used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They had passed from the lake into the river, and but a comparatively few miles now separated them from the place where the auto had been left.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading To Jerry and Bob, first one and then the other, crouched in the cramped motor compartment, holding the string of the tension spring, which alone kept the machinery in motion, the sixty minutes in each hour seemed like sixty thousand.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading To Jerry and Bob, first one and then the other, crouched in the cramped motor compartment, holding the string of the tension spring, which alone kept the machinery in motion, the sixty minutes in each hour seemed like sixty thousand.
autonounUS /ˈɔːtoʊ/
a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine
From this reading They had passed from the lake into the river, and but a comparatively few miles now separated them from the place where the auto had been left.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading They had passed from the lake into the river, and but a comparatively few miles now separated them from the place where the auto had been left.
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading To Jerry and Bob, first one and then the other, crouched in the cramped motor compartment, holding the string of the tension spring, which alone kept the machinery in motion, the sixty minutes in each hour seemed like sixty thousand.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading They had passed from the lake into the river, and but a comparatively few miles now separated them from the place where the auto had been left.
calculatedadjectiveUS /ˈkælkjəleɪtɪd/
carefully thought out in advance
From this reading The land part of their journey would take them until nearly night, they calculated.
comparativelyadverbUS /kəmˈperətɪvli/
in a relative manner; by comparison to something else
From this reading They had passed from the lake into the river, and but a comparatively few miles now separated them from the place where the auto had been left.
compartmentnounUS /kəmˈpɑːrtmənt/
a space into which an area is subdivided
From this reading To Jerry and Bob, first one and then the other, crouched in the cramped motor compartment, holding the string of the tension spring, which alone kept the machinery in motion, the sixty minutes in each hour seemed like sixty thousand.
crampedadjectiveUS /kræmpt/
constricted in size
From this reading To Jerry and Bob, first one and then the other, crouched in the cramped motor compartment, holding the string of the tension spring, which alone kept the machinery in motion, the sixty minutes in each hour seemed like sixty thousand.
inflected form of “creep” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading THE LAST LAP The night would never pass, it seemed, yet slowly the hours of darkness crept onward.
crouchedverbUS /kraʊtʃt/
past form of “crouch” — bend one's back forward from the waist on down
From this reading To Jerry and Bob, first one and then the other, crouched in the cramped motor compartment, holding the string of the tension spring, which alone kept the machinery in motion, the sixty minutes in each hour seemed like sixty thousand.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading THE LAST LAP The night would never pass, it seemed, yet slowly the hours of darkness crept onward.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading To Jerry and Bob, first one and then the other, crouched in the cramped motor compartment, holding the string of the tension spring, which alone kept the machinery in motion, the sixty minutes in each hour seemed like sixty thousand.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading They had passed from the lake into the river, and but a comparatively few miles now separated them from the place where the auto had been left.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading To Jerry and Bob, first one and then the other, crouched in the cramped motor compartment, holding the string of the tension spring, which alone kept the machinery in motion, the sixty minutes in each hour seemed like sixty thousand.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading They had passed from the lake into the river, and but a comparatively few miles now separated them from the place where the auto had been left.
to the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely; (“full” in this sense is used as a combining form)
From this reading It was now fully light, and still they sped on.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They had passed from the lake into the river, and but a comparatively few miles now separated them from the place where the auto had been left.
the act of retaining something
From this reading To Jerry and Bob, first one and then the other, crouched in the cramped motor compartment, holding the string of the tension spring, which alone kept the machinery in motion, the sixty minutes in each hour seemed like sixty thousand.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading To Jerry and Bob, first one and then the other, crouched in the cramped motor compartment, holding the string of the tension spring, which alone kept the machinery in motion, the sixty minutes in each hour seemed like sixty thousand.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading THE LAST LAP The night would never pass, it seemed, yet slowly the hours of darkness crept onward.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading To Jerry and Bob, first one and then the other, crouched in the cramped motor compartment, holding the string of the tension spring, which alone kept the machinery in motion, the sixty minutes in each hour seemed like sixty thousand.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading They had passed from the lake into the river, and but a comparatively few miles now separated them from the place where the auto had been left.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE LAST LAP The night would never pass, it seemed, yet slowly the hours of darkness crept onward.
offensive term for a person of German descent
From this reading To Jerry and Bob, first one and then the other, crouched in the cramped motor compartment, holding the string of the tension spring, which alone kept the machinery in motion, the sixty minutes in each hour seemed like sixty thousand.
undertake a journey or trip
From this reading The land part of their journey would take them until nearly night, they calculated.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading To Jerry and Bob, first one and then the other, crouched in the cramped motor compartment, holding the string of the tension spring, which alone kept the machinery in motion, the sixty minutes in each hour seemed like sixty thousand.
a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land
From this reading They had passed from the lake into the river, and but a comparatively few miles now separated them from the place where the auto had been left.
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading The land part of their journey would take them until nearly night, they calculated.
