used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He went down the steep pitch of the gulley with snowshoes creaking, fairly hissing in the snow, gliding when he could, taking obstacles with flying leaps, as a ski jumper covers the ground, throwing himself bodily towards the mouth of the chasm.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
AVALANCHEnounUS /ˈævəlæntʃ/
a slide of large masses of snow and ice and mud down a mountain
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading But fast as he traveled, the avalanche came faster behind him.
blunderedverbUS /ˈblʌndərd/
past form of “blunder” — commit a faux pas or a fault or make a serious mistake
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
bodilyadverbUS /ˈbɑːdəli/
in bodily form
From this reading He went down the steep pitch of the gulley with snowshoes creaking, fairly hissing in the snow, gliding when he could, taking obstacles with flying leaps, as a ski jumper covers the ground, throwing himself bodily towards the mouth of the chasm.
placed in a grave
From this reading Either he must gain the lower exit in time to fling himself from the path of onrushing death, or else go down, crushed and buried, under hurtling tons of ice and snow and shattered tree trunks.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But fast as he traveled, the avalanche came faster behind him.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading But fast as he traveled, the avalanche came faster behind him.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading A single misstep, a fraction of a second lost, and his one slender chance was forfeit.
chasmnounUS /ˈkæzəm/
a deep opening in the earth's surface
From this reading He went down the steep pitch of the gulley with snowshoes creaking, fairly hissing in the snow, gliding when he could, taking obstacles with flying leaps, as a ski jumper covers the ground, throwing himself bodily towards the mouth of the chasm.
go upward with gradual or continuous progress
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He went down the steep pitch of the gulley with snowshoes creaking, fairly hissing in the snow, gliding when he could, taking obstacles with flying leaps, as a ski jumper covers the ground, throwing himself bodily towards the mouth of the chasm.
coversnounUS /ˈkʌvərz/
plural of “cover” — a covering that serves to conceal or shelter something
From this reading He went down the steep pitch of the gulley with snowshoes creaking, fairly hissing in the snow, gliding when he could, taking obstacles with flying leaps, as a ski jumper covers the ground, throwing himself bodily towards the mouth of the chasm.
creakingnounUS /ˈkriːkɪŋ/
a squeaking sound
From this reading He went down the steep pitch of the gulley with snowshoes creaking, fairly hissing in the snow, gliding when he could, taking obstacles with flying leaps, as a ski jumper covers the ground, throwing himself bodily towards the mouth of the chasm.
crushedadjectiveUS /krʌʃt/
treated so as to have a permanently wrinkled appearance
From this reading Either he must gain the lower exit in time to fling himself from the path of onrushing death, or else go down, crushed and buried, under hurtling tons of ice and snow and shattered tree trunks.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading Either he must gain the lower exit in time to fling himself from the path of onrushing death, or else go down, crushed and buried, under hurtling tons of ice and snow and shattered tree trunks.
DexteradjectiveUS /ˈdekstər/
on or starting from the wearer's right
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Either he must gain the lower exit in time to fling himself from the path of onrushing death, or else go down, crushed and buried, under hurtling tons of ice and snow and shattered tree trunks.
one or the other of two
From this reading Either he must gain the lower exit in time to fling himself from the path of onrushing death, or else go down, crushed and buried, under hurtling tons of ice and snow and shattered tree trunks.
else
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Either he must gain the lower exit in time to fling himself from the path of onrushing death, or else go down, crushed and buried, under hurtling tons of ice and snow and shattered tree trunks.
exitnounUS /ˈeɡzɪt/
an opening that permits escape or release
From this reading Either he must gain the lower exit in time to fling himself from the path of onrushing death, or else go down, crushed and buried, under hurtling tons of ice and snow and shattered tree trunks.
to certain extent or degree
From this reading He went down the steep pitch of the gulley with snowshoes creaking, fairly hissing in the snow, gliding when he could, taking obstacles with flying leaps, as a ski jumper covers the ground, throwing himself bodily towards the mouth of the chasm.
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading But fast as he traveled, the avalanche came faster behind him.
fasteradverbUS /ˈfæstər/
more quickly
From this reading But fast as he traveled, the avalanche came faster behind him.
flingverbUS /flɪŋ/
throw with force or recklessness
From this reading Either he must gain the lower exit in time to fling himself from the path of onrushing death, or else go down, crushed and buried, under hurtling tons of ice and snow and shattered tree trunks.
moving swiftly
From this reading He went down the steep pitch of the gulley with snowshoes creaking, fairly hissing in the snow, gliding when he could, taking obstacles with flying leaps, as a ski jumper covers the ground, throwing himself bodily towards the mouth of the chasm.
devoid of good sense or judgment
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
forfeitverbUS /ˈfɔːrfɪt/
lose (s.th.) or lose the right to (s.th.) by some error, offense, or crime
From this reading A single misstep, a fraction of a second lost, and his one slender chance was forfeit.
