used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Barreau launched this epigrammatic sentence in the profound quiet of a cell in the MacLeod guardhouse.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading For that is the pass we came to: a six by eight housing of stout planks for the pair of us, food of indifferent quality in none too generous rations, and the keen eye of an armed guard in the background.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Destiny lurks in obscure places and emerges therefrom to seize upon us unawares.”
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading For two days we had brooded in this cage, like any common felons.
(used of persons or the military) characterized by having or bearing arms
From this reading For that is the pass we came to: a six by eight housing of stout planks for the pair of us, food of indifferent quality in none too generous rations, and the keen eye of an armed guard in the background.
backgroundnounUS /ˈbækɡraʊnd/
a person's social heritage: previous experience or training
From this reading For that is the pass we came to: a six by eight housing of stout planks for the pair of us, food of indifferent quality in none too generous rations, and the keen eye of an armed guard in the background.
Barreau
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Barreau launched this epigrammatic sentence in the profound quiet of a cell in the MacLeod guardhouse.
broodedverbUS /ˈbruːdɪd/
past form of “brood” — think moodily or anxiously about something
From this reading For two days we had brooded in this cage, like any common felons.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading For that is the pass we came to: a six by eight housing of stout planks for the pair of us, food of indifferent quality in none too generous rations, and the keen eye of an armed guard in the background.
cagenounUS /keɪdʒ/
an enclosure made or wire or metal bars in which birds or animals can be kept
From this reading For two days we had brooded in this cage, like any common felons.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading For that is the pass we came to: a six by eight housing of stout planks for the pair of us, food of indifferent quality in none too generous rations, and the keen eye of an armed guard in the background.
cellnounUS /sel/
A small stone room in a prison where an inmate is locked behind iron bars.
From this reading Barreau launched this epigrammatic sentence in the profound quiet of a cell in the MacLeod guardhouse.
chroniclingverbUS /ˈkrɑːnɪklɪŋ/
-ing form of “chronicle” — record in chronological order; make a historical record
From this reading Of the intervening time there is nothing worthy of chronicling.
belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public
From this reading For two days we had brooded in this cage, like any common felons.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading For two days we had brooded in this cage, like any common felons.
DestinynounUS /ˈdestəni/
an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future
From this reading “Destiny lurks in obscure places and emerges therefrom to seize upon us unawares.”
being one more than seven
From this reading For that is the pass we came to: a six by eight housing of stout planks for the pair of us, food of indifferent quality in none too generous rations, and the keen eye of an armed guard in the background.
emergesverbUS /ɪˈmɜːrdʒɪz/
third-person singular of “emerge” — come out into view, as from concealment
From this reading “Destiny lurks in obscure places and emerges therefrom to seize upon us unawares.”
epigrammaticadjectiveUS /ˌepəɡrəˈmætɪk/
terse and witty and like a maxim
From this reading Barreau launched this epigrammatic sentence in the profound quiet of a cell in the MacLeod guardhouse.
the organ of sight
From this reading For that is the pass we came to: a six by eight housing of stout planks for the pair of us, food of indifferent quality in none too generous rations, and the keen eye of an armed guard in the background.
felonsnounUS /ˈfelənz/
plural of “felon” — someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime
From this reading For two days we had brooded in this cage, like any common felons.
any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue
From this reading For that is the pass we came to: a six by eight housing of stout planks for the pair of us, food of indifferent quality in none too generous rations, and the keen eye of an armed guard in the background.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For that is the pass we came to: a six by eight housing of stout planks for the pair of us, food of indifferent quality in none too generous rations, and the keen eye of an armed guard in the background.
willing to give and share unstintingly
From this reading For that is the pass we came to: a six by eight housing of stout planks for the pair of us, food of indifferent quality in none too generous rations, and the keen eye of an armed guard in the background.
a person who keeps watch over something or someone
From this reading For that is the pass we came to: a six by eight housing of stout planks for the pair of us, food of indifferent quality in none too generous rations, and the keen eye of an armed guard in the background.
guardhousenoun
a military facility that serves as the headquarters for military police and in which military prisoners can be detained
From this reading Barreau launched this epigrammatic sentence in the profound quiet of a cell in the MacLeod guardhouse.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading For two days we had brooded in this cage, like any common felons.
housingnounUS /ˈhaʊzɪŋ/
structures collectively in which people are housed
From this reading For that is the pass we came to: a six by eight housing of stout planks for the pair of us, food of indifferent quality in none too generous rations, and the keen eye of an armed guard in the background.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “Destiny lurks in obscure places and emerges therefrom to seize upon us unawares.”
indifferentadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈdɪfrənt/
marked by a lack of interest
From this reading For that is the pass we came to: a six by eight housing of stout planks for the pair of us, food of indifferent quality in none too generous rations, and the keen eye of an armed guard in the background.
interveningadjectiveUS /ˌɪntərˈviːnɪŋ/
occurring or falling between events or points in time
From this reading Of the intervening time there is nothing worthy of chronicling.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For that is the pass we came to: a six by eight housing of stout planks for the pair of us, food of indifferent quality in none too generous rations, and the keen eye of an armed guard in the background.
having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
From this reading For that is the pass we came to: a six by eight housing of stout planks for the pair of us, food of indifferent quality in none too generous rations, and the keen eye of an armed guard in the background.
launchedverbUS /lɔːntʃt/
past form of “launch” — set up or found
From this reading Barreau launched this epigrammatic sentence in the profound quiet of a cell in the MacLeod guardhouse.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading For two days we had brooded in this cage, like any common felons.
lurksverbUS /lɜːrks/
third-person singular of “lurk” — lie in wait, lie in ambush, behave in a sneaky and secretive manner
From this reading “Destiny lurks in obscure places and emerges therefrom to seize upon us unawares.”
