used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading With all the immediacy of a child or a savage he set off at once.
be able to spare or give up
From this reading Several times he heard the omnipresent clicking of ants on their multifarious businesses in the wood, but he could afford to ignore them.
aislesnounUS /aɪlz/
plural of “aisle” — a long narrow passage (as in a cave or woods)
From this reading Through the awkward aisles of the mushroom forest he made his way, eyes and ears open for possibilities of danger.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading With all the immediacy of a child or a savage he set off at once.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading He had come along the bank of the stream.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Through the awkward aisles of the mushroom forest he made his way, eyes and ears open for possibilities of danger.
antsnounUS /ænts/
plural of “ant” — social insect living in organized colonies; characteristically the males and fertile queen have wings during breeding season; wingless sterile females are the workers
From this reading Several times he heard the omnipresent clicking of ants on their multifarious businesses in the wood, but he could afford to ignore them.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading With all the immediacy of a child or a savage he set off at once.
awkwardadjectiveUS /ˈɑːkwərd/
causing inconvenience
From this reading Through the awkward aisles of the mushroom forest he made his way, eyes and ears open for possibilities of danger.
sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)
From this reading He had come along the bank of the stream.
businessesnounUS /ˈbɪznəsəz/
plural of “business” — a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading Several times he heard the omnipresent clicking of ants on their multifarious businesses in the wood, but he could afford to ignore them.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Several times he heard the omnipresent clicking of ants on their multifarious businesses in the wood, but he could afford to ignore them.
a young person of either sex
From this reading With all the immediacy of a child or a savage he set off at once.
clickingverbUS /ˈklɪkɪŋ/
-ing form of “click” — move or strike with a noise
From this reading Several times he heard the omnipresent clicking of ants on their multifarious businesses in the wood, but he could afford to ignore them.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He had come along the bank of the stream.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Several times he heard the omnipresent clicking of ants on their multifarious businesses in the wood, but he could afford to ignore them.
the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury
From this reading Through the awkward aisles of the mushroom forest he made his way, eyes and ears open for possibilities of danger.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading Through the awkward aisles of the mushroom forest he made his way, eyes and ears open for possibilities of danger.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Through the awkward aisles of the mushroom forest he made his way, eyes and ears open for possibilities of danger.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Through the awkward aisles of the mushroom forest he made his way, eyes and ears open for possibilities of danger.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading Through the awkward aisles of the mushroom forest he made his way, eyes and ears open for possibilities of danger.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had come along the bank of the stream.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading With all the immediacy of a child or a savage he set off at once.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Several times he heard the omnipresent clicking of ants on their multifarious businesses in the wood, but he could afford to ignore them.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He would retrace his steps along the bank of the stream.
ignoreverbUS /ˌɪɡˈnɔːr/
refuse to acknowledge
From this reading Several times he heard the omnipresent clicking of ants on their multifarious businesses in the wood, but he could afford to ignore them.
immediacynounUS /ˌɪˈmiːdiːəsi/
lack of an intervening or mediating agency
From this reading With all the immediacy of a child or a savage he set off at once.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Several times he heard the omnipresent clicking of ants on their multifarious businesses in the wood, but he could afford to ignore them.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Through the awkward aisles of the mushroom forest he made his way, eyes and ears open for possibilities of danger.
multifariousadjective
having many aspects or qualities
From this reading Several times he heard the omnipresent clicking of ants on their multifarious businesses in the wood, but he could afford to ignore them.
mushroomnounUS /ˈmʌʃruːm/
common name for an edible agaric (contrasting with the inedible toadstool)
From this reading Through the awkward aisles of the mushroom forest he made his way, eyes and ears open for possibilities of danger.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading With all the immediacy of a child or a savage he set off at once.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading With all the immediacy of a child or a savage he set off at once.
omnipresentadjectiveUS /ˌɑːmnɪˈprezənt/
being present everywhere at once
From this reading Several times he heard the omnipresent clicking of ants on their multifarious businesses in the wood, but he could afford to ignore them.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Several times he heard the omnipresent clicking of ants on their multifarious businesses in the wood, but he could afford to ignore them.
on one occasion
From this reading With all the immediacy of a child or a savage he set off at once.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading Through the awkward aisles of the mushroom forest he made his way, eyes and ears open for possibilities of danger.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading With all the immediacy of a child or a savage he set off at once.
possibilitiesnounUS /ˌpɑːsəˈbɪlətiz/
plural of “possibility” — a future prospect or potential
From this reading Through the awkward aisles of the mushroom forest he made his way, eyes and ears open for possibilities of danger.
retraceverbUS /riˈtreɪs/
to go back over again
From this reading He would retrace his steps along the bank of the stream.
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading With all the immediacy of a child or a savage he set off at once.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading With all the immediacy of a child or a savage he set off at once.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading Several times he heard the omnipresent clicking of ants on their multifarious businesses in the wood, but he could afford to ignore them.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading He would retrace his steps along the bank of the stream.
a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth
From this reading He had come along the bank of the stream.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading With all the immediacy of a child or a savage he set off at once.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Several times he heard the omnipresent clicking of ants on their multifarious businesses in the wood, but he could afford to ignore them.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Several times he heard the omnipresent clicking of ants on their multifarious businesses in the wood, but he could afford to ignore them.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Through the awkward aisles of the mushroom forest he made his way, eyes and ears open for possibilities of danger.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading Several times he heard the omnipresent clicking of ants on their multifarious businesses in the wood, but he could afford to ignore them.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Several times he heard the omnipresent clicking of ants on their multifarious businesses in the wood, but he could afford to ignore them.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Through the awkward aisles of the mushroom forest he made his way, eyes and ears open for possibilities of danger.
in the company of; together with
From this reading With all the immediacy of a child or a savage he set off at once.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading Several times he heard the omnipresent clicking of ants on their multifarious businesses in the wood, but he could afford to ignore them.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He would retrace his steps along the bank of the stream.
