used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When Nat saw the light, carried by the men whom they had been following, vanish as if it had been a Will o’ the Wisp, it will be recalled that both he and Joe started forward suddenly.
farther along in physical or mental development
From this reading It was an ill-advised move, for the instant that they advanced from behind a still up-standing section of the ruined mission wall, which had obscured the lantern, old Israel and his two sons sprang upon them.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It was an ill-advised move, for the instant that they advanced from behind a still up-standing section of the ruined mission wall, which had obscured the lantern, old Israel and his two sons sprang upon them.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When Nat saw the light, carried by the men whom they had been following, vanish as if it had been a Will o’ the Wisp, it will be recalled that both he and Joe started forward suddenly.
a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading Seth Harley grabbed him, but as his hands clutched the Hartley boy’s clothing, “Whack!” came Joe’s oar on his arm, temporarily disabling him.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading When Nat saw the light, carried by the men whom they had been following, vanish as if it had been a Will o’ the Wisp, it will be recalled that both he and Joe started forward suddenly.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading AT THE OLD MISSION.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading When Nat saw the light, carried by the men whom they had been following, vanish as if it had been a Will o’ the Wisp, it will be recalled that both he and Joe started forward suddenly.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading When Nat saw the light, carried by the men whom they had been following, vanish as if it had been a Will o’ the Wisp, it will be recalled that both he and Joe started forward suddenly.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading It was an ill-advised move, for the instant that they advanced from behind a still up-standing section of the ruined mission wall, which had obscured the lantern, old Israel and his two sons sprang upon them.
the two together, not just one
From this reading When Nat saw the light, carried by the men whom they had been following, vanish as if it had been a Will o’ the Wisp, it will be recalled that both he and Joe started forward suddenly.
boy'snounUS /bɔɪz/
possessive form of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading Seth Harley grabbed him, but as his hands clutched the Hartley boy’s clothing, “Whack!” came Joe’s oar on his arm, temporarily disabling him.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading Entirely unprepared for such a move, the two boys were taken off their guard, but nevertheless the oar which Joe carried came into effective play.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Entirely unprepared for such a move, the two boys were taken off their guard, but nevertheless the oar which Joe carried came into effective play.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading When Nat saw the light, carried by the men whom they had been following, vanish as if it had been a Will o’ the Wisp, it will be recalled that both he and Joe started forward suddenly.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Entirely unprepared for such a move, the two boys were taken off their guard, but nevertheless the oar which Joe carried came into effective play.
inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading When Nat saw the light, carried by the men whom they had been following, vanish as if it had been a Will o’ the Wisp, it will be recalled that both he and Joe started forward suddenly.
clothingnounUS /ˈkloʊðɪŋ/
a covering designed to be worn on a person's body
From this reading Seth Harley grabbed him, but as his hands clutched the Hartley boy’s clothing, “Whack!” came Joe’s oar on his arm, temporarily disabling him.
clutchedverbUS /klʌtʃt/
past form of “clutch” — take hold of; grab
From this reading Seth Harley grabbed him, but as his hands clutched the Hartley boy’s clothing, “Whack!” came Joe’s oar on his arm, temporarily disabling him.
disablingadjectiveUS /dɪˈseɪbəlɪŋ/
that cripples or disables or incapacitates
From this reading Seth Harley grabbed him, but as his hands clutched the Hartley boy’s clothing, “Whack!” came Joe’s oar on his arm, temporarily disabling him.
effectiveadjectiveUS /ɪˈfektɪv/
producing or capable of producing an intended result or having a striking effect
From this reading Entirely unprepared for such a move, the two boys were taken off their guard, but nevertheless the oar which Joe carried came into effective play.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading Entirely unprepared for such a move, the two boys were taken off their guard, but nevertheless the oar which Joe carried came into effective play.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading When Nat saw the light, carried by the men whom they had been following, vanish as if it had been a Will o’ the Wisp, it will be recalled that both he and Joe started forward suddenly.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was an ill-advised move, for the instant that they advanced from behind a still up-standing section of the ruined mission wall, which had obscured the lantern, old Israel and his two sons sprang upon them.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading When Nat saw the light, carried by the men whom they had been following, vanish as if it had been a Will o’ the Wisp, it will be recalled that both he and Joe started forward suddenly.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading It was an ill-advised move, for the instant that they advanced from behind a still up-standing section of the ruined mission wall, which had obscured the lantern, old Israel and his two sons sprang upon them.