MacLeodnounUS /məˈklaʊd/
Scottish physiologist who directed the research by F. G. Banting and C. H. Best that led to the discovery of insulin (1876-1935)
From this reading Barreau launched this epigrammatic sentence in the profound quiet of a cell in the MacLeod guardhouse.
not one, and not any
From this reading For that is the pass we came to: a six by eight housing of stout planks for the pair of us, food of indifferent quality in none too generous rations, and the keen eye of an armed guard in the background.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Of the intervening time there is nothing worthy of chronicling.
obscureverbUS /əbsˈkjʊr/
make less visible or unclear
From this reading “Destiny lurks in obscure places and emerges therefrom to seize upon us unawares.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Barreau launched this epigrammatic sentence in the profound quiet of a cell in the MacLeod guardhouse.
a set of two similar things considered as a unit
From this reading For that is the pass we came to: a six by eight housing of stout planks for the pair of us, food of indifferent quality in none too generous rations, and the keen eye of an armed guard in the background.
go across or through
From this reading For that is the pass we came to: a six by eight housing of stout planks for the pair of us, food of indifferent quality in none too generous rations, and the keen eye of an armed guard in the background.
plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading “Destiny lurks in obscure places and emerges therefrom to seize upon us unawares.”
planksnounUS /plæŋks/
plural of “plank” — a stout length of sawn timber; made in a wide variety of sizes and used for many purposes
From this reading For that is the pass we came to: a six by eight housing of stout planks for the pair of us, food of indifferent quality in none too generous rations, and the keen eye of an armed guard in the background.
showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth
From this reading Barreau launched this epigrammatic sentence in the profound quiet of a cell in the MacLeod guardhouse.
an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone
From this reading For that is the pass we came to: a six by eight housing of stout planks for the pair of us, food of indifferent quality in none too generous rations, and the keen eye of an armed guard in the background.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading Barreau launched this epigrammatic sentence in the profound quiet of a cell in the MacLeod guardhouse.
rationsnounUS /ˈræʃənz/
plural of “ration” — the food allowance for one day (especially for service personnel)
From this reading For that is the pass we came to: a six by eight housing of stout planks for the pair of us, food of indifferent quality in none too generous rations, and the keen eye of an armed guard in the background.
seizeverbUS /siːz/
take hold of; grab
From this reading “Destiny lurks in obscure places and emerges therefrom to seize upon us unawares.”
a string of words satisfying the grammatical rules of a language
From this reading Barreau launched this epigrammatic sentence in the profound quiet of a cell in the MacLeod guardhouse.
the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading For that is the pass we came to: a six by eight housing of stout planks for the pair of us, food of indifferent quality in none too generous rations, and the keen eye of an armed guard in the background.
dependable
From this reading For that is the pass we came to: a six by eight housing of stout planks for the pair of us, food of indifferent quality in none too generous rations, and the keen eye of an armed guard in the background.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading For that is the pass we came to: a six by eight housing of stout planks for the pair of us, food of indifferent quality in none too generous rations, and the keen eye of an armed guard in the background.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Barreau launched this epigrammatic sentence in the profound quiet of a cell in the MacLeod guardhouse.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Of the intervening time there is nothing worthy of chronicling.
therefromadverb
from that circumstance or source
From this reading “Destiny lurks in obscure places and emerges therefrom to seize upon us unawares.”
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Barreau launched this epigrammatic sentence in the profound quiet of a cell in the MacLeod guardhouse.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Of the intervening time there is nothing worthy of chronicling.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Destiny lurks in obscure places and emerges therefrom to seize upon us unawares.”
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading For that is the pass we came to: a six by eight housing of stout planks for the pair of us, food of indifferent quality in none too generous rations, and the keen eye of an armed guard in the background.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading For two days we had brooded in this cage, like any common felons.
unawaresadverbUS /ˌʌnəˈwerz/
without forethought or plan; inadvertently
From this reading “Destiny lurks in obscure places and emerges therefrom to seize upon us unawares.”
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading “Destiny lurks in obscure places and emerges therefrom to seize upon us unawares.”
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Destiny lurks in obscure places and emerges therefrom to seize upon us unawares.”
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading For that is the pass we came to: a six by eight housing of stout planks for the pair of us, food of indifferent quality in none too generous rations, and the keen eye of an armed guard in the background.
Having or showing the qualities or abilities that merit recognition in character or magic.
From this reading Of the intervening time there is nothing worthy of chronicling.
