used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "In such a night Did Thisbe fearfully o'ertrip the dew; And saw the lion's shadow ere himself."
a person or thing that is a resource that helps make something easier or possible to do
From this reading Then recollecting the importance of securing the fugitive, he dashed aside the surrounding bushes, and pressed eagerly forward to lend his aid in the chase.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading Before he had, however, proceeded a hundred yards, he met the three foresters already returning from their unsuccessful pursuit.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "In such a night Did Thisbe fearfully o'ertrip the dew; And saw the lion's shadow ere himself."
on or to one side
From this reading Then recollecting the importance of securing the fugitive, he dashed aside the surrounding bushes, and pressed eagerly forward to lend his aid in the chase.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "Why so soon disheartened!" he exclaimed; "the scoundrel must be concealed behind some of these trees, and may yet be secured.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Before he had, however, proceeded a hundred yards, he met the three foresters already returning from their unsuccessful pursuit.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading "Why so soon disheartened!" he exclaimed; "the scoundrel must be concealed behind some of these trees, and may yet be secured.
plural of “bush” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading Then recollecting the importance of securing the fugitive, he dashed aside the surrounding bushes, and pressed eagerly forward to lend his aid in the chase.
past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally
From this reading _Merchant of Venice._ The suddenness of the flight of his guide, and the wild cries of the pursuers, caused Heyward to remain fixed, for a few moments, in inactive surprise.
chaseverbUS /tʃeɪs/
go after with the intent to catch
From this reading Then recollecting the importance of securing the fugitive, he dashed aside the surrounding bushes, and pressed eagerly forward to lend his aid in the chase.
not accessible to view
From this reading "Why so soon disheartened!" he exclaimed; "the scoundrel must be concealed behind some of these trees, and may yet be secured.
plural of “cry” — a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition
From this reading _Merchant of Venice._ The suddenness of the flight of his guide, and the wild cries of the pursuers, caused Heyward to remain fixed, for a few moments, in inactive surprise.
having gaps or spaces
From this reading Then recollecting the importance of securing the fugitive, he dashed aside the surrounding bushes, and pressed eagerly forward to lend his aid in the chase.
dewnounUS /duː/
water that has condensed on a cool surface overnight from water vapor in the air
From this reading "In such a night Did Thisbe fearfully o'ertrip the dew; And saw the lion's shadow ere himself."
Didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "In such a night Did Thisbe fearfully o'ertrip the dew; And saw the lion's shadow ere himself."
disheartenedadjectiveUS /dɪsˈhɑːrtənd/
made less hopeful or enthusiastic
From this reading "Why so soon disheartened!" he exclaimed; "the scoundrel must be concealed behind some of these trees, and may yet be secured.
with eagerness; in an eager manner
From this reading Then recollecting the importance of securing the fugitive, he dashed aside the surrounding bushes, and pressed eagerly forward to lend his aid in the chase.
an old word for “before”
From this reading "In such a night Did Thisbe fearfully o'ertrip the dew; And saw the lion's shadow ere himself."
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading "Why so soon disheartened!" he exclaimed; "the scoundrel must be concealed behind some of these trees, and may yet be secured.
fearfullyadverb
in fear
From this reading "In such a night Did Thisbe fearfully o'ertrip the dew; And saw the lion's shadow ere himself."
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading _Merchant of Venice._ The suddenness of the flight of his guide, and the wild cries of the pursuers, caused Heyward to remain fixed, for a few moments, in inactive surprise.
(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value
From this reading _Merchant of Venice._ The suddenness of the flight of his guide, and the wild cries of the pursuers, caused Heyward to remain fixed, for a few moments, in inactive surprise.
a formation of aircraft in flight
From this reading _Merchant of Venice._ The suddenness of the flight of his guide, and the wild cries of the pursuers, caused Heyward to remain fixed, for a few moments, in inactive surprise.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading _Merchant of Venice._ The suddenness of the flight of his guide, and the wild cries of the pursuers, caused Heyward to remain fixed, for a few moments, in inactive surprise.
forestersnounUS /ˈfɔːrəstərz/
plural of “forester” — English writer of adventure novels featuring Captain Horatio Hornblower (1899-1966)
From this reading Before he had, however, proceeded a hundred yards, he met the three foresters already returning from their unsuccessful pursuit.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading Then recollecting the importance of securing the fugitive, he dashed aside the surrounding bushes, and pressed eagerly forward to lend his aid in the chase.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Before he had, however, proceeded a hundred yards, he met the three foresters already returning from their unsuccessful pursuit.
fugitivenounUS /ˈfjuːdʒətɪv/
someone who flees from an uncongenial situation
From this reading Then recollecting the importance of securing the fugitive, he dashed aside the surrounding bushes, and pressed eagerly forward to lend his aid in the chase.
someone employed to conduct others
From this reading _Merchant of Venice._ The suddenness of the flight of his guide, and the wild cries of the pursuers, caused Heyward to remain fixed, for a few moments, in inactive surprise.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Before he had, however, proceeded a hundred yards, he met the three foresters already returning from their unsuccessful pursuit.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then recollecting the importance of securing the fugitive, he dashed aside the surrounding bushes, and pressed eagerly forward to lend his aid in the chase.
