AdeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A LITTLE RUN IN THE NIGHT.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Evidently none of the fellows were armed, at least with shooting irons, for it was almost ludicrous to see the rapidity with which they threw up their arms and showed signs of surrender.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
armedadjectiveUS /ɑːrmd/
(used of persons or the military) characterized by having or bearing arms
From this reading Evidently none of the fellows were armed, at least with shooting irons, for it was almost ludicrous to see the rapidity with which they threw up their arms and showed signs of surrender.
armsnounUS /ɑːrmz/
weapons considered collectively
From this reading Evidently none of the fellows were armed, at least with shooting irons, for it was almost ludicrous to see the rapidity with which they threw up their arms and showed signs of surrender.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading When Thad thus broke in upon the little drama being enacted upon the strip of beach under the overhanging bank of the river the three negroes, as well as Maurice, looked toward the deck of the boat.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Evidently none of the fellows were armed, at least with shooting irons, for it was almost ludicrous to see the rapidity with which they threw up their arms and showed signs of surrender.
banknounUS /bæŋk/
sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)
From this reading When Thad thus broke in upon the little drama being enacted upon the strip of beach under the overhanging bank of the river the three negroes, as well as Maurice, looked toward the deck of the boat.
barrelnounUS /ˈbærəl/
a tube through which a bullet travels when a gun is fired
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
beachnounUS /biːtʃ/
an area of sand sloping down to the water of a sea or lake
From this reading When Thad thus broke in upon the little drama being enacted upon the strip of beach under the overhanging bank of the river the three negroes, as well as Maurice, looked toward the deck of the boat.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading When Thad thus broke in upon the little drama being enacted upon the strip of beach under the overhanging bank of the river the three negroes, as well as Maurice, looked toward the deck of the boat.
blackadjectiveUS /blæk/
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
boatnounUS /boʊt/
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading When Thad thus broke in upon the little drama being enacted upon the strip of beach under the overhanging bank of the river the three negroes, as well as Maurice, looked toward the deck of the boat.
brokeadjectiveUS /broʊk/
lacking funds
From this reading When Thad thus broke in upon the little drama being enacted upon the strip of beach under the overhanging bank of the river the three negroes, as well as Maurice, looked toward the deck of the boat.
busternounUS /ˈbʌstər/
an informal form of address for a man
From this reading "Don't let dat little buster go off, mister.
ByprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
datnounUS /dæt/
a digital tape recording of sound
From this reading "Don't let dat little buster go off, mister.
decknounUS /dek/
any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading When Thad thus broke in upon the little drama being enacted upon the strip of beach under the overhanging bank of the river the three negroes, as well as Maurice, looked toward the deck of the boat.
directionnounUS /dərˈekʃən/
a line leading to a place or point
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
Don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Don't let dat little buster go off, mister.
dramanounUS /ˈdrɑːmə/
a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage
From this reading When Thad thus broke in upon the little drama being enacted upon the strip of beach under the overhanging bank of the river the three negroes, as well as Maurice, looked toward the deck of the boat.
enactedverbUS /eˈnæktəd/
past form of “enact” — order by virtue of superior authority; decree
From this reading When Thad thus broke in upon the little drama being enacted upon the strip of beach under the overhanging bank of the river the three negroes, as well as Maurice, looked toward the deck of the boat.
EvidentlyadverbUS /ˈevədəntli/
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading Evidently none of the fellows were armed, at least with shooting irons, for it was almost ludicrous to see the rapidity with which they threw up their arms and showed signs of surrender.
fellowsnounUS /ˈfeloʊz/
plural of “fellow” — a boy or man
From this reading Evidently none of the fellows were armed, at least with shooting irons, for it was almost ludicrous to see the rapidity with which they threw up their arms and showed signs of surrender.
fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/
start firing a weapon
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Evidently none of the fellows were armed, at least with shooting irons, for it was almost ludicrous to see the rapidity with which they threw up their arms and showed signs of surrender.
frowningadjectiveUS /ˈfraʊnɪŋ/
showing displeasure or anger
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
goverbUS /ɡoʊ/
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "Don't let dat little buster go off, mister.
