used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading For a fragment of time,--while a man might have counted ten,--there was absolute silence following the shattering report of the bomb.
perfect or complete or pure
From this reading For a fragment of time,--while a man might have counted ten,--there was absolute silence following the shattering report of the bomb.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Then came a babel of cries, shouts and women's screams.
babelnounUS /ˈbæbəl/
(Genesis 11:1-11) a tower built by Noah's descendants (probably in Babylon) who intended it to reach up to heaven; God foiled them by confusing their language so they could no longer understand one another
From this reading Then came a babel of cries, shouts and women's screams.
blockedadjectiveUS /blɑːkt/
closed to traffic
From this reading But they did not do this without difficulty, for a mass of fallen plaster and debris blocked the door.
bombnounUS /bɑːm/
an explosive device fused to explode under specific conditions
From this reading For a fragment of time,--while a man might have counted ten,--there was absolute silence following the shattering report of the bomb.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading Hastily throwing on whatever clothes came first, the two boys rushed out of the wrecked room.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But they did not do this without difficulty, for a mass of fallen plaster and debris blocked the door.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Then came a babel of cries, shouts and women's screams.
clothing in general
From this reading Hastily throwing on whatever clothes came first, the two boys rushed out of the wrecked room.
countedverbUS /ˈkaʊntɪd/
past form of “count” — determine the number or amount of
From this reading For a fragment of time,--while a man might have counted ten,--there was absolute silence following the shattering report of the bomb.
plural of “cry” — a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition
From this reading Then came a babel of cries, shouts and women's screams.
debrisnounUS /dəˈbriː/
the remains of something that has been destroyed or broken up
From this reading But they did not do this without difficulty, for a mass of fallen plaster and debris blocked the door.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading But they did not do this without difficulty, for a mass of fallen plaster and debris blocked the door.
an effort that is inconvenient
From this reading But they did not do this without difficulty, for a mass of fallen plaster and debris blocked the door.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading But they did not do this without difficulty, for a mass of fallen plaster and debris blocked the door.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading But they did not do this without difficulty, for a mass of fallen plaster and debris blocked the door.
having dropped by the force of gravity
From this reading But they did not do this without difficulty, for a mass of fallen plaster and debris blocked the door.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Hastily throwing on whatever clothes came first, the two boys rushed out of the wrecked room.
plural of “flame” — the process of combustion of inflammable materials producing heat and light and (often) smoke
From this reading IN THE GLARE OF FLAMES.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading For a fragment of time,--while a man might have counted ten,--there was absolute silence following the shattering report of the bomb.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For a fragment of time,--while a man might have counted ten,--there was absolute silence following the shattering report of the bomb.
fragmentnounUS /ˈfræɡ.mənt/
A small part broken or separated off something larger.
From this reading For a fragment of time,--while a man might have counted ten,--there was absolute silence following the shattering report of the bomb.
GLAREnounUS /ɡler/
a light within the field of vision that is brighter than the brightness to which the eyes are adapted
From this reading IN THE GLARE OF FLAMES.
in a hurried or hasty manner
From this reading Hastily throwing on whatever clothes came first, the two boys rushed out of the wrecked room.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading For a fragment of time,--while a man might have counted ten,--there was absolute silence following the shattering report of the bomb.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN THE GLARE OF FLAMES.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading For a fragment of time,--while a man might have counted ten,--there was absolute silence following the shattering report of the bomb.
the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
From this reading But they did not do this without difficulty, for a mass of fallen plaster and debris blocked the door.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading For a fragment of time,--while a man might have counted ten,--there was absolute silence following the shattering report of the bomb.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But they did not do this without difficulty, for a mass of fallen plaster and debris blocked the door.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading IN THE GLARE OF FLAMES.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Hastily throwing on whatever clothes came first, the two boys rushed out of the wrecked room.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Hastily throwing on whatever clothes came first, the two boys rushed out of the wrecked room.
plasterverbUS /ˈplæstər/
apply a heavy coat to
From this reading But they did not do this without difficulty, for a mass of fallen plaster and debris blocked the door.
to give an account or representation of in words
From this reading For a fragment of time,--while a man might have counted ten,--there was absolute silence following the shattering report of the bomb.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Hastily throwing on whatever clothes came first, the two boys rushed out of the wrecked room.
done under pressure
From this reading Hastily throwing on whatever clothes came first, the two boys rushed out of the wrecked room.
screamsnounUS /skriːmz/
plural of “scream” — sharp piercing cry
From this reading Then came a babel of cries, shouts and women's screams.
shatteringadjectiveUS /ˈʃætərɪŋ/
seemingly loud enough to break something; violently rattling or clattering
From this reading For a fragment of time,--while a man might have counted ten,--there was absolute silence following the shattering report of the bomb.
shoutsnounUS /ʃaʊts/
plural of “shout” — a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition
From this reading Then came a babel of cries, shouts and women's screams.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading For a fragment of time,--while a man might have counted ten,--there was absolute silence following the shattering report of the bomb.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading For a fragment of time,--while a man might have counted ten,--there was absolute silence following the shattering report of the bomb.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading IN THE GLARE OF FLAMES.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then came a babel of cries, shouts and women's screams.
in or at that place or location
From this reading For a fragment of time,--while a man might have counted ten,--there was absolute silence following the shattering report of the bomb.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But they did not do this without difficulty, for a mass of fallen plaster and debris blocked the door.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading But they did not do this without difficulty, for a mass of fallen plaster and debris blocked the door.
-ing form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading Hastily throwing on whatever clothes came first, the two boys rushed out of the wrecked room.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading For a fragment of time,--while a man might have counted ten,--there was absolute silence following the shattering report of the bomb.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Hastily throwing on whatever clothes came first, the two boys rushed out of the wrecked room.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For a fragment of time,--while a man might have counted ten,--there was absolute silence following the shattering report of the bomb.
any or all of a kind, it does not matter which
From this reading Hastily throwing on whatever clothes came first, the two boys rushed out of the wrecked room.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading For a fragment of time,--while a man might have counted ten,--there was absolute silence following the shattering report of the bomb.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading But they did not do this without difficulty, for a mass of fallen plaster and debris blocked the door.
women's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then came a babel of cries, shouts and women's screams.
wreckedadjectiveUS /rekt/
destroyