used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a black moment for the two cadets in the grasp of the caretaker.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading With the cup in their possession and the task to which they had set themselves almost successfully completed it was little short of heartbreaking to miss the mark in this fashion.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading With the cup in their possession and the task to which they had set themselves almost successfully completed it was little short of heartbreaking to miss the mark in this fashion.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It was possible for them to put up a fight, of course, but it would probably take them so long that the entire effort would be useless.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The man who held them was a big and powerful man and they knew by the iron grip upon their shoulders that resistance was out of the question.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading It was a black moment for the two cadets in the grasp of the caretaker.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It was possible for them to put up a fight, of course, but it would probably take them so long that the entire effort would be useless.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The man who held them was a big and powerful man and they knew by the iron grip upon their shoulders that resistance was out of the question.
cadetsnounUS /kəˈdets/
plural of “cadet” — a military trainee (as at a military academy)
From this reading It was a black moment for the two cadets in the grasp of the caretaker.
caretakernounUS /ˈkerteɪkər/
a custodian who is hired to take care of something (property or a person)
From this reading It was a black moment for the two cadets in the grasp of the caretaker.
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading With the cup in their possession and the task to which they had set themselves almost successfully completed it was little short of heartbreaking to miss the mark in this fashion.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading It was possible for them to put up a fight, of course, but it would probably take them so long that the entire effort would be useless.
a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle
From this reading With the cup in their possession and the task to which they had set themselves almost successfully completed it was little short of heartbreaking to miss the mark in this fashion.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading It was possible for them to put up a fight, of course, but it would probably take them so long that the entire effort would be useless.
constituting the full quantity or extent; complete
From this reading It was possible for them to put up a fight, of course, but it would probably take them so long that the entire effort would be useless.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading With the cup in their possession and the task to which they had set themselves almost successfully completed it was little short of heartbreaking to miss the mark in this fashion.
be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading It was possible for them to put up a fight, of course, but it would probably take them so long that the entire effort would be useless.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Terry was the first to recover his wits.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was a black moment for the two cadets in the grasp of the caretaker.
hold firmly
From this reading It was a black moment for the two cadets in the grasp of the caretaker.
gripnounUS /ɡrɪp/
the act of grasping
From this reading The man who held them was a big and powerful man and they knew by the iron grip upon their shoulders that resistance was out of the question.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading With the cup in their possession and the task to which they had set themselves almost successfully completed it was little short of heartbreaking to miss the mark in this fashion.
heartbreakingadjectiveUS /ˈhɑːrtbreɪkɪŋ/
causing or marked by grief or anguish
From this reading With the cup in their possession and the task to which they had set themselves almost successfully completed it was little short of heartbreaking to miss the mark in this fashion.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading The man who held them was a big and powerful man and they knew by the iron grip upon their shoulders that resistance was out of the question.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Terry was the first to recover his wits.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was a black moment for the two cadets in the grasp of the caretaker.
a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood
From this reading The man who held them was a big and powerful man and they knew by the iron grip upon their shoulders that resistance was out of the question.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a black moment for the two cadets in the grasp of the caretaker.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading The man who held them was a big and powerful man and they knew by the iron grip upon their shoulders that resistance was out of the question.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading With the cup in their possession and the task to which they had set themselves almost successfully completed it was little short of heartbreaking to miss the mark in this fashion.
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 It was possible for them to put up a fight, of course, but it would probably take them so long that the entire effort would be useless.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The man who held them was a big and powerful man and they knew by the iron grip upon their shoulders that resistance was out of the question.
attach a tag or label to
From this reading With the cup in their possession and the task to which they had set themselves almost successfully completed it was little short of heartbreaking to miss the mark in this fashion.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading With the cup in their possession and the task to which they had set themselves almost successfully completed it was little short of heartbreaking to miss the mark in this fashion.
a particular point in time
From this reading It was a black moment for the two cadets in the grasp of the caretaker.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was a black moment for the two cadets in the grasp of the caretaker.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The man who held them was a big and powerful man and they knew by the iron grip upon their shoulders that resistance was out of the question.
the act of having and controlling property
From this reading With the cup in their possession and the task to which they had set themselves almost successfully completed it was little short of heartbreaking to miss the mark in this fashion.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading It was possible for them to put up a fight, of course, but it would probably take them so long that the entire effort would be useless.
having great power or force or potency or effect
From this reading The man who held them was a big and powerful man and they knew by the iron grip upon their shoulders that resistance was out of the question.
