used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading No doubt it was a god--but who wasn't?
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading It had happened so fast that he could almost feel the warm, humid Missouri air, though he was light years from Missouri.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading It had happened so fast that he could almost feel the warm, humid Missouri air, though he was light years from Missouri.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He touched the pencil-line scar behind his ear where the cylinder was buried, marveling at the power stored there, power to fling him from earth to this fourth planet of the Centaurian system in an instant.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The sand-thing was powerful, lonely and strange.
accomplishment of an objective
From this reading Stinson lay still in the sand where he fell, gloating over the success of his arrival.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He touched the pencil-line scar behind his ear where the cylinder was buried, marveling at the power stored there, power to fling him from earth to this fourth planet of the Centaurian system in an instant.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading He touched the pencil-line scar behind his ear where the cylinder was buried, marveling at the power stored there, power to fling him from earth to this fourth planet of the Centaurian system in an instant.
placed in a grave
From this reading He touched the pencil-line scar behind his ear where the cylinder was buried, marveling at the power stored there, power to fling him from earth to this fourth planet of the Centaurian system in an instant.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading No doubt it was a god--but who wasn't?
Centaurian
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He touched the pencil-line scar behind his ear where the cylinder was buried, marveling at the power stored there, power to fling him from earth to this fourth planet of the Centaurian system in an instant.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading It had happened so fast that he could almost feel the warm, humid Missouri air, though he was light years from Missouri.
cylindernounUS /ˈsɪləndər/
a solid bounded by a cylindrical surface and two parallel planes (the bases)
From this reading He touched the pencil-line scar behind his ear where the cylinder was buried, marveling at the power stored there, power to fling him from earth to this fourth planet of the Centaurian system in an instant.
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading No doubt it was a god--but who wasn't?
the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading He touched the pencil-line scar behind his ear where the cylinder was buried, marveling at the power stored there, power to fling him from earth to this fourth planet of the Centaurian system in an instant.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading He touched the pencil-line scar behind his ear where the cylinder was buried, marveling at the power stored there, power to fling him from earth to this fourth planet of the Centaurian system in an instant.
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading It had happened so fast that he could almost feel the warm, humid Missouri air, though he was light years from Missouri.
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading It had happened so fast that he could almost feel the warm, humid Missouri air, though he was light years from Missouri.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading Stinson lay still in the sand where he fell, gloating over the success of his arrival.
flingverbUS /flɪŋ/
throw with force or recklessness
From this reading He touched the pencil-line scar behind his ear where the cylinder was buried, marveling at the power stored there, power to fling him from earth to this fourth planet of the Centaurian system in an instant.
following the third position; number four in a countable series
From this reading He touched the pencil-line scar behind his ear where the cylinder was buried, marveling at the power stored there, power to fling him from earth to this fourth planet of the Centaurian system in an instant.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He touched the pencil-line scar behind his ear where the cylinder was buried, marveling at the power stored there, power to fling him from earth to this fourth planet of the Centaurian system in an instant.
gloatingnounUS /ˈɡloʊtɪŋ/
malicious satisfaction
From this reading Stinson lay still in the sand where he fell, gloating over the success of his arrival.
the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading No doubt it was a god--but who wasn't?
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It had happened so fast that he could almost feel the warm, humid Missouri air, though he was light years from Missouri.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading It had happened so fast that he could almost feel the warm, humid Missouri air, though he was light years from Missouri.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Stinson lay still in the sand where he fell, gloating over the success of his arrival.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He touched the pencil-line scar behind his ear where the cylinder was buried, marveling at the power stored there, power to fling him from earth to this fourth planet of the Centaurian system in an instant.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Stinson lay still in the sand where he fell, gloating over the success of his arrival.
humidadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːməd/
containing or characterized by a great deal of water vapor
From this reading It had happened so fast that he could almost feel the warm, humid Missouri air, though he was light years from Missouri.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Stinson lay still in the sand where he fell, gloating over the success of his arrival.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading He touched the pencil-line scar behind his ear where the cylinder was buried, marveling at the power stored there, power to fling him from earth to this fourth planet of the Centaurian system in an instant.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading No doubt it was a god--but who wasn't?
