used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading For instance, said the sly instinct, if this alien is telepathic, as you so neatly proved to yourself, then doesn't he know all that you and your pals know about a spaceship?
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading For instance, said the sly instinct, if this alien is telepathic, as you so neatly proved to yourself, then doesn't he know all that you and your pals know about a spaceship?
alienadjectiveUS /ˈeɪliən/
not contained in or deriving from the essential nature of something
From this reading For instance, said the sly instinct, if this alien is telepathic, as you so neatly proved to yourself, then doesn't he know all that you and your pals know about a spaceship?
(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 And the old preservation instinct was also giving him all sorts of reasons to knock this silly business off, and go back to the protection, however illusory, of the control room.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading O. O. Jerry Jones crept along the last ramp.
in addition
From this reading And the old preservation instinct was also giving him all sorts of reasons to knock this silly business off, and go back to the protection, however illusory, of the control room.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Habit, he grinned ruefully to himself; the habit of primitive man who crouched and slunk in the presence of danger, no matter what kind.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading For instance, said the sly instinct, if this alien is telepathic, as you so neatly proved to yourself, then doesn't he know all that you and your pals know about a spaceship?
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading And the old preservation instinct was also giving him all sorts of reasons to knock this silly business off, and go back to the protection, however illusory, of the control room.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading And the old preservation instinct was also giving him all sorts of reasons to knock this silly business off, and go back to the protection, however illusory, of the control room.
power to direct or determine
From this reading And the old preservation instinct was also giving him all sorts of reasons to knock this silly business off, and go back to the protection, however illusory, of the control room.
inflected form of “creep” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading O. O. Jerry Jones crept along the last ramp.
crouchedverbUS /kraʊtʃt/
past form of “crouch” — bend one's back forward from the waist on down
From this reading Habit, he grinned ruefully to himself; the habit of primitive man who crouched and slunk in the presence of danger, no matter what kind.
the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury
From this reading Habit, he grinned ruefully to himself; the habit of primitive man who crouched and slunk in the presence of danger, no matter what kind.
(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
From this reading Why the devil was he skulking like this?
doesn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For instance, said the sly instinct, if this alien is telepathic, as you so neatly proved to yourself, then doesn't he know all that you and your pals know about a spaceship?
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For instance, said the sly instinct, if this alien is telepathic, as you so neatly proved to yourself, then doesn't he know all that you and your pals know about a spaceship?
the act of giving
From this reading And the old preservation instinct was also giving him all sorts of reasons to knock this silly business off, and go back to the protection, however illusory, of the control room.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading And the old preservation instinct was also giving him all sorts of reasons to knock this silly business off, and go back to the protection, however illusory, of the control room.
grinnedverbUS /ɡrɪnd/
inflected form of “grin” — to draw back the lips and reveal the teeth, in a smile, grimace, or snarl
From this reading Habit, he grinned ruefully to himself; the habit of primitive man who crouched and slunk in the presence of danger, no matter what kind.
an established custom
From this reading Habit, he grinned ruefully to himself; the habit of primitive man who crouched and slunk in the presence of danger, no matter what kind.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Why the devil was he skulking like this?
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading And the old preservation instinct was also giving him all sorts of reasons to knock this silly business off, and go back to the protection, however illusory, of the control room.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Habit, he grinned ruefully to himself; the habit of primitive man who crouched and slunk in the presence of danger, no matter what kind.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading And the old preservation instinct was also giving him all sorts of reasons to knock this silly business off, and go back to the protection, however illusory, of the control room.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading For instance, said the sly instinct, if this alien is telepathic, as you so neatly proved to yourself, then doesn't he know all that you and your pals know about a spaceship?
illusoryadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈluːsəri/
based on or having the nature of an illusion
From this reading And the old preservation instinct was also giving him all sorts of reasons to knock this silly business off, and go back to the protection, however illusory, of the control room.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Habit, he grinned ruefully to himself; the habit of primitive man who crouched and slunk in the presence of danger, no matter what kind.
an occurrence of something
From this reading For instance, said the sly instinct, if this alien is telepathic, as you so neatly proved to yourself, then doesn't he know all that you and your pals know about a spaceship?
inborn pattern of behavior often responsive to specific stimuli
From this reading And the old preservation instinct was also giving him all sorts of reasons to knock this silly business off, and go back to the protection, however illusory, of the control room.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For instance, said the sly instinct, if this alien is telepathic, as you so neatly proved to yourself, then doesn't he know all that you and your pals know about a spaceship?
JerrynounUS /ˈdʒeri/
offensive term for a person of German descent
From this reading O. O. Jerry Jones crept along the last ramp.
United States labor leader (born in Ireland) who helped to found the Industrial Workers of the World (1830-1930)
From this reading O. O. Jerry Jones crept along the last ramp.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading Habit, he grinned ruefully to himself; the habit of primitive man who crouched and slunk in the presence of danger, no matter what kind.
deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading And the old preservation instinct was also giving him all sorts of reasons to knock this silly business off, and go back to the protection, however illusory, of the control room.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading For instance, said the sly instinct, if this alien is telepathic, as you so neatly proved to yourself, then doesn't he know all that you and your pals know about a spaceship?
immediately past
From this reading O. O. Jerry Jones crept along the last ramp.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Why the devil was he skulking like this?
