used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading And now occurred a grisly thing, for before his horrified eyes his enemy's body suddenly lengthened and changed into a monstrous, writhing serpent, wriggling sinuously toward him.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Upreared above its horrid neck was the swaying head, the ghastly face of Shaughnessy, who leered with his black serpent's eyes and darted a forked tongue.
the quality of having a superior or more favorable position
From this reading Again and again, while his breath came in gasps and his temples throbbed with his efforts, he had nearly gained the advantage, but the boss as often slipped from his hold with an ugly sneer, eluding him.
anew
From this reading Again and again, while his breath came in gasps and his temples throbbed with his efforts, he had nearly gained the advantage, but the boss as often slipped from his hold with an ugly sneer, eluding him.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Again and again, while his breath came in gasps and his temples throbbed with his efforts, he had nearly gained the advantage, but the boss as often slipped from his hold with an ugly sneer, eluding him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading WANDERLUST O'Byrn reeled to and fro, in fierce combat with Shaughnessy.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Again and again, while his breath came in gasps and his temples throbbed with his efforts, he had nearly gained the advantage, but the boss as often slipped from his hold with an ugly sneer, eluding him.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading And now occurred a grisly thing, for before his horrified eyes his enemy's body suddenly lengthened and changed into a monstrous, writhing serpent, wriggling sinuously toward him.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading Upreared above its horrid neck was the swaying head, the ghastly face of Shaughnessy, who leered with his black serpent's eyes and darted a forked tongue.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading And now occurred a grisly thing, for before his horrified eyes his enemy's body suddenly lengthened and changed into a monstrous, writhing serpent, wriggling sinuously toward him.
bossnounUS /bɑːs/
a person who exercises control over workers
From this reading Again and again, while his breath came in gasps and his temples throbbed with his efforts, he had nearly gained the advantage, but the boss as often slipped from his hold with an ugly sneer, eluding him.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading Again and again, while his breath came in gasps and his temples throbbed with his efforts, he had nearly gained the advantage, but the boss as often slipped from his hold with an ugly sneer, eluding him.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Again and again, while his breath came in gasps and his temples throbbed with his efforts, he had nearly gained the advantage, but the boss as often slipped from his hold with an ugly sneer, eluding him.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Again and again, while his breath came in gasps and his temples throbbed with his efforts, he had nearly gained the advantage, but the boss as often slipped from his hold with an ugly sneer, eluding him.
made or become different in nature or form
From this reading And now occurred a grisly thing, for before his horrified eyes his enemy's body suddenly lengthened and changed into a monstrous, writhing serpent, wriggling sinuously toward him.
coiledadjectiveUS /kɔɪld/
curled or wound (especially in concentric rings or spirals)
From this reading He strove to scream, but could not, and the creature coiled itself in triumph near him.
combatnounUS /ˈkɑːmbæt/
an engagement fought between two military forces
From this reading WANDERLUST O'Byrn reeled to and fro, in fierce combat with Shaughnessy.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He strove to scream, but could not, and the creature coiled itself in triumph near him.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading He strove to scream, but could not, and the creature coiled itself in triumph near him.
dartedverbUS /ˈdɑːrtɪd/
past form of “dart” — move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
From this reading Upreared above its horrid neck was the swaying head, the ghastly face of Shaughnessy, who leered with his black serpent's eyes and darted a forked tongue.
plural of “effort” — earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading Again and again, while his breath came in gasps and his temples throbbed with his efforts, he had nearly gained the advantage, but the boss as often slipped from his hold with an ugly sneer, eluding him.
eludingnounUS /ɪˈluːdɪŋ/
the act of avoiding capture (especially by cunning)
From this reading Again and again, while his breath came in gasps and his temples throbbed with his efforts, he had nearly gained the advantage, but the boss as often slipped from his hold with an ugly sneer, eluding him.
enemy'snounUS /ˈenəmiz/
possessive form of “enemy” — an opposing military force
From this reading And now occurred a grisly thing, for before his horrified eyes his enemy's body suddenly lengthened and changed into a monstrous, writhing serpent, wriggling sinuously toward him.
opinion or judgment
From this reading And now occurred a grisly thing, for before his horrified eyes his enemy's body suddenly lengthened and changed into a monstrous, writhing serpent, wriggling sinuously toward him.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Upreared above its horrid neck was the swaying head, the ghastly face of Shaughnessy, who leered with his black serpent's eyes and darted a forked tongue.
marked by extreme and violent energy
From this reading WANDERLUST O'Byrn reeled to and fro, in fierce combat with Shaughnessy.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading And now occurred a grisly thing, for before his horrified eyes his enemy's body suddenly lengthened and changed into a monstrous, writhing serpent, wriggling sinuously toward him.
forkedadjectiveUS /fɔːrkt/
resembling a fork; divided or separated into two branches
From this reading Upreared above its horrid neck was the swaying head, the ghastly face of Shaughnessy, who leered with his black serpent's eyes and darted a forked tongue.
fro
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WANDERLUST O'Byrn reeled to and fro, in fierce combat with Shaughnessy.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Again and again, while his breath came in gasps and his temples throbbed with his efforts, he had nearly gained the advantage, but the boss as often slipped from his hold with an ugly sneer, eluding him.
