used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A BOLT FROM THE SKY “Are we gaining on them, Jerry?” asked the professor eagerly, when the chase had been on for several minutes.
on a ship, train, plane or other vehicle
From this reading I don’t know what to do if they won’t be friendly and let us come aboard.”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Oh, I can easily catch up to them, and pass them; but that’s just the trouble, I don’t want to do that,” replied the tall lad.
Areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading A BOLT FROM THE SKY “Are we gaining on them, Jerry?” asked the professor eagerly, when the chase had been on for several minutes.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading A BOLT FROM THE SKY “Are we gaining on them, Jerry?” asked the professor eagerly, when the chase had been on for several minutes.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading I don’t know what to do if they won’t be friendly and let us come aboard.”
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading A BOLT FROM THE SKY “Are we gaining on them, Jerry?” asked the professor eagerly, when the chase had been on for several minutes.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading “If we get beyond them we’d have to turn, and then we might lose sight of them.
BOLTnounUS /boʊlt/
a discharge of lightning accompanied by thunder
From this reading A BOLT FROM THE SKY “Are we gaining on them, Jerry?” asked the professor eagerly, when the chase had been on for several minutes.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “Oh, I can easily catch up to them, and pass them; but that’s just the trouble, I don’t want to do that,” replied the tall lad.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading “They could easily fool us by just sinking,” spoke Ned.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading “Oh, I can easily catch up to them, and pass them; but that’s just the trouble, I don’t want to do that,” replied the tall lad.
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading “Oh, I can easily catch up to them, and pass them; but that’s just the trouble, I don’t want to do that,” replied the tall lad.
go after with the intent to catch
From this reading A BOLT FROM THE SKY “Are we gaining on them, Jerry?” asked the professor eagerly, when the chase had been on for several minutes.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading I don’t know what to do if they won’t be friendly and let us come aboard.”
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading “They could easily fool us by just sinking,” spoke Ned.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “Oh, I can easily catch up to them, and pass them; but that’s just the trouble, I don’t want to do that,” replied the tall lad.
don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Oh, I can easily catch up to them, and pass them; but that’s just the trouble, I don’t want to do that,” replied the tall lad.
with eagerness; in an eager manner
From this reading A BOLT FROM THE SKY “Are we gaining on them, Jerry?” asked the professor eagerly, when the chase had been on for several minutes.
with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)
From this reading “Oh, I can easily catch up to them, and pass them; but that’s just the trouble, I don’t want to do that,” replied the tall lad.
a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading “They could easily fool us by just sinking,” spoke Ned.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading A BOLT FROM THE SKY “Are we gaining on them, Jerry?” asked the professor eagerly, when the chase had been on for several minutes.
characteristic of or befitting a friend
From this reading I don’t know what to do if they won’t be friendly and let us come aboard.”
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A BOLT FROM THE SKY “Are we gaining on them, Jerry?” asked the professor eagerly, when the chase had been on for several minutes.
gainingverbUS /ˈɡeɪnɪŋ/
-ing form of “gain” — obtain
From this reading A BOLT FROM THE SKY “Are we gaining on them, Jerry?” asked the professor eagerly, when the chase had been on for several minutes.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading “If we get beyond them we’d have to turn, and then we might lose sight of them.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A BOLT FROM THE SKY “Are we gaining on them, Jerry?” asked the professor eagerly, when the chase had been on for several minutes.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “If we get beyond them we’d have to turn, and then we might lose sight of them.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Oh, I can easily catch up to them, and pass them; but that’s just the trouble, I don’t want to do that,” replied the tall lad.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “If we get beyond them we’d have to turn, and then we might lose sight of them.
offensive term for a person of German descent
From this reading A BOLT FROM THE SKY “Are we gaining on them, Jerry?” asked the professor eagerly, when the chase had been on for several minutes.
and nothing more
From this reading “Oh, I can easily catch up to them, and pass them; but that’s just the trouble, I don’t want to do that,” replied the tall lad.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I don’t know what to do if they won’t be friendly and let us come aboard.”
a boy or man
From this reading “Oh, I can easily catch up to them, and pass them; but that’s just the trouble, I don’t want to do that,” replied the tall lad.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading I don’t know what to do if they won’t be friendly and let us come aboard.”
fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
From this reading “If we get beyond them we’d have to turn, and then we might lose sight of them.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading “If we get beyond them we’d have to turn, and then we might lose sight of them.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading A BOLT FROM THE SKY “Are we gaining on them, Jerry?” asked the professor eagerly, when the chase had been on for several minutes.
