used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
(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 The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "Black fellow crawl up," said Shanter, as Norman secured the window.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "Poor wretches, it is very horrible to have to fire at their unprotected bodies.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "They had better stay away," said the captain, gravely.
a room used primarily for sleeping
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading "They had better stay away," said the captain, gravely.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading "Black fellow crawl up," said Shanter, as Norman secured the window.
plural of “body” — the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading "Poor wretches, it is very horrible to have to fire at their unprotected bodies.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading "They had better stay away," said the captain, gravely.
put or send forth
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
carefully weighed
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
crawlverbUS /krɔːl/
move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading "Black fellow crawl up," said Shanter, as Norman secured the window.
defences
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
the organ of sight
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
a boy or man
From this reading "Black fellow crawl up," said Shanter, as Norman secured the window.
start firing a weapon
From this reading "Poor wretches, it is very horrible to have to fire at their unprotected bodies.
brought together in one place
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
the act of departing
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
in a grave and sober manner
From this reading "They had better stay away," said the captain, gravely.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "They had better stay away," said the captain, gravely.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Poor wretches, it is very horrible to have to fire at their unprotected bodies.
advanced in complexity or elaboration
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
provoking horror
From this reading "Poor wretches, it is very horrible to have to fire at their unprotected bodies.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If they would only keep away."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Poor wretches, it is very horrible to have to fire at their unprotected bodies.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Poor wretches, it is very horrible to have to fire at their unprotected bodies.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading If they would only keep away."
plural of “lady” — a polite name for any woman
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
NormannounUS /ˈnɔːrmən/
United States operatic soprano (born in 1945)
From this reading "Black fellow crawl up," said Shanter, as Norman secured the window.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
and nothing more
From this reading If they would only keep away."
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading "Poor wretches, it is very horrible to have to fire at their unprotected bodies.
apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
safestadjectiveUS /ˈseɪfəst/
superlative of “safe” — free from danger or the risk of harm
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Black fellow crawl up," said Shanter, as Norman secured the window.
securedverbUS /sɪˈkjʊrd/
past form of “secure” — get by special effort
From this reading "Black fellow crawl up," said Shanter, as Norman secured the window.
Shanter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Black fellow crawl up," said Shanter, as Norman secured the window.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading "They had better stay away," said the captain, gravely.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
strongholdnounUS /ˈstrɔːŋhoʊld/
a strongly fortified defensive structure
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Black fellow crawl up," said Shanter, as Norman secured the window.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading "Poor wretches, it is very horrible to have to fire at their unprotected bodies.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "They had better stay away," said the captain, gravely.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Poor wretches, it is very horrible to have to fire at their unprotected bodies.
unprotectedadjectiveUS /ˌʌnprəˈtektɪd/
lacking protection or defense
From this reading "Poor wretches, it is very horrible to have to fire at their unprotected bodies.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "Black fellow crawl up," said Shanter, as Norman secured the window.
precisely as stated
From this reading "Poor wretches, it is very horrible to have to fire at their unprotected bodies.
weaponsnounUS /ˈwepənz/
plural of “weapon” — any instrument or instrumentality used in fighting or hunting
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The captain cast an eye over the defences, and at the boys' weapons before going to the girls' bedroom, which stood a little higher than the other rooms of the house, and being considered the safest spot in the stronghold, the ladies were all gathered there.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading "Black fellow crawl up," said Shanter, as Norman secured the window.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading If they would only keep away."
wretches
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Poor wretches, it is very horrible to have to fire at their unprotected bodies.
