used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "It is no blacker than a ship's hold.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Then the old woman quickly slid the stone over the opening, rapidly spread the sand above, and stood listening.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
a strong emotion; a feeling that is oriented toward some real or supposed grievance
From this reading Before she could utter a word of protest, Laura was seized by wiry arms and dropped into the pit, and the Gaika, with a grunt of anger at such treatment of his mistress, followed her.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading Before she could utter a word of protest, Laura was seized by wiry arms and dropped into the pit, and the Gaika, with a grunt of anger at such treatment of his mistress, followed her.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Before she could utter a word of protest, Laura was seized by wiry arms and dropped into the pit, and the Gaika, with a grunt of anger at such treatment of his mistress, followed her.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Before she could utter a word of protest, Laura was seized by wiry arms and dropped into the pit, and the Gaika, with a grunt of anger at such treatment of his mistress, followed her.
blackeradjectiveUS /ˈblækər/
comparative of “black” — being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading "It is no blacker than a ship's hold.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Before she could utter a word of protest, Laura was seized by wiry arms and dropped into the pit, and the Gaika, with a grunt of anger at such treatment of his mistress, followed her.
calamitynounUS /kəˈlæməti/
an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
From this reading Hume had heard the exclamations, the excited whispers, and a muffled cry from Webster calling his name, and in the silence which suddenly cut short this commotion he read some fresh calamity, and stood for a moment trembling violently.
the particular occupation for which you are trained
From this reading Hume had heard the exclamations, the excited whispers, and a muffled cry from Webster calling his name, and in the silence which suddenly cut short this commotion he read some fresh calamity, and stood for a moment trembling violently.
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
a person who is in charge
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
commotionnounUS /kəˈmoʊʃən/
a disorderly outburst or tumult
From this reading Hume had heard the exclamations, the excited whispers, and a muffled cry from Webster calling his name, and in the silence which suddenly cut short this commotion he read some fresh calamity, and stood for a moment trembling violently.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Before she could utter a word of protest, Laura was seized by wiry arms and dropped into the pit, and the Gaika, with a grunt of anger at such treatment of his mistress, followed her.
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading Hume had heard the exclamations, the excited whispers, and a muffled cry from Webster calling his name, and in the silence which suddenly cut short this commotion he read some fresh calamity, and stood for a moment trembling violently.
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading Hume had heard the exclamations, the excited whispers, and a muffled cry from Webster calling his name, and in the silence which suddenly cut short this commotion he read some fresh calamity, and stood for a moment trembling violently.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading Before she could utter a word of protest, Laura was seized by wiry arms and dropped into the pit, and the Gaika, with a grunt of anger at such treatment of his mistress, followed her.
droppingadjectiveUS /ˈdrɑːpɪŋ/
coming down freely under the influence of gravity
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
(of persons) excessively affected by emotion
From this reading Hume had heard the exclamations, the excited whispers, and a muffled cry from Webster calling his name, and in the silence which suddenly cut short this commotion he read some fresh calamity, and stood for a moment trembling violently.
exclamationsnounUS /ˌekskləˈmeɪʃənz/
plural of “exclamation” — an abrupt excited utterance
From this reading Hume had heard the exclamations, the excited whispers, and a muffled cry from Webster calling his name, and in the silence which suddenly cut short this commotion he read some fresh calamity, and stood for a moment trembling violently.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading Before she could utter a word of protest, Laura was seized by wiry arms and dropped into the pit, and the Gaika, with a grunt of anger at such treatment of his mistress, followed her.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Hume had heard the exclamations, the excited whispers, and a muffled cry from Webster calling his name, and in the silence which suddenly cut short this commotion he read some fresh calamity, and stood for a moment trembling violently.
recently made, produced, or harvested
From this reading Hume had heard the exclamations, the excited whispers, and a muffled cry from Webster calling his name, and in the silence which suddenly cut short this commotion he read some fresh calamity, and stood for a moment trembling violently.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Hume had heard the exclamations, the excited whispers, and a muffled cry from Webster calling his name, and in the silence which suddenly cut short this commotion he read some fresh calamity, and stood for a moment trembling violently.
