used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Stark reached a bend of the brook and passed behind a flanking clump of alders, and his companions followed like straggling sheep, and, one by one, vanished from sight.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The others paused now and then to look covertly over their shoulders, as though still reluctant about obeying orders.
at or in the front
From this reading Stark walked ahead, his eyes on the ground before him, never once deigning to glance behind.
alders
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Stark reached a bend of the brook and passed behind a flanking clump of alders, and his companions followed like straggling sheep, and, one by one, vanished from sight.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The others paused now and then to look covertly over their shoulders, as though still reluctant about obeying orders.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The others paused now and then to look covertly over their shoulders, as though still reluctant about obeying orders.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading But it would seem that none of them dared to interfere with their leader's plans while the black mood oppressed him, and they trudged, hushed and subdued, at his heels.
backwardsadverbUS /ˈbækwərdz/
at or to or toward the back or rear
From this reading FAIR WARNING With his head bent backwards, Dexter watched the file of men make their way up the banks of the stream.
English botanist who accompanied Captain Cook on his first voyage to the Pacific Ocean (1743-1820)
From this reading FAIR WARNING With his head bent backwards, Dexter watched the file of men make their way up the banks of the stream.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Stark walked ahead, his eyes on the ground before him, never once deigning to glance behind.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Stark walked ahead, his eyes on the ground before him, never once deigning to glance behind.
bendverbUS /bend/
form a curve
From this reading Stark reached a bend of the brook and passed behind a flanking clump of alders, and his companions followed like straggling sheep, and, one by one, vanished from sight.
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading FAIR WARNING With his head bent backwards, Dexter watched the file of men make their way up the banks of the stream.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading But it would seem that none of them dared to interfere with their leader's plans while the black mood oppressed him, and they trudged, hushed and subdued, at his heels.
brooknounUS /brʊk/
a natural stream of water smaller than a river (and often a tributary of a river)
From this reading Stark reached a bend of the brook and passed behind a flanking clump of alders, and his companions followed like straggling sheep, and, one by one, vanished from sight.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But it would seem that none of them dared to interfere with their leader's plans while the black mood oppressed him, and they trudged, hushed and subdued, at his heels.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Stark reached a bend of the brook and passed behind a flanking clump of alders, and his companions followed like straggling sheep, and, one by one, vanished from sight.
clumpnounUS /klʌmp/
a grouping of a number of similar things
From this reading Stark reached a bend of the brook and passed behind a flanking clump of alders, and his companions followed like straggling sheep, and, one by one, vanished from sight.
plural of “companion” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading Stark reached a bend of the brook and passed behind a flanking clump of alders, and his companions followed like straggling sheep, and, one by one, vanished from sight.
covertlyadverbUS /koʊˈvɜːrtli/
in a covert manner
From this reading The others paused now and then to look covertly over their shoulders, as though still reluctant about obeying orders.
past form of “dare” — take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading But it would seem that none of them dared to interfere with their leader's plans while the black mood oppressed him, and they trudged, hushed and subdued, at his heels.
deigningverbUS /ˈdeɪnɪŋ/
-ing form of “deign” — do something that one considers to be below one's dignity
From this reading Stark walked ahead, his eyes on the ground before him, never once deigning to glance behind.
DexteradjectiveUS /ˈdekstər/
on or starting from the wearer's right
From this reading FAIR WARNING With his head bent backwards, Dexter watched the file of men make their way up the banks of the stream.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Stark walked ahead, his eyes on the ground before him, never once deigning to glance behind.
free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
From this reading FAIR WARNING With his head bent backwards, Dexter watched the file of men make their way up the banks of the stream.
fileverbUS /faɪl/
record in a public office or in a court of law
From this reading FAIR WARNING With his head bent backwards, Dexter watched the file of men make their way up the banks of the stream.
flankingverbUS /ˈflæŋkɪŋ/
-ing form of “flank” — be located at the sides of something or somebody
From this reading Stark reached a bend of the brook and passed behind a flanking clump of alders, and his companions followed like straggling sheep, and, one by one, vanished from sight.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading Stark reached a bend of the brook and passed behind a flanking clump of alders, and his companions followed like straggling sheep, and, one by one, vanished from sight.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Stark reached a bend of the brook and passed behind a flanking clump of alders, and his companions followed like straggling sheep, and, one by one, vanished from sight.
throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading Stark walked ahead, his eyes on the ground before him, never once deigning to glance behind.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading Stark walked ahead, his eyes on the ground before him, never once deigning to glance behind.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading FAIR WARNING With his head bent backwards, Dexter watched the file of men make their way up the banks of the stream.
plural of “heel” — the bottom of a shoe or boot; the back part of a shoe or boot that touches the ground and provides elevation
From this reading But it would seem that none of them dared to interfere with their leader's plans while the black mood oppressed him, and they trudged, hushed and subdued, at his heels.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Stark walked ahead, his eyes on the ground before him, never once deigning to glance behind.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading FAIR WARNING With his head bent backwards, Dexter watched the file of men make their way up the banks of the stream.
hushedadjectiveUS /hʌʃt/
in a softened tone
From this reading But it would seem that none of them dared to interfere with their leader's plans while the black mood oppressed him, and they trudged, hushed and subdued, at his heels.
interfereverbUS /ˌɪntərˈfɪr/
come between so as to be hindrance or obstacle
From this reading But it would seem that none of them dared to interfere with their leader's plans while the black mood oppressed him, and they trudged, hushed and subdued, at his heels.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But it would seem that none of them dared to interfere with their leader's plans while the black mood oppressed him, and they trudged, hushed and subdued, at his heels.
leader'snounUS /ˈliːdərz/
possessive form of “leader” — a person who rules or guides or inspires others
From this reading But it would seem that none of them dared to interfere with their leader's plans while the black mood oppressed him, and they trudged, hushed and subdued, at his heels.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Stark reached a bend of the brook and passed behind a flanking clump of alders, and his companions followed like straggling sheep, and, one by one, vanished from sight.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The others paused now and then to look covertly over their shoulders, as though still reluctant about obeying orders.
engage in
From this reading FAIR WARNING With his head bent backwards, Dexter watched the file of men make their way up the banks of the stream.
the force of workers available
From this reading FAIR WARNING With his head bent backwards, Dexter watched the file of men make their way up the banks of the stream.
a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling
From this reading But it would seem that none of them dared to interfere with their leader's plans while the black mood oppressed him, and they trudged, hushed and subdued, at his heels.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Stark walked ahead, his eyes on the ground before him, never once deigning to glance behind.
not one, and not any
From this reading But it would seem that none of them dared to interfere with their leader's plans while the black mood oppressed him, and they trudged, hushed and subdued, at his heels.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The others paused now and then to look covertly over their shoulders, as though still reluctant about obeying orders.
obeyingverbUS /oʊˈbeɪɪŋ/
-ing form of “obey” — be obedient to
From this reading The others paused now and then to look covertly over their shoulders, as though still reluctant about obeying orders.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading FAIR WARNING With his head bent backwards, Dexter watched the file of men make their way up the banks of the stream.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Stark walked ahead, his eyes on the ground before him, never once deigning to glance behind.
on one occasion
From this reading Stark walked ahead, his eyes on the ground before him, never once deigning to glance behind.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Stark reached a bend of the brook and passed behind a flanking clump of alders, and his companions followed like straggling sheep, and, one by one, vanished from sight.
oppressedadjectiveUS /əˈprest/
burdened psychologically or mentally
From this reading But it would seem that none of them dared to interfere with their leader's plans while the black mood oppressed him, and they trudged, hushed and subdued, at his heels.
plural of “order” — (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading The others paused now and then to look covertly over their shoulders, as though still reluctant about obeying orders.
others
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The others paused now and then to look covertly over their shoulders, as though still reluctant about obeying orders.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The others paused now and then to look covertly over their shoulders, as though still reluctant about obeying orders.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Stark reached a bend of the brook and passed behind a flanking clump of alders, and his companions followed like straggling sheep, and, one by one, vanished from sight.
