Chapter XVII

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading THE MAN FROM THE JUNGLE Very slowly Matterson whistled that old tune, "The Nightingale," and very slowly an answer came back to us; then a long silence ensued.

from one side of something to the other

From this reading We could hear it whispering softly as it washed against the tangled roots of the mangroves, and once in a while I could distinguish the long, faint rasp of some branch or vine that dragged across another.

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading We could hear it whispering softly as it washed against the tangled roots of the mangroves, and once in a while I could distinguish the long, faint rasp of some branch or vine that dragged across another.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading THE MAN FROM THE JUNGLE Very slowly Matterson whistled that old tune, "The Nightingale," and very slowly an answer came back to us; then a long silence ensued.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading THE MAN FROM THE JUNGLE Very slowly Matterson whistled that old tune, "The Nightingale," and very slowly an answer came back to us; then a long silence ensued.

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading We could hear it whispering softly as it washed against the tangled roots of the mangroves, and once in a while I could distinguish the long, faint rasp of some branch or vine that dragged across another.

react verbally

From this reading THE MAN FROM THE JUNGLE Very slowly Matterson whistled that old tune, "The Nightingale," and very slowly an answer came back to us; then a long silence ensued.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading We could hear it whispering softly as it washed against the tangled roots of the mangroves, and once in a while I could distinguish the long, faint rasp of some branch or vine that dragged across another.

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading THE MAN FROM THE JUNGLE Very slowly Matterson whistled that old tune, "The Nightingale," and very slowly an answer came back to us; then a long silence ensued.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading But except for those small noises, the place was as still as a house of death; and as we watched and waited, the feeling grew upon me that we must be in the midst of a dream.

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading The black water of the marsh rose and fell.

a division of some larger or more complex organization

From this reading We could hear it whispering softly as it washed against the tangled roots of the mangroves, and once in a while I could distinguish the long, faint rasp of some branch or vine that dragged across another.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But except for those small noises, the place was as still as a house of death; and as we watched and waited, the feeling grew upon me that we must be in the midst of a dream.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading THE MAN FROM THE JUNGLE Very slowly Matterson whistled that old tune, "The Nightingale," and very slowly an answer came back to us; then a long silence ensued.

small and light boat; pointed at both ends; propelled with a paddle

From this reading Then something moved and caught my eye, and a canoe silently shot out upon the river.

inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading Then something moved and caught my eye, and a canoe silently shot out upon the river.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading We could hear it whispering softly as it washed against the tangled roots of the mangroves, and once in a while I could distinguish the long, faint rasp of some branch or vine that dragged across another.

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading But except for those small noises, the place was as still as a house of death; and as we watched and waited, the feeling grew upon me that we must be in the midst of a dream.

mark as different

From this reading We could hear it whispering softly as it washed against the tangled roots of the mangroves, and once in a while I could distinguish the long, faint rasp of some branch or vine that dragged across another.

inflected form of “drag” — pull, as against a resistance

From this reading We could hear it whispering softly as it washed against the tangled roots of the mangroves, and once in a while I could distinguish the long, faint rasp of some branch or vine that dragged across another.

A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.

From this reading But except for those small noises, the place was as still as a house of death; and as we watched and waited, the feeling grew upon me that we must be in the midst of a dream.

past form of “ensue” — issue or terminate (in a specified way, state, etc.); end

From this reading THE MAN FROM THE JUNGLE Very slowly Matterson whistled that old tune, "The Nightingale," and very slowly an answer came back to us; then a long silence ensued.

apart from; not including

From this reading But except for those small noises, the place was as still as a house of death; and as we watched and waited, the feeling grew upon me that we must be in the midst of a dream.

the organ of sight

From this reading Then something moved and caught my eye, and a canoe silently shot out upon the river.

deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc

From this reading We could hear it whispering softly as it washed against the tangled roots of the mangroves, and once in a while I could distinguish the long, faint rasp of some branch or vine that dragged across another.

the experiencing of affective and emotional states

From this reading But except for those small noises, the place was as still as a house of death; and as we watched and waited, the feeling grew upon me that we must be in the midst of a dream.

cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading The black water of the marsh rose and fell.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading But except for those small noises, the place was as still as a house of death; and as we watched and waited, the feeling grew upon me that we must be in the midst of a dream.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading THE MAN FROM THE JUNGLE Very slowly Matterson whistled that old tune, "The Nightingale," and very slowly an answer came back to us; then a long silence ensued.

inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading But except for those small noises, the place was as still as a house of death; and as we watched and waited, the feeling grew upon me that we must be in the midst of a dream.

