used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading For half an hour scarcely a word was spoken, while all eyes searched the path ahead, and peered vainly into the deep, impenetrable shadows on either hand.
on a ship, train, plane or other vehicle
From this reading Running the Gauntlet There was tense silence aboard the launch from the moment when she had plunged from the placid waters of the lagoon on to the brightly lit surface of the stream which the two fugitives had followed.
in the past
From this reading Minute ago dere a bright lane ob water ahead; now noding, jest noding, all dark and black.
at or in the front
From this reading For half an hour scarcely a word was spoken, while all eyes searched the path ahead, and peered vainly into the deep, impenetrable shadows on either hand.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading For half an hour scarcely a word was spoken, while all eyes searched the path ahead, and peered vainly into the deep, impenetrable shadows on either hand.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading For half an hour scarcely a word was spoken, while all eyes searched the path ahead, and peered vainly into the deep, impenetrable shadows on either hand.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading For half an hour scarcely a word was spoken, while all eyes searched the path ahead, and peered vainly into the deep, impenetrable shadows on either hand.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading But at length Tom broke the trying silence, a sharp exclamation coming from the bows, where he was stationed.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading Minute ago dere a bright lane ob water ahead; now noding, jest noding, all dark and black.
bowsnounUS /baʊz/
plural of “bow” — a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces
From this reading But at length Tom broke the trying silence, a sharp exclamation coming from the bows, where he was stationed.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading Minute ago dere a bright lane ob water ahead; now noding, jest noding, all dark and black.
brightlyadverbUS /ˈbraɪtli/
with brightness
From this reading Running the Gauntlet There was tense silence aboard the launch from the moment when she had plunged from the placid waters of the lagoon on to the brightly lit surface of the stream which the two fugitives had followed.
lacking funds
From this reading But at length Tom broke the trying silence, a sharp exclamation coming from the bows, where he was stationed.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But at length Tom broke the trying silence, a sharp exclamation coming from the bows, where he was stationed.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "By lummy," he called, "but dat precious queer.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading "By lummy," he called, "but dat precious queer.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading But at length Tom broke the trying silence, a sharp exclamation coming from the bows, where he was stationed.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Minute ago dere a bright lane ob water ahead; now noding, jest noding, all dark and black.
a digital tape recording of sound
From this reading "By lummy," he called, "but dat precious queer.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading For half an hour scarcely a word was spoken, while all eyes searched the path ahead, and peered vainly into the deep, impenetrable shadows on either hand.
dere
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Minute ago dere a bright lane ob water ahead; now noding, jest noding, all dark and black.
one or the other of two
From this reading For half an hour scarcely a word was spoken, while all eyes searched the path ahead, and peered vainly into the deep, impenetrable shadows on either hand.
exclamationnounUS /ˌekskləˈmeɪʃən/
an abrupt excited utterance
From this reading But at length Tom broke the trying silence, a sharp exclamation coming from the bows, where he was stationed.
opinion or judgment
From this reading For half an hour scarcely a word was spoken, while all eyes searched the path ahead, and peered vainly into the deep, impenetrable shadows on either hand.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading Running the Gauntlet There was tense silence aboard the launch from the moment when she had plunged from the placid waters of the lagoon on to the brightly lit surface of the stream which the two fugitives had followed.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For half an hour scarcely a word was spoken, while all eyes searched the path ahead, and peered vainly into the deep, impenetrable shadows on either hand.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Running the Gauntlet There was tense silence aboard the launch from the moment when she had plunged from the placid waters of the lagoon on to the brightly lit surface of the stream which the two fugitives had followed.
fugitivesnounUS /ˈfjuːdʒɪtɪvz/
plural of “fugitive” — someone who flees from an uncongenial situation
From this reading Running the Gauntlet There was tense silence aboard the launch from the moment when she had plunged from the placid waters of the lagoon on to the brightly lit surface of the stream which the two fugitives had followed.