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading The others paused now and then to look covertly over their shoulders, as though still reluctant about obeying orders.
plural of “plan” — a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished
From this reading But it would seem that none of them dared to interfere with their leader's plans while the black mood oppressed him, and they trudged, hushed and subdued, at his heels.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading Stark reached a bend of the brook and passed behind a flanking clump of alders, and his companions followed like straggling sheep, and, one by one, vanished from sight.
reluctantadjectiveUS /rɪˈlʌktənt/
unwillingness to do something contrary to your custom
From this reading The others paused now and then to look covertly over their shoulders, as though still reluctant about obeying orders.
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading But it would seem that none of them dared to interfere with their leader's plans while the black mood oppressed him, and they trudged, hushed and subdued, at his heels.
woolly usually horned ruminant mammal related to the goat
From this reading Stark reached a bend of the brook and passed behind a flanking clump of alders, and his companions followed like straggling sheep, and, one by one, vanished from sight.
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading The others paused now and then to look covertly over their shoulders, as though still reluctant about obeying orders.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading Stark reached a bend of the brook and passed behind a flanking clump of alders, and his companions followed like straggling sheep, and, one by one, vanished from sight.
StarkadjectiveUS /stɑːrk/
devoid of any qualifications or disguise or adornment
From this reading Stark walked ahead, his eyes on the ground before him, never once deigning to glance behind.
not in physical motion
From this reading The others paused now and then to look covertly over their shoulders, as though still reluctant about obeying orders.
stragglingadjective
spreading out in different directions or distributed irregularly
From this reading Stark reached a bend of the brook and passed behind a flanking clump of alders, and his companions followed like straggling sheep, and, one by one, vanished from sight.
a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth
From this reading FAIR WARNING With his head bent backwards, Dexter watched the file of men make their way up the banks of the stream.
subduedadjectiveUS /səbˈduːd/
in a softened tone
From this reading But it would seem that none of them dared to interfere with their leader's plans while the black mood oppressed him, and they trudged, hushed and subdued, at his heels.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But it would seem that none of them dared to interfere with their leader's plans while the black mood oppressed him, and they trudged, hushed and subdued, at his heels.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading FAIR WARNING With his head bent backwards, Dexter watched the file of men make their way up the banks of the stream.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading FAIR WARNING With his head bent backwards, Dexter watched the file of men make their way up the banks of the stream.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading But it would seem that none of them dared to interfere with their leader's plans while the black mood oppressed him, and they trudged, hushed and subdued, at his heels.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The others paused now and then to look covertly over their shoulders, as though still reluctant about obeying orders.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But it would seem that none of them dared to interfere with their leader's plans while the black mood oppressed him, and they trudged, hushed and subdued, at his heels.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading The others paused now and then to look covertly over their shoulders, as though still reluctant about obeying orders.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Stark walked ahead, his eyes on the ground before him, never once deigning to glance behind.
trudgedverbUS /trʌdʒd/
past form of “trudge” — walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
From this reading But it would seem that none of them dared to interfere with their leader's plans while the black mood oppressed him, and they trudged, hushed and subdued, at his heels.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading FAIR WARNING With his head bent backwards, Dexter watched the file of men make their way up the banks of the stream.
having passed out of existence
From this reading Stark reached a bend of the brook and passed behind a flanking clump of alders, and his companions followed like straggling sheep, and, one by one, vanished from sight.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading Stark walked ahead, his eyes on the ground before him, never once deigning to glance behind.
a message informing of danger
From this reading FAIR WARNING With his head bent backwards, Dexter watched the file of men make their way up the banks of the stream.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading FAIR WARNING With his head bent backwards, Dexter watched the file of men make their way up the banks of the stream.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading FAIR WARNING With his head bent backwards, Dexter watched the file of men make their way up the banks of the stream.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading But it would seem that none of them dared to interfere with their leader's plans while the black mood oppressed him, and they trudged, hushed and subdued, at his heels.
in the company of; together with
From this reading FAIR WARNING With his head bent backwards, Dexter watched the file of men make their way up the banks of the stream.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading But it would seem that none of them dared to interfere with their leader's plans while the black mood oppressed him, and they trudged, hushed and subdued, at his heels.
