used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
anew
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading A sudden ray of light pierced the half-darkness, and in another moment one of the logs from the roof had been lifted off, and thrown upon the ground outside, and the sunlight poured in upon me.
the event of one object coming closer to another
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
barkingverbUS /ˈbɑːrkɪŋ/
-ing form of “bark” — speak in an unfriendly tone
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
cannot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading But I remained crouching in the corner silent.
crevicesnounUS /ˈkrevəsɪz/
plural of “crevice” — a long narrow depression in a surface
From this reading They walked round and round the trap, and tried to peer through the crevices, and they let off their thunder-sticks, presumably to make me give some sign that I was inside.
crouchingverbUS /ˈkraʊtʃɪŋ/
-ing form of “crouch” — bend one's back forward from the waist on down
From this reading But I remained crouching in the corner silent.
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 IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A sudden ray of light pierced the half-darkness, and in another moment one of the logs from the roof had been lifted off, and thrown upon the ground outside, and the sunlight poured in upon me.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading They walked round and round the trap, and tried to peer through the crevices, and they let off their thunder-sticks, presumably to make me give some sign that I was inside.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading A sudden ray of light pierced the half-darkness, and in another moment one of the logs from the roof had been lifted off, and thrown upon the ground outside, and the sunlight poured in upon me.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A sudden ray of light pierced the half-darkness, and in another moment one of the logs from the roof had been lifted off, and thrown upon the ground outside, and the sunlight poured in upon me.
half-darkness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A sudden ray of light pierced the half-darkness, and in another moment one of the logs from the roof had been lifted off, and thrown upon the ground outside, and the sunlight poured in upon me.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space
From this reading They walked round and round the trap, and tried to peer through the crevices, and they let off their thunder-sticks, presumably to make me give some sign that I was inside.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading They walked round and round the trap, and tried to peer through the crevices, and they let off their thunder-sticks, presumably to make me give some sign that I was inside.
held up in the air
From this reading A sudden ray of light pierced the half-darkness, and in another moment one of the logs from the roof had been lifted off, and thrown upon the ground outside, and the sunlight poured in upon me.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading A sudden ray of light pierced the half-darkness, and in another moment one of the logs from the roof had been lifted off, and thrown upon the ground outside, and the sunlight poured in upon me.
logsnounUS /lɔːɡz/
plural of “log” — a segment of the trunk of a tree when stripped of branches
From this reading A sudden ray of light pierced the half-darkness, and in another moment one of the logs from the roof had been lifted off, and thrown upon the ground outside, and the sunlight poured in upon me.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
engage in
From this reading They walked round and round the trap, and tried to peer through the crevices, and they let off their thunder-sticks, presumably to make me give some sign that I was inside.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
the force of workers available
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
a particular point in time
From this reading A sudden ray of light pierced the half-darkness, and in another moment one of the logs from the roof had been lifted off, and thrown upon the ground outside, and the sunlight poured in upon me.
the middle of the day
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading They walked round and round the trap, and tried to peer through the crevices, and they let off their thunder-sticks, presumably to make me give some sign that I was inside.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Then I heard them on the roof.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading A sudden ray of light pierced the half-darkness, and in another moment one of the logs from the roof had been lifted off, and thrown upon the ground outside, and the sunlight poured in upon me.
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading A sudden ray of light pierced the half-darkness, and in another moment one of the logs from the roof had been lifted off, and thrown upon the ground outside, and the sunlight poured in upon me.
peernounUS /pɪr/
a person who is of equal standing with another in a group
From this reading They walked round and round the trap, and tried to peer through the crevices, and they let off their thunder-sticks, presumably to make me give some sign that I was inside.
piercedadjectiveUS /pɪrst/
having a hole cut through
From this reading A sudden ray of light pierced the half-darkness, and in another moment one of the logs from the roof had been lifted off, and thrown upon the ground outside, and the sunlight poured in upon me.
past form of “pour” — cause to run
From this reading A sudden ray of light pierced the half-darkness, and in another moment one of the logs from the roof had been lifted off, and thrown upon the ground outside, and the sunlight poured in upon me.
presumablyadverbUS /prəˈzuːməbli/
by reasonable assumption
From this reading They walked round and round the trap, and tried to peer through the crevices, and they let off their thunder-sticks, presumably to make me give some sign that I was inside.
raynounUS /reɪ/
a column of light (as from a beacon)
From this reading A sudden ray of light pierced the half-darkness, and in another moment one of the logs from the roof had been lifted off, and thrown upon the ground outside, and the sunlight poured in upon me.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading But I remained crouching in the corner silent.
a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
From this reading Then I heard them on the roof.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading They walked round and round the trap, and tried to peer through the crevices, and they let off their thunder-sticks, presumably to make me give some sign that I was inside.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading They walked round and round the trap, and tried to peer through the crevices, and they let off their thunder-sticks, presumably to make me give some sign that I was inside.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading But I remained crouching in the corner silent.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading They walked round and round the trap, and tried to peer through the crevices, and they let off their thunder-sticks, presumably to make me give some sign that I was inside.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading A sudden ray of light pierced the half-darkness, and in another moment one of the logs from the roof had been lifted off, and thrown upon the ground outside, and the sunlight poured in upon me.
the rays of the sun
From this reading A sudden ray of light pierced the half-darkness, and in another moment one of the logs from the roof had been lifted off, and thrown upon the ground outside, and the sunlight poured in upon me.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They walked round and round the trap, and tried to peer through the crevices, and they let off their thunder-sticks, presumably to make me give some sign that I was inside.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Then I heard them on the roof.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then I heard them on the roof.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They walked round and round the trap, and tried to peer through the crevices, and they let off their thunder-sticks, presumably to make me give some sign that I was inside.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading They walked round and round the trap, and tried to peer through the crevices, and they let off their thunder-sticks, presumably to make me give some sign that I was inside.
caused to fall to the ground
From this reading A sudden ray of light pierced the half-darkness, and in another moment one of the logs from the roof had been lifted off, and thrown upon the ground outside, and the sunlight poured in upon me.
thunder-sticks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They walked round and round the trap, and tried to peer through the crevices, and they let off their thunder-sticks, presumably to make me give some sign that I was inside.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
trapnounUS /træp/
a device in which something (usually an animal) can be caught and penned
From this reading They walked round and round the trap, and tried to peer through the crevices, and they let off their thunder-sticks, presumably to make me give some sign that I was inside.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading They walked round and round the trap, and tried to peer through the crevices, and they let off their thunder-sticks, presumably to make me give some sign that I was inside.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading A sudden ray of light pierced the half-darkness, and in another moment one of the logs from the roof had been lifted off, and thrown upon the ground outside, and the sunlight poured in upon me.
plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading They walked round and round the trap, and tried to peer through the crevices, and they let off their thunder-sticks, presumably to make me give some sign that I was inside.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
at the time that
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
but in spite of that
From this reading IN THE HANDS OF MAN It seemed to me that I waited a long time; but it cannot have been really long, for it was not yet noon when I heard again the barking of dogs, and the voices of men approaching.