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
From this reading It was possible for them to put up a fight, of course, but it would probably take them so long that the entire effort would be useless.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading It was possible for them to put up a fight, of course, but it would probably take them so long that the entire effort would be useless.
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading The man who held them was a big and powerful man and they knew by the iron grip upon their shoulders that resistance was out of the question.
recoververbUS /rɪˈkʌvər/
get or find back; recover the use of
From this reading Terry was the first to recover his wits.
resistancenounUS /rɪˈzɪstəns/
the action of opposing something that you disapprove or disagree with
From this reading The man who held them was a big and powerful man and they knew by the iron grip upon their shoulders that resistance was out of the question.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading With the cup in their possession and the task to which they had set themselves almost successfully completed it was little short of heartbreaking to miss the mark in this fashion.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading With the cup in their possession and the task to which they had set themselves almost successfully completed it was little short of heartbreaking to miss the mark in this fashion.
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading The man who held them was a big and powerful man and they knew by the iron grip upon their shoulders that resistance was out of the question.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It was possible for them to put up a fight, of course, but it would probably take them so long that the entire effort would be useless.
successfullyadverbUS /səkˈsesfəli/
with success; in a successful manner
From this reading With the cup in their possession and the task to which they had set themselves almost successfully completed it was little short of heartbreaking to miss the mark in this fashion.
carry out
From this reading It was possible for them to put up a fight, of course, but it would probably take them so long that the entire effort would be useless.
any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
From this reading With the cup in their possession and the task to which they had set themselves almost successfully completed it was little short of heartbreaking to miss the mark in this fashion.
TerrynounUS /ˈteri/
English actress (1847-1928)
From this reading Terry was the first to recover his wits.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The man who held them was a big and powerful man and they knew by the iron grip upon their shoulders that resistance was out of the question.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was a black moment for the two cadets in the grasp of the caretaker.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading With the cup in their possession and the task to which they had set themselves almost successfully completed it was little short of heartbreaking to miss the mark in this fashion.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The man who held them was a big and powerful man and they knew by the iron grip upon their shoulders that resistance was out of the question.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading With the cup in their possession and the task to which they had set themselves almost successfully completed it was little short of heartbreaking to miss the mark in this fashion.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading With the cup in their possession and the task to which they had set themselves almost successfully completed it was little short of heartbreaking to miss the mark in this fashion.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading With the cup in their possession and the task to which they had set themselves almost successfully completed it was little short of heartbreaking to miss the mark in this fashion.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading With the cup in their possession and the task to which they had set themselves almost successfully completed it was little short of heartbreaking to miss the mark in this fashion.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading It was a black moment for the two cadets in the grasp of the caretaker.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading It was possible for them to put up a fight, of course, but it would probably take them so long that the entire effort would be useless.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The man who held them was a big and powerful man and they knew by the iron grip upon their shoulders that resistance was out of the question.
having no beneficial use or incapable of functioning usefully
From this reading It was possible for them to put up a fight, of course, but it would probably take them so long that the entire effort would be useless.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a black moment for the two cadets in the grasp of the caretaker.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading With the cup in their possession and the task to which they had set themselves almost successfully completed it was little short of heartbreaking to miss the mark in this fashion.
which person or people
From this reading The man who held them was a big and powerful man and they knew by the iron grip upon their shoulders that resistance was out of the question.
in the company of; together with
From this reading With the cup in their possession and the task to which they had set themselves almost successfully completed it was little short of heartbreaking to miss the mark in this fashion.
witsnounUS /wɪts/
the basic human power of intelligent thought and perception
From this reading Terry was the first to recover his wits.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It was possible for them to put up a fight, of course, but it would probably take them so long that the entire effort would be useless.