grabbedverbUS /ɡræbd/
inflected form of “grab” — take hold of so as to seize or restrain or stop the motion of
From this reading Seth Harley grabbed him, but as his hands clutched the Hartley boy’s clothing, “Whack!” came Joe’s oar on his arm, temporarily disabling him.
a person who keeps watch over something or someone
From this reading Entirely unprepared for such a move, the two boys were taken off their guard, but nevertheless the oar which Joe carried came into effective play.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading When Nat saw the light, carried by the men whom they had been following, vanish as if it had been a Will o’ the Wisp, it will be recalled that both he and Joe started forward suddenly.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Seth Harley grabbed him, but as his hands clutched the Hartley boy’s clothing, “Whack!” came Joe’s oar on his arm, temporarily disabling him.
Harley
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Seth Harley grabbed him, but as his hands clutched the Hartley boy’s clothing, “Whack!” came Joe’s oar on his arm, temporarily disabling him.
HartleynounUS /ˈhɑːrtli/
English philosopher who introduced the theory of the association of ideas (1705-1757)
From this reading Seth Harley grabbed him, but as his hands clutched the Hartley boy’s clothing, “Whack!” came Joe’s oar on his arm, temporarily disabling him.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When Nat saw the light, carried by the men whom they had been following, vanish as if it had been a Will o’ the Wisp, it will be recalled that both he and Joe started forward suddenly.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Seth Harley grabbed him, but as his hands clutched the Hartley boy’s clothing, “Whack!” came Joe’s oar on his arm, temporarily disabling him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It was an ill-advised move, for the instant that they advanced from behind a still up-standing section of the ruined mission wall, which had obscured the lantern, old Israel and his two sons sprang upon them.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading When Nat saw the light, carried by the men whom they had been following, vanish as if it had been a Will o’ the Wisp, it will be recalled that both he and Joe started forward suddenly.
ill-advisedadjective
without careful prior deliberation or counsel
From this reading It was an ill-advised move, for the instant that they advanced from behind a still up-standing section of the ruined mission wall, which had obscured the lantern, old Israel and his two sons sprang upon them.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading It was an ill-advised move, for the instant that they advanced from behind a still up-standing section of the ruined mission wall, which had obscured the lantern, old Israel and his two sons sprang upon them.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Entirely unprepared for such a move, the two boys were taken off their guard, but nevertheless the oar which Joe carried came into effective play.
IsraelnounUS /ˈɪzriəl/
Jewish republic in southwestern Asia at eastern end of Mediterranean; formerly part of Palestine
From this reading It was an ill-advised move, for the instant that they advanced from behind a still up-standing section of the ruined mission wall, which had obscured the lantern, old Israel and his two sons sprang upon them.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading When Nat saw the light, carried by the men whom they had been following, vanish as if it had been a Will o’ the Wisp, it will be recalled that both he and Joe started forward suddenly.
Joe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Nat saw the light, carried by the men whom they had been following, vanish as if it had been a Will o’ the Wisp, it will be recalled that both he and Joe started forward suddenly.
