used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Herc landed with a crash on something soft and yielding.
in actual fact
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Herc landed with a crash on something soft and yielding.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading "I'm a whole lot worse off now than I was before."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
crashverbUS /kræʃ/
fall or come down violently
From this reading Herc landed with a crash on something soft and yielding.
divisible by two
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading "Well, here's a nice kettle of fish!" exclaimed Herc to himself, rubbing his head ruefully.
any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills
From this reading "Well, here's a nice kettle of fish!" exclaimed Herc to himself, rubbing his head ruefully.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
set up or found
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
recently made, produced, or harvested
From this reading IN FRESH TERROR.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading "Well, here's a nice kettle of fish!" exclaimed Herc to himself, rubbing his head ruefully.
Herc
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Herc landed with a crash on something soft and yielding.
here's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Well, here's a nice kettle of fish!" exclaimed Herc to himself, rubbing his head ruefully.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I'm a whole lot worse off now than I was before."
I'm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm a whole lot worse off now than I was before."
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN FRESH TERROR.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
joltedadjectiveUS /ˈdʒoʊltɪd/
bumped or shaken jerkily
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
kettlenounUS /ˈketəl/
a metal pot for stewing or boiling; usually has a lid
From this reading "Well, here's a nice kettle of fish!" exclaimed Herc to himself, rubbing his head ruefully.
past form of “kill” — cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
owning or consisting of land or real estate
From this reading Herc landed with a crash on something soft and yielding.
(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent
From this reading "I'm a whole lot worse off now than I was before."
pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance
From this reading "Well, here's a nice kettle of fish!" exclaimed Herc to himself, rubbing his head ruefully.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "I'm a whole lot worse off now than I was before."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Well, here's a nice kettle of fish!" exclaimed Herc to himself, rubbing his head ruefully.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "I'm a whole lot worse off now than I was before."
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Herc landed with a crash on something soft and yielding.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
reassertedverbUS /ˌriːəˈsɜːrtɪd/
past form of “reassert” — strengthen or make more firm
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
rubbingnounUS /ˈrʌbɪŋ/
the resistance encountered when one body is moved in contact with another
From this reading "Well, here's a nice kettle of fish!" exclaimed Herc to himself, rubbing his head ruefully.
rudelyadverbUS /ˈruːdli/
in an impolite manner
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
ruefullyadverbUS /ˈruːfəli/
in a rueful manner
From this reading "Well, here's a nice kettle of fish!" exclaimed Herc to himself, rubbing his head ruefully.
plural of “sens” — street names for marijuana
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading Herc landed with a crash on something soft and yielding.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Herc landed with a crash on something soft and yielding.
in the near future
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
sprainedverbUS /spreɪnd/
past form of “sprain” — twist suddenly so as to sprain
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
substancenounUS /ˈsʌbstəns/
the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading IN FRESH TERROR.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading "I'm a whole lot worse off now than I was before."
an acknowledgment of appreciation
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading "Well, here's a nice kettle of fish!" exclaimed Herc to himself, rubbing his head ruefully.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading "I'm a whole lot worse off now than I was before."
in the company of; together with
From this reading Herc landed with a crash on something soft and yielding.
showing curiosity
From this reading For an instant or two he actually found himself wondering if he had been killed, but as soon as his rudely jolted senses reasserted themselves he found that, thanks to the soft substance he had landed upon, he was not even sprained.
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading "I'm a whole lot worse off now than I was before."
yieldingadjectiveUS /ˈjiːldɪŋ/
inclined to yield to argument or influence or control
From this reading Herc landed with a crash on something soft and yielding.