Gaika
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Before she could utter a word of protest, Laura was seized by wiry arms and dropped into the pit, and the Gaika, with a grunt of anger at such treatment of his mistress, followed her.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
gruntnounUS /ɡrʌnt/
the short low gruff noise of the kind made by hogs
From this reading Before she could utter a word of protest, Laura was seized by wiry arms and dropped into the pit, and the Gaika, with a grunt of anger at such treatment of his mistress, followed her.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Hume had heard the exclamations, the excited whispers, and a muffled cry from Webster calling his name, and in the silence which suddenly cut short this commotion he read some fresh calamity, and stood for a moment trembling violently.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Hume had heard the exclamations, the excited whispers, and a muffled cry from Webster calling his name, and in the silence which suddenly cut short this commotion he read some fresh calamity, and stood for a moment trembling violently.
lacking in or deprived of strength or power
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Before she could utter a word of protest, Laura was seized by wiry arms and dropped into the pit, and the Gaika, with a grunt of anger at such treatment of his mistress, followed her.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading "It is no blacker than a ship's hold.
HumenounUS /hjuːm/
Scottish philosopher skeptical philosophy restricted human knowledge to that which can be perceived by the senses (1711-1776)
From this reading Hume had heard the exclamations, the excited whispers, and a muffled cry from Webster calling his name, and in the silence which suddenly cut short this commotion he read some fresh calamity, and stood for a moment trembling violently.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Hume had heard the exclamations, the excited whispers, and a muffled cry from Webster calling his name, and in the silence which suddenly cut short this commotion he read some fresh calamity, and stood for a moment trembling violently.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Before she could utter a word of protest, Laura was seized by wiry arms and dropped into the pit, and the Gaika, with a grunt of anger at such treatment of his mistress, followed her.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "It is no blacker than a ship's hold.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It is no blacker than a ship's hold.
Laura
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Before she could utter a word of protest, Laura was seized by wiry arms and dropped into the pit, and the Gaika, with a grunt of anger at such treatment of his mistress, followed her.
the act of hearing attentively
From this reading Then the old woman quickly slid the stone over the opening, rapidly spread the sand above, and stood listening.
loweredadjectiveUS /ˈloʊərd/
below the surround or below the normal position
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man
From this reading Before she could utter a word of protest, Laura was seized by wiry arms and dropped into the pit, and the Gaika, with a grunt of anger at such treatment of his mistress, followed her.
a particular point in time
From this reading Hume had heard the exclamations, the excited whispers, and a muffled cry from Webster calling his name, and in the silence which suddenly cut short this commotion he read some fresh calamity, and stood for a moment trembling violently.
muffledadjectiveUS /ˈmʌfəld/
being or made softer or less loud or clear
From this reading Hume had heard the exclamations, the excited whispers, and a muffled cry from Webster calling his name, and in the silence which suddenly cut short this commotion he read some fresh calamity, and stood for a moment trembling violently.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Hume had heard the exclamations, the excited whispers, and a muffled cry from Webster calling his name, and in the silence which suddenly cut short this commotion he read some fresh calamity, and stood for a moment trembling violently.
not any; not one
From this reading "It is no blacker than a ship's hold.
under a moral obligation to do something
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Then the old woman quickly slid the stone over the opening, rapidly spread the sand above, and stood listening.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
an open or empty space in or between things
From this reading Then the old woman quickly slid the stone over the opening, rapidly spread the sand above, and stood listening.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Then the old woman quickly slid the stone over the opening, rapidly spread the sand above, and stood listening.
pitnounUS /pɪt/
A large hole in the ground, or an abyss of darkness and peril.
From this reading Before she could utter a word of protest, Laura was seized by wiry arms and dropped into the pit, and the Gaika, with a grunt of anger at such treatment of his mistress, followed her.
protestnounUS /ˈproʊtest/
a formal and solemn declaration of objection
From this reading Before she could utter a word of protest, Laura was seized by wiry arms and dropped into the pit, and the Gaika, with a grunt of anger at such treatment of his mistress, followed her.
with speed
From this reading Then the old woman quickly slid the stone over the opening, rapidly spread the sand above, and stood listening.
with speed
From this reading Then the old woman quickly slid the stone over the opening, rapidly spread the sand above, and stood listening.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading Hume had heard the exclamations, the excited whispers, and a muffled cry from Webster calling his name, and in the silence which suddenly cut short this commotion he read some fresh calamity, and stood for a moment trembling violently.
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading Then the old woman quickly slid the stone over the opening, rapidly spread the sand above, and stood listening.
past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab
From this reading Before she could utter a word of protest, Laura was seized by wiry arms and dropped into the pit, and the Gaika, with a grunt of anger at such treatment of his mistress, followed her.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Before she could utter a word of protest, Laura was seized by wiry arms and dropped into the pit, and the Gaika, with a grunt of anger at such treatment of his mistress, followed her.
ship'snounUS /ʃɪps/
possessive form of “ship” — a vessel that carries passengers or freight
From this reading "It is no blacker than a ship's hold.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading Hume had heard the exclamations, the excited whispers, and a muffled cry from Webster calling his name, and in the silence which suddenly cut short this commotion he read some fresh calamity, and stood for a moment trembling violently.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading Hume had heard the exclamations, the excited whispers, and a muffled cry from Webster calling his name, and in the silence which suddenly cut short this commotion he read some fresh calamity, and stood for a moment trembling violently.
slidverbUS /slɪd/
inflected form of “slide” — move obliquely or sideways, usually in an uncontrolled manner
From this reading Then the old woman quickly slid the stone over the opening, rapidly spread the sand above, and stood listening.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Hume had heard the exclamations, the excited whispers, and a muffled cry from Webster calling his name, and in the silence which suddenly cut short this commotion he read some fresh calamity, and stood for a moment trembling violently.
distribute or disperse widely
From this reading Then the old woman quickly slid the stone over the opening, rapidly spread the sand above, and stood listening.
staggerverbUS /ˈstæɡər/
walk as if unable to control one's movements
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
be standing; be upright
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading Then the old woman quickly slid the stone over the opening, rapidly spread the sand above, and stood listening.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Then the old woman quickly slid the stone over the opening, rapidly spread the sand above, and stood listening.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Before she could utter a word of protest, Laura was seized by wiry arms and dropped into the pit, and the Gaika, with a grunt of anger at such treatment of his mistress, followed her.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading Hume had heard the exclamations, the excited whispers, and a muffled cry from Webster calling his name, and in the silence which suddenly cut short this commotion he read some fresh calamity, and stood for a moment trembling violently.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading "It is no blacker than a ship's hold.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then the old woman quickly slid the stone over the opening, rapidly spread the sand above, and stood listening.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Hume had heard the exclamations, the excited whispers, and a muffled cry from Webster calling his name, and in the silence which suddenly cut short this commotion he read some fresh calamity, and stood for a moment trembling violently.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
up to a particular time
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
the upper part of anything
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
having come into contact
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
treatmentnounUS /ˈtriːtmənt/
care provided to improve a situation (especially medical procedures or applications that are intended to relieve illness or injury)
From this reading Before she could utter a word of protest, Laura was seized by wiry arms and dropped into the pit, and the Gaika, with a grunt of anger at such treatment of his mistress, followed her.
a shaky motion
From this reading Hume had heard the exclamations, the excited whispers, and a muffled cry from Webster calling his name, and in the silence which suddenly cut short this commotion he read some fresh calamity, and stood for a moment trembling violently.
Umkomaas
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise
From this reading Before she could utter a word of protest, Laura was seized by wiry arms and dropped into the pit, and the Gaika, with a grunt of anger at such treatment of his mistress, followed her.
violentlyadverbUS /ˈvaɪələntli/
in a violent manner
From this reading Hume had heard the exclamations, the excited whispers, and a muffled cry from Webster calling his name, and in the silence which suddenly cut short this commotion he read some fresh calamity, and stood for a moment trembling violently.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
WebsternounUS /ˈwebstər/
English playwright (1580-1625)
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
at the time that
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Hume had heard the exclamations, the excited whispers, and a muffled cry from Webster calling his name, and in the silence which suddenly cut short this commotion he read some fresh calamity, and stood for a moment trembling violently.
whispersnounUS /ˈwɪspərz/
plural of “whisper” — speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords
From this reading Hume had heard the exclamations, the excited whispers, and a muffled cry from Webster calling his name, and in the silence which suddenly cut short this commotion he read some fresh calamity, and stood for a moment trembling violently.
wiryadjectiveUS /ˈwɪri/
lean and sinewy
From this reading Before she could utter a word of protest, Laura was seized by wiry arms and dropped into the pit, and the Gaika, with a grunt of anger at such treatment of his mistress, followed her.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Stand away;" and, dropping his feet through, Webster lowered himself till he touched ground, when immediately Umkomaas almost fell on top of him, and he was obliged to catch the helpless chief and stagger back with him.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Then the old woman quickly slid the stone over the opening, rapidly spread the sand above, and stood listening.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading Before she could utter a word of protest, Laura was seized by wiry arms and dropped into the pit, and the Gaika, with a grunt of anger at such treatment of his mistress, followed her.