GauntletnounUS /ˈɡɔːntlət/
to offer or accept a challenge
From this reading Running the Gauntlet There was tense silence aboard the launch from the moment when she had plunged from the placid waters of the lagoon on to the brightly lit surface of the stream which the two fugitives had followed.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Running the Gauntlet There was tense silence aboard the launch from the moment when she had plunged from the placid waters of the lagoon on to the brightly lit surface of the stream which the two fugitives had followed.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading For half an hour scarcely a word was spoken, while all eyes searched the path ahead, and peered vainly into the deep, impenetrable shadows on either hand.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading For half an hour scarcely a word was spoken, while all eyes searched the path ahead, and peered vainly into the deep, impenetrable shadows on either hand.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But at length Tom broke the trying silence, a sharp exclamation coming from the bows, where he was stationed.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading For half an hour scarcely a word was spoken, while all eyes searched the path ahead, and peered vainly into the deep, impenetrable shadows on either hand.
impenetrableadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpenətrəbəl/
not admitting of penetration or passage into or through
From this reading For half an hour scarcely a word was spoken, while all eyes searched the path ahead, and peered vainly into the deep, impenetrable shadows on either hand.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading For half an hour scarcely a word was spoken, while all eyes searched the path ahead, and peered vainly into the deep, impenetrable shadows on either hand.
a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
From this reading Minute ago dere a bright lane ob water ahead; now noding, jest noding, all dark and black.
lagoonnounUS /ləˈɡuːn/
a body of water cut off from a larger body by a reef of sand or coral
From this reading Running the Gauntlet There was tense silence aboard the launch from the moment when she had plunged from the placid waters of the lagoon on to the brightly lit surface of the stream which the two fugitives had followed.
a narrow way or road
From this reading Minute ago dere a bright lane ob water ahead; now noding, jest noding, all dark and black.
launchverbUS /lɔːntʃ/
set up or found
From this reading Running the Gauntlet There was tense silence aboard the launch from the moment when she had plunged from the placid waters of the lagoon on to the brightly lit surface of the stream which the two fugitives had followed.
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading But at length Tom broke the trying silence, a sharp exclamation coming from the bows, where he was stationed.
provided with artificial light
From this reading Running the Gauntlet There was tense silence aboard the launch from the moment when she had plunged from the placid waters of the lagoon on to the brightly lit surface of the stream which the two fugitives had followed.
lummy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "By lummy," he called, "but dat precious queer.
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading Minute ago dere a bright lane ob water ahead; now noding, jest noding, all dark and black.
a particular point in time
From this reading Running the Gauntlet There was tense silence aboard the launch from the moment when she had plunged from the placid waters of the lagoon on to the brightly lit surface of the stream which the two fugitives had followed.
noding
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Minute ago dere a bright lane ob water ahead; now noding, jest noding, all dark and black.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Minute ago dere a bright lane ob water ahead; now noding, jest noding, all dark and black.
obnoun
a major river of western Siberia; flows generally northward and westward to the Gulf of Ob and the Kara Sea
From this reading Minute ago dere a bright lane ob water ahead; now noding, jest noding, all dark and black.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Running the Gauntlet There was tense silence aboard the launch from the moment when she had plunged from the placid waters of the lagoon on to the brightly lit surface of the stream which the two fugitives had followed.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Running the Gauntlet There was tense silence aboard the launch from the moment when she had plunged from the placid waters of the lagoon on to the brightly lit surface of the stream which the two fugitives had followed.
a course of conduct
From this reading For half an hour scarcely a word was spoken, while all eyes searched the path ahead, and peered vainly into the deep, impenetrable shadows on either hand.
peeredverbUS /pɪrd/
past form of “peer” — look searchingly
From this reading For half an hour scarcely a word was spoken, while all eyes searched the path ahead, and peered vainly into the deep, impenetrable shadows on either hand.
placidadjectiveUS /ˈplæsəd/
(of a body of water) free from disturbance by heavy waves
From this reading Running the Gauntlet There was tense silence aboard the launch from the moment when she had plunged from the placid waters of the lagoon on to the brightly lit surface of the stream which the two fugitives had followed.
past form of “plunge” — thrust or throw into
From this reading Running the Gauntlet There was tense silence aboard the launch from the moment when she had plunged from the placid waters of the lagoon on to the brightly lit surface of the stream which the two fugitives had followed.
characterized by feeling or showing fond affection for
From this reading "By lummy," he called, "but dat precious queer.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading "By lummy," he called, "but dat precious queer.
