used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The storm had settled to a steady drumming torrent that would probably persist far into the next day.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Jerry Utway lay in his bunk, fully dressed, for about an hour after Taps had summoned the campers to slumber.
having companions or an escort
From this reading An occasional flash of lightning, accompanied by a crack of booming thunder, lit up the familiar tent at intervals.
be able to spare or give up
From this reading The sides of the tents had been lowered and fastened to the floor by their grommets, to afford the fullest protection from the blast.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Jerry Utway lay in his bunk, fully dressed, for about an hour after Taps had summoned the campers to slumber.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Jerry Utway lay in his bunk, fully dressed, for about an hour after Taps had summoned the campers to slumber.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The sides of the tents had been lowered and fastened to the floor by their grommets, to afford the fullest protection from the blast.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Jerry shivered slightly as he stretched out in his blankets and listened to the furious tattoo of drops on the tent-fly over his head.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading An occasional flash of lightning, accompanied by a crack of booming thunder, lit up the familiar tent at intervals.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The sides of the tents had been lowered and fastened to the floor by their grommets, to afford the fullest protection from the blast.
blanketsnounUS /ˈblæŋkəts/
plural of “blanket” — bedding that keeps a person warm in bed
From this reading Jerry shivered slightly as he stretched out in his blankets and listened to the furious tattoo of drops on the tent-fly over his head.
blastverbUS /blæst/
make a strident sound
From this reading The sides of the tents had been lowered and fastened to the floor by their grommets, to afford the fullest protection from the blast.
boomingadjectiveUS /ˈbuːmɪŋ/
very lively and profitable
From this reading An occasional flash of lightning, accompanied by a crack of booming thunder, lit up the familiar tent at intervals.
bunknounUS /bʌŋk/
a long trough for feeding cattle
From this reading Jerry Utway lay in his bunk, fully dressed, for about an hour after Taps had summoned the campers to slumber.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The sides of the tents had been lowered and fastened to the floor by their grommets, to afford the fullest protection from the blast.
campersnounUS /ˈkæmpərz/
plural of “camper” — someone living temporarily in a tent or lodge for recreation
From this reading Jerry Utway lay in his bunk, fully dressed, for about an hour after Taps had summoned the campers to slumber.
crackverbUS /kræk/
become fractured; break or crack on the surface only
From this reading An occasional flash of lightning, accompanied by a crack of booming thunder, lit up the familiar tent at intervals.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading The storm had settled to a steady drumming torrent that would probably persist far into the next day.
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading Jerry Utway lay in his bunk, fully dressed, for about an hour after Taps had summoned the campers to slumber.
dropsnounUS /drɑːps/
plural of “drop” — a shape that is spherical and small
From this reading Jerry shivered slightly as he stretched out in his blankets and listened to the furious tattoo of drops on the tent-fly over his head.
drummingnounUS /ˈdrʌmɪŋ/
the act of playing drums
From this reading The storm had settled to a steady drumming torrent that would probably persist far into the next day.
well known or easily recognized
From this reading An occasional flash of lightning, accompanied by a crack of booming thunder, lit up the familiar tent at intervals.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading The storm had settled to a steady drumming torrent that would probably persist far into the next day.
firmly closed or secured
From this reading The sides of the tents had been lowered and fastened to the floor by their grommets, to afford the fullest protection from the blast.
gleam or glow intermittently
From this reading An occasional flash of lightning, accompanied by a crack of booming thunder, lit up the familiar tent at intervals.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading The sides of the tents had been lowered and fastened to the floor by their grommets, to afford the fullest protection from the blast.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Jerry Utway lay in his bunk, fully dressed, for about an hour after Taps had summoned the campers to slumber.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The sides of the tents had been lowered and fastened to the floor by their grommets, to afford the fullest protection from the blast.
fullestadjectiveUS /ˈfʊləst/
superlative of “full” — containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading The sides of the tents had been lowered and fastened to the floor by their grommets, to afford the fullest protection from the blast.
to the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely; (“full” in this sense is used as a combining form)
From this reading Jerry Utway lay in his bunk, fully dressed, for about an hour after Taps had summoned the campers to slumber.
furiousadjectiveUS /ˈfjʊriəs/
marked by extreme and violent energy
From this reading Jerry shivered slightly as he stretched out in his blankets and listened to the furious tattoo of drops on the tent-fly over his head.
grommets
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sides of the tents had been lowered and fastened to the floor by their grommets, to afford the fullest protection from the blast.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Jerry Utway lay in his bunk, fully dressed, for about an hour after Taps had summoned the campers to slumber.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Jerry shivered slightly as he stretched out in his blankets and listened to the furious tattoo of drops on the tent-fly over his head.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Jerry shivered slightly as he stretched out in his blankets and listened to the furious tattoo of drops on the tent-fly over his head.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Jerry Utway lay in his bunk, fully dressed, for about an hour after Taps had summoned the campers to slumber.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading Jerry Utway lay in his bunk, fully dressed, for about an hour after Taps had summoned the campers to slumber.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Jerry Utway lay in his bunk, fully dressed, for about an hour after Taps had summoned the campers to slumber.
intervalsnounUS /ˈɪntərvəlz/
plural of “interval” — a definite length of time marked off by two instants
From this reading An occasional flash of lightning, accompanied by a crack of booming thunder, lit up the familiar tent at intervals.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The storm had settled to a steady drumming torrent that would probably persist far into the next day.