past form of “gain” — obtain
From this reading Again and again, while his breath came in gasps and his temples throbbed with his efforts, he had nearly gained the advantage, but the boss as often slipped from his hold with an ugly sneer, eluding him.
gaspsnounUS /ɡæsps/
plural of “gasp” — a short labored intake of breath with the mouth open
From this reading Again and again, while his breath came in gasps and his temples throbbed with his efforts, he had nearly gained the advantage, but the boss as often slipped from his hold with an ugly sneer, eluding him.
ghastlyadjectiveUS /ˈɡæstli/
shockingly repellent; inspiring horror
From this reading Upreared above its horrid neck was the swaying head, the ghastly face of Shaughnessy, who leered with his black serpent's eyes and darted a forked tongue.
grislyadjectiveUS /ˈɡrɪzli/
shockingly repellent; inspiring horror
From this reading And now occurred a grisly thing, for before his horrified eyes his enemy's body suddenly lengthened and changed into a monstrous, writhing serpent, wriggling sinuously toward him.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Again and again, while his breath came in gasps and his temples throbbed with his efforts, he had nearly gained the advantage, but the boss as often slipped from his hold with an ugly sneer, eluding him.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Again and again, while his breath came in gasps and his temples throbbed with his efforts, he had nearly gained the advantage, but the boss as often slipped from his hold with an ugly sneer, eluding him.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Upreared above its horrid neck was the swaying head, the ghastly face of Shaughnessy, who leered with his black serpent's eyes and darted a forked tongue.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Again and again, while his breath came in gasps and his temples throbbed with his efforts, he had nearly gained the advantage, but the boss as often slipped from his hold with an ugly sneer, eluding him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Again and again, while his breath came in gasps and his temples throbbed with his efforts, he had nearly gained the advantage, but the boss as often slipped from his hold with an ugly sneer, eluding him.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading Again and again, while his breath came in gasps and his temples throbbed with his efforts, he had nearly gained the advantage, but the boss as often slipped from his hold with an ugly sneer, eluding him.
horridadjectiveUS /ˈhɔːrəd/
exceedingly bad
From this reading Upreared above its horrid neck was the swaying head, the ghastly face of Shaughnessy, who leered with his black serpent's eyes and darted a forked tongue.
horrifiedadjectiveUS /ˈhɔːrəfaɪd/
stricken with horror
From this reading And now occurred a grisly thing, for before his horrified eyes his enemy's body suddenly lengthened and changed into a monstrous, writhing serpent, wriggling sinuously toward him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading WANDERLUST O'Byrn reeled to and fro, in fierce combat with Shaughnessy.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading And now occurred a grisly thing, for before his horrified eyes his enemy's body suddenly lengthened and changed into a monstrous, writhing serpent, wriggling sinuously toward him.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Upreared above its horrid neck was the swaying head, the ghastly face of Shaughnessy, who leered with his black serpent's eyes and darted a forked tongue.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading He strove to scream, but could not, and the creature coiled itself in triumph near him.
leered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Upreared above its horrid neck was the swaying head, the ghastly face of Shaughnessy, who leered with his black serpent's eyes and darted a forked tongue.
lengthenedadjectiveUS /ˈleŋθənd/
drawn out or made longer spatially
From this reading And now occurred a grisly thing, for before his horrified eyes his enemy's body suddenly lengthened and changed into a monstrous, writhing serpent, wriggling sinuously toward him.
monstrousadjectiveUS /ˈmɑːnstrəs/
abnormally large
From this reading And now occurred a grisly thing, for before his horrified eyes his enemy's body suddenly lengthened and changed into a monstrous, writhing serpent, wriggling sinuously toward him.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading He strove to scream, but could not, and the creature coiled itself in triumph near him.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Again and again, while his breath came in gasps and his temples throbbed with his efforts, he had nearly gained the advantage, but the boss as often slipped from his hold with an ugly sneer, eluding him.
the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body
From this reading Upreared above its horrid neck was the swaying head, the ghastly face of Shaughnessy, who leered with his black serpent's eyes and darted a forked tongue.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He strove to scream, but could not, and the creature coiled itself in triumph near him.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading And now occurred a grisly thing, for before his horrified eyes his enemy's body suddenly lengthened and changed into a monstrous, writhing serpent, wriggling sinuously toward him.