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading We could hear it whispering softly as it washed against the tangled roots of the mangroves, and once in a while I could distinguish the long, faint rasp of some branch or vine that dragged across another.

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading But except for those small noises, the place was as still as a house of death; and as we watched and waited, the feeling grew upon me that we must be in the midst of a dream.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading We could hear it whispering softly as it washed against the tangled roots of the mangroves, and once in a while I could distinguish the long, faint rasp of some branch or vine that dragged across another.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading We could hear it whispering softly as it washed against the tangled roots of the mangroves, and once in a while I could distinguish the long, faint rasp of some branch or vine that dragged across another.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading We could hear it whispering softly as it washed against the tangled roots of the mangroves, and once in a while I could distinguish the long, faint rasp of some branch or vine that dragged across another.

a location marked by an intense competition and struggle for survival

From this reading THE MAN FROM THE JUNGLE Very slowly Matterson whistled that old tune, "The Nightingale," and very slowly an answer came back to us; then a long silence ensued.

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 THE MAN FROM THE JUNGLE Very slowly Matterson whistled that old tune, "The Nightingale," and very slowly an answer came back to us; then a long silence ensued.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading THE MAN FROM THE JUNGLE Very slowly Matterson whistled that old tune, "The Nightingale," and very slowly an answer came back to us; then a long silence ensued.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We could hear it whispering softly as it washed against the tangled roots of the mangroves, and once in a while I could distinguish the long, faint rasp of some branch or vine that dragged across another.

low-lying wet land with grassy vegetation; usually is a transition zone between land and water

From this reading The black water of the marsh rose and fell.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE MAN FROM THE JUNGLE Very slowly Matterson whistled that old tune, "The Nightingale," and very slowly an answer came back to us; then a long silence ensued.

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading But except for those small noises, the place was as still as a house of death; and as we watched and waited, the feeling grew upon me that we must be in the midst of a dream.

the location of something surrounded by other things

From this reading But except for those small noises, the place was as still as a house of death; and as we watched and waited, the feeling grew upon me that we must be in the midst of a dream.

being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion

From this reading Then something moved and caught my eye, and a canoe silently shot out upon the river.

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading But except for those small noises, the place was as still as a house of death; and as we watched and waited, the feeling grew upon me that we must be in the midst of a dream.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Then something moved and caught my eye, and a canoe silently shot out upon the river.

European songbird noted for its melodious nocturnal song

From this reading THE MAN FROM THE JUNGLE Very slowly Matterson whistled that old tune, "The Nightingale," and very slowly an answer came back to us; then a long silence ensued.

plural of “noise” — sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)

From this reading But except for those small noises, the place was as still as a house of death; and as we watched and waited, the feeling grew upon me that we must be in the midst of a dream.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The black water of the marsh rose and fell.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading THE MAN FROM THE JUNGLE Very slowly Matterson whistled that old tune, "The Nightingale," and very slowly an answer came back to us; then a long silence ensued.

on one occasion

From this reading We could hear it whispering softly as it washed against the tangled roots of the mangroves, and once in a while I could distinguish the long, faint rasp of some branch or vine that dragged across another.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading We could hear it whispering softly as it washed against the tangled roots of the mangroves, and once in a while I could distinguish the long, faint rasp of some branch or vine that dragged across another.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Then something moved and caught my eye, and a canoe silently shot out upon the river.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading But except for those small noises, the place was as still as a house of death; and as we watched and waited, the feeling grew upon me that we must be in the midst of a dream.

uttering in an irritated tone

From this reading We could hear it whispering softly as it washed against the tangled roots of the mangroves, and once in a while I could distinguish the long, faint rasp of some branch or vine that dragged across another.

a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading Then something moved and caught my eye, and a canoe silently shot out upon the river.

the condition of belonging to a particular place or group by virtue of social or ethnic or cultural lineage

From this reading We could hear it whispering softly as it washed against the tangled roots of the mangroves, and once in a while I could distinguish the long, faint rasp of some branch or vine that dragged across another.

any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

From this reading The black water of the marsh rose and fell.

the act of firing a projectile

From this reading Then something moved and caught my eye, and a canoe silently shot out upon the river.

