used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The silence of the woods was broken only by a faint rustle in the undergrowth, as something--they didn't know what--came nearer.
in actual fact
From this reading Silky's ears were alert, his body as tense with watching, and Jane was actually trembling.
alertadjectiveUS /əˈlɜːrt/
engaged in or accustomed to close observation
From this reading Silky's ears were alert, his body as tense with watching, and Jane was actually trembling.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Silky's ears were alert, his body as tense with watching, and Jane was actually trembling.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The silence of the woods was broken only by a faint rustle in the undergrowth, as something--they didn't know what--came nearer.
blottedverbUS /ˈblɑːtəd/
inflected form of “blot” — dry (ink) with blotting paper
From this reading In the darkness they could see nothing, for the denseness of the trees blotted even the sky from view.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading Silky's ears were alert, his body as tense with watching, and Jane was actually trembling.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading The silence of the woods was broken only by a faint rustle in the undergrowth, as something--they didn't know what--came nearer.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The silence of the woods was broken only by a faint rustle in the undergrowth, as something--they didn't know what--came nearer.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The silence of the woods was broken only by a faint rustle in the undergrowth, as something--they didn't know what--came nearer.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading In the darkness they could see nothing, for the denseness of the trees blotted even the sky from view.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading In the darkness they could see nothing, for the denseness of the trees blotted even the sky from view.
densenessnoun
the quality of being mentally slow and limited
From this reading In the darkness they could see nothing, for the denseness of the trees blotted even the sky from view.
didn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The silence of the woods was broken only by a faint rustle in the undergrowth, as something--they didn't know what--came nearer.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading Silky's ears were alert, his body as tense with watching, and Jane was actually trembling.
divisible by two
From this reading In the darkness they could see nothing, for the denseness of the trees blotted even the sky from view.
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading The silence of the woods was broken only by a faint rustle in the undergrowth, as something--they didn't know what--came nearer.
flashlightnounUS /ˈflæʃlaɪt/
a small portable battery-powered electric lamp
From this reading "Got your flashlight, Mary Lou?" she whispered.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading In the darkness they could see nothing, for the denseness of the trees blotted even the sky from view.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading In the darkness they could see nothing, for the denseness of the trees blotted even the sky from view.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading The two girls sat rigid with terror, Mary Louise holding tightly to Silky.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "Got your flashlight, Mary Lou?" she whispered.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Silky's ears were alert, his body as tense with watching, and Jane was actually trembling.
the act of retaining something
From this reading The two girls sat rigid with terror, Mary Louise holding tightly to Silky.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the darkness they could see nothing, for the denseness of the trees blotted even the sky from view.
Jane
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Silky's ears were alert, his body as tense with watching, and Jane was actually trembling.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading The silence of the woods was broken only by a faint rustle in the undergrowth, as something--they didn't know what--came nearer.
Lou
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Got your flashlight, Mary Lou?" she whispered.
Louise
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The two girls sat rigid with terror, Mary Louise holding tightly to Silky.
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading The two girls sat rigid with terror, Mary Louise holding tightly to Silky.
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading The silence of the woods was broken only by a faint rustle in the undergrowth, as something--they didn't know what--came nearer.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading In the darkness they could see nothing, for the denseness of the trees blotted even the sky from view.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In the darkness they could see nothing, for the denseness of the trees blotted even the sky from view.
and nothing more
From this reading The silence of the woods was broken only by a faint rustle in the undergrowth, as something--they didn't know what--came nearer.
rigidadjectiveUS /ˈrɪdʒəd/
incapable of or resistant to bending
From this reading The two girls sat rigid with terror, Mary Louise holding tightly to Silky.
rustleverbUS /ˈrʌsəl/
make a dry crackling sound
From this reading The silence of the woods was broken only by a faint rustle in the undergrowth, as something--they didn't know what--came nearer.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading The two girls sat rigid with terror, Mary Louise holding tightly to Silky.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading In the darkness they could see nothing, for the denseness of the trees blotted even the sky from view.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Got your flashlight, Mary Lou?" she whispered.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading The silence of the woods was broken only by a faint rustle in the undergrowth, as something--they didn't know what--came nearer.
SilkyadjectiveUS /ˈsɪlki/
having a smooth, gleaming surface reflecting light
From this reading The two girls sat rigid with terror, Mary Louise holding tightly to Silky.
Silky's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Silky's ears were alert, his body as tense with watching, and Jane was actually trembling.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading In the darkness they could see nothing, for the denseness of the trees blotted even the sky from view.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading The silence of the woods was broken only by a faint rustle in the undergrowth, as something--they didn't know what--came nearer.
tensenounUS /tens/
a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time
From this reading Silky's ears were alert, his body as tense with watching, and Jane was actually trembling.
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading The two girls sat rigid with terror, Mary Louise holding tightly to Silky.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The two girls sat rigid with terror, Mary Louise holding tightly to Silky.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading In the darkness they could see nothing, for the denseness of the trees blotted even the sky from view.
tightlyadverbUS /ˈtaɪtli/
in a tight or constricted manner
From this reading The two girls sat rigid with terror, Mary Louise holding tightly to Silky.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The two girls sat rigid with terror, Mary Louise holding tightly to Silky.
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading In the darkness they could see nothing, for the denseness of the trees blotted even the sky from view.
a shaky motion
From this reading Silky's ears were alert, his body as tense with watching, and Jane was actually trembling.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The two girls sat rigid with terror, Mary Louise holding tightly to Silky.
undergrowthnounUS /ˈʌndərɡroʊθ/
the brush (small trees and bushes and ferns etc.) growing beneath taller trees in a wood or forest
From this reading The silence of the woods was broken only by a faint rustle in the undergrowth, as something--they didn't know what--came nearer.
a way of regarding situations or topics etc.
From this reading In the darkness they could see nothing, for the denseness of the trees blotted even the sky from view.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The silence of the woods was broken only by a faint rustle in the undergrowth, as something--they didn't know what--came nearer.
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading Silky's ears were alert, his body as tense with watching, and Jane was actually trembling.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Silky's ears were alert, his body as tense with watching, and Jane was actually trembling.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading The silence of the woods was broken only by a faint rustle in the undergrowth, as something--they didn't know what--came nearer.
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading "Got your flashlight, Mary Lou?" she whispered.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The two girls sat rigid with terror, Mary Louise holding tightly to Silky.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading The silence of the woods was broken only by a faint rustle in the undergrowth, as something--they didn't know what--came nearer.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Got your flashlight, Mary Lou?" she whispered.
