used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading For three days the castaways lead a wretched life, in never-ceasing anxiety--for three nights, too, since all the savages are rarely asleep at any one time.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
personal knowledge or information about someone or something
From this reading AN ODD RENEWAL OF ACQUAINTANCE.
(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 three days the castaways lead a wretched life, in never-ceasing anxiety--for three nights, too, since all the savages are rarely asleep at any one time.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN ODD RENEWAL OF ACQUAINTANCE.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
(psychiatry) a relatively permanent state of worry and nervousness occurring in a variety of mental disorders, usually accompanied by compulsive behavior or attacks of panic
From this reading For three days the castaways lead a wretched life, in never-ceasing anxiety--for three nights, too, since all the savages are rarely asleep at any one time.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading For three days the castaways lead a wretched life, in never-ceasing anxiety--for three nights, too, since all the savages are rarely asleep at any one time.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading For three days the castaways lead a wretched life, in never-ceasing anxiety--for three nights, too, since all the savages are rarely asleep at any one time.
in a state of sleep
From this reading For three days the castaways lead a wretched life, in never-ceasing anxiety--for three nights, too, since all the savages are rarely asleep at any one time.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading For three days the castaways lead a wretched life, in never-ceasing anxiety--for three nights, too, since all the savages are rarely asleep at any one time.
awakeadjectiveUS /əˈweɪk/
not in a state of sleep; completely conscious
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The dogs are never away from it.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
castawaysnounUS /ˈkæstəweɪz/
plural of “castaway” — a person who is rejected (from society or home)
From this reading For three days the castaways lead a wretched life, in never-ceasing anxiety--for three nights, too, since all the savages are rarely asleep at any one time.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled
From this reading CHAPTER NINETEEN.
cookingnounUS /ˈkʊkɪŋ/
the act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading For three days the castaways lead a wretched life, in never-ceasing anxiety--for three nights, too, since all the savages are rarely asleep at any one time.
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
plural of “dog” — a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading The dogs are never away from it.
start firing a weapon
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For three days the castaways lead a wretched life, in never-ceasing anxiety--for three nights, too, since all the savages are rarely asleep at any one time.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The dogs are never away from it.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
grossly offensive to decency or morality; causing horror
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading For three days the castaways lead a wretched life, in never-ceasing anxiety--for three nights, too, since all the savages are rarely asleep at any one time.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The dogs are never away from it.
take somebody somewhere
From this reading For three days the castaways lead a wretched life, in never-ceasing anxiety--for three nights, too, since all the savages are rarely asleep at any one time.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading For three days the castaways lead a wretched life, in never-ceasing anxiety--for three nights, too, since all the savages are rarely asleep at any one time.
lookoutnounUS /ˈlʊkaʊt/
a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
morselnounUS /ˈmɔːrsəl/
a small quantity of anything
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading The dogs are never away from it.
never-ceasing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For three days the castaways lead a wretched life, in never-ceasing anxiety--for three nights, too, since all the savages are rarely asleep at any one time.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
Periods of darkness between sunset and sunrise.
From this reading For three days the castaways lead a wretched life, in never-ceasing anxiety--for three nights, too, since all the savages are rarely asleep at any one time.
NINETEENnounUS /ˈnaɪnˈtiːn/
the cardinal number that is the sum of eighteen and one
From this reading CHAPTER NINETEEN.
noisesnounUS /ˈnɔɪzɪz/
plural of “noise” — sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
not divisible by two
From this reading AN ODD RENEWAL OF ACQUAINTANCE.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading AN ODD RENEWAL OF ACQUAINTANCE.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading For three days the castaways lead a wretched life, in never-ceasing anxiety--for three nights, too, since all the savages are rarely asleep at any one time.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
rarelyadverbUS /ˈrerli/
not often
From this reading For three days the castaways lead a wretched life, in never-ceasing anxiety--for three nights, too, since all the savages are rarely asleep at any one time.
RENEWALnounUS /rɪˈnuːəl/
the conversion of wasteland into land suitable for use of habitation or cultivation
From this reading AN ODD RENEWAL OF ACQUAINTANCE.
savagesnounUS /ˈsævədʒəz/
plural of “savage” — a member of an uncivilized people
From this reading For three days the castaways lead a wretched life, in never-ceasing anxiety--for three nights, too, since all the savages are rarely asleep at any one time.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading For three days the castaways lead a wretched life, in never-ceasing anxiety--for three nights, too, since all the savages are rarely asleep at any one time.
skulkingnounUS /ˈskʌlkɪŋ/
evading duty or work by pretending to be incapacitated
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading For three days the castaways lead a wretched life, in never-ceasing anxiety--for three nights, too, since all the savages are rarely asleep at any one time.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading For three days the castaways lead a wretched life, in never-ceasing anxiety--for three nights, too, since all the savages are rarely asleep at any one time.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading For three days the castaways lead a wretched life, in never-ceasing anxiety--for three nights, too, since all the savages are rarely asleep at any one time.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading For three days the castaways lead a wretched life, in never-ceasing anxiety--for three nights, too, since all the savages are rarely asleep at any one time.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
unearthlyadjectiveUS /əˈnɜːrθli/
concerned with or affecting the spirit or soul
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
at the time that
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
whitesnounUS /waɪts/
plural of “white” — a Caucasian
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Some of them are certain to be awake, and making night hideous with unearthly noises; and, having discovered this to be the time when the whites do their cooking, there are always one or two skulking about the camp fire, on the lookout for a morsel.
of very poor quality or condition
From this reading For three days the castaways lead a wretched life, in never-ceasing anxiety--for three nights, too, since all the savages are rarely asleep at any one time.
