used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading I dreamt about it all night.
(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 I blamed Pythagoras’ theorem for it all.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading With some other question—who knows?—I might just have scraped through, by the skin of my teeth, as I had done in past years.
atopadverbUS /əˈtɑːp/
on, to, or at the top
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
BAC
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
the act of overcoming or outdoing
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
blamedadjectiveUS /bleɪmd/
expletives used informally as intensifiers
From this reading I blamed Pythagoras’ theorem for it all.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But, as Fate would have it, it was just that one!
showing who or what does the action
From this reading With some other question—who knows?—I might just have scraped through, by the skin of my teeth, as I had done in past years.
disorder resulting from a failure to behave predictably
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
DEAB
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading With some other question—who knows?—I might just have scraped through, by the skin of my teeth, as I had done in past years.
dreamtverbUS /drɛmt/
Experienced dreams during sleep.
From this reading I dreamt about it all night.
fataladjectiveUS /ˈfeɪtəl/
bringing death
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future
From this reading But, as Fate would have it, it was just that one!
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I blamed Pythagoras’ theorem for it all.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading With some other question—who knows?—I might just have scraped through, by the skin of my teeth, as I had done in past years.
hammernounUS /ˈhæmər/
the part of a gunlock that strikes the percussion cap when the trigger is pulled
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading With some other question—who knows?—I might just have scraped through, by the skin of my teeth, as I had done in past years.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I blamed Pythagoras’ theorem for it all.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading With some other question—who knows?—I might just have scraped through, by the skin of my teeth, as I had done in past years.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I blamed Pythagoras’ theorem for it all.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
and nothing more
From this reading With some other question—who knows?—I might just have scraped through, by the skin of my teeth, as I had done in past years.
plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people
From this reading With some other question—who knows?—I might just have scraped through, by the skin of my teeth, as I had done in past years.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
the literary culture
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading With some other question—who knows?—I might just have scraped through, by the skin of my teeth, as I had done in past years.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading With some other question—who knows?—I might just have scraped through, by the skin of my teeth, as I had done in past years.
NAF
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading I dreamt about it all night.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading With some other question—who knows?—I might just have scraped through, by the skin of my teeth, as I had done in past years.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading But, as Fate would have it, it was just that one!
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading With some other question—who knows?—I might just have scraped through, by the skin of my teeth, as I had done in past years.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading With some other question—who knows?—I might just have scraped through, by the skin of my teeth, as I had done in past years.
PythagorasnounUS /ˌpɪθəˈɡɔːrɑːs/
Greek philosopher and mathematician who proved the Pythagorean theorem; considered to be the first true mathematician (circa 580-500 BC)
From this reading I blamed Pythagoras’ theorem for it all.
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading With some other question—who knows?—I might just have scraped through, by the skin of my teeth, as I had done in past years.
precisely, exactly
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
RNAB
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
cut with a saw
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
scrapedverbUS /skreɪpt/
past form of “scrape” — scratch repeatedly
From this reading With some other question—who knows?—I might just have scraped through, by the skin of my teeth, as I had done in past years.
a natural protective body covering and site of the sense of touch
From this reading With some other question—who knows?—I might just have scraped through, by the skin of my teeth, as I had done in past years.
slopingadjectiveUS /ˈsloʊpɪŋ/
having an oblique or slanted direction
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
small or little relative to something else
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading With some other question—who knows?—I might just have scraped through, by the skin of my teeth, as I had done in past years.
make square
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
squaresnounUS /skwerz/
plural of “square” — (geometry) a plane rectangle with four equal sides and four right angles; a four-sided regular polygon
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
strokesnounUS /stroʊks/
plural of “stroke” — (sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
tanglenounUS /ˈtæŋɡəl/
a twisted and tangled mass that is highly interwoven
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
the kind and number and arrangement of teeth (collectively) in a person or animal
From this reading With some other question—who knows?—I might just have scraped through, by the skin of my teeth, as I had done in past years.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But, as Fate would have it, it was just that one!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading With some other question—who knows?—I might just have scraped through, by the skin of my teeth, as I had done in past years.
theoremnounUS /ˈθɪrəm/
a proposition deducible from basic postulates
From this reading I blamed Pythagoras’ theorem for it all.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading With some other question—who knows?—I might just have scraped through, by the skin of my teeth, as I had done in past years.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
trianglenounUS /ˈtraɪæŋɡəl/
a three-sided polygon
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading I saw it before me—the fatal square with its triangle atop, and the two smaller squares, one sloping to the right, and the other to the left, and a tangle of lines, and a great confusion of letters; and heard beating through my head like the strokes of a hammer—BAC = NAF; RNAB = DEAB.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But, as Fate would have it, it was just that one!
which person or people
From this reading With some other question—who knows?—I might just have scraped through, by the skin of my teeth, as I had done in past years.
in the company of; together with
From this reading With some other question—who knows?—I might just have scraped through, by the skin of my teeth, as I had done in past years.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading But, as Fate would have it, it was just that one!
a late time of life
From this reading With some other question—who knows?—I might just have scraped through, by the skin of my teeth, as I had done in past years.
