used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading TAKING A GREAT CHANCE Joe, with a voiceless gulp, sprang forward once more, pausing at the string-piece only, and peering hard out into the black, wet night.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading For a few moments Tom Halstead stood looking about him in an uncertain way, as though trying to arouse himself from a hideous nightmare.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Whoever had done this deed might almost as well have taken the young captain's life.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading For a few moments Tom Halstead stood looking about him in an uncertain way, as though trying to arouse himself from a hideous nightmare.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading TAKING A GREAT CHANCE Joe, with a voiceless gulp, sprang forward once more, pausing at the string-piece only, and peering hard out into the black, wet night.
arouseverbUS /ərˈaʊz/
call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
From this reading For a few moments Tom Halstead stood looking about him in an uncertain way, as though trying to arouse himself from a hideous nightmare.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Hank Butts brought his club down over a snubbing post with such force as to shatter the weapon.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading TAKING A GREAT CHANCE Joe, with a voiceless gulp, sprang forward once more, pausing at the string-piece only, and peering hard out into the black, wet night.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading TAKING A GREAT CHANCE Joe, with a voiceless gulp, sprang forward once more, pausing at the string-piece only, and peering hard out into the black, wet night.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading "They've stolen our boat!" he gasped.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading Hank Butts brought his club down over a snubbing post with such force as to shatter the weapon.
ButtsnounUS /bʌts/
plural of “butt” — thick end of the handle
From this reading Hank Butts brought his club down over a snubbing post with such force as to shatter the weapon.
captain'snounUS /ˈkæptənz/
possessive form of “captain” — an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading Whoever had done this deed might almost as well have taken the young captain's life.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading TAKING A GREAT CHANCE Joe, with a voiceless gulp, sprang forward once more, pausing at the string-piece only, and peering hard out into the black, wet night.
a team of professional baseball players who play and travel together
From this reading Hank Butts brought his club down over a snubbing post with such force as to shatter the weapon.
a legal document signed and sealed and delivered to effect a transfer of property and to show the legal right to possess it
From this reading Whoever had done this deed might almost as well have taken the young captain's life.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading Whoever had done this deed might almost as well have taken the young captain's life.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Hank Butts brought his club down over a snubbing post with such force as to shatter the weapon.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading For a few moments Tom Halstead stood looking about him in an uncertain way, as though trying to arouse himself from a hideous nightmare.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For a few moments Tom Halstead stood looking about him in an uncertain way, as though trying to arouse himself from a hideous nightmare.
a powerful effect or influence
From this reading Hank Butts brought his club down over a snubbing post with such force as to shatter the weapon.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading TAKING A GREAT CHANCE Joe, with a voiceless gulp, sprang forward once more, pausing at the string-piece only, and peering hard out into the black, wet night.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading For a few moments Tom Halstead stood looking about him in an uncertain way, as though trying to arouse himself from a hideous nightmare.
past form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading "They've stolen our boat!" he gasped.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading TAKING A GREAT CHANCE Joe, with a voiceless gulp, sprang forward once more, pausing at the string-piece only, and peering hard out into the black, wet night.
gulpverbUS /ɡʌlp/
to swallow hurriedly or greedily or in one draught
From this reading TAKING A GREAT CHANCE Joe, with a voiceless gulp, sprang forward once more, pausing at the string-piece only, and peering hard out into the black, wet night.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Whoever had done this deed might almost as well have taken the young captain's life.
Halstead
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a few moments Tom Halstead stood looking about him in an uncertain way, as though trying to arouse himself from a hideous nightmare.
HanknounUS /hæŋk/
a coil of rope or wool or yarn
From this reading Hank Butts brought his club down over a snubbing post with such force as to shatter the weapon.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading TAKING A GREAT CHANCE Joe, with a voiceless gulp, sprang forward once more, pausing at the string-piece only, and peering hard out into the black, wet night.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Whoever had done this deed might almost as well have taken the young captain's life.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "They've stolen our boat!" he gasped.
grossly offensive to decency or morality; causing horror
From this reading For a few moments Tom Halstead stood looking about him in an uncertain way, as though trying to arouse himself from a hideous nightmare.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading For a few moments Tom Halstead stood looking about him in an uncertain way, as though trying to arouse himself from a hideous nightmare.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading For a few moments Tom Halstead stood looking about him in an uncertain way, as though trying to arouse himself from a hideous nightmare.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Hank Butts brought his club down over a snubbing post with such force as to shatter the weapon.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading For a few moments Tom Halstead stood looking about him in an uncertain way, as though trying to arouse himself from a hideous nightmare.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading TAKING A GREAT CHANCE Joe, with a voiceless gulp, sprang forward once more, pausing at the string-piece only, and peering hard out into the black, wet night.
Joe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading TAKING A GREAT CHANCE Joe, with a voiceless gulp, sprang forward once more, pausing at the string-piece only, and peering hard out into the black, wet night.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Whoever had done this deed might almost as well have taken the young captain's life.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading For a few moments Tom Halstead stood looking about him in an uncertain way, as though trying to arouse himself from a hideous nightmare.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Whoever had done this deed might almost as well have taken the young captain's life.
