ableadjectiveUS /ˈeɪbəl/
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading Once more he made an effort to regain his position on the rock, but he was not able to raise himself an inch.
agonynounUS /ˈæɡ.ə.ni/
Extreme physical or mental suffering; intense anguish.
From this reading He felt certain that the fall would kill him, and he groaned in agony.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Once more he made an effort to regain his position on the rock, but he was not able to raise himself an inch.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He felt certain that the fall would kill him, and he groaned in agony.
armnounUS /ɑːrm/
a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading He tried to look down to see if the barge had passed beneath him, but the intense strain on his arm now drew his head back, so that he could not do so.
backadverbUS /bæk/
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading He tried to look down to see if the barge had passed beneath him, but the intense strain on his arm now drew his head back, so that he could not do so.
bargeverbUS /bɑːrdʒ/
push one's way
From this reading He tried to look down to see if the barge had passed beneath him, but the intense strain on his arm now drew his head back, so that he could not do so.
beginningnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading His fingers were benumbed and beginning to slip.
beneathprepositionUS /bɪˈniːθ/
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading He tried to look down to see if the barge had passed beneath him, but the intense strain on his arm now drew his head back, so that he could not do so.
benumbedadjective
lacking sensation
From this reading His fingers were benumbed and beginning to slip.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He tried to look down to see if the barge had passed beneath him, but the intense strain on his arm now drew his head back, so that he could not do so.
certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading He felt certain that the fall would kill him, and he groaned in agony.
clungverbUS /klʌŋ/
inflected form of “cling” — come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation
From this reading Johnston clung tenaciously to the rock.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He tried to look down to see if the barge had passed beneath him, but the intense strain on his arm now drew his head back, so that he could not do so.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading He tried to look down to see if the barge had passed beneath him, but the intense strain on his arm now drew his head back, so that he could not do so.
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He tried to look down to see if the barge had passed beneath him, but the intense strain on his arm now drew his head back, so that he could not do so.
drewnounUS /druː/
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading He tried to look down to see if the barge had passed beneath him, but the intense strain on his arm now drew his head back, so that he could not do so.
effortnounUS /ˈefərt/
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading Once more he made an effort to regain his position on the rock, but he was not able to raise himself an inch.
fallverbUS /fɔːl/
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
From this reading He felt certain that the fall would kill him, and he groaned in agony.
feltverbUS /felt/
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading He felt certain that the fall would kill him, and he groaned in agony.
fingersnounUS /ˈfɪŋɡərz/
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading His fingers were benumbed and beginning to slip.
groanedverbUS /ɡroʊnd/
past form of “groan” — indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure
From this reading He felt certain that the fall would kill him, and he groaned in agony.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He tried to look down to see if the barge had passed beneath him, but the intense strain on his arm now drew his head back, so that he could not do so.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He tried to look down to see if the barge had passed beneath him, but the intense strain on his arm now drew his head back, so that he could not do so.
headnounUS /hed/
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading He tried to look down to see if the barge had passed beneath him, but the intense strain on his arm now drew his head back, so that he could not do so.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He tried to look down to see if the barge had passed beneath him, but the intense strain on his arm now drew his head back, so that he could not do so.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Once more he made an effort to regain his position on the rock, but he was not able to raise himself an inch.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He tried to look down to see if the barge had passed beneath him, but the intense strain on his arm now drew his head back, so that he could not do so.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading He tried to look down to see if the barge had passed beneath him, but the intense strain on his arm now drew his head back, so that he could not do so.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He felt certain that the fall would kill him, and he groaned in agony.
inchnounUS /ɪntʃ/
a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot
From this reading Once more he made an effort to regain his position on the rock, but he was not able to raise himself an inch.
intenseadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtens/
possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree
From this reading He tried to look down to see if the barge had passed beneath him, but the intense strain on his arm now drew his head back, so that he could not do so.
JohnstonnounUS /ˈdʒɑːnstən/
Confederate general in the American Civil War; led the Confederate troops in the West (1807-1891)
From this reading Johnston clung tenaciously to the rock.
killverbUS /kɪl/
cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
From this reading He felt certain that the fall would kill him, and he groaned in agony.
lookverbUS /lʊk/
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He tried to look down to see if the barge had passed beneath him, but the intense strain on his arm now drew his head back, so that he could not do so.
madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Once more he made an effort to regain his position on the rock, but he was not able to raise himself an inch.
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Once more he made an effort to regain his position on the rock, but he was not able to raise himself an inch.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He tried to look down to see if the barge had passed beneath him, but the intense strain on his arm now drew his head back, so that he could not do so.
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading He tried to look down to see if the barge had passed beneath him, but the intense strain on his arm now drew his head back, so that he could not do so.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He tried to look down to see if the barge had passed beneath him, but the intense strain on his arm now drew his head back, so that he could not do so.
OnceadverbUS /wʌns/
on one occasion
From this reading Once more he made an effort to regain his position on the rock, but he was not able to raise himself an inch.
passedverbUS /pæst/
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading He tried to look down to see if the barge had passed beneath him, but the intense strain on his arm now drew his head back, so that he could not do so.
positionnounUS /pəˈzɪʃən/
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading Once more he made an effort to regain his position on the rock, but he was not able to raise himself an inch.
raiseverbUS /reɪz/
raise the level or amount of something
From this reading Once more he made an effort to regain his position on the rock, but he was not able to raise himself an inch.
regainverbUS /rɪˈɡeɪn/
get or find back; recover the use of
From this reading Once more he made an effort to regain his position on the rock, but he was not able to raise himself an inch.
rocknounUS /rɑːk/
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading Johnston clung tenaciously to the rock.
seeverbUS /siː/
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading He tried to look down to see if the barge had passed beneath him, but the intense strain on his arm now drew his head back, so that he could not do so.
slipverbUS /slɪp/
move stealthily
From this reading His fingers were benumbed and beginning to slip.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He tried to look down to see if the barge had passed beneath him, but the intense strain on his arm now drew his head back, so that he could not do so.
strainnounUS /streɪn/
(physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces
From this reading He tried to look down to see if the barge had passed beneath him, but the intense strain on his arm now drew his head back, so that he could not do so.
tenaciouslyadverbUS /təˈneɪʃəsli/
with obstinate determination
From this reading Johnston clung tenaciously to the rock.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He tried to look down to see if the barge had passed beneath him, but the intense strain on his arm now drew his head back, so that he could not do so.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Johnston clung tenaciously to the rock.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Johnston clung tenaciously to the rock.
triedadjectiveUS /traɪd/
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading He tried to look down to see if the barge had passed beneath him, but the intense strain on his arm now drew his head back, so that he could not do so.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Once more he made an effort to regain his position on the rock, but he was not able to raise himself an inch.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading His fingers were benumbed and beginning to slip.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He felt certain that the fall would kill him, and he groaned in agony.
