used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading WE FACE DISASTER This unexpected discovery came to me like a blow; the very breath seemed to desert my lungs, as I stared down at the vacant stream.
(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 We had been out-generaled, tricked, and all our theories as to what had occurred were wrong.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading Instead of being alone, as we had supposed, we were in the midst of enemies; we had been seen, watched, and while we loitered ashore, the murderers had stolen our boat and vanished, leaving us there helplessly marooned.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading All this was plain enough now, when it was already too late to remedy the evil.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading We had been out-generaled, tricked, and all our theories as to what had occurred were wrong.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading WE FACE DISASTER This unexpected discovery came to me like a blow; the very breath seemed to desert my lungs, as I stared down at the vacant stream.
ashoreadverbUS /əˈʃɔːr/
towards the shore from the water
From this reading Instead of being alone, as we had supposed, we were in the midst of enemies; we had been seen, watched, and while we loitered ashore, the murderers had stolen our boat and vanished, leaving us there helplessly marooned.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading WE FACE DISASTER This unexpected discovery came to me like a blow; the very breath seemed to desert my lungs, as I stared down at the vacant stream.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading We had been out-generaled, tricked, and all our theories as to what had occurred were wrong.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Instead of being alone, as we had supposed, we were in the midst of enemies; we had been seen, watched, and while we loitered ashore, the murderers had stolen our boat and vanished, leaving us there helplessly marooned.
exhale hard
From this reading WE FACE DISASTER This unexpected discovery came to me like a blow; the very breath seemed to desert my lungs, as I stared down at the vacant stream.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading Instead of being alone, as we had supposed, we were in the midst of enemies; we had been seen, watched, and while we loitered ashore, the murderers had stolen our boat and vanished, leaving us there helplessly marooned.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading WE FACE DISASTER This unexpected discovery came to me like a blow; the very breath seemed to desert my lungs, as I stared down at the vacant stream.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading WE FACE DISASTER This unexpected discovery came to me like a blow; the very breath seemed to desert my lungs, as I stared down at the vacant stream.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading The duty we had performed to the dead had cost us our own chance to escape.
the total spent for goods or services including money and time and labor
From this reading The duty we had performed to the dead had cost us our own chance to escape.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading The duty we had performed to the dead had cost us our own chance to escape.
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading WE FACE DISASTER This unexpected discovery came to me like a blow; the very breath seemed to desert my lungs, as I stared down at the vacant stream.
DISASTERnounUS /dɪˈzæstər/
a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune
From this reading WE FACE DISASTER This unexpected discovery came to me like a blow; the very breath seemed to desert my lungs, as I stared down at the vacant stream.
the act of discovering something
From this reading WE FACE DISASTER This unexpected discovery came to me like a blow; the very breath seemed to desert my lungs, as I stared down at the vacant stream.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading WE FACE DISASTER This unexpected discovery came to me like a blow; the very breath seemed to desert my lungs, as I stared down at the vacant stream.
the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading The duty we had performed to the dead had cost us our own chance to escape.
plural of “enemy” — an opposing military force
From this reading Instead of being alone, as we had supposed, we were in the midst of enemies; we had been seen, watched, and while we loitered ashore, the murderers had stolen our boat and vanished, leaving us there helplessly marooned.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading All this was plain enough now, when it was already too late to remedy the evil.
the act of escaping physically
From this reading The duty we had performed to the dead had cost us our own chance to escape.
morally objectionable behavior
From this reading All this was plain enough now, when it was already too late to remedy the evil.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading WE FACE DISASTER This unexpected discovery came to me like a blow; the very breath seemed to desert my lungs, as I stared down at the vacant stream.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading We had been out-generaled, tricked, and all our theories as to what had occurred were wrong.
helplesslyadverbUS /ˈhelpləsli/
in a helpless manner
From this reading Instead of being alone, as we had supposed, we were in the midst of enemies; we had been seen, watched, and while we loitered ashore, the murderers had stolen our boat and vanished, leaving us there helplessly marooned.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading WE FACE DISASTER This unexpected discovery came to me like a blow; the very breath seemed to desert my lungs, as I stared down at the vacant stream.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Instead of being alone, as we had supposed, we were in the midst of enemies; we had been seen, watched, and while we loitered ashore, the murderers had stolen our boat and vanished, leaving us there helplessly marooned.
in place of, or as an alternative to
From this reading Instead of being alone, as we had supposed, we were in the midst of enemies; we had been seen, watched, and while we loitered ashore, the murderers had stolen our boat and vanished, leaving us there helplessly marooned.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading All this was plain enough now, when it was already too late to remedy the evil.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading All this was plain enough now, when it was already too late to remedy the evil.
the act of departing
From this reading Instead of being alone, as we had supposed, we were in the midst of enemies; we had been seen, watched, and while we loitered ashore, the murderers had stolen our boat and vanished, leaving us there helplessly marooned.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading WE FACE DISASTER This unexpected discovery came to me like a blow; the very breath seemed to desert my lungs, as I stared down at the vacant stream.
loitered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Instead of being alone, as we had supposed, we were in the midst of enemies; we had been seen, watched, and while we loitered ashore, the murderers had stolen our boat and vanished, leaving us there helplessly marooned.
lungsnounUS /lʌŋz/
plural of “lung” — either of two saclike respiratory organs in the chest of vertebrates; serves to remove carbon dioxide and provide oxygen to the blood
From this reading WE FACE DISASTER This unexpected discovery came to me like a blow; the very breath seemed to desert my lungs, as I stared down at the vacant stream.