fractionnounUS /ˈfrækʃən/
a component of a mixture that has been separated by a fractional process
From this reading A single misstep, a fraction of a second lost, and his one slender chance was forfeit.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Either he must gain the lower exit in time to fling himself from the path of onrushing death, or else go down, crushed and buried, under hurtling tons of ice and snow and shattered tree trunks.
obtain
From this reading Either he must gain the lower exit in time to fling himself from the path of onrushing death, or else go down, crushed and buried, under hurtling tons of ice and snow and shattered tree trunks.
throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
glidingnounUS /ˈɡlaɪdɪŋ/
the activity of flying a glider
From this reading He went down the steep pitch of the gulley with snowshoes creaking, fairly hissing in the snow, gliding when he could, taking obstacles with flying leaps, as a ski jumper covers the ground, throwing himself bodily towards the mouth of the chasm.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Either he must gain the lower exit in time to fling himself from the path of onrushing death, or else go down, crushed and buried, under hurtling tons of ice and snow and shattered tree trunks.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading He went down the steep pitch of the gulley with snowshoes creaking, fairly hissing in the snow, gliding when he could, taking obstacles with flying leaps, as a ski jumper covers the ground, throwing himself bodily towards the mouth of the chasm.
gulley
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
hemmedverbUS /hemd/
inflected form of “hem” — fold over and sew together to provide with a hem
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But fast as he traveled, the avalanche came faster behind him.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Either he must gain the lower exit in time to fling himself from the path of onrushing death, or else go down, crushed and buried, under hurtling tons of ice and snow and shattered tree trunks.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A single misstep, a fraction of a second lost, and his one slender chance was forfeit.
hissingnounUS /ˈhɪsɪŋ/
a fricative sound (especially as an expression of disapproval)
From this reading He went down the steep pitch of the gulley with snowshoes creaking, fairly hissing in the snow, gliding when he could, taking obstacles with flying leaps, as a ski jumper covers the ground, throwing himself bodily towards the mouth of the chasm.
hurtlingverbUS /ˈhɜːrtlɪŋ/
-ing form of “hurtle” — move with or as if with a rushing sound
From this reading Either he must gain the lower exit in time to fling himself from the path of onrushing death, or else go down, crushed and buried, under hurtling tons of ice and snow and shattered tree trunks.
water frozen in the solid state
From this reading Either he must gain the lower exit in time to fling himself from the path of onrushing death, or else go down, crushed and buried, under hurtling tons of ice and snow and shattered tree trunks.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
jumpernounUS /ˈdʒʌmpər/
a person who jumps
From this reading He went down the steep pitch of the gulley with snowshoes creaking, fairly hissing in the snow, gliding when he could, taking obstacles with flying leaps, as a ski jumper covers the ground, throwing himself bodily towards the mouth of the chasm.
leapsnounUS /liːps/
plural of “leap” — a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards
From this reading He went down the steep pitch of the gulley with snowshoes creaking, fairly hissing in the snow, gliding when he could, taking obstacles with flying leaps, as a ski jumper covers the ground, throwing himself bodily towards the mouth of the chasm.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading A single misstep, a fraction of a second lost, and his one slender chance was forfeit.
move something or somebody to a lower position
From this reading Either he must gain the lower exit in time to fling himself from the path of onrushing death, or else go down, crushed and buried, under hurtling tons of ice and snow and shattered tree trunks.
misstepnounUS /mɪsˈstep/
an unintentional but embarrassing blunder
From this reading A single misstep, a fraction of a second lost, and his one slender chance was forfeit.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading He went down the steep pitch of the gulley with snowshoes creaking, fairly hissing in the snow, gliding when he could, taking obstacles with flying leaps, as a ski jumper covers the ground, throwing himself bodily towards the mouth of the chasm.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Either he must gain the lower exit in time to fling himself from the path of onrushing death, or else go down, crushed and buried, under hurtling tons of ice and snow and shattered tree trunks.
obstaclesnounUS /ˈɑːbstəkəlz/
plural of “obstacle” — something immaterial that stands in the way and must be circumvented or surmounted
From this reading He went down the steep pitch of the gulley with snowshoes creaking, fairly hissing in the snow, gliding when he could, taking obstacles with flying leaps, as a ski jumper covers the ground, throwing himself bodily towards the mouth of the chasm.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading A single misstep, a fraction of a second lost, and his one slender chance was forfeit.
onrushing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Either he must gain the lower exit in time to fling himself from the path of onrushing death, or else go down, crushed and buried, under hurtling tons of ice and snow and shattered tree trunks.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Either he must gain the lower exit in time to fling himself from the path of onrushing death, or else go down, crushed and buried, under hurtling tons of ice and snow and shattered tree trunks.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
a course of conduct
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
pitchnounUS /pɪtʃ/
the property of sound that varies with variation in the frequency of vibration
From this reading He went down the steep pitch of the gulley with snowshoes creaking, fairly hissing in the snow, gliding when he could, taking obstacles with flying leaps, as a ski jumper covers the ground, throwing himself bodily towards the mouth of the chasm.
