used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Safety now seemed within our reach, and we summoned all our remaining energies for a final effort.
(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 Safety now seemed within our reach, and we summoned all our remaining energies for a final effort.
ambushverbUS /ˈæmbʊʃ/
wait in hiding to attack
From this reading As we turned a little aside to avoid the thicket, an appalling yell rang out from it, and half a dozen dark figures started from their ambush, and sprang into the path before us.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading As we turned a little aside to avoid the thicket, an appalling yell rang out from it, and half a dozen dark figures started from their ambush, and sprang into the path before us.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "At last we had nearly traversed the breadth of the plantation, and the welcome sound of the waves, breaking upon the beach, greeted our ears.
appallingnounUS /əˈpɔːlɪŋ/
an experience that appalls
From this reading As we turned a little aside to avoid the thicket, an appalling yell rang out from it, and half a dozen dark figures started from their ambush, and sprang into the path before us.
past form of “approach” — move towards
From this reading The trees, growing more thinly as we approached the skirt of the wood, let in the light, and between their trunks I caught a glimpse of the sea.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The trees, growing more thinly as we approached the skirt of the wood, let in the light, and between their trunks I caught a glimpse of the sea.
on or to one side
From this reading As we turned a little aside to avoid the thicket, an appalling yell rang out from it, and half a dozen dark figures started from their ambush, and sprang into the path before us.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "At last we had nearly traversed the breadth of the plantation, and the welcome sound of the waves, breaking upon the beach, greeted our ears.
stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something
From this reading As we turned a little aside to avoid the thicket, an appalling yell rang out from it, and half a dozen dark figures started from their ambush, and sprang into the path before us.
an area of sand sloping down to the water of a sea or lake
From this reading "At last we had nearly traversed the breadth of the plantation, and the welcome sound of the waves, breaking upon the beach, greeted our ears.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Right before us was a thicket, tangled with fern, and scarcely twenty yards beyond it lay the beach shining in the star-light.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading The trees, growing more thinly as we approached the skirt of the wood, let in the light, and between their trunks I caught a glimpse of the sea.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading Right before us was a thicket, tangled with fern, and scarcely twenty yards beyond it lay the beach shining in the star-light.
breadthnounUS /bredθ/
the capacity to understand a broad range of topics
From this reading "At last we had nearly traversed the breadth of the plantation, and the welcome sound of the waves, breaking upon the beach, greeted our ears.
the act of breaking something
From this reading "At last we had nearly traversed the breadth of the plantation, and the welcome sound of the waves, breaking upon the beach, greeted our ears.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading The trees, growing more thinly as we approached the skirt of the wood, let in the light, and between their trunks I caught a glimpse of the sea.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading As we turned a little aside to avoid the thicket, an appalling yell rang out from it, and half a dozen dark figures started from their ambush, and sprang into the path before us.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading As we turned a little aside to avoid the thicket, an appalling yell rang out from it, and half a dozen dark figures started from their ambush, and sprang into the path before us.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading "At last we had nearly traversed the breadth of the plantation, and the welcome sound of the waves, breaking upon the beach, greeted our ears.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading Safety now seemed within our reach, and we summoned all our remaining energies for a final effort.
energiesnounUS /ˈenərdʒiz/
plural of “energy” — (physics) a thermodynamic quantity equivalent to the capacity of a physical system to do work; the units of energy are joules or ergs
From this reading Safety now seemed within our reach, and we summoned all our remaining energies for a final effort.
fernnounUS /fɜːrn/
any of numerous flowerless and seedless vascular plants having true roots from a rhizome and fronds that uncurl upward; reproduce by spores
From this reading Right before us was a thicket, tangled with fern, and scarcely twenty yards beyond it lay the beach shining in the star-light.
plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading As we turned a little aside to avoid the thicket, an appalling yell rang out from it, and half a dozen dark figures started from their ambush, and sprang into the path before us.
finaladjectiveUS /ˈfaɪnəl/
occurring at or forming an end or termination
From this reading Safety now seemed within our reach, and we summoned all our remaining energies for a final effort.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Safety now seemed within our reach, and we summoned all our remaining energies for a final effort.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading As we turned a little aside to avoid the thicket, an appalling yell rang out from it, and half a dozen dark figures started from their ambush, and sprang into the path before us.
a quick look
From this reading The trees, growing more thinly as we approached the skirt of the wood, let in the light, and between their trunks I caught a glimpse of the sea.
greetedverbUS /ˈɡriːtəd/
past form of “greet” — express greetings upon meeting someone
From this reading "At last we had nearly traversed the breadth of the plantation, and the welcome sound of the waves, breaking upon the beach, greeted our ears.