LAPverbUS /læp/
lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
From this reading THE LAST LAP The night would never pass, it seemed, yet slowly the hours of darkness crept onward.
immediately past
From this reading THE LAST LAP The night would never pass, it seemed, yet slowly the hours of darkness crept onward.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading They had passed from the lake into the river, and but a comparatively few miles now separated them from the place where the auto had been left.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading It was now fully light, and still they sped on.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading To Jerry and Bob, first one and then the other, crouched in the cramped motor compartment, holding the string of the tension spring, which alone kept the machinery in motion, the sixty minutes in each hour seemed like sixty thousand.
machinerynounUS /məˈʃiːnəri/
machines or machine systems collectively
From this reading To Jerry and Bob, first one and then the other, crouched in the cramped motor compartment, holding the string of the tension spring, which alone kept the machinery in motion, the sixty minutes in each hour seemed like sixty thousand.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading They had passed from the lake into the river, and but a comparatively few miles now separated them from the place where the auto had been left.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading To Jerry and Bob, first one and then the other, crouched in the cramped motor compartment, holding the string of the tension spring, which alone kept the machinery in motion, the sixty minutes in each hour seemed like sixty thousand.
the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals
From this reading To Jerry and Bob, first one and then the other, crouched in the cramped motor compartment, holding the string of the tension spring, which alone kept the machinery in motion, the sixty minutes in each hour seemed like sixty thousand.
motornounUS /ˈmoʊtər/
machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion
From this reading To Jerry and Bob, first one and then the other, crouched in the cramped motor compartment, holding the string of the tension spring, which alone kept the machinery in motion, the sixty minutes in each hour seemed like sixty thousand.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The land part of their journey would take them until nearly night, they calculated.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading THE LAST LAP The night would never pass, it seemed, yet slowly the hours of darkness crept onward.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading THE LAST LAP The night would never pass, it seemed, yet slowly the hours of darkness crept onward.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading They had passed from the lake into the river, and but a comparatively few miles now separated them from the place where the auto had been left.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE LAST LAP The night would never pass, it seemed, yet slowly the hours of darkness crept onward.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading It was now fully light, and still they sped on.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading To Jerry and Bob, first one and then the other, crouched in the cramped motor compartment, holding the string of the tension spring, which alone kept the machinery in motion, the sixty minutes in each hour seemed like sixty thousand.
onwardadverbUS /ˈɔːnwərd/
forward in time or order or degree
From this reading THE LAST LAP The night would never pass, it seemed, yet slowly the hours of darkness crept onward.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading To Jerry and Bob, first one and then the other, crouched in the cramped motor compartment, holding the string of the tension spring, which alone kept the machinery in motion, the sixty minutes in each hour seemed like sixty thousand.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading The land part of their journey would take them until nearly night, they calculated.
go across or through
From this reading THE LAST LAP The night would never pass, it seemed, yet slowly the hours of darkness crept onward.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading They had passed from the lake into the river, and but a comparatively few miles now separated them from the place where the auto had been left.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading They had passed from the lake into the river, and but a comparatively few miles now separated them from the place where the auto had been left.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading They had passed from the lake into the river, and but a comparatively few miles now separated them from the place where the auto had been left.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading THE LAST LAP The night would never pass, it seemed, yet slowly the hours of darkness crept onward.
being or feeling set or kept apart from others
From this reading They had passed from the lake into the river, and but a comparatively few miles now separated them from the place where the auto had been left.
sixtyadjectiveUS /ˈsɪksti/
being ten more than fifty
From this reading To Jerry and Bob, first one and then the other, crouched in the cramped motor compartment, holding the string of the tension spring, which alone kept the machinery in motion, the sixty minutes in each hour seemed like sixty thousand.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading THE LAST LAP The night would never pass, it seemed, yet slowly the hours of darkness crept onward.
spedverbUS /sped/
inflected form of “speed” — move hurridly
From this reading It was now fully light, and still they sped on.
the season of growth
From this reading To Jerry and Bob, first one and then the other, crouched in the cramped motor compartment, holding the string of the tension spring, which alone kept the machinery in motion, the sixty minutes in each hour seemed like sixty thousand.
not in physical motion
From this reading It was now fully light, and still they sped on.
a lightweight cord
From this reading To Jerry and Bob, first one and then the other, crouched in the cramped motor compartment, holding the string of the tension spring, which alone kept the machinery in motion, the sixty minutes in each hour seemed like sixty thousand.
carry out
From this reading The land part of their journey would take them until nearly night, they calculated.
tensionnounUS /ˈtenʃən/
(psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense
From this reading To Jerry and Bob, first one and then the other, crouched in the cramped motor compartment, holding the string of the tension spring, which alone kept the machinery in motion, the sixty minutes in each hour seemed like sixty thousand.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE LAST LAP The night would never pass, it seemed, yet slowly the hours of darkness crept onward.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The land part of their journey would take them until nearly night, they calculated.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading They had passed from the lake into the river, and but a comparatively few miles now separated them from the place where the auto had been left.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading To Jerry and Bob, first one and then the other, crouched in the cramped motor compartment, holding the string of the tension spring, which alone kept the machinery in motion, the sixty minutes in each hour seemed like sixty thousand.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had passed from the lake into the river, and but a comparatively few miles now separated them from the place where the auto had been left.
the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading To Jerry and Bob, first one and then the other, crouched in the cramped motor compartment, holding the string of the tension spring, which alone kept the machinery in motion, the sixty minutes in each hour seemed like sixty thousand.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To Jerry and Bob, first one and then the other, crouched in the cramped motor compartment, holding the string of the tension spring, which alone kept the machinery in motion, the sixty minutes in each hour seemed like sixty thousand.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading The land part of their journey would take them until nearly night, they calculated.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was now fully light, and still they sped on.
in or at the place that
From this reading They had passed from the lake into the river, and but a comparatively few miles now separated them from the place where the auto had been left.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading To Jerry and Bob, first one and then the other, crouched in the cramped motor compartment, holding the string of the tension spring, which alone kept the machinery in motion, the sixty minutes in each hour seemed like sixty thousand.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading THE LAST LAP The night would never pass, it seemed, yet slowly the hours of darkness crept onward.
but in spite of that
From this reading THE LAST LAP The night would never pass, it seemed, yet slowly the hours of darkness crept onward.
