used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She had just killed, not far from the shack which she inhabited, a rattler.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading That one whip snap had coiled about the rattler’s head and had neatly decapitated the reptile.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was a peculiarly deadly rattler, a big diamond-back, and its black-and-yellow body looked very beautiful lying out in the morning sunlight.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading It was a peculiarly deadly rattler, a big diamond-back, and its black-and-yellow body looked very beautiful lying out in the morning sunlight.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading It was a peculiarly deadly rattler, a big diamond-back, and its black-and-yellow body looked very beautiful lying out in the morning sunlight.
black-and-yellow
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a peculiarly deadly rattler, a big diamond-back, and its black-and-yellow body looked very beautiful lying out in the morning sunlight.
blacksnakenoun
large harmless shiny black North American snake
From this reading Mrs. Crump had killed that rattler most expertly; she had killed it with one snapping crack of a blacksnake whip.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading It was a peculiarly deadly rattler, a big diamond-back, and its black-and-yellow body looked very beautiful lying out in the morning sunlight.
coiledadjectiveUS /kɔɪld/
curled or wound (especially in concentric rings or spirals)
From this reading That one whip snap had coiled about the rattler’s head and had neatly decapitated the reptile.
crackverbUS /kræk/
become fractured; break or crack on the surface only
From this reading Mrs. Crump had killed that rattler most expertly; she had killed it with one snapping crack of a blacksnake whip.
CrumpverbUS /krʌmp/
make a noise typical of an engine lacking lubricants
From this reading Mrs. Crump was grimly jubilant.
causing or capable of causing death
From this reading It was a peculiarly deadly rattler, a big diamond-back, and its black-and-yellow body looked very beautiful lying out in the morning sunlight.
decapitatedadjectiveUS /diˈkæpəteɪtɪd/
having had the head cut off
From this reading That one whip snap had coiled about the rattler’s head and had neatly decapitated the reptile.
diamond-back
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a peculiarly deadly rattler, a big diamond-back, and its black-and-yellow body looked very beautiful lying out in the morning sunlight.
expertlyadverbUS /ˈekspərtli/
in an expert manner
From this reading Mrs. Crump had killed that rattler most expertly; she had killed it with one snapping crack of a blacksnake whip.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading She had just killed, not far from the shack which she inhabited, a rattler.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading She had just killed, not far from the shack which she inhabited, a rattler.
grimlyadverbUS /ˈɡrɪmli/
in a grim implacable manner
From this reading Mrs. Crump was grimly jubilant.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She had just killed, not far from the shack which she inhabited, a rattler.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading That one whip snap had coiled about the rattler’s head and had neatly decapitated the reptile.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was a peculiarly deadly rattler, a big diamond-back, and its black-and-yellow body looked very beautiful lying out in the morning sunlight.
inhabitedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈhæbətəd/
having inhabitants; lived in
From this reading She had just killed, not far from the shack which she inhabited, a rattler.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a peculiarly deadly rattler, a big diamond-back, and its black-and-yellow body looked very beautiful lying out in the morning sunlight.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading It was a peculiarly deadly rattler, a big diamond-back, and its black-and-yellow body looked very beautiful lying out in the morning sunlight.
jubilantadjectiveUS /ˈdʒuːbələnt/
joyful and proud especially because of triumph or success
From this reading Mrs. Crump was grimly jubilant.
and nothing more
From this reading She had just killed, not far from the shack which she inhabited, a rattler.
past form of “kill” — cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
From this reading She had just killed, not far from the shack which she inhabited, a rattler.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading It was a peculiarly deadly rattler, a big diamond-back, and its black-and-yellow body looked very beautiful lying out in the morning sunlight.
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading It was a peculiarly deadly rattler, a big diamond-back, and its black-and-yellow body looked very beautiful lying out in the morning sunlight.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading It was a peculiarly deadly rattler, a big diamond-back, and its black-and-yellow body looked very beautiful lying out in the morning sunlight.
used to form the superlative
From this reading Mrs. Crump had killed that rattler most expertly; she had killed it with one snapping crack of a blacksnake whip.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mrs. Crump was grimly jubilant.
neatlyadverbUS /ˈniːtli/
with neatness
From this reading That one whip snap had coiled about the rattler’s head and had neatly decapitated the reptile.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She had just killed, not far from the shack which she inhabited, a rattler.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Mrs. Crump had killed that rattler most expertly; she had killed it with one snapping crack of a blacksnake whip.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Mrs. Crump had killed that rattler most expertly; she had killed it with one snapping crack of a blacksnake whip.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading It was a peculiarly deadly rattler, a big diamond-back, and its black-and-yellow body looked very beautiful lying out in the morning sunlight.
peculiarlyadverbUS /pɪˈkjuːljərli/
uniquely or characteristically
From this reading It was a peculiarly deadly rattler, a big diamond-back, and its black-and-yellow body looked very beautiful lying out in the morning sunlight.
rattlernounUS /ˈrætələr/
pit viper with horny segments at the end of the tail that rattle when shaken
From this reading She had just killed, not far from the shack which she inhabited, a rattler.
rattler's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That one whip snap had coiled about the rattler’s head and had neatly decapitated the reptile.
reptilenounUS /ˈreptaɪl/
any cold-blooded vertebrate of the class Reptilia including tortoises, turtles, snakes, lizards, alligators, crocodiles, and extinct forms
From this reading That one whip snap had coiled about the rattler’s head and had neatly decapitated the reptile.
shacknounUS /ʃæk/
small crude shelter used as a dwelling
From this reading She had just killed, not far from the shack which she inhabited, a rattler.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She had just killed, not far from the shack which she inhabited, a rattler.
snapverbUS /snæp/
utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
From this reading That one whip snap had coiled about the rattler’s head and had neatly decapitated the reptile.
snappingverbUS /ˈsnæpɪŋ/
inflected form of “snap” — utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
From this reading Mrs. Crump had killed that rattler most expertly; she had killed it with one snapping crack of a blacksnake whip.
sunlightnounUS /ˈsʌnlaɪt/
the rays of the sun
From this reading It was a peculiarly deadly rattler, a big diamond-back, and its black-and-yellow body looked very beautiful lying out in the morning sunlight.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Mrs. Crump had killed that rattler most expertly; she had killed it with one snapping crack of a blacksnake whip.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She had just killed, not far from the shack which she inhabited, a rattler.
precisely as stated
From this reading It was a peculiarly deadly rattler, a big diamond-back, and its black-and-yellow body looked very beautiful lying out in the morning sunlight.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Mrs. Crump was grimly jubilant.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading She had just killed, not far from the shack which she inhabited, a rattler.
whipverbUS /wɪp/
beat severely with a whip or rod
From this reading Mrs. Crump had killed that rattler most expertly; she had killed it with one snapping crack of a blacksnake whip.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Mrs. Crump had killed that rattler most expertly; she had killed it with one snapping crack of a blacksnake whip.
