used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE RED PERIL Five minutes of plunging and slipping brought him down to the main road that gleamed a dim gray in the blackness.
at or in the front
From this reading Ahead of him in the road he could see lanterns bobbing, and the illuminated legs of the men who carried them running.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE RED PERIL Five minutes of plunging and slipping brought him down to the main road that gleamed a dim gray in the blackness.
BehindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Behind he heard the muffled pound of boots in thick dust, and the hoarse panting of others racing toward the scene of the trouble.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading A quarter of a mile east lay the wharfs, the general store, and some of the best dwellings in Freekirk Head.
blacknessnounUS /ˈblæknəs/
the quality or state of the achromatic color of least lightness (bearing the least resemblance to white)
From this reading THE RED PERIL Five minutes of plunging and slipping brought him down to the main road that gleamed a dim gray in the blackness.
bobbingverbUS /ˈbɑːbɪŋ/
inflected form of “bob” — move up and down repeatedly
From this reading Ahead of him in the road he could see lanterns bobbing, and the illuminated legs of the men who carried them running.
plural of “boot” — footwear that covers the whole foot and lower leg
From this reading Behind he heard the muffled pound of boots in thick dust, and the hoarse panting of others racing toward the scene of the trouble.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading THE RED PERIL Five minutes of plunging and slipping brought him down to the main road that gleamed a dim gray in the blackness.
inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading Ahead of him in the road he could see lanterns bobbing, and the illuminated legs of the men who carried them running.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Ahead of him in the road he could see lanterns bobbing, and the illuminated legs of the men who carried them running.
lacking in light; not bright or harsh
From this reading THE RED PERIL Five minutes of plunging and slipping brought him down to the main road that gleamed a dim gray in the blackness.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading The frantic screeching of the steamer's whistle (that was not yet silent) had done its work well.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading THE RED PERIL Five minutes of plunging and slipping brought him down to the main road that gleamed a dim gray in the blackness.
remove the dust from
From this reading Behind he heard the muffled pound of boots in thick dust, and the hoarse panting of others racing toward the scene of the trouble.
dwellingsnounUS /ˈdwelɪŋz/
plural of “dwelling” — housing that someone is living in
From this reading A quarter of a mile east lay the wharfs, the general store, and some of the best dwellings in Freekirk Head.
the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees
From this reading A quarter of a mile east lay the wharfs, the general store, and some of the best dwellings in Freekirk Head.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading THE RED PERIL Five minutes of plunging and slipping brought him down to the main road that gleamed a dim gray in the blackness.
franticadjectiveUS /ˈfræntɪk/
excessively agitated; distraught with fear or other violent emotion
From this reading The frantic screeching of the steamer's whistle (that was not yet silent) had done its work well.
Freekirk
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A quarter of a mile east lay the wharfs, the general store, and some of the best dwellings in Freekirk Head.
applying to all or most members of a category or group
From this reading A quarter of a mile east lay the wharfs, the general store, and some of the best dwellings in Freekirk Head.
gleamedverbUS /ɡliːmd/
past form of “gleam” — be shiny, as if wet
From this reading THE RED PERIL Five minutes of plunging and slipping brought him down to the main road that gleamed a dim gray in the blackness.
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading THE RED PERIL Five minutes of plunging and slipping brought him down to the main road that gleamed a dim gray in the blackness.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The frantic screeching of the steamer's whistle (that was not yet silent) had done its work well.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Ahead of him in the road he could see lanterns bobbing, and the illuminated legs of the men who carried them running.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading A quarter of a mile east lay the wharfs, the general store, and some of the best dwellings in Freekirk Head.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Behind he heard the muffled pound of boots in thick dust, and the hoarse panting of others racing toward the scene of the trouble.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading THE RED PERIL Five minutes of plunging and slipping brought him down to the main road that gleamed a dim gray in the blackness.
hoarseadjectiveUS /hɔːrs/
deep and harsh sounding as if from shouting or illness or emotion
From this reading Behind he heard the muffled pound of boots in thick dust, and the hoarse panting of others racing toward the scene of the trouble.
illuminatedadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈluːməneɪtəd/
provided with artificial light
From this reading Ahead of him in the road he could see lanterns bobbing, and the illuminated legs of the men who carried them running.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE RED PERIL Five minutes of plunging and slipping brought him down to the main road that gleamed a dim gray in the blackness.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The frantic screeching of the steamer's whistle (that was not yet silent) had done its work well.
lanternsnounUS /ˈlæntərnz/
plural of “lantern” — light in a transparent protective case
From this reading Ahead of him in the road he could see lanterns bobbing, and the illuminated legs of the men who carried them running.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading A quarter of a mile east lay the wharfs, the general store, and some of the best dwellings in Freekirk Head.
staying power
From this reading Ahead of him in the road he could see lanterns bobbing, and the illuminated legs of the men who carried them running.
most important element
From this reading THE RED PERIL Five minutes of plunging and slipping brought him down to the main road that gleamed a dim gray in the blackness.
the force of workers available
From this reading Ahead of him in the road he could see lanterns bobbing, and the illuminated legs of the men who carried them running.