(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream
From this reading Running the Gauntlet There was tense silence aboard the launch from the moment when she had plunged from the placid waters of the lagoon on to the brightly lit surface of the stream which the two fugitives had followed.
only a very short time before
From this reading For half an hour scarcely a word was spoken, while all eyes searched the path ahead, and peered vainly into the deep, impenetrable shadows on either hand.
searchedverbUS /sɜːrtʃt/
past form of “search” — try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of
From this reading For half an hour scarcely a word was spoken, while all eyes searched the path ahead, and peered vainly into the deep, impenetrable shadows on either hand.
plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries
From this reading For half an hour scarcely a word was spoken, while all eyes searched the path ahead, and peered vainly into the deep, impenetrable shadows on either hand.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading But at length Tom broke the trying silence, a sharp exclamation coming from the bows, where he was stationed.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Running the Gauntlet There was tense silence aboard the launch from the moment when she had plunged from the placid waters of the lagoon on to the brightly lit surface of the stream which the two fugitives had followed.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading Running the Gauntlet There was tense silence aboard the launch from the moment when she had plunged from the placid waters of the lagoon on to the brightly lit surface of the stream which the two fugitives had followed.
uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination
From this reading For half an hour scarcely a word was spoken, while all eyes searched the path ahead, and peered vainly into the deep, impenetrable shadows on either hand.
stationedverbUS /ˈsteɪʃənd/
past form of “station” — assign to a station
From this reading But at length Tom broke the trying silence, a sharp exclamation coming from the bows, where he was stationed.
a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth
From this reading Running the Gauntlet There was tense silence aboard the launch from the moment when she had plunged from the placid waters of the lagoon on to the brightly lit surface of the stream which the two fugitives had followed.
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary
From this reading Running the Gauntlet There was tense silence aboard the launch from the moment when she had plunged from the placid waters of the lagoon on to the brightly lit surface of the stream which the two fugitives had followed.
tensenounUS /tens/
a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time
From this reading Running the Gauntlet There was tense silence aboard the launch from the moment when she had plunged from the placid waters of the lagoon on to the brightly lit surface of the stream which the two fugitives had followed.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Running the Gauntlet There was tense silence aboard the launch from the moment when she had plunged from the placid waters of the lagoon on to the brightly lit surface of the stream which the two fugitives had followed.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Running the Gauntlet There was tense silence aboard the launch from the moment when she had plunged from the placid waters of the lagoon on to the brightly lit surface of the stream which the two fugitives had followed.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Running the Gauntlet There was tense silence aboard the launch from the moment when she had plunged from the placid waters of the lagoon on to the brightly lit surface of the stream which the two fugitives had followed.
male cat
From this reading But at length Tom broke the trying silence, a sharp exclamation coming from the bows, where he was stationed.
hard to endure
From this reading But at length Tom broke the trying silence, a sharp exclamation coming from the bows, where he was stationed.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Running the Gauntlet There was tense silence aboard the launch from the moment when she had plunged from the placid waters of the lagoon on to the brightly lit surface of the stream which the two fugitives had followed.
vainlyadverbUS /ˈveɪnli/
to no avail
From this reading For half an hour scarcely a word was spoken, while all eyes searched the path ahead, and peered vainly into the deep, impenetrable shadows on either hand.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Running the Gauntlet There was tense silence aboard the launch from the moment when she had plunged from the placid waters of the lagoon on to the brightly lit surface of the stream which the two fugitives had followed.
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 Minute ago dere a bright lane ob water ahead; now noding, jest noding, all dark and black.
United States actress and singer (1896-1977)
From this reading Running the Gauntlet There was tense silence aboard the launch from the moment when she had plunged from the placid waters of the lagoon on to the brightly lit surface of the stream which the two fugitives had followed.
at the time that
From this reading Running the Gauntlet There was tense silence aboard the launch from the moment when she had plunged from the placid waters of the lagoon on to the brightly lit surface of the stream which the two fugitives had followed.
in or at the place that
From this reading But at length Tom broke the trying silence, a sharp exclamation coming from the bows, where he was stationed.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Running the Gauntlet There was tense silence aboard the launch from the moment when she had plunged from the placid waters of the lagoon on to the brightly lit surface of the stream which the two fugitives had followed.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading For half an hour scarcely a word was spoken, while all eyes searched the path ahead, and peered vainly into the deep, impenetrable shadows on either hand.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading For half an hour scarcely a word was spoken, while all eyes searched the path ahead, and peered vainly into the deep, impenetrable shadows on either hand.