O'Byrn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WANDERLUST O'Byrn reeled to and fro, in fierce combat with Shaughnessy.
inflected form of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading And now occurred a grisly thing, for before his horrified eyes his enemy's body suddenly lengthened and changed into a monstrous, writhing serpent, wriggling sinuously toward him.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Upreared above its horrid neck was the swaying head, the ghastly face of Shaughnessy, who leered with his black serpent's eyes and darted a forked tongue.
many times at short intervals
From this reading Again and again, while his breath came in gasps and his temples throbbed with his efforts, he had nearly gained the advantage, but the boss as often slipped from his hold with an ugly sneer, eluding him.
reeledverbUS /riːld/
past form of “reel” — walk as if unable to control one's movements
From this reading WANDERLUST O'Byrn reeled to and fro, in fierce combat with Shaughnessy.
screamverbUS /skriːm/
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading He strove to scream, but could not, and the creature coiled itself in triumph near him.
serpentnounUS /ˈsɜːrpənt/
limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
From this reading And now occurred a grisly thing, for before his horrified eyes his enemy's body suddenly lengthened and changed into a monstrous, writhing serpent, wriggling sinuously toward him.
serpent'snounUS /ˈsɜːrpənts/
possessive form of “serpent” — limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
From this reading Upreared above its horrid neck was the swaying head, the ghastly face of Shaughnessy, who leered with his black serpent's eyes and darted a forked tongue.
Shaughnessy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WANDERLUST O'Byrn reeled to and fro, in fierce combat with Shaughnessy.
sinuouslyadverb
in a sinuous manner
From this reading And now occurred a grisly thing, for before his horrified eyes his enemy's body suddenly lengthened and changed into a monstrous, writhing serpent, wriggling sinuously toward him.
inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily
From this reading Again and again, while his breath came in gasps and his temples throbbed with his efforts, he had nearly gained the advantage, but the boss as often slipped from his hold with an ugly sneer, eluding him.
sneerverbUS /snɪr/
express through a scornful smile
From this reading Again and again, while his breath came in gasps and his temples throbbed with his efforts, he had nearly gained the advantage, but the boss as often slipped from his hold with an ugly sneer, eluding him.
stroveverbUS /stroʊv/
inflected form of “strive” — attempt by employing effort
From this reading He strove to scream, but could not, and the creature coiled itself in triumph near him.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading And now occurred a grisly thing, for before his horrified eyes his enemy's body suddenly lengthened and changed into a monstrous, writhing serpent, wriggling sinuously toward him.
swayingverbUS /ˈsweɪɪŋ/
-ing form of “sway” — move back and forth or sideways
From this reading Upreared above its horrid neck was the swaying head, the ghastly face of Shaughnessy, who leered with his black serpent's eyes and darted a forked tongue.
templesnounUS /ˈtempəlz/
plural of “temple” — place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity
From this reading Again and again, while his breath came in gasps and his temples throbbed with his efforts, he had nearly gained the advantage, but the boss as often slipped from his hold with an ugly sneer, eluding him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Again and again, while his breath came in gasps and his temples throbbed with his efforts, he had nearly gained the advantage, but the boss as often slipped from his hold with an ugly sneer, eluding him.
a special situation
From this reading And now occurred a grisly thing, for before his horrified eyes his enemy's body suddenly lengthened and changed into a monstrous, writhing serpent, wriggling sinuously toward him.
throbbed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Again and again, while his breath came in gasps and his temples throbbed with his efforts, he had nearly gained the advantage, but the boss as often slipped from his hold with an ugly sneer, eluding him.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading WANDERLUST O'Byrn reeled to and fro, in fierce combat with Shaughnessy.
a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity
From this reading Upreared above its horrid neck was the swaying head, the ghastly face of Shaughnessy, who leered with his black serpent's eyes and darted a forked tongue.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading And now occurred a grisly thing, for before his horrified eyes his enemy's body suddenly lengthened and changed into a monstrous, writhing serpent, wriggling sinuously toward him.
a successful ending of a struggle or contest
From this reading He strove to scream, but could not, and the creature coiled itself in triumph near him.
displeasing to the senses
From this reading Again and again, while his breath came in gasps and his temples throbbed with his efforts, he had nearly gained the advantage, but the boss as often slipped from his hold with an ugly sneer, eluding him.
Upreared
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Upreared above its horrid neck was the swaying head, the ghastly face of Shaughnessy, who leered with his black serpent's eyes and darted a forked tongue.
WANDERLUSTnounUS /ˈwɑːndərlʌst/
very strong or irresistible impulse to travel
From this reading WANDERLUST O'Byrn reeled to and fro, in fierce combat with Shaughnessy.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Upreared above its horrid neck was the swaying head, the ghastly face of Shaughnessy, who leered with his black serpent's eyes and darted a forked tongue.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading Again and again, while his breath came in gasps and his temples throbbed with his efforts, he had nearly gained the advantage, but the boss as often slipped from his hold with an ugly sneer, eluding him.
which person or people
From this reading Upreared above its horrid neck was the swaying head, the ghastly face of Shaughnessy, who leered with his black serpent's eyes and darted a forked tongue.
in the company of; together with
From this reading WANDERLUST O'Byrn reeled to and fro, in fierce combat with Shaughnessy.
wrigglingadjective
moving in a twisting or snake-like or wormlike fashion
From this reading And now occurred a grisly thing, for before his horrified eyes his enemy's body suddenly lengthened and changed into a monstrous, writhing serpent, wriggling sinuously toward him.
writhingadjectiveUS /ˈraɪðɪŋ/
moving in a twisting or snake-like or wormlike fashion
From this reading And now occurred a grisly thing, for before his horrified eyes his enemy's body suddenly lengthened and changed into a monstrous, writhing serpent, wriggling sinuously toward him.