a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading A quarter of a mile east lay the wharfs, the general store, and some of the best dwellings in Freekirk Head.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading THE RED PERIL Five minutes of plunging and slipping brought him down to the main road that gleamed a dim gray in the blackness.
muffledadjectiveUS /ˈmʌfəld/
being or made softer or less loud or clear
From this reading Behind he heard the muffled pound of boots in thick dust, and the hoarse panting of others racing toward the scene of the trouble.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The frantic screeching of the steamer's whistle (that was not yet silent) had done its work well.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE RED PERIL Five minutes of plunging and slipping brought him down to the main road that gleamed a dim gray in the blackness.
others
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Behind he heard the muffled pound of boots in thick dust, and the hoarse panting of others racing toward the scene of the trouble.
pantingnounUS /ˈpæntɪŋ/
breathing heavily (as after exertion)
From this reading Behind he heard the muffled pound of boots in thick dust, and the hoarse panting of others racing toward the scene of the trouble.
PERILnounUS /ˈperəl/
a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune
From this reading THE RED PERIL Five minutes of plunging and slipping brought him down to the main road that gleamed a dim gray in the blackness.
plungingverbUS /ˈplʌndʒɪŋ/
-ing form of “plunge” — thrust or throw into
From this reading THE RED PERIL Five minutes of plunging and slipping brought him down to the main road that gleamed a dim gray in the blackness.
poundverbUS /paʊnd/
hit hard with the hand, fist, or some heavy instrument
From this reading Behind he heard the muffled pound of boots in thick dust, and the hoarse panting of others racing toward the scene of the trouble.
one of four equal parts
From this reading A quarter of a mile east lay the wharfs, the general store, and some of the best dwellings in Freekirk Head.
racingnounUS /ˈreɪsɪŋ/
the sport of engaging in contests of speed
From this reading Behind he heard the muffled pound of boots in thick dust, and the hoarse panting of others racing toward the scene of the trouble.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading THE RED PERIL Five minutes of plunging and slipping brought him down to the main road that gleamed a dim gray in the blackness.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading THE RED PERIL Five minutes of plunging and slipping brought him down to the main road that gleamed a dim gray in the blackness.
(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream
From this reading Ahead of him in the road he could see lanterns bobbing, and the illuminated legs of the men who carried them running.
the place where some action occurs
From this reading Behind he heard the muffled pound of boots in thick dust, and the hoarse panting of others racing toward the scene of the trouble.
screechingnounUS /ˈskriːtʃɪŋ/
a high-pitched noise resembling a human cry
From this reading The frantic screeching of the steamer's whistle (that was not yet silent) had done its work well.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Ahead of him in the road he could see lanterns bobbing, and the illuminated legs of the men who carried them running.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading The frantic screeching of the steamer's whistle (that was not yet silent) had done its work well.
slippingadjectiveUS /ˈslɪpɪŋ/
moving as on a slippery surface
From this reading THE RED PERIL Five minutes of plunging and slipping brought him down to the main road that gleamed a dim gray in the blackness.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading A quarter of a mile east lay the wharfs, the general store, and some of the best dwellings in Freekirk Head.
steamer's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The frantic screeching of the steamer's whistle (that was not yet silent) had done its work well.
a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services
From this reading A quarter of a mile east lay the wharfs, the general store, and some of the best dwellings in Freekirk Head.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE RED PERIL Five minutes of plunging and slipping brought him down to the main road that gleamed a dim gray in the blackness.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE RED PERIL Five minutes of plunging and slipping brought him down to the main road that gleamed a dim gray in the blackness.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Ahead of him in the road he could see lanterns bobbing, and the illuminated legs of the men who carried them running.
not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions
From this reading Behind he heard the muffled pound of boots in thick dust, and the hoarse panting of others racing toward the scene of the trouble.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE RED PERIL Five minutes of plunging and slipping brought him down to the main road that gleamed a dim gray in the blackness.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading Behind he heard the muffled pound of boots in thick dust, and the hoarse panting of others racing toward the scene of the trouble.
a source of difficulty
From this reading Behind he heard the muffled pound of boots in thick dust, and the hoarse panting of others racing toward the scene of the trouble.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The frantic screeching of the steamer's whistle (that was not yet silent) had done its work well.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading The frantic screeching of the steamer's whistle (that was not yet silent) had done its work well.
wharfsnounUS /wɔːrfs/
plural of “wharf” — a platform built out from the shore into the water and supported by piles; provides access to ships and boats
From this reading A quarter of a mile east lay the wharfs, the general store, and some of the best dwellings in Freekirk Head.
whistleverbUS /ˈwɪsəl/
make whistling sounds
From this reading The frantic screeching of the steamer's whistle (that was not yet silent) had done its work well.
which person or people
From this reading Ahead of him in the road he could see lanterns bobbing, and the illuminated legs of the men who carried them running.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading The frantic screeching of the steamer's whistle (that was not yet silent) had done its work well.
but in spite of that
From this reading The frantic screeching of the steamer's whistle (that was not yet silent) had done its work well.
