used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Only a Girl!
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading And before Maurice had time for more than a lightning-flash of realisation, came the shock—the grip of the rope about his chest and body, almost cutting him in two.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading THE first intimation of anything wrong, received by Maurice, came in the shape of a shower of stones; and a sharp exclamation from above warned him what to expect.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading And before Maurice had time for more than a lightning-flash of realisation, came the shock—the grip of the rope about his chest and body, almost cutting him in two.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE first intimation of anything wrong, received by Maurice, came in the shape of a shower of stones; and a sharp exclamation from above warned him what to expect.
any thing at all
From this reading THE first intimation of anything wrong, received by Maurice, came in the shape of a shower of stones; and a sharp exclamation from above warned him what to expect.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading And before Maurice had time for more than a lightning-flash of realisation, came the shock—the grip of the rope about his chest and body, almost cutting him in two.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading And before Maurice had time for more than a lightning-flash of realisation, came the shock—the grip of the rope about his chest and body, almost cutting him in two.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading THE first intimation of anything wrong, received by Maurice, came in the shape of a shower of stones; and a sharp exclamation from above warned him what to expect.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading THE first intimation of anything wrong, received by Maurice, came in the shape of a shower of stones; and a sharp exclamation from above warned him what to expect.
examine so as to determine accuracy, quality, or condition
From this reading He saw Pressford slide past, vainly trying to check his own rapid descent.
the part of the human torso between the neck and the diaphragm or the corresponding part in other vertebrates
From this reading And before Maurice had time for more than a lightning-flash of realisation, came the shock—the grip of the rope about his chest and body, almost cutting him in two.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading It seemed more than he could endure.
the activity of selecting the scenes to be shown and putting them together to create a film
From this reading And before Maurice had time for more than a lightning-flash of realisation, came the shock—the grip of the rope about his chest and body, almost cutting him in two.
descentnounUS /dɪˈsent/
An action of moving downward, dropping, or falling into a deeper place.
From this reading He saw Pressford slide past, vainly trying to check his own rapid descent.
put up with something or somebody unpleasant
From this reading It seemed more than he could endure.
exclamationnounUS /ˌekskləˈmeɪʃən/
an abrupt excited utterance
From this reading THE first intimation of anything wrong, received by Maurice, came in the shape of a shower of stones; and a sharp exclamation from above warned him what to expect.
regard something as probable or likely
From this reading THE first intimation of anything wrong, received by Maurice, came in the shape of a shower of stones; and a sharp exclamation from above warned him what to expect.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading THE first intimation of anything wrong, received by Maurice, came in the shape of a shower of stones; and a sharp exclamation from above warned him what to expect.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading And before Maurice had time for more than a lightning-flash of realisation, came the shock—the grip of the rope about his chest and body, almost cutting him in two.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading THE first intimation of anything wrong, received by Maurice, came in the shape of a shower of stones; and a sharp exclamation from above warned him what to expect.
a young female
From this reading Only a Girl!
gripnounUS /ɡrɪp/
the act of grasping
From this reading And before Maurice had time for more than a lightning-flash of realisation, came the shock—the grip of the rope about his chest and body, almost cutting him in two.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading And before Maurice had time for more than a lightning-flash of realisation, came the shock—the grip of the rope about his chest and body, almost cutting him in two.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He saw Pressford slide past, vainly trying to check his own rapid descent.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading THE first intimation of anything wrong, received by Maurice, came in the shape of a shower of stones; and a sharp exclamation from above warned him what to expect.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He saw Pressford slide past, vainly trying to check his own rapid descent.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE first intimation of anything wrong, received by Maurice, came in the shape of a shower of stones; and a sharp exclamation from above warned him what to expect.
intimationnounUS /ˌɪntəˈmeɪʃən/
an indirect suggestion
From this reading THE first intimation of anything wrong, received by Maurice, came in the shape of a shower of stones; and a sharp exclamation from above warned him what to expect.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It seemed more than he could endure.
lightning-flash
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And before Maurice had time for more than a lightning-flash of realisation, came the shock—the grip of the rope about his chest and body, almost cutting him in two.
