used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Before Bucks had time to think, a second Indian had sprung through the open window.
aliveadjectiveUS /əˈlaɪv/
possessing life
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading For an instant his mind worked clearly and with the rapidity of lightning.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading His life swept before him as if he were a drowning man.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Before Bucks had time to think, a second Indian had sprung through the open window.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
BucksnounUS /bʌks/
plural of “buck” — a gymnastic horse without pommels and with one end elongated; used lengthwise for vaulting
From this reading Before Bucks had time to think, a second Indian had sprung through the open window.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading In that horrible moment he even heard his call clicking from the despatcher.
without doubt or question
From this reading For an instant his mind worked clearly and with the rapidity of lightning.
clickingverbUS /ˈklɪkɪŋ/
-ing form of “click” — move or strike with a noise
From this reading In that horrible moment he even heard his call clicking from the despatcher.
the process of giving careful thought to something
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
corneredadjectiveUS /ˈkɔːrnərd/
forced to turn and face attackers
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
defencelessadjective
lacking protection or support
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
despatched
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
despatcher
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In that horrible moment he even heard his call clicking from the despatcher.
characterized by great determination
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
drowningverbUS /ˈdraʊnɪŋ/
-ing form of “drown” — cover completely or make imperceptible
From this reading His life swept before him as if he were a drowning man.
divisible by two
From this reading In that horrible moment he even heard his call clicking from the despatcher.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
-ing form of “expect” — regard something as probable or likely
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
the experiencing of affective and emotional states
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For an instant his mind worked clearly and with the rapidity of lightning.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading In that horrible moment he even heard his call clicking from the despatcher.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Before Bucks had time to think, a second Indian had sprung through the open window.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading In that horrible moment he even heard his call clicking from the despatcher.
lacking in or deprived of strength or power
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading For an instant his mind worked clearly and with the rapidity of lightning.
provoking horror
From this reading In that horrible moment he even heard his call clicking from the despatcher.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In that horrible moment he even heard his call clicking from the despatcher.
of or relating to or characteristic of India or the East Indies or their peoples or languages or cultures
From this reading Before Bucks had time to think, a second Indian had sprung through the open window.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading His life swept before him as if he were a drowning man.
abrupt electric discharge from cloud to cloud or from cloud to earth accompanied by the emission of light
From this reading For an instant his mind worked clearly and with the rapidity of lightning.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading His life swept before him as if he were a drowning man.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading For an instant his mind worked clearly and with the rapidity of lightning.
a particular point in time
From this reading In that horrible moment he even heard his call clicking from the despatcher.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
not any; not one
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading Before Bucks had time to think, a second Indian had sprung through the open window.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
a feeling of intense anger
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
rapiditynounUS /rəˈpɪdəti/
a rate that is rapid
From this reading For an instant his mind worked clearly and with the rapidity of lightning.
ratnounUS /ræt/
any of various long-tailed rodents similar to but larger than a mouse
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading Before Bucks had time to think, a second Indian had sprung through the open window.
sprungverbUS /sprʌŋ/
inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading Before Bucks had time to think, a second Indian had sprung through the open window.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
possessing sweep
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading In that horrible moment he even heard his call clicking from the despatcher.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Before Bucks had time to think, a second Indian had sprung through the open window.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading Before Bucks had time to think, a second Indian had sprung through the open window.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Before Bucks had time to think, a second Indian had sprung through the open window.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Before Bucks had time to think, a second Indian had sprung through the open window.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Before Bucks had time to think, a second Indian had sprung through the open window.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading His life swept before him as if he were a drowning man.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading Before Bucks had time to think, a second Indian had sprung through the open window.
in the company of; together with
From this reading A feeling of helpless rage swept over him at being cornered, defenceless; and, expecting every instant to be despatched with no more consideration than if he had been a rat, he stood at bay, determined not to be taken alive.
past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading For an instant his mind worked clearly and with the rapidity of lightning.