HeywardnounUS /ˈheɪwərd/
United States writer (1885-1940)
From this reading _Merchant of Venice._ The suddenness of the flight of his guide, and the wild cries of the pursuers, caused Heyward to remain fixed, for a few moments, in inactive surprise.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading "In such a night Did Thisbe fearfully o'ertrip the dew; And saw the lion's shadow ere himself."
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading _Merchant of Venice._ The suddenness of the flight of his guide, and the wild cries of the pursuers, caused Heyward to remain fixed, for a few moments, in inactive surprise.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading Before he had, however, proceeded a hundred yards, he met the three foresters already returning from their unsuccessful pursuit.
ten 10s
From this reading Before he had, however, proceeded a hundred yards, he met the three foresters already returning from their unsuccessful pursuit.
the quality of being important and worthy of note
From this reading Then recollecting the importance of securing the fugitive, he dashed aside the surrounding bushes, and pressed eagerly forward to lend his aid in the chase.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "In such a night Did Thisbe fearfully o'ertrip the dew; And saw the lion's shadow ere himself."
inactiveadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈnæktɪv/
(chemistry) not participating in a chemical reaction; chemically inert
From this reading _Merchant of Venice._ The suddenness of the flight of his guide, and the wild cries of the pursuers, caused Heyward to remain fixed, for a few moments, in inactive surprise.
lendverbUS /lend/
bestow a quality on
From this reading Then recollecting the importance of securing the fugitive, he dashed aside the surrounding bushes, and pressed eagerly forward to lend his aid in the chase.
lion'snounUS /ˈlaɪənz/
possessive form of “lion” — large gregarious predatory feline of Africa and India having a tawny coat with a shaggy mane in the male
From this reading "In such a night Did Thisbe fearfully o'ertrip the dew; And saw the lion's shadow ere himself."
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading "Why so soon disheartened!" he exclaimed; "the scoundrel must be concealed behind some of these trees, and may yet be secured.
A person or company involved in wholesale trade, especially with foreign countries.
From this reading _Merchant of Venice._ The suddenness of the flight of his guide, and the wild cries of the pursuers, caused Heyward to remain fixed, for a few moments, in inactive surprise.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading Before he had, however, proceeded a hundred yards, he met the three foresters already returning from their unsuccessful pursuit.
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading _Merchant of Venice._ The suddenness of the flight of his guide, and the wild cries of the pursuers, caused Heyward to remain fixed, for a few moments, in inactive surprise.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading "Why so soon disheartened!" he exclaimed; "the scoundrel must be concealed behind some of these trees, and may yet be secured.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading "In such a night Did Thisbe fearfully o'ertrip the dew; And saw the lion's shadow ere himself."
o'ertrip
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "In such a night Did Thisbe fearfully o'ertrip the dew; And saw the lion's shadow ere himself."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _Merchant of Venice._ The suddenness of the flight of his guide, and the wild cries of the pursuers, caused Heyward to remain fixed, for a few moments, in inactive surprise.
compacted by ironing
From this reading Then recollecting the importance of securing the fugitive, he dashed aside the surrounding bushes, and pressed eagerly forward to lend his aid in the chase.
past form of “proceed” — continue talking
From this reading Before he had, however, proceeded a hundred yards, he met the three foresters already returning from their unsuccessful pursuit.
pursuersnounUS /pərˈsuːərz/
plural of “pursuer” — a person who is pursuing and trying to overtake or capture
From this reading _Merchant of Venice._ The suddenness of the flight of his guide, and the wild cries of the pursuers, caused Heyward to remain fixed, for a few moments, in inactive surprise.
the act of pursuing in an effort to overtake or capture
From this reading Before he had, however, proceeded a hundred yards, he met the three foresters already returning from their unsuccessful pursuit.
recollectingverbUS /ˌrekəˈlektɪŋ/
-ing form of “recollect” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
From this reading Then recollecting the importance of securing the fugitive, he dashed aside the surrounding bushes, and pressed eagerly forward to lend his aid in the chase.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading _Merchant of Venice._ The suddenness of the flight of his guide, and the wild cries of the pursuers, caused Heyward to remain fixed, for a few moments, in inactive surprise.
