before dawn, with a swiftness that stunned the faculties--as though one saw the naked wrath of God leap like lightning from the sky.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading The harsh, shapeless light of imminent day alone manufactured a colour of difference: Whitaker now was able to see as two dark shapes the men in the body of the leading boat.
shapelessadjectiveUS /ˈʃeɪpləs/
having no definite form or distinct shape
From this reading The harsh, shapeless light of imminent day alone manufactured a colour of difference: Whitaker now was able to see as two dark shapes the men in the body of the leading boat.
shapesnounUS /ʃeɪps/
plural of “shape” — any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
From this reading The harsh, shapeless light of imminent day alone manufactured a colour of difference: Whitaker now was able to see as two dark shapes the men in the body of the leading boat.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The woman was not visible, but the doors to the cabin were closed, confirming his surmise that she at least had been sheltered through the night.
shelteredadjectiveUS /ˈʃeltərd/
protected from danger or bad weather
From this reading The woman was not visible, but the doors to the cabin were closed, confirming his surmise that she at least had been sheltered through the night.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading The end came just before dawn, with a swiftness that stunned the faculties--as though one saw the naked wrath of God leap like lightning from the sky.
an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented
From this reading They were precisely as they had been, within a certain distance of one another, toiling on and ever on like strange misshapen spirits doomed to run an endless race.
having a supporting base
From this reading One of the men was standing by the wheel, forward, staring ahead.
(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder
From this reading One of the men was standing by the wheel, forward, staring ahead.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading They were precisely as they had been, within a certain distance of one another, toiling on and ever on like strange misshapen spirits doomed to run an endless race.
stunnedadjectiveUS /stʌnd/
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading The end came just before dawn, with a swiftness that stunned the faculties--as though one saw the naked wrath of God leap like lightning from the sky.
surmiseverbUS /sərˈmaɪz/
infer from incomplete evidence
From this reading The woman was not visible, but the doors to the cabin were closed, confirming his surmise that she at least had been sheltered through the night.
swiftnessnounUS /ˈswɪftnəs/
a rate (usually rapid) at which something happens
From this reading The end came just before dawn, with a swiftness that stunned the faculties--as though one saw the naked wrath of God leap like lightning from the sky.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The end came just before dawn, with a swiftness that stunned the faculties--as though one saw the naked wrath of God leap like lightning from the sky.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The end came just before dawn, with a swiftness that stunned the faculties--as though one saw the naked wrath of God leap like lightning from the sky.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were precisely as they had been, within a certain distance of one another, toiling on and ever on like strange misshapen spirits doomed to run an endless race.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading The end came just before dawn, with a swiftness that stunned the faculties--as though one saw the naked wrath of God leap like lightning from the sky.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The woman was not visible, but the doors to the cabin were closed, confirming his surmise that she at least had been sheltered through the night.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They were precisely as they had been, within a certain distance of one another, toiling on and ever on like strange misshapen spirits doomed to run an endless race.
toilingadjectiveUS /ˈtɔɪlɪŋ/
doing arduous or unpleasant work
From this reading They were precisely as they had been, within a certain distance of one another, toiling on and ever on like strange misshapen spirits doomed to run an endless race.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The harsh, shapeless light of imminent day alone manufactured a colour of difference: Whitaker now was able to see as two dark shapes the men in the body of the leading boat.
capable of being seen; or open to easy view
From this reading The woman was not visible, but the doors to the cabin were closed, confirming his surmise that she at least had been sheltered through the night.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The harsh, shapeless light of imminent day alone manufactured a colour of difference: Whitaker now was able to see as two dark shapes the men in the body of the leading boat.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were precisely as they had been, within a certain distance of one another, toiling on and ever on like strange misshapen spirits doomed to run an endless race.
change directions as if revolving on a pivot
From this reading One of the men was standing by the wheel, forward, staring ahead.
Whitaker
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The harsh, shapeless light of imminent day alone manufactured a colour of difference: Whitaker now was able to see as two dark shapes the men in the body of the leading boat.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The end came just before dawn, with a swiftness that stunned the faculties--as though one saw the naked wrath of God leap like lightning from the sky.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading They were precisely as they had been, within a certain distance of one another, toiling on and ever on like strange misshapen spirits doomed to run an endless race.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading The woman was not visible, but the doors to the cabin were closed, confirming his surmise that she at least had been sheltered through the night.
intense anger (usually on an epic scale)
From this reading The end came just before dawn, with a swiftness that stunned the faculties--as though one saw the naked wrath of God leap like lightning from the sky.