cut with a saw
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading A single misstep, a fraction of a second lost, and his one slender chance was forfeit.
shatteredadjectiveUS /ˈʃætərd/
ruined or disrupted
From this reading Either he must gain the lower exit in time to fling himself from the path of onrushing death, or else go down, crushed and buried, under hurtling tons of ice and snow and shattered tree trunks.
plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
being or characteristic of a single thing or person
From this reading A single misstep, a fraction of a second lost, and his one slender chance was forfeit.
skinounUS /skiː/
narrow wood or metal or plastic runners used in pairs for gliding over snow
From this reading He went down the steep pitch of the gulley with snowshoes creaking, fairly hissing in the snow, gliding when he could, taking obstacles with flying leaps, as a ski jumper covers the ground, throwing himself bodily towards the mouth of the chasm.
being of delicate or slender build
From this reading A single misstep, a fraction of a second lost, and his one slender chance was forfeit.
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading Either he must gain the lower exit in time to fling himself from the path of onrushing death, or else go down, crushed and buried, under hurtling tons of ice and snow and shattered tree trunks.
snowshoesnounUS /ˈsnoʊʃuːz/
plural of “snowshoe” — a device to help you walk on deep snow; a lightweight frame shaped like a racquet is strengthened with cross pieces and contains a network of thongs; one is worn on each foot
From this reading He went down the steep pitch of the gulley with snowshoes creaking, fairly hissing in the snow, gliding when he could, taking obstacles with flying leaps, as a ski jumper covers the ground, throwing himself bodily towards the mouth of the chasm.
having a sharp inclination
From this reading He went down the steep pitch of the gulley with snowshoes creaking, fairly hissing in the snow, gliding when he could, taking obstacles with flying leaps, as a ski jumper covers the ground, throwing himself bodily towards the mouth of the chasm.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading He went down the steep pitch of the gulley with snowshoes creaking, fairly hissing in the snow, gliding when he could, taking obstacles with flying leaps, as a ski jumper covers the ground, throwing himself bodily towards the mouth of the chasm.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
-ing form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading He went down the steep pitch of the gulley with snowshoes creaking, fairly hissing in the snow, gliding when he could, taking obstacles with flying leaps, as a ski jumper covers the ground, throwing himself bodily towards the mouth of the chasm.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Either he must gain the lower exit in time to fling himself from the path of onrushing death, or else go down, crushed and buried, under hurtling tons of ice and snow and shattered tree trunks.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
tonsnounUS /tʌnz/
a large number or amount
From this reading Either he must gain the lower exit in time to fling himself from the path of onrushing death, or else go down, crushed and buried, under hurtling tons of ice and snow and shattered tree trunks.
in the direction of
From this reading He went down the steep pitch of the gulley with snowshoes creaking, fairly hissing in the snow, gliding when he could, taking obstacles with flying leaps, as a ski jumper covers the ground, throwing himself bodily towards the mouth of the chasm.
trapnounUS /træp/
a device in which something (usually an animal) can be caught and penned
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
traveledadjectiveUS /ˈtrævəld/
traveled over or through; sometimes used as a combining term
From this reading But fast as he traveled, the avalanche came faster behind him.
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading Either he must gain the lower exit in time to fling himself from the path of onrushing death, or else go down, crushed and buried, under hurtling tons of ice and snow and shattered tree trunks.
trunksnounUS /trʌŋks/
(used in the plural) trousers that end at or above the knee
From this reading Either he must gain the lower exit in time to fling himself from the path of onrushing death, or else go down, crushed and buried, under hurtling tons of ice and snow and shattered tree trunks.
make an effort or attempt
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Either he must gain the lower exit in time to fling himself from the path of onrushing death, or else go down, crushed and buried, under hurtling tons of ice and snow and shattered tree trunks.
plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A single misstep, a fraction of a second lost, and his one slender chance was forfeit.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading He went down the steep pitch of the gulley with snowshoes creaking, fairly hissing in the snow, gliding when he could, taking obstacles with flying leaps, as a ski jumper covers the ground, throwing himself bodily towards the mouth of the chasm.
at the time that
From this reading He went down the steep pitch of the gulley with snowshoes creaking, fairly hissing in the snow, gliding when he could, taking obstacles with flying leaps, as a ski jumper covers the ground, throwing himself bodily towards the mouth of the chasm.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He went down the steep pitch of the gulley with snowshoes creaking, fairly hissing in the snow, gliding when he could, taking obstacles with flying leaps, as a ski jumper covers the ground, throwing himself bodily towards the mouth of the chasm.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading PATH OF THE AVALANCHE The walls of the gulley hemmed Dexter in on two sides, and he saw at a glance that it would be foolish to try to climb out of the trap into which he had blundered.