Ned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “They could easily fool us by just sinking,” spoke Ned.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “If we get beyond them we’d have to turn, and then we might lose sight of them.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading “Oh, I can easily catch up to them, and pass them; but that’s just the trouble, I don’t want to do that,” replied the tall lad.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A BOLT FROM THE SKY “Are we gaining on them, Jerry?” asked the professor eagerly, when the chase had been on for several minutes.
go across or through
From this reading “Oh, I can easily catch up to them, and pass them; but that’s just the trouble, I don’t want to do that,” replied the tall lad.
someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university
From this reading A BOLT FROM THE SKY “Are we gaining on them, Jerry?” asked the professor eagerly, when the chase had been on for several minutes.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading “Oh, I can easily catch up to them, and pass them; but that’s just the trouble, I don’t want to do that,” replied the tall lad.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading A BOLT FROM THE SKY “Are we gaining on them, Jerry?” asked the professor eagerly, when the chase had been on for several minutes.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading “If we get beyond them we’d have to turn, and then we might lose sight of them.
sinkingnounUS /ˈsɪŋkɪŋ/
a descent as through liquid (especially through water)
From this reading “They could easily fool us by just sinking,” spoke Ned.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading A BOLT FROM THE SKY “Are we gaining on them, Jerry?” asked the professor eagerly, when the chase had been on for several minutes.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading “They could easily fool us by just sinking,” spoke Ned.
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading “Oh, I can easily catch up to them, and pass them; but that’s just the trouble, I don’t want to do that,” replied the tall lad.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Oh, I can easily catch up to them, and pass them; but that’s just the trouble, I don’t want to do that,” replied the tall lad.
that's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Oh, I can easily catch up to them, and pass them; but that’s just the trouble, I don’t want to do that,” replied the tall lad.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A BOLT FROM THE SKY “Are we gaining on them, Jerry?” asked the professor eagerly, when the chase had been on for several minutes.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading A BOLT FROM THE SKY “Are we gaining on them, Jerry?” asked the professor eagerly, when the chase had been on for several minutes.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading “If we get beyond them we’d have to turn, and then we might lose sight of them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I don’t know what to do if they won’t be friendly and let us come aboard.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Oh, I can easily catch up to them, and pass them; but that’s just the trouble, I don’t want to do that,” replied the tall lad.
a source of difficulty
From this reading “Oh, I can easily catch up to them, and pass them; but that’s just the trouble, I don’t want to do that,” replied the tall lad.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading “If we get beyond them we’d have to turn, and then we might lose sight of them.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading “Oh, I can easily catch up to them, and pass them; but that’s just the trouble, I don’t want to do that,” replied the tall lad.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I don’t know what to do if they won’t be friendly and let us come aboard.”
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading “Oh, I can easily catch up to them, and pass them; but that’s just the trouble, I don’t want to do that,” replied the tall lad.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading A BOLT FROM THE SKY “Are we gaining on them, Jerry?” asked the professor eagerly, when the chase had been on for several minutes.
we'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “If we get beyond them we’d have to turn, and then we might lose sight of them.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading I don’t know what to do if they won’t be friendly and let us come aboard.”
at the time that
From this reading A BOLT FROM THE SKY “Are we gaining on them, Jerry?” asked the professor eagerly, when the chase had been on for several minutes.
won't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I don’t know what to do if they won’t be friendly and let us come aboard.”
