used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The fact that our plot was really moving, that Swain was in the enemy's country, so to speak, gave the affair a finality which it had lacked before.
move forward, also in the metaphorical sense
From this reading I felt as though, after a long period of uncertainty, war had been declared and the advance definitely begun.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading The fact that our plot was really moving, that Swain was in the enemy's country, so to speak, gave the affair a finality which it had lacked before.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading I felt as though, after a long period of uncertainty, war had been declared and the advance definitely begun.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE SCREAM IN THE NIGHT For some moments, I stood staring up into the darkness, half-expecting that shadowy figure to reappear, descend the ladder, and rejoin me.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I felt as though, after a long period of uncertainty, war had been declared and the advance definitely begun.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading It was too late now to hesitate or turn back; we must press forward.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading I felt as though, after a long period of uncertainty, war had been declared and the advance definitely begun.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The fact that our plot was really moving, that Swain was in the enemy's country, so to speak, gave the affair a finality which it had lacked before.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading I felt as though, after a long period of uncertainty, war had been declared and the advance definitely begun.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading The fact that our plot was really moving, that Swain was in the enemy's country, so to speak, gave the affair a finality which it had lacked before.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading THE SCREAM IN THE NIGHT For some moments, I stood staring up into the darkness, half-expecting that shadowy figure to reappear, descend the ladder, and rejoin me.
made known or openly avowed
From this reading I felt as though, after a long period of uncertainty, war had been declared and the advance definitely begun.
definitelyadverbUS /ˈdefənətli/
without question and beyond doubt
From this reading I felt as though, after a long period of uncertainty, war had been declared and the advance definitely begun.
descendverbUS /dɪˈsend/
move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
From this reading THE SCREAM IN THE NIGHT For some moments, I stood staring up into the darkness, half-expecting that shadowy figure to reappear, descend the ladder, and rejoin me.
enemy'snounUS /ˈenəmiz/
possessive form of “enemy” — an opposing military force
From this reading The fact that our plot was really moving, that Swain was in the enemy's country, so to speak, gave the affair a finality which it had lacked before.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading The fact that our plot was really moving, that Swain was in the enemy's country, so to speak, gave the affair a finality which it had lacked before.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading I felt as though, after a long period of uncertainty, war had been declared and the advance definitely begun.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading THE SCREAM IN THE NIGHT For some moments, I stood staring up into the darkness, half-expecting that shadowy figure to reappear, descend the ladder, and rejoin me.
finalitynounUS /faɪˈnæləti/
the quality of being final or definitely settled
From this reading The fact that our plot was really moving, that Swain was in the enemy's country, so to speak, gave the affair a finality which it had lacked before.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading THE SCREAM IN THE NIGHT For some moments, I stood staring up into the darkness, half-expecting that shadowy figure to reappear, descend the ladder, and rejoin me.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading It was too late now to hesitate or turn back; we must press forward.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading The fact that our plot was really moving, that Swain was in the enemy's country, so to speak, gave the affair a finality which it had lacked before.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The fact that our plot was really moving, that Swain was in the enemy's country, so to speak, gave the affair a finality which it had lacked before.
half-expecting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SCREAM IN THE NIGHT For some moments, I stood staring up into the darkness, half-expecting that shadowy figure to reappear, descend the ladder, and rejoin me.
hesitateverbUS /ˈhezəteɪt/
pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading It was too late now to hesitate or turn back; we must press forward.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading THE SCREAM IN THE NIGHT For some moments, I stood staring up into the darkness, half-expecting that shadowy figure to reappear, descend the ladder, and rejoin me.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE SCREAM IN THE NIGHT For some moments, I stood staring up into the darkness, half-expecting that shadowy figure to reappear, descend the ladder, and rejoin me.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading THE SCREAM IN THE NIGHT For some moments, I stood staring up into the darkness, half-expecting that shadowy figure to reappear, descend the ladder, and rejoin me.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The fact that our plot was really moving, that Swain was in the enemy's country, so to speak, gave the affair a finality which it had lacked before.
lackedverbUS /lækt/
past form of “lack” — be without
From this reading The fact that our plot was really moving, that Swain was in the enemy's country, so to speak, gave the affair a finality which it had lacked before.
laddernounUS /ˈlædər/
steps consisting of two parallel members connected by rungs; for climbing up or down
From this reading THE SCREAM IN THE NIGHT For some moments, I stood staring up into the darkness, half-expecting that shadowy figure to reappear, descend the ladder, and rejoin me.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading It was too late now to hesitate or turn back; we must press forward.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading I felt as though, after a long period of uncertainty, war had been declared and the advance definitely begun.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading THE SCREAM IN THE NIGHT For some moments, I stood staring up into the darkness, half-expecting that shadowy figure to reappear, descend the ladder, and rejoin me.