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Stinson lay still in the sand where he fell, gloating over the success of his arrival.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading It had happened so fast that he could almost feel the warm, humid Missouri air, though he was light years from Missouri.
lacking companions or companionship
From this reading The sand-thing was powerful, lonely and strange.
marvelingverbUS /ˈmɑːrvəlɪŋ/
-ing form of “marvel” — be amazed at
From this reading He touched the pencil-line scar behind his ear where the cylinder was buried, marveling at the power stored there, power to fling him from earth to this fourth planet of the Centaurian system in an instant.
MissourinounUS /məˈzʊri/
a midwestern state in central United States; a border state during the American Civil War, Missouri was admitted to the Confederacy without actually seceding from the Union
From this reading It had happened so fast that he could almost feel the warm, humid Missouri air, though he was light years from Missouri.
not any; not one
From this reading No doubt it was a god--but who wasn't?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Stinson lay still in the sand where he fell, gloating over the success of his arrival.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Stinson lay still in the sand where he fell, gloating over the success of his arrival.
pencil-line
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He touched the pencil-line scar behind his ear where the cylinder was buried, marveling at the power stored there, power to fling him from earth to this fourth planet of the Centaurian system in an instant.
planetnounUS /ˈplænət/
(astronomy) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around the sun and shine by reflected light
From this reading He touched the pencil-line scar behind his ear where the cylinder was buried, marveling at the power stored there, power to fling him from earth to this fourth planet of the Centaurian system in an instant.
possession of controlling influence
From this reading He touched the pencil-line scar behind his ear where the cylinder was buried, marveling at the power stored there, power to fling him from earth to this fourth planet of the Centaurian system in an instant.
having great power or force or potency or effect
From this reading The sand-thing was powerful, lonely and strange.
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading Stinson lay still in the sand where he fell, gloating over the success of his arrival.
sand-thing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sand-thing was powerful, lonely and strange.
scarnounUS /skɑːr/
a mark left (usually on the skin) by the healing of injured tissue
From this reading He touched the pencil-line scar behind his ear where the cylinder was buried, marveling at the power stored there, power to fling him from earth to this fourth planet of the Centaurian system in an instant.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It had happened so fast that he could almost feel the warm, humid Missouri air, though he was light years from Missouri.
not in physical motion
From this reading Stinson lay still in the sand where he fell, gloating over the success of his arrival.
Stinson
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Stinson lay still in the sand where he fell, gloating over the success of his arrival.
storedverbUS /stɔːrd/
past form of “store” — keep or lay aside for future use
From this reading He touched the pencil-line scar behind his ear where the cylinder was buried, marveling at the power stored there, power to fling him from earth to this fourth planet of the Centaurian system in an instant.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading The sand-thing was powerful, lonely and strange.
an event that accomplishes its intended purpose
From this reading Stinson lay still in the sand where he fell, gloating over the success of his arrival.
instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity
From this reading He touched the pencil-line scar behind his ear where the cylinder was buried, marveling at the power stored there, power to fling him from earth to this fourth planet of the Centaurian system in an instant.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It had happened so fast that he could almost feel the warm, humid Missouri air, though he was light years from Missouri.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The sand-thing was powerful, lonely and strange.
in or at that place or location
From this reading He touched the pencil-line scar behind his ear where the cylinder was buried, marveling at the power stored there, power to fling him from earth to this fourth planet of the Centaurian system in an instant.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading He touched the pencil-line scar behind his ear where the cylinder was buried, marveling at the power stored there, power to fling him from earth to this fourth planet of the Centaurian system in an instant.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading It had happened so fast that he could almost feel the warm, humid Missouri air, though he was light years from Missouri.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He touched the pencil-line scar behind his ear where the cylinder was buried, marveling at the power stored there, power to fling him from earth to this fourth planet of the Centaurian system in an instant.
having come into contact
From this reading He touched the pencil-line scar behind his ear where the cylinder was buried, marveling at the power stored there, power to fling him from earth to this fourth planet of the Centaurian system in an instant.
having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat
From this reading It had happened so fast that he could almost feel the warm, humid Missouri air, though he was light years from Missouri.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The sand-thing was powerful, lonely and strange.
wasn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No doubt it was a god--but who wasn't?
in or at the place that
From this reading Stinson lay still in the sand where he fell, gloating over the success of his arrival.
which person or people
From this reading No doubt it was a god--but who wasn't?
a late time of life
From this reading It had happened so fast that he could almost feel the warm, humid Missouri air, though he was light years from Missouri.
