used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Without a word more they proceeded to loose the bonds of their prisoner.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading They were the silence of the deep of the lake, the silence of the dark heart of the cedar swamp, and the silence of the upper air, high above the splintered peak of the mountain.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Then he sprang into the air and flapped away indignantly; while the boys stared after him wistfully, half-repenting of their gentleness.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The moment he was free he struck at them savagely; but they had been on guard against such ingratitude, and got out of the way in time.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Then he sprang into the air and flapped away indignantly; while the boys stared after him wistfully, half-repenting of their gentleness.
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading In the Deep of the Silences I In the ancient wild there were three great silences that held their habitations unassailed.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The moment he was free he struck at them savagely; but they had been on guard against such ingratitude, and got out of the way in time.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The moment he was free he struck at them savagely; but they had been on guard against such ingratitude, and got out of the way in time.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Then he sprang into the air and flapped away indignantly; while the boys stared after him wistfully, half-repenting of their gentleness.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The moment he was free he struck at them savagely; but they had been on guard against such ingratitude, and got out of the way in time.
bondsnounUS /bɑːndz/
plural of “bond” — an electrical force linking atoms
From this reading Without a word more they proceeded to loose the bonds of their prisoner.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading Then he sprang into the air and flapped away indignantly; while the boys stared after him wistfully, half-repenting of their gentleness.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The moment he was free he struck at them savagely; but they had been on guard against such ingratitude, and got out of the way in time.
cedarnounUS /ˈsiːdər/
any of numerous trees of the family Cupressaceae that resemble cedars
From this reading They were the silence of the deep of the lake, the silence of the dark heart of the cedar swamp, and the silence of the upper air, high above the splintered peak of the mountain.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading They were the silence of the deep of the lake, the silence of the dark heart of the cedar swamp, and the silence of the upper air, high above the splintered peak of the mountain.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading In the Deep of the Silences I In the ancient wild there were three great silences that held their habitations unassailed.
flappedverbUS /flæpt/
inflected form of “flap” — move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion
From this reading Then he sprang into the air and flapped away indignantly; while the boys stared after him wistfully, half-repenting of their gentleness.
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading The moment he was free he struck at them savagely; but they had been on guard against such ingratitude, and got out of the way in time.
gentlenessnounUS /ˈdʒentəlnəs/
the property possessed by a slope that is very gradual
From this reading Then he sprang into the air and flapped away indignantly; while the boys stared after him wistfully, half-repenting of their gentleness.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading The moment he was free he struck at them savagely; but they had been on guard against such ingratitude, and got out of the way in time.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading In the Deep of the Silences I In the ancient wild there were three great silences that held their habitations unassailed.
a person who keeps watch over something or someone
From this reading The moment he was free he struck at them savagely; but they had been on guard against such ingratitude, and got out of the way in time.
habitations
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the Deep of the Silences I In the ancient wild there were three great silences that held their habitations unassailed.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The moment he was free he struck at them savagely; but they had been on guard against such ingratitude, and got out of the way in time.
half-repenting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then he sprang into the air and flapped away indignantly; while the boys stared after him wistfully, half-repenting of their gentleness.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The moment he was free he struck at them savagely; but they had been on guard against such ingratitude, and got out of the way in time.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading They were the silence of the deep of the lake, the silence of the dark heart of the cedar swamp, and the silence of the upper air, high above the splintered peak of the mountain.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading In the Deep of the Silences I In the ancient wild there were three great silences that held their habitations unassailed.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading They were the silence of the deep of the lake, the silence of the dark heart of the cedar swamp, and the silence of the upper air, high above the splintered peak of the mountain.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Then he sprang into the air and flapped away indignantly; while the boys stared after him wistfully, half-repenting of their gentleness.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading In the Deep of the Silences I In the ancient wild there were three great silences that held their habitations unassailed.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The moment he was free he struck at them savagely; but they had been on guard against such ingratitude, and got out of the way in time.
indignantlyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈdɪɡnəntliː/
in an indignant manner
From this reading Then he sprang into the air and flapped away indignantly; while the boys stared after him wistfully, half-repenting of their gentleness.
ingratitudenoun
a lack of gratitude
From this reading The moment he was free he struck at them savagely; but they had been on guard against such ingratitude, and got out of the way in time.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Then he sprang into the air and flapped away indignantly; while the boys stared after him wistfully, half-repenting of their gentleness.
a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land
From this reading They were the silence of the deep of the lake, the silence of the dark heart of the cedar swamp, and the silence of the upper air, high above the splintered peak of the mountain.