(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level
From this reading The trees, growing more thinly as we approached the skirt of the wood, let in the light, and between their trunks I caught a glimpse of the sea.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "At last we had nearly traversed the breadth of the plantation, and the welcome sound of the waves, breaking upon the beach, greeted our ears.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading As we turned a little aside to avoid the thicket, an appalling yell rang out from it, and half a dozen dark figures started from their ambush, and sprang into the path before us.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading The trees, growing more thinly as we approached the skirt of the wood, let in the light, and between their trunks I caught a glimpse of the sea.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The trees, growing more thinly as we approached the skirt of the wood, let in the light, and between their trunks I caught a glimpse of the sea.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading As we turned a little aside to avoid the thicket, an appalling yell rang out from it, and half a dozen dark figures started from their ambush, and sprang into the path before us.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Right before us was a thicket, tangled with fern, and scarcely twenty yards beyond it lay the beach shining in the star-light.
immediately past
From this reading "At last we had nearly traversed the breadth of the plantation, and the welcome sound of the waves, breaking upon the beach, greeted our ears.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Right before us was a thicket, tangled with fern, and scarcely twenty yards beyond it lay the beach shining in the star-light.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading The trees, growing more thinly as we approached the skirt of the wood, let in the light, and between their trunks I caught a glimpse of the sea.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading The trees, growing more thinly as we approached the skirt of the wood, let in the light, and between their trunks I caught a glimpse of the sea.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading As we turned a little aside to avoid the thicket, an appalling yell rang out from it, and half a dozen dark figures started from their ambush, and sprang into the path before us.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The trees, growing more thinly as we approached the skirt of the wood, let in the light, and between their trunks I caught a glimpse of the sea.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading "At last we had nearly traversed the breadth of the plantation, and the welcome sound of the waves, breaking upon the beach, greeted our ears.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Safety now seemed within our reach, and we summoned all our remaining energies for a final effort.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "At last we had nearly traversed the breadth of the plantation, and the welcome sound of the waves, breaking upon the beach, greeted our ears.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading "At last we had nearly traversed the breadth of the plantation, and the welcome sound of the waves, breaking upon the beach, greeted our ears.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading As we turned a little aside to avoid the thicket, an appalling yell rang out from it, and half a dozen dark figures started from their ambush, and sprang into the path before us.
a course of conduct
From this reading As we turned a little aside to avoid the thicket, an appalling yell rang out from it, and half a dozen dark figures started from their ambush, and sprang into the path before us.
plantationnounUS /ˌplænˈteɪʃən/
an estate where cash crops are grown on a large scale (especially in tropical areas)
From this reading "At last we had nearly traversed the breadth of the plantation, and the welcome sound of the waves, breaking upon the beach, greeted our ears.
inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading As we turned a little aside to avoid the thicket, an appalling yell rang out from it, and half a dozen dark figures started from their ambush, and sprang into the path before us.
reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading Safety now seemed within our reach, and we summoned all our remaining energies for a final effort.
not used up
From this reading Safety now seemed within our reach, and we summoned all our remaining energies for a final effort.
precisely, exactly
From this reading Right before us was a thicket, tangled with fern, and scarcely twenty yards beyond it lay the beach shining in the star-light.
the state of being certain that adverse effects will not be caused by some agent under defined conditions
From this reading Safety now seemed within our reach, and we summoned all our remaining energies for a final effort.
only a very short time before
From this reading Right before us was a thicket, tangled with fern, and scarcely twenty yards beyond it lay the beach shining in the star-light.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading The trees, growing more thinly as we approached the skirt of the wood, let in the light, and between their trunks I caught a glimpse of the sea.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Safety now seemed within our reach, and we summoned all our remaining energies for a final effort.
marked by exceptional merit
From this reading Right before us was a thicket, tangled with fern, and scarcely twenty yards beyond it lay the beach shining in the star-light.
skirtnounUS /skɜːrt/
cloth covering that forms the part of a garment below the waist
From this reading The trees, growing more thinly as we approached the skirt of the wood, let in the light, and between their trunks I caught a glimpse of the sea.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading "At last we had nearly traversed the breadth of the plantation, and the welcome sound of the waves, breaking upon the beach, greeted our ears.
inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading As we turned a little aside to avoid the thicket, an appalling yell rang out from it, and half a dozen dark figures started from their ambush, and sprang into the path before us.
star-light
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Right before us was a thicket, tangled with fern, and scarcely twenty yards beyond it lay the beach shining in the star-light.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading As we turned a little aside to avoid the thicket, an appalling yell rang out from it, and half a dozen dark figures started from their ambush, and sprang into the path before us.
past form of “summon” — call in an official matter, such as to attend court
From this reading Safety now seemed within our reach, and we summoned all our remaining energies for a final effort.
tangledadjectiveUS /ˈtæŋɡəld/
in a confused mass
From this reading Right before us was a thicket, tangled with fern, and scarcely twenty yards beyond it lay the beach shining in the star-light.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "At last we had nearly traversed the breadth of the plantation, and the welcome sound of the waves, breaking upon the beach, greeted our ears.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The trees, growing more thinly as we approached the skirt of the wood, let in the light, and between their trunks I caught a glimpse of the sea.
thicketnounUS /ˈθɪkɪt/
a dense growth of bushes
From this reading Right before us was a thicket, tangled with fern, and scarcely twenty yards beyond it lay the beach shining in the star-light.
thinlyadverbUS /ˈθɪnli/
without force or sincere effort
From this reading The trees, growing more thinly as we approached the skirt of the wood, let in the light, and between their trunks I caught a glimpse of the sea.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading As we turned a little aside to avoid the thicket, an appalling yell rang out from it, and half a dozen dark figures started from their ambush, and sprang into the path before us.
traversedverbUS /ˈtrævərst/
past form of “traverse” — travel across or pass over
From this reading "At last we had nearly traversed the breadth of the plantation, and the welcome sound of the waves, breaking upon the beach, greeted our ears.
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading The trees, growing more thinly as we approached the skirt of the wood, let in the light, and between their trunks I caught a glimpse of the sea.
trunksnounUS /trʌŋks/
(used in the plural) trousers that end at or above the knee
From this reading The trees, growing more thinly as we approached the skirt of the wood, let in the light, and between their trunks I caught a glimpse of the sea.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading As we turned a little aside to avoid the thicket, an appalling yell rang out from it, and half a dozen dark figures started from their ambush, and sprang into the path before us.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one
From this reading Right before us was a thicket, tangled with fern, and scarcely twenty yards beyond it lay the beach shining in the star-light.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading "At last we had nearly traversed the breadth of the plantation, and the welcome sound of the waves, breaking upon the beach, greeted our ears.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Right before us was a thicket, tangled with fern, and scarcely twenty yards beyond it lay the beach shining in the star-light.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Right before us was a thicket, tangled with fern, and scarcely twenty yards beyond it lay the beach shining in the star-light.
plural of “wave” — one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)
From this reading "At last we had nearly traversed the breadth of the plantation, and the welcome sound of the waves, breaking upon the beach, greeted our ears.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "At last we had nearly traversed the breadth of the plantation, and the welcome sound of the waves, breaking upon the beach, greeted our ears.
accept gladly
From this reading "At last we had nearly traversed the breadth of the plantation, and the welcome sound of the waves, breaking upon the beach, greeted our ears.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Right before us was a thicket, tangled with fern, and scarcely twenty yards beyond it lay the beach shining in the star-light.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading Safety now seemed within our reach, and we summoned all our remaining energies for a final effort.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading The trees, growing more thinly as we approached the skirt of the wood, let in the light, and between their trunks I caught a glimpse of the sea.
plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading Right before us was a thicket, tangled with fern, and scarcely twenty yards beyond it lay the beach shining in the star-light.
yellnounUS /jel/
a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition
From this reading As we turned a little aside to avoid the thicket, an appalling yell rang out from it, and half a dozen dark figures started from their ambush, and sprang into the path before us.