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading For a few moments Tom Halstead stood looking about him in an uncertain way, as though trying to arouse himself from a hideous nightmare.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading TAKING A GREAT CHANCE Joe, with a voiceless gulp, sprang forward once more, pausing at the string-piece only, and peering hard out into the black, wet night.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading TAKING A GREAT CHANCE Joe, with a voiceless gulp, sprang forward once more, pausing at the string-piece only, and peering hard out into the black, wet night.
nightmarenounUS /ˈnaɪt.mɛr/
A terrifying or distressing dream.
From this reading For a few moments Tom Halstead stood looking about him in an uncertain way, as though trying to arouse himself from a hideous nightmare.
on one occasion
From this reading TAKING A GREAT CHANCE Joe, with a voiceless gulp, sprang forward once more, pausing at the string-piece only, and peering hard out into the black, wet night.
and nothing more
From this reading TAKING A GREAT CHANCE Joe, with a voiceless gulp, sprang forward once more, pausing at the string-piece only, and peering hard out into the black, wet night.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading "They've stolen our boat!" he gasped.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading TAKING A GREAT CHANCE Joe, with a voiceless gulp, sprang forward once more, pausing at the string-piece only, and peering hard out into the black, wet night.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Hank Butts brought his club down over a snubbing post with such force as to shatter the weapon.
pausingverbUS /ˈpɔːzɪŋ/
-ing form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading TAKING A GREAT CHANCE Joe, with a voiceless gulp, sprang forward once more, pausing at the string-piece only, and peering hard out into the black, wet night.
peeringverbUS /ˈpiːrɪŋ/
-ing form of “peer” — look searchingly
From this reading TAKING A GREAT CHANCE Joe, with a voiceless gulp, sprang forward once more, pausing at the string-piece only, and peering hard out into the black, wet night.
affix in a public place or for public notice
From this reading Hank Butts brought his club down over a snubbing post with such force as to shatter the weapon.
shatterverbUS /ˈʃætər/
break into many pieces
From this reading Hank Butts brought his club down over a snubbing post with such force as to shatter the weapon.
snubbingverbUS /ˈsnʌbɪŋ/
inflected form of “snub” — refuse to acknowledge
From this reading Hank Butts brought his club down over a snubbing post with such force as to shatter the weapon.
inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading TAKING A GREAT CHANCE Joe, with a voiceless gulp, sprang forward once more, pausing at the string-piece only, and peering hard out into the black, wet night.
inflected form of “steal” — take without the owner's consent
From this reading "They've stolen our boat!" he gasped.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading For a few moments Tom Halstead stood looking about him in an uncertain way, as though trying to arouse himself from a hideous nightmare.
string-piece
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading TAKING A GREAT CHANCE Joe, with a voiceless gulp, sprang forward once more, pausing at the string-piece only, and peering hard out into the black, wet night.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Hank Butts brought his club down over a snubbing post with such force as to shatter the weapon.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading Whoever had done this deed might almost as well have taken the young captain's life.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading TAKING A GREAT CHANCE Joe, with a voiceless gulp, sprang forward once more, pausing at the string-piece only, and peering hard out into the black, wet night.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading TAKING A GREAT CHANCE Joe, with a voiceless gulp, sprang forward once more, pausing at the string-piece only, and peering hard out into the black, wet night.
They've
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "They've stolen our boat!" he gasped.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Whoever had done this deed might almost as well have taken the young captain's life.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading For a few moments Tom Halstead stood looking about him in an uncertain way, as though trying to arouse himself from a hideous nightmare.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Hank Butts brought his club down over a snubbing post with such force as to shatter the weapon.
male cat
From this reading For a few moments Tom Halstead stood looking about him in an uncertain way, as though trying to arouse himself from a hideous nightmare.
hard to endure
From this reading For a few moments Tom Halstead stood looking about him in an uncertain way, as though trying to arouse himself from a hideous nightmare.
uncertainadjectiveUS /ənˈsɜːrtən/
lacking or indicating lack of confidence or assurance
From this reading For a few moments Tom Halstead stood looking about him in an uncertain way, as though trying to arouse himself from a hideous nightmare.
voicelessadjectiveUS /ˈvɔɪsləs/
produced without vibration of the vocal cords
From this reading TAKING A GREAT CHANCE Joe, with a voiceless gulp, sprang forward once more, pausing at the string-piece only, and peering hard out into the black, wet night.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading For a few moments Tom Halstead stood looking about him in an uncertain way, as though trying to arouse himself from a hideous nightmare.
any instrument or instrumentality used in fighting or hunting
From this reading Hank Butts brought his club down over a snubbing post with such force as to shatter the weapon.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading Whoever had done this deed might almost as well have taken the young captain's life.
covered or soaked with a liquid such as water
From this reading TAKING A GREAT CHANCE Joe, with a voiceless gulp, sprang forward once more, pausing at the string-piece only, and peering hard out into the black, wet night.
Whoever
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Whoever had done this deed might almost as well have taken the young captain's life.
in the company of; together with
From this reading TAKING A GREAT CHANCE Joe, with a voiceless gulp, sprang forward once more, pausing at the string-piece only, and peering hard out into the black, wet night.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading Whoever had done this deed might almost as well have taken the young captain's life.