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading THE MAN FROM THE JUNGLE Very slowly Matterson whistled that old tune, "The Nightingale," and very slowly an answer came back to us; then a long silence ensued.

without speaking

From this reading Then something moved and caught my eye, and a canoe silently shot out upon the river.

without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)

From this reading THE MAN FROM THE JUNGLE Very slowly Matterson whistled that old tune, "The Nightingale," and very slowly an answer came back to us; then a long silence ensued.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading But except for those small noises, the place was as still as a house of death; and as we watched and waited, the feeling grew upon me that we must be in the midst of a dream.

with low volume

From this reading We could hear it whispering softly as it washed against the tangled roots of the mangroves, and once in a while I could distinguish the long, faint rasp of some branch or vine that dragged across another.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading We could hear it whispering softly as it washed against the tangled roots of the mangroves, and once in a while I could distinguish the long, faint rasp of some branch or vine that dragged across another.

a thing, without saying which

From this reading Then something moved and caught my eye, and a canoe silently shot out upon the river.

not in physical motion

From this reading But except for those small noises, the place was as still as a house of death; and as we watched and waited, the feeling grew upon me that we must be in the midst of a dream.

in a confused mass

From this reading We could hear it whispering softly as it washed against the tangled roots of the mangroves, and once in a while I could distinguish the long, faint rasp of some branch or vine that dragged across another.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THE MAN FROM THE JUNGLE Very slowly Matterson whistled that old tune, "The Nightingale," and very slowly an answer came back to us; then a long silence ensued.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE MAN FROM THE JUNGLE Very slowly Matterson whistled that old tune, "The Nightingale," and very slowly an answer came back to us; then a long silence ensued.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading THE MAN FROM THE JUNGLE Very slowly Matterson whistled that old tune, "The Nightingale," and very slowly an answer came back to us; then a long silence ensued.

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading But except for those small noises, the place was as still as a house of death; and as we watched and waited, the feeling grew upon me that we must be in the midst of a dream.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading THE MAN FROM THE JUNGLE Very slowly Matterson whistled that old tune, "The Nightingale," and very slowly an answer came back to us; then a long silence ensued.

a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence

From this reading THE MAN FROM THE JUNGLE Very slowly Matterson whistled that old tune, "The Nightingale," and very slowly an answer came back to us; then a long silence ensued.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading But except for those small noises, the place was as still as a house of death; and as we watched and waited, the feeling grew upon me that we must be in the midst of a dream.

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading THE MAN FROM THE JUNGLE Very slowly Matterson whistled that old tune, "The Nightingale," and very slowly an answer came back to us; then a long silence ensued.

precisely as stated

From this reading THE MAN FROM THE JUNGLE Very slowly Matterson whistled that old tune, "The Nightingale," and very slowly an answer came back to us; then a long silence ensued.

a plant with a weak stem that derives support from climbing, twining, or creeping along a surface

From this reading We could hear it whispering softly as it washed against the tangled roots of the mangroves, and once in a while I could distinguish the long, faint rasp of some branch or vine that dragged across another.

past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something

From this reading But except for those small noises, the place was as still as a house of death; and as we watched and waited, the feeling grew upon me that we must be in the midst of a dream.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading But except for those small noises, the place was as still as a house of death; and as we watched and waited, the feeling grew upon me that we must be in the midst of a dream.

clean by virtue of having been washed in water

From this reading We could hear it whispering softly as it washed against the tangled roots of the mangroves, and once in a while I could distinguish the long, faint rasp of some branch or vine that dragged across another.

past form of “watch” — look attentively

From this reading But except for those small noises, the place was as still as a house of death; and as we watched and waited, the feeling grew upon me that we must be in the midst of a dream.

binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent

From this reading The black water of the marsh rose and fell.

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We could hear it whispering softly as it washed against the tangled roots of the mangroves, and once in a while I could distinguish the long, faint rasp of some branch or vine that dragged across another.

during the time that

From this reading We could hear it whispering softly as it washed against the tangled roots of the mangroves, and once in a while I could distinguish the long, faint rasp of some branch or vine that dragged across another.

a light noise, like the noise of silk clothing or leaves blowing in the wind

From this reading We could hear it whispering softly as it washed against the tangled roots of the mangroves, and once in a while I could distinguish the long, faint rasp of some branch or vine that dragged across another.

past form of “whistle” — make whistling sounds

From this reading THE MAN FROM THE JUNGLE Very slowly Matterson whistled that old tune, "The Nightingale," and very slowly an answer came back to us; then a long silence ensued.