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading THE SCREAM IN THE NIGHT For some moments, I stood staring up into the darkness, half-expecting that shadowy figure to reappear, descend the ladder, and rejoin me.
in motion
From this reading The fact that our plot was really moving, that Swain was in the enemy's country, so to speak, gave the affair a finality which it had lacked before.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading It was too late now to hesitate or turn back; we must press forward.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading Then I shook myself together.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading THE SCREAM IN THE NIGHT For some moments, I stood staring up into the darkness, half-expecting that shadowy figure to reappear, descend the ladder, and rejoin me.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading It was too late now to hesitate or turn back; we must press forward.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I felt as though, after a long period of uncertainty, war had been declared and the advance definitely begun.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading It was too late now to hesitate or turn back; we must press forward.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading The fact that our plot was really moving, that Swain was in the enemy's country, so to speak, gave the affair a finality which it had lacked before.
an amount of time
From this reading I felt as though, after a long period of uncertainty, war had been declared and the advance definitely begun.
plotnounUS /plɑːt/
a secret scheme to do something (especially something underhand or illegal)
From this reading The fact that our plot was really moving, that Swain was in the enemy's country, so to speak, gave the affair a finality which it had lacked before.
exert pressure or force to or upon
From this reading It was too late now to hesitate or turn back; we must press forward.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading The fact that our plot was really moving, that Swain was in the enemy's country, so to speak, gave the affair a finality which it had lacked before.
reappearverbUS /ˌriːəˈpɪr/
appear again
From this reading THE SCREAM IN THE NIGHT For some moments, I stood staring up into the darkness, half-expecting that shadowy figure to reappear, descend the ladder, and rejoin me.
rejoinverbUS /riˈdʒɔɪn/
join again
From this reading THE SCREAM IN THE NIGHT For some moments, I stood staring up into the darkness, half-expecting that shadowy figure to reappear, descend the ladder, and rejoin me.
SCREAMverbUS /skriːm/
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading THE SCREAM IN THE NIGHT For some moments, I stood staring up into the darkness, half-expecting that shadowy figure to reappear, descend the ladder, and rejoin me.
shadowyadjectiveUS /ˈʃædoʊi/
filled with shade
From this reading THE SCREAM IN THE NIGHT For some moments, I stood staring up into the darkness, half-expecting that shadowy figure to reappear, descend the ladder, and rejoin me.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading Then I shook myself together.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The fact that our plot was really moving, that Swain was in the enemy's country, so to speak, gave the affair a finality which it had lacked before.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading THE SCREAM IN THE NIGHT For some moments, I stood staring up into the darkness, half-expecting that shadowy figure to reappear, descend the ladder, and rejoin me.
express in speech
From this reading The fact that our plot was really moving, that Swain was in the enemy's country, so to speak, gave the affair a finality which it had lacked before.
(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder
From this reading THE SCREAM IN THE NIGHT For some moments, I stood staring up into the darkness, half-expecting that shadowy figure to reappear, descend the ladder, and rejoin me.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading THE SCREAM IN THE NIGHT For some moments, I stood staring up into the darkness, half-expecting that shadowy figure to reappear, descend the ladder, and rejoin me.
SwainnounUS /sweɪn/
a man who is the lover of a man or woman
From this reading The fact that our plot was really moving, that Swain was in the enemy's country, so to speak, gave the affair a finality which it had lacked before.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE SCREAM IN THE NIGHT For some moments, I stood staring up into the darkness, half-expecting that shadowy figure to reappear, descend the ladder, and rejoin me.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE SCREAM IN THE NIGHT For some moments, I stood staring up into the darkness, half-expecting that shadowy figure to reappear, descend the ladder, and rejoin me.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then I shook myself together.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading I felt as though, after a long period of uncertainty, war had been declared and the advance definitely begun.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE SCREAM IN THE NIGHT For some moments, I stood staring up into the darkness, half-expecting that shadowy figure to reappear, descend the ladder, and rejoin me.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading Then I shook myself together.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading It was too late now to hesitate or turn back; we must press forward.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading It was too late now to hesitate or turn back; we must press forward.
uncertaintynounUS /ənˈsɜːrtənti/
being unsettled or in doubt or dependent on chance
From this reading I felt as though, after a long period of uncertainty, war had been declared and the advance definitely begun.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading THE SCREAM IN THE NIGHT For some moments, I stood staring up into the darkness, half-expecting that shadowy figure to reappear, descend the ladder, and rejoin me.
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading I felt as though, after a long period of uncertainty, war had been declared and the advance definitely begun.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The fact that our plot was really moving, that Swain was in the enemy's country, so to speak, gave the affair a finality which it had lacked before.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading It was too late now to hesitate or turn back; we must press forward.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The fact that our plot was really moving, that Swain was in the enemy's country, so to speak, gave the affair a finality which it had lacked before.