gunnounUS /ɡʌn/
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
handsnounUS /hændz/
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
holdingnounUS /ˈhoʊldɪŋ/
the act of retaining something
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
INprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A LITTLE RUN IN THE NIGHT.
interfereverbUS /ˌɪntərˈfɪr/
come between so as to be hindrance or obstacle
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
ironsnounUS /ˈaɪərnz/
metal shackles; for hands or legs
From this reading Evidently none of the fellows were armed, at least with shooting irons, for it was almost ludicrous to see the rapidity with which they threw up their arms and showed signs of surrender.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Evidently none of the fellows were armed, at least with shooting irons, for it was almost ludicrous to see the rapidity with which they threw up their arms and showed signs of surrender.
keepingnounUS /ˈkiːpɪŋ/
conformity or harmony
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
leastadjectiveUS /liːst/
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading Evidently none of the fellows were armed, at least with shooting irons, for it was almost ludicrous to see the rapidity with which they threw up their arms and showed signs of surrender.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading "Don't let dat little buster go off, mister.
lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
LITTLEadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading A LITTLE RUN IN THE NIGHT.
lookedverbUS /lʊkt/
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading When Thad thus broke in upon the little drama being enacted upon the strip of beach under the overhanging bank of the river the three negroes, as well as Maurice, looked toward the deck of the boat.
ludicrousadjectiveUS /ˈluːdəkrəs/
broadly or extravagantly humorous; resembling farce
From this reading Evidently none of the fellows were armed, at least with shooting irons, for it was almost ludicrous to see the rapidity with which they threw up their arms and showed signs of surrender.
MarlinnounUS /ˈmɑːrlən/
large long-jawed oceanic sport fishes; related to sailfishes and spearfishes; not completely cold-blooded i.e. able to warm their brains and eyes
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
Maurice
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Thad thus broke in upon the little drama being enacted upon the strip of beach under the overhanging bank of the river the three negroes, as well as Maurice, looked toward the deck of the boat.
misternounUS /ˈmɪstər/
a form of address for a man
From this reading "Don't let dat little buster go off, mister.
muzzlesnounUS /ˈmʌzəlz/
plural of “muzzle” — the open circular discharging end of a gun
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
negroesnounUS /ˈniːɡroʊz/
plural of “negro” — a person with African ancestry, "Negro" and "Negroid" are archaic and pejorative today
From this reading When Thad thus broke in upon the little drama being enacted upon the strip of beach under the overhanging bank of the river the three negroes, as well as Maurice, looked toward the deck of the boat.
NIGHTnounUS /naɪt/
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading A LITTLE RUN IN THE NIGHT.
nonepronounUS /nʌn/
not one, and not any
From this reading Evidently none of the fellows were armed, at least with shooting irons, for it was almost ludicrous to see the rapidity with which they threw up their arms and showed signs of surrender.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading When Thad thus broke in upon the little drama being enacted upon the strip of beach under the overhanging bank of the river the three negroes, as well as Maurice, looked toward the deck of the boat.
offadverbUS /ɔːf/
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "Don't let dat little buster go off, mister.
oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
overhangingverbUS /ˈoʊvərhæŋɪŋ/
-ing form of “overhang” — project over
From this reading When Thad thus broke in upon the little drama being enacted upon the strip of beach under the overhanging bank of the river the three negroes, as well as Maurice, looked toward the deck of the boat.
passagenounUS /ˈpæsədʒ/
the act of passing from one state or place to the next
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
pointedadjectiveUS /ˈpɔɪntɪd/
having a point
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
rapiditynounUS /rəˈpɪdəti/
a rate that is rapid
From this reading Evidently none of the fellows were armed, at least with shooting irons, for it was almost ludicrous to see the rapidity with which they threw up their arms and showed signs of surrender.
rivernounUS /ˈrɪvər/
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading When Thad thus broke in upon the little drama being enacted upon the strip of beach under the overhanging bank of the river the three negroes, as well as Maurice, looked toward the deck of the boat.