Joe's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Seth Harley grabbed him, but as his hands clutched the Hartley boy’s clothing, “Whack!” came Joe’s oar on his arm, temporarily disabling him.
lanternnounUS /ˈlæntərn/
light in a transparent protective case
From this reading It was an ill-advised move, for the instant that they advanced from behind a still up-standing section of the ruined mission wall, which had obscured the lantern, old Israel and his two sons sprang upon them.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading When Nat saw the light, carried by the men whom they had been following, vanish as if it had been a Will o’ the Wisp, it will be recalled that both he and Joe started forward suddenly.
the force of workers available
From this reading When Nat saw the light, carried by the men whom they had been following, vanish as if it had been a Will o’ the Wisp, it will be recalled that both he and Joe started forward suddenly.
an organization of missionaries in a foreign land sent to carry on religious work
From this reading AT THE OLD MISSION.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading It was an ill-advised move, for the instant that they advanced from behind a still up-standing section of the ruined mission wall, which had obscured the lantern, old Israel and his two sons sprang upon them.
Nat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Nat saw the light, carried by the men whom they had been following, vanish as if it had been a Will o’ the Wisp, it will be recalled that both he and Joe started forward suddenly.
in spite of what has just been said
From this reading Entirely unprepared for such a move, the two boys were taken off their guard, but nevertheless the oar which Joe carried came into effective play.
a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust
From this reading When Nat saw the light, carried by the men whom they had been following, vanish as if it had been a Will o’ the Wisp, it will be recalled that both he and Joe started forward suddenly.
oarnounUS /ɔːr/
an implement used to propel or steer a boat
From this reading Entirely unprepared for such a move, the two boys were taken off their guard, but nevertheless the oar which Joe carried came into effective play.
obscuredverbUS /əbsˈkjʊrd/
past form of “obscure” — make less visible or unclear
From this reading It was an ill-advised move, for the instant that they advanced from behind a still up-standing section of the ruined mission wall, which had obscured the lantern, old Israel and his two sons sprang upon them.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was an ill-advised move, for the instant that they advanced from behind a still up-standing section of the ruined mission wall, which had obscured the lantern, old Israel and his two sons sprang upon them.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Entirely unprepared for such a move, the two boys were taken off their guard, but nevertheless the oar which Joe carried came into effective play.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading AT THE OLD MISSION.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Seth Harley grabbed him, but as his hands clutched the Hartley boy’s clothing, “Whack!” came Joe’s oar on his arm, temporarily disabling him.
participate in games or sport
From this reading Entirely unprepared for such a move, the two boys were taken off their guard, but nevertheless the oar which Joe carried came into effective play.
past form of “recall” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
From this reading When Nat saw the light, carried by the men whom they had been following, vanish as if it had been a Will o’ the Wisp, it will be recalled that both he and Joe started forward suddenly.
destroyed physically or morally
From this reading It was an ill-advised move, for the instant that they advanced from behind a still up-standing section of the ruined mission wall, which had obscured the lantern, old Israel and his two sons sprang upon them.
cut with a saw
From this reading When Nat saw the light, carried by the men whom they had been following, vanish as if it had been a Will o’ the Wisp, it will be recalled that both he and Joe started forward suddenly.
sectionnounUS /ˈsekʃən/
a self-contained part of a larger composition (written or musical)
From this reading It was an ill-advised move, for the instant that they advanced from behind a still up-standing section of the ruined mission wall, which had obscured the lantern, old Israel and his two sons sprang upon them.
SethnounUS /seθ/
(Old Testament) third son of Adam and Eve; given by God in place of the murdered Abel
From this reading Seth Harley grabbed him, but as his hands clutched the Hartley boy’s clothing, “Whack!” came Joe’s oar on his arm, temporarily disabling him.
plural of “son” — a male human offspring
From this reading It was an ill-advised move, for the instant that they advanced from behind a still up-standing section of the ruined mission wall, which had obscured the lantern, old Israel and his two sons sprang upon them.
inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading It was an ill-advised move, for the instant that they advanced from behind a still up-standing section of the ruined mission wall, which had obscured the lantern, old Israel and his two sons sprang upon them.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading When Nat saw the light, carried by the men whom they had been following, vanish as if it had been a Will o’ the Wisp, it will be recalled that both he and Joe started forward suddenly.