offensive term for a person of German descent
From this reading Jerry Utway lay in his bunk, fully dressed, for about an hour after Taps had summoned the campers to slumber.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Jerry Utway lay in his bunk, fully dressed, for about an hour after Taps had summoned the campers to slumber.
abrupt electric discharge from cloud to cloud or from cloud to earth accompanied by the emission of light
From this reading An occasional flash of lightning, accompanied by a crack of booming thunder, lit up the familiar tent at intervals.
past form of “listen” — hear with intention
From this reading Jerry shivered slightly as he stretched out in his blankets and listened to the furious tattoo of drops on the tent-fly over his head.
provided with artificial light
From this reading An occasional flash of lightning, accompanied by a crack of booming thunder, lit up the familiar tent at intervals.
loweredadjectiveUS /ˈloʊərd/
below the surround or below the normal position
From this reading The sides of the tents had been lowered and fastened to the floor by their grommets, to afford the fullest protection from the blast.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading The storm had settled to a steady drumming torrent that would probably persist far into the next day.
occasionaladjectiveUS /əˈkeɪʒənəl/
occurring from time to time
From this reading An occasional flash of lightning, accompanied by a crack of booming thunder, lit up the familiar tent at intervals.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The sides of the tents had been lowered and fastened to the floor by their grommets, to afford the fullest protection from the blast.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Jerry shivered slightly as he stretched out in his blankets and listened to the furious tattoo of drops on the tent-fly over his head.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Jerry shivered slightly as he stretched out in his blankets and listened to the furious tattoo of drops on the tent-fly over his head.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Jerry shivered slightly as he stretched out in his blankets and listened to the furious tattoo of drops on the tent-fly over his head.
persistverbUS /pərˈsɪst/
continue to exist
From this reading The storm had settled to a steady drumming torrent that would probably persist far into the next day.
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
From this reading The storm had settled to a steady drumming torrent that would probably persist far into the next day.
the activity of protecting someone or something
From this reading The sides of the tents had been lowered and fastened to the floor by their grommets, to afford the fullest protection from the blast.
established or decided beyond dispute or doubt
From this reading The storm had settled to a steady drumming torrent that would probably persist far into the next day.
shiveredverbUS /ˈʃɪvərd/
past form of “shiver” — tremble convulsively, as from fear or excitement
From this reading Jerry shivered slightly as he stretched out in his blankets and listened to the furious tattoo of drops on the tent-fly over his head.
plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading The sides of the tents had been lowered and fastened to the floor by their grommets, to afford the fullest protection from the blast.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading Jerry shivered slightly as he stretched out in his blankets and listened to the furious tattoo of drops on the tent-fly over his head.
slumbernounUS /ˈslʌmbər/
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading Jerry Utway lay in his bunk, fully dressed, for about an hour after Taps had summoned the campers to slumber.
make steady
From this reading The storm had settled to a steady drumming torrent that would probably persist far into the next day.
behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading The storm had settled to a steady drumming torrent that would probably persist far into the next day.
(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching
From this reading Jerry shivered slightly as he stretched out in his blankets and listened to the furious tattoo of drops on the tent-fly over his head.
summonedverbUS /ˈsʌmənd/
past form of “summon” — call in an official matter, such as to attend court
From this reading Jerry Utway lay in his bunk, fully dressed, for about an hour after Taps had summoned the campers to slumber.
TapsnounUS /tæps/
(military) signal to turn the lights out
From this reading Jerry Utway lay in his bunk, fully dressed, for about an hour after Taps had summoned the campers to slumber.
tattoonounUS /ˌtæˈtuː/
a drumbeat or bugle call that signals the military to return to their quarters
From this reading Jerry shivered slightly as he stretched out in his blankets and listened to the furious tattoo of drops on the tent-fly over his head.
a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)
From this reading An occasional flash of lightning, accompanied by a crack of booming thunder, lit up the familiar tent at intervals.
tent-flynoun
flap consisting of a piece of canvas that can be drawn back to provide entrance to a tent
From this reading Jerry shivered slightly as he stretched out in his blankets and listened to the furious tattoo of drops on the tent-fly over his head.
tentsnounUS /tents/
plural of “tent” — a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)
From this reading The sides of the tents had been lowered and fastened to the floor by their grommets, to afford the fullest protection from the blast.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The storm had settled to a steady drumming torrent that would probably persist far into the next day.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Jerry Utway lay in his bunk, fully dressed, for about an hour after Taps had summoned the campers to slumber.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The sides of the tents had been lowered and fastened to the floor by their grommets, to afford the fullest protection from the blast.
move fast, noisily, and heavily
From this reading An occasional flash of lightning, accompanied by a crack of booming thunder, lit up the familiar tent at intervals.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Jerry Utway lay in his bunk, fully dressed, for about an hour after Taps had summoned the campers to slumber.
torrentnounUS /ˈtɔːrənt/
a heavy rain
From this reading The storm had settled to a steady drumming torrent that would probably persist far into the next day.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading An occasional flash of lightning, accompanied by a crack of booming thunder, lit up the familiar tent at intervals.
Utway
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Jerry Utway lay in his bunk, fully dressed, for about an hour after Taps had summoned the campers to slumber.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The storm had settled to a steady drumming torrent that would probably persist far into the next day.