RUNverbUS /rʌn/
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading A LITTLE RUN IN THE NIGHT.
sandnounUS /sænd/
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
seeverbUS /siː/
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Evidently none of the fellows were armed, at least with shooting irons, for it was almost ludicrous to see the rapidity with which they threw up their arms and showed signs of surrender.
seemedverbUS /siːmd/
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
seenverbUS /siːn/
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
shootingnounUS /ˈʃuːtɪŋ/
the act of firing a projectile
From this reading Evidently none of the fellows were armed, at least with shooting irons, for it was almost ludicrous to see the rapidity with which they threw up their arms and showed signs of surrender.
showedverbUS /ʃoʊd/
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading Evidently none of the fellows were armed, at least with shooting irons, for it was almost ludicrous to see the rapidity with which they threw up their arms and showed signs of surrender.
signsnounUS /saɪnz/
plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading Evidently none of the fellows were armed, at least with shooting irons, for it was almost ludicrous to see the rapidity with which they threw up their arms and showed signs of surrender.
stripverbUS /strɪp/
take away possessions from someone
From this reading When Thad thus broke in upon the little drama being enacted upon the strip of beach under the overhanging bank of the river the three negroes, as well as Maurice, looked toward the deck of the boat.
surrendernounUS /sərˈendər/
acceptance of despair
From this reading Evidently none of the fellows were armed, at least with shooting irons, for it was almost ludicrous to see the rapidity with which they threw up their arms and showed signs of surrender.
Thad
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Thad thus broke in upon the little drama being enacted upon the strip of beach under the overhanging bank of the river the three negroes, as well as Maurice, looked toward the deck of the boat.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A LITTLE RUN IN THE NIGHT.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Evidently none of the fellows were armed, at least with shooting irons, for it was almost ludicrous to see the rapidity with which they threw up their arms and showed signs of surrender.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Evidently none of the fellows were armed, at least with shooting irons, for it was almost ludicrous to see the rapidity with which they threw up their arms and showed signs of surrender.
threenounUS /θriː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading When Thad thus broke in upon the little drama being enacted upon the strip of beach under the overhanging bank of the river the three negroes, as well as Maurice, looked toward the deck of the boat.
threwverbUS /θruː/
inflected form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading Evidently none of the fellows were armed, at least with shooting irons, for it was almost ludicrous to see the rapidity with which they threw up their arms and showed signs of surrender.
thusadverbUS /ðʌs/
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading When Thad thus broke in upon the little drama being enacted upon the strip of beach under the overhanging bank of the river the three negroes, as well as Maurice, looked toward the deck of the boat.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading When Thad thus broke in upon the little drama being enacted upon the strip of beach under the overhanging bank of the river the three negroes, as well as Maurice, looked toward the deck of the boat.
trampnounUS /træmp/
a vagrant
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
twonounUS /tuː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading When Thad thus broke in upon the little drama being enacted upon the strip of beach under the overhanging bank of the river the three negroes, as well as Maurice, looked toward the deck of the boat.
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Evidently none of the fellows were armed, at least with shooting irons, for it was almost ludicrous to see the rapidity with which they threw up their arms and showed signs of surrender.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading When Thad thus broke in upon the little drama being enacted upon the strip of beach under the overhanging bank of the river the three negroes, as well as Maurice, looked toward the deck of the boat.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
welladverbUS /wel/
(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 When Thad thus broke in upon the little drama being enacted upon the strip of beach under the overhanging bank of the river the three negroes, as well as Maurice, looked toward the deck of the boat.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Evidently none of the fellows were armed, at least with shooting irons, for it was almost ludicrous to see the rapidity with which they threw up their arms and showed signs of surrender.
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading When Thad thus broke in upon the little drama being enacted upon the strip of beach under the overhanging bank of the river the three negroes, as well as Maurice, looked toward the deck of the boat.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Evidently none of the fellows were armed, at least with shooting irons, for it was almost ludicrous to see the rapidity with which they threw up their arms and showed signs of surrender.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading By the light of the fire on the sand Thad was seen holding the old Marlin in his hands, and keeping the frowning muzzles of the two- barrel gun pointed in the direction of the black tramp who had seemed about to interfere with the passage of Maurice to the boat.