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Habit, he grinned ruefully to himself; the habit of primitive man who crouched and slunk in the presence of danger, no matter what kind.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading Habit, he grinned ruefully to himself; the habit of primitive man who crouched and slunk in the presence of danger, no matter what kind.
neatlyadverbUS /ˈniːtli/
with neatness
From this reading For instance, said the sly instinct, if this alien is telepathic, as you so neatly proved to yourself, then doesn't he know all that you and your pals know about a spaceship?
not any; not one
From this reading Habit, he grinned ruefully to himself; the habit of primitive man who crouched and slunk in the presence of danger, no matter what kind.
a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust
From this reading O. O. Jerry Jones crept along the last ramp.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Habit, he grinned ruefully to himself; the habit of primitive man who crouched and slunk in the presence of danger, no matter what kind.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading And the old preservation instinct was also giving him all sorts of reasons to knock this silly business off, and go back to the protection, however illusory, of the control room.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading And the old preservation instinct was also giving him all sorts of reasons to knock this silly business off, and go back to the protection, however illusory, of the control room.
palsnounUS /pælz/
plural of “pal” — a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
From this reading For instance, said the sly instinct, if this alien is telepathic, as you so neatly proved to yourself, then doesn't he know all that you and your pals know about a spaceship?
the state of being present; current existence
From this reading Habit, he grinned ruefully to himself; the habit of primitive man who crouched and slunk in the presence of danger, no matter what kind.
preservationnounUS /ˌprezərˈveɪʃən/
the activity of protecting something from loss or danger
From this reading And the old preservation instinct was also giving him all sorts of reasons to knock this silly business off, and go back to the protection, however illusory, of the control room.
primitiveadjectiveUS /ˈprɪmətɪv/
belonging to an early stage of technical development; characterized by simplicity and (often) crudeness
From this reading Habit, he grinned ruefully to himself; the habit of primitive man who crouched and slunk in the presence of danger, no matter what kind.
the activity of protecting someone or something
From this reading And the old preservation instinct was also giving him all sorts of reasons to knock this silly business off, and go back to the protection, however illusory, of the control room.
established beyond doubt
From this reading For instance, said the sly instinct, if this alien is telepathic, as you so neatly proved to yourself, then doesn't he know all that you and your pals know about a spaceship?
rampnounUS /ræmp/
an inclined surface connecting two levels
From this reading O. O. Jerry Jones crept along the last ramp.
plural of “reason” — a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading And the old preservation instinct was also giving him all sorts of reasons to knock this silly business off, and go back to the protection, however illusory, of the control room.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading And the old preservation instinct was also giving him all sorts of reasons to knock this silly business off, and go back to the protection, however illusory, of the control room.
ruefullyadverbUS /ˈruːfəli/
in a rueful manner
From this reading Habit, he grinned ruefully to himself; the habit of primitive man who crouched and slunk in the presence of danger, no matter what kind.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading For instance, said the sly instinct, if this alien is telepathic, as you so neatly proved to yourself, then doesn't he know all that you and your pals know about a spaceship?
ludicrous, foolish
From this reading And the old preservation instinct was also giving him all sorts of reasons to knock this silly business off, and go back to the protection, however illusory, of the control room.
skulkingnounUS /ˈskʌlkɪŋ/
evading duty or work by pretending to be incapacitated
From this reading Why the devil was he skulking like this?
slunk
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Habit, he grinned ruefully to himself; the habit of primitive man who crouched and slunk in the presence of danger, no matter what kind.
slyadjectiveUS /slaɪ/
marked by skill in deception
From this reading For instance, said the sly instinct, if this alien is telepathic, as you so neatly proved to yourself, then doesn't he know all that you and your pals know about a spaceship?
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading For instance, said the sly instinct, if this alien is telepathic, as you so neatly proved to yourself, then doesn't he know all that you and your pals know about a spaceship?
plural of “sort” — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading And the old preservation instinct was also giving him all sorts of reasons to knock this silly business off, and go back to the protection, however illusory, of the control room.
spaceshipnounUS /ˈspeɪsʃɪp/
a spacecraft designed to carry a crew into interstellar space (especially in science fiction)
From this reading For instance, said the sly instinct, if this alien is telepathic, as you so neatly proved to yourself, then doesn't he know all that you and your pals know about a spaceship?
telepathicadjectiveUS /ˌteləˈpæθək/
communicating without apparent physical signals
From this reading For instance, said the sly instinct, if this alien is telepathic, as you so neatly proved to yourself, then doesn't he know all that you and your pals know about a spaceship?
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading For instance, said the sly instinct, if this alien is telepathic, as you so neatly proved to yourself, then doesn't he know all that you and your pals know about a spaceship?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading O. O. Jerry Jones crept along the last ramp.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading For instance, said the sly instinct, if this alien is telepathic, as you so neatly proved to yourself, then doesn't he know all that you and your pals know about a spaceship?
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Why the devil was he skulking like this?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Habit, he grinned ruefully to himself; the habit of primitive man who crouched and slunk in the presence of danger, no matter what kind.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Why the devil was he skulking like this?
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Habit, he grinned ruefully to himself; the habit of primitive man who crouched and slunk in the presence of danger, no matter what kind.
which person or people
From this reading Habit, he grinned ruefully to himself; the habit of primitive man who crouched and slunk in the presence of danger, no matter what kind.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why the devil was he skulking like this?
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading For instance, said the sly instinct, if this alien is telepathic, as you so neatly proved to yourself, then doesn't he know all that you and your pals know about a spaceship?
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading For instance, said the sly instinct, if this alien is telepathic, as you so neatly proved to yourself, then doesn't he know all that you and your pals know about a spaceship?
used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action
From this reading For instance, said the sly instinct, if this alien is telepathic, as you so neatly proved to yourself, then doesn't he know all that you and your pals know about a spaceship?