not in physical motion
From this reading It was an ill-advised move, for the instant that they advanced from behind a still up-standing section of the ruined mission wall, which had obscured the lantern, old Israel and his two sons sprang upon them.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Entirely unprepared for such a move, the two boys were taken off their guard, but nevertheless the oar which Joe carried came into effective play.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading When Nat saw the light, carried by the men whom they had been following, vanish as if it had been a Will o’ the Wisp, it will be recalled that both he and Joe started forward suddenly.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading Entirely unprepared for such a move, the two boys were taken off their guard, but nevertheless the oar which Joe carried came into effective play.
temporarilyadverbUS /ˌtempərˈerəli/
for a limited time only; not permanently
From this reading Seth Harley grabbed him, but as his hands clutched the Hartley boy’s clothing, “Whack!” came Joe’s oar on his arm, temporarily disabling him.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading When Nat saw the light, carried by the men whom they had been following, vanish as if it had been a Will o’ the Wisp, it will be recalled that both he and Joe started forward suddenly.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading AT THE OLD MISSION.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Entirely unprepared for such a move, the two boys were taken off their guard, but nevertheless the oar which Joe carried came into effective play.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading It was an ill-advised move, for the instant that they advanced from behind a still up-standing section of the ruined mission wall, which had obscured the lantern, old Israel and his two sons sprang upon them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When Nat saw the light, carried by the men whom they had been following, vanish as if it had been a Will o’ the Wisp, it will be recalled that both he and Joe started forward suddenly.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading It was an ill-advised move, for the instant that they advanced from behind a still up-standing section of the ruined mission wall, which had obscured the lantern, old Israel and his two sons sprang upon them.
unpreparedadjectiveUS /ˌʌnpriˈperd/
without preparation; not prepared for
From this reading Entirely unprepared for such a move, the two boys were taken off their guard, but nevertheless the oar which Joe carried came into effective play.
up-standing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was an ill-advised move, for the instant that they advanced from behind a still up-standing section of the ruined mission wall, which had obscured the lantern, old Israel and his two sons sprang upon them.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading It was an ill-advised move, for the instant that they advanced from behind a still up-standing section of the ruined mission wall, which had obscured the lantern, old Israel and his two sons sprang upon them.
vanishverbUS /ˈvænɪʃ/
get lost, as without warning or explanation
From this reading When Nat saw the light, carried by the men whom they had been following, vanish as if it had been a Will o’ the Wisp, it will be recalled that both he and Joe started forward suddenly.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading It was an ill-advised move, for the instant that they advanced from behind a still up-standing section of the ruined mission wall, which had obscured the lantern, old Israel and his two sons sprang upon them.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was an ill-advised move, for the instant that they advanced from behind a still up-standing section of the ruined mission wall, which had obscured the lantern, old Israel and his two sons sprang upon them.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Entirely unprepared for such a move, the two boys were taken off their guard, but nevertheless the oar which Joe carried came into effective play.
WhackverbUS /wæk/
hit hard
From this reading Seth Harley grabbed him, but as his hands clutched the Hartley boy’s clothing, “Whack!” came Joe’s oar on his arm, temporarily disabling him.
at the time that
From this reading When Nat saw the light, carried by the men whom they had been following, vanish as if it had been a Will o’ the Wisp, it will be recalled that both he and Joe started forward suddenly.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading It was an ill-advised move, for the instant that they advanced from behind a still up-standing section of the ruined mission wall, which had obscured the lantern, old Israel and his two sons sprang upon them.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading When Nat saw the light, carried by the men whom they had been following, vanish as if it had been a Will o’ the Wisp, it will be recalled that both he and Joe started forward suddenly.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading When Nat saw the light, carried by the men whom they had been following, vanish as if it had been a Will o’ the Wisp, it will be recalled that both he and Joe started forward suddenly.
WispnounUS /wɪsp/
a small tuft or lock
From this reading When Nat saw the light, carried by the men whom they had been following, vanish as if it had been a Will o’ the Wisp, it will be recalled that both he and Joe started forward suddenly.