not compact or dense in structure or arrangement
From this reading Without a word more they proceeded to loose the bonds of their prisoner.
a particular point in time
From this reading The moment he was free he struck at them savagely; but they had been on guard against such ingratitude, and got out of the way in time.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Without a word more they proceeded to loose the bonds of their prisoner.
a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill
From this reading They were the silence of the deep of the lake, the silence of the dark heart of the cedar swamp, and the silence of the upper air, high above the splintered peak of the mountain.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Without a word more they proceeded to loose the bonds of their prisoner.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The moment he was free he struck at them savagely; but they had been on guard against such ingratitude, and got out of the way in time.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The moment he was free he struck at them savagely; but they had been on guard against such ingratitude, and got out of the way in time.
peaknounUS /piːk/
the most extreme possible amount or value
From this reading They were the silence of the deep of the lake, the silence of the dark heart of the cedar swamp, and the silence of the upper air, high above the splintered peak of the mountain.
a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
From this reading Without a word more they proceeded to loose the bonds of their prisoner.
past form of “proceed” — continue talking
From this reading Without a word more they proceeded to loose the bonds of their prisoner.
savagelyadverbUS /ˈsævɪdʒli/
in a vicious manner
From this reading The moment he was free he struck at them savagely; but they had been on guard against such ingratitude, and got out of the way in time.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading They were the silence of the deep of the lake, the silence of the dark heart of the cedar swamp, and the silence of the upper air, high above the splintered peak of the mountain.
SilencesnounUS /ˈsaɪlənsɪz/
plural of “silence” — the state of being silent (as when no one is speaking)
From this reading In the Deep of the Silences I In the ancient wild there were three great silences that held their habitations unassailed.
splinteredverbUS /ˈsplɪntərd/
past form of “splinter” — withdraw from an organization or communion
From this reading They were the silence of the deep of the lake, the silence of the dark heart of the cedar swamp, and the silence of the upper air, high above the splintered peak of the mountain.
inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading Then he sprang into the air and flapped away indignantly; while the boys stared after him wistfully, half-repenting of their gentleness.
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading Then he sprang into the air and flapped away indignantly; while the boys stared after him wistfully, half-repenting of their gentleness.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading The moment he was free he struck at them savagely; but they had been on guard against such ingratitude, and got out of the way in time.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading The moment he was free he struck at them savagely; but they had been on guard against such ingratitude, and got out of the way in time.
swampverbUS /swɑːmp/
drench or submerge or be drenched or submerged
From this reading They were the silence of the deep of the lake, the silence of the dark heart of the cedar swamp, and the silence of the upper air, high above the splintered peak of the mountain.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading In the Deep of the Silences I In the ancient wild there were three great silences that held their habitations unassailed.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Without a word more they proceeded to loose the bonds of their prisoner.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Without a word more they proceeded to loose the bonds of their prisoner.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The moment he was free he struck at them savagely; but they had been on guard against such ingratitude, and got out of the way in time.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then he sprang into the air and flapped away indignantly; while the boys stared after him wistfully, half-repenting of their gentleness.
in or at that place or location
From this reading In the Deep of the Silences I In the ancient wild there were three great silences that held their habitations unassailed.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Without a word more they proceeded to loose the bonds of their prisoner.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading In the Deep of the Silences I In the ancient wild there were three great silences that held their habitations unassailed.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The moment he was free he struck at them savagely; but they had been on guard against such ingratitude, and got out of the way in time.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Without a word more they proceeded to loose the bonds of their prisoner.
unassailed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the Deep of the Silences I In the ancient wild there were three great silences that held their habitations unassailed.
the topmost one of two
From this reading They were the silence of the deep of the lake, the silence of the dark heart of the cedar swamp, and the silence of the upper air, high above the splintered peak of the mountain.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The moment he was free he struck at them savagely; but they had been on guard against such ingratitude, and got out of the way in time.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading The moment he was free he struck at them savagely; but they had been on guard against such ingratitude, and got out of the way in time.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading In the Deep of the Silences I In the ancient wild there were three great silences that held their habitations unassailed.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading Then he sprang into the air and flapped away indignantly; while the boys stared after him wistfully, half-repenting of their gentleness.
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading In the Deep of the Silences I In the ancient wild there were three great silences that held their habitations unassailed.
wistfullyadverbUS /ˈwɪstfəli/
in a wistful manner
From this reading Then he sprang into the air and flapped away indignantly; while the boys stared after him wistfully, half-repenting of their gentleness.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Without a word more they proceeded to loose the bonds of their prisoner.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading Without a word more they proceeded to loose the bonds of their prisoner.