Maurice
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE first intimation of anything wrong, received by Maurice, came in the shape of a shower of stones; and a sharp exclamation from above warned him what to expect.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading And before Maurice had time for more than a lightning-flash of realisation, came the shock—the grip of the rope about his chest and body, almost cutting him in two.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE first intimation of anything wrong, received by Maurice, came in the shape of a shower of stones; and a sharp exclamation from above warned him what to expect.
and nothing more
From this reading Only a Girl!
have ownership or possession of
From this reading He saw Pressford slide past, vainly trying to check his own rapid descent.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading He saw Pressford slide past, vainly trying to check his own rapid descent.
Pressford
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He saw Pressford slide past, vainly trying to check his own rapid descent.
rapidadjectiveUS /ˈræpəd/
done or occurring in a brief period of time
From this reading He saw Pressford slide past, vainly trying to check his own rapid descent.
realisationnounUS /ˈriːləˈzeɪʃən/
a musical composition that has been completed or enriched by someone other than the composer
From this reading And before Maurice had time for more than a lightning-flash of realisation, came the shock—the grip of the rope about his chest and body, almost cutting him in two.
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading THE first intimation of anything wrong, received by Maurice, came in the shape of a shower of stones; and a sharp exclamation from above warned him what to expect.
a strong line
From this reading And before Maurice had time for more than a lightning-flash of realisation, came the shock—the grip of the rope about his chest and body, almost cutting him in two.
cut with a saw
From this reading He saw Pressford slide past, vainly trying to check his own rapid descent.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading It seemed more than he could endure.
any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
From this reading THE first intimation of anything wrong, received by Maurice, came in the shape of a shower of stones; and a sharp exclamation from above warned him what to expect.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading THE first intimation of anything wrong, received by Maurice, came in the shape of a shower of stones; and a sharp exclamation from above warned him what to expect.
the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally
From this reading And before Maurice had time for more than a lightning-flash of realisation, came the shock—the grip of the rope about his chest and body, almost cutting him in two.
showernounUS /ˈʃaʊər/
a plumbing fixture that sprays water over you
From this reading THE first intimation of anything wrong, received by Maurice, came in the shape of a shower of stones; and a sharp exclamation from above warned him what to expect.
slidenounUS /slaɪd/
a small flat rectangular piece of glass on which specimens can be mounted for microscopic study
From this reading He saw Pressford slide past, vainly trying to check his own rapid descent.
plural of “stone” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading THE first intimation of anything wrong, received by Maurice, came in the shape of a shower of stones; and a sharp exclamation from above warned him what to expect.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading And before Maurice had time for more than a lightning-flash of realisation, came the shock—the grip of the rope about his chest and body, almost cutting him in two.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE first intimation of anything wrong, received by Maurice, came in the shape of a shower of stones; and a sharp exclamation from above warned him what to expect.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading And before Maurice had time for more than a lightning-flash of realisation, came the shock—the grip of the rope about his chest and body, almost cutting him in two.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE first intimation of anything wrong, received by Maurice, came in the shape of a shower of stones; and a sharp exclamation from above warned him what to expect.
hard to endure
From this reading He saw Pressford slide past, vainly trying to check his own rapid descent.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading And before Maurice had time for more than a lightning-flash of realisation, came the shock—the grip of the rope about his chest and body, almost cutting him in two.
vainlyadverbUS /ˈveɪnli/
to no avail
From this reading He saw Pressford slide past, vainly trying to check his own rapid descent.
past form of “warn” — notify of danger, potential harm, or risk
From this reading THE first intimation of anything wrong, received by Maurice, came in the shape of a shower of stones; and a sharp exclamation from above warned him what to expect.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading THE first intimation of anything wrong, received by Maurice, came in the shape of a shower of stones; and a sharp exclamation from above warned him what to expect.
not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth
From this reading THE first intimation of anything wrong, received by Maurice, came in the shape of a shower of stones; and a sharp exclamation from above warned him what to expect.