maroonedadjectiveUS /mərˈuːnd/
cut off or left behind
From this reading Instead of being alone, as we had supposed, we were in the midst of enemies; we had been seen, watched, and while we loitered ashore, the murderers had stolen our boat and vanished, leaving us there helplessly marooned.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading WE FACE DISASTER This unexpected discovery came to me like a blow; the very breath seemed to desert my lungs, as I stared down at the vacant stream.
the location of something surrounded by other things
From this reading Instead of being alone, as we had supposed, we were in the midst of enemies; we had been seen, watched, and while we loitered ashore, the murderers had stolen our boat and vanished, leaving us there helplessly marooned.
murderersnounUS /ˈmɜːrdərərz/
plural of “murderer” — a criminal who commits homicide (who performs the unlawful premeditated killing of another human being)
From this reading Instead of being alone, as we had supposed, we were in the midst of enemies; we had been seen, watched, and while we loitered ashore, the murderers had stolen our boat and vanished, leaving us there helplessly marooned.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading WE FACE DISASTER This unexpected discovery came to me like a blow; the very breath seemed to desert my lungs, as I stared down at the vacant stream.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading All this was plain enough now, when it was already too late to remedy the evil.
inflected form of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading We had been out-generaled, tricked, and all our theories as to what had occurred were wrong.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Instead of being alone, as we had supposed, we were in the midst of enemies; we had been seen, watched, and while we loitered ashore, the murderers had stolen our boat and vanished, leaving us there helplessly marooned.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading We had been out-generaled, tricked, and all our theories as to what had occurred were wrong.
out-generaled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We had been out-generaled, tricked, and all our theories as to what had occurred were wrong.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading The duty we had performed to the dead had cost us our own chance to escape.
performedverbUS /pərˈfɔːrmd/
past form of “perform” — carry out or perform an action
From this reading The duty we had performed to the dead had cost us our own chance to escape.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading All this was plain enough now, when it was already too late to remedy the evil.
remedynounUS /ˈremədi/
act of correcting an error or a fault or an evil
From this reading All this was plain enough now, when it was already too late to remedy the evil.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading WE FACE DISASTER This unexpected discovery came to me like a blow; the very breath seemed to desert my lungs, as I stared down at the vacant stream.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Instead of being alone, as we had supposed, we were in the midst of enemies; we had been seen, watched, and while we loitered ashore, the murderers had stolen our boat and vanished, leaving us there helplessly marooned.
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading WE FACE DISASTER This unexpected discovery came to me like a blow; the very breath seemed to desert my lungs, as I stared down at the vacant stream.
inflected form of “steal” — take without the owner's consent
From this reading Instead of being alone, as we had supposed, we were in the midst of enemies; we had been seen, watched, and while we loitered ashore, the murderers had stolen our boat and vanished, leaving us there helplessly marooned.
a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth
From this reading WE FACE DISASTER This unexpected discovery came to me like a blow; the very breath seemed to desert my lungs, as I stared down at the vacant stream.
required or under orders
From this reading Instead of being alone, as we had supposed, we were in the midst of enemies; we had been seen, watched, and while we loitered ashore, the murderers had stolen our boat and vanished, leaving us there helplessly marooned.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading WE FACE DISASTER This unexpected discovery came to me like a blow; the very breath seemed to desert my lungs, as I stared down at the vacant stream.
theoriesnounUS /ˈθɪriz/
plural of “theory” — a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena
From this reading We had been out-generaled, tricked, and all our theories as to what had occurred were wrong.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Instead of being alone, as we had supposed, we were in the midst of enemies; we had been seen, watched, and while we loitered ashore, the murderers had stolen our boat and vanished, leaving us there helplessly marooned.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading WE FACE DISASTER This unexpected discovery came to me like a blow; the very breath seemed to desert my lungs, as I stared down at the vacant stream.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading WE FACE DISASTER This unexpected discovery came to me like a blow; the very breath seemed to desert my lungs, as I stared down at the vacant stream.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading All this was plain enough now, when it was already too late to remedy the evil.
trickedverbUS /trɪkt/
past form of “trick” — deceive somebody
From this reading We had been out-generaled, tricked, and all our theories as to what had occurred were wrong.
not expected or anticipated
From this reading WE FACE DISASTER This unexpected discovery came to me like a blow; the very breath seemed to desert my lungs, as I stared down at the vacant stream.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The duty we had performed to the dead had cost us our own chance to escape.
vacantadjectiveUS /ˈveɪkənt/
void of intelligence or thought
From this reading WE FACE DISASTER This unexpected discovery came to me like a blow; the very breath seemed to desert my lungs, as I stared down at the vacant stream.
having passed out of existence
From this reading Instead of being alone, as we had supposed, we were in the midst of enemies; we had been seen, watched, and while we loitered ashore, the murderers had stolen our boat and vanished, leaving us there helplessly marooned.
precisely as stated
From this reading WE FACE DISASTER This unexpected discovery came to me like a blow; the very breath seemed to desert my lungs, as I stared down at the vacant stream.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading All this was plain enough now, when it was already too late to remedy the evil.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading Instead of being alone, as we had supposed, we were in the midst of enemies; we had been seen, watched, and while we loitered ashore, the murderers had stolen our boat and vanished, leaving us there helplessly marooned.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading WE FACE DISASTER This unexpected discovery came to me like a blow; the very breath seemed to desert my lungs, as I stared down at the vacant stream.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading We had been out-generaled, tricked, and all our theories as to what had occurred were wrong.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading We had been out-generaled, tricked, and all our theories as to what had occurred were wrong.
at the time that
From this reading All this was plain enough now, when it was already too late to remedy the evil.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading Instead of being alone, as we had supposed, we were in the midst of enemies; we had been seen, watched, and while we loitered ashore, the murderers had stolen our boat and vanished, leaving us there helplessly marooned.
not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth
From this reading We had been out-generaled, tricked, and all our theories as to what had occurred were wrong.