tending to return to an earlier state
From this reading Before he had, however, proceeded a hundred yards, he met the three foresters already returning from their unsuccessful pursuit.
cut with a saw
From this reading "In such a night Did Thisbe fearfully o'ertrip the dew; And saw the lion's shadow ere himself."
scoundrelnounUS /ˈskaʊndrəl/
a wicked or evil person; someone who does evil deliberately
From this reading "Why so soon disheartened!" he exclaimed; "the scoundrel must be concealed behind some of these trees, and may yet be secured.
securedverbUS /sɪˈkjʊrd/
past form of “secure” — get by special effort
From this reading "Why so soon disheartened!" he exclaimed; "the scoundrel must be concealed behind some of these trees, and may yet be secured.
securingverbUS /sɪˈkjʊrɪŋ/
-ing form of “secure” — get by special effort
From this reading Then recollecting the importance of securing the fugitive, he dashed aside the surrounding bushes, and pressed eagerly forward to lend his aid in the chase.
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading "In such a night Did Thisbe fearfully o'ertrip the dew; And saw the lion's shadow ere himself."
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "Why so soon disheartened!" he exclaimed; "the scoundrel must be concealed behind some of these trees, and may yet be secured.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading "Why so soon disheartened!" he exclaimed; "the scoundrel must be concealed behind some of these trees, and may yet be secured.
in the near future
From this reading "Why so soon disheartened!" he exclaimed; "the scoundrel must be concealed behind some of these trees, and may yet be secured.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading "In such a night Did Thisbe fearfully o'ertrip the dew; And saw the lion's shadow ere himself."
suddennessnounUS /ˈsʌdənnəs/
the quality of happening with headlong haste or without warning
From this reading _Merchant of Venice._ The suddenness of the flight of his guide, and the wild cries of the pursuers, caused Heyward to remain fixed, for a few moments, in inactive surprise.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading _Merchant of Venice._ The suddenness of the flight of his guide, and the wild cries of the pursuers, caused Heyward to remain fixed, for a few moments, in inactive surprise.
surroundingadjectiveUS /sərˈaʊndɪŋ/
closely encircling
From this reading Then recollecting the importance of securing the fugitive, he dashed aside the surrounding bushes, and pressed eagerly forward to lend his aid in the chase.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "In such a night Did Thisbe fearfully o'ertrip the dew; And saw the lion's shadow ere himself."
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Before he had, however, proceeded a hundred yards, he met the three foresters already returning from their unsuccessful pursuit.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then recollecting the importance of securing the fugitive, he dashed aside the surrounding bushes, and pressed eagerly forward to lend his aid in the chase.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading "Why so soon disheartened!" he exclaimed; "the scoundrel must be concealed behind some of these trees, and may yet be secured.
Thisbe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "In such a night Did Thisbe fearfully o'ertrip the dew; And saw the lion's shadow ere himself."
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Before he had, however, proceeded a hundred yards, he met the three foresters already returning from their unsuccessful pursuit.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading _Merchant of Venice._ The suddenness of the flight of his guide, and the wild cries of the pursuers, caused Heyward to remain fixed, for a few moments, in inactive surprise.
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 "Why so soon disheartened!" he exclaimed; "the scoundrel must be concealed behind some of these trees, and may yet be secured.
unsuccessfuladjectiveUS /ˌʌnsəkˈsesfəl/
not successful; having failed or having an unfavorable outcome
From this reading Before he had, however, proceeded a hundred yards, he met the three foresters already returning from their unsuccessful pursuit.
VenicenounUS /ˈvenəs/
the provincial capital of Veneto; built on 118 islands within a lagoon in the Gulf of Venice; has canals instead of streets; one of Italy's major ports and a famous tourist attraction
From this reading _Merchant of Venice._ The suddenness of the flight of his guide, and the wild cries of the pursuers, caused Heyward to remain fixed, for a few moments, in inactive surprise.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why so soon disheartened!" he exclaimed; "the scoundrel must be concealed behind some of these trees, and may yet be secured.
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading _Merchant of Venice._ The suddenness of the flight of his guide, and the wild cries of the pursuers, caused Heyward to remain fixed, for a few moments, in inactive surprise.
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 Before he had, however, proceeded a hundred yards, he met the three foresters already returning from their unsuccessful pursuit.
but in spite of that
From this reading "Why so soon disheartened!" he exclaimed; "the scoundrel must be concealed behind some of these trees, and may yet be secured.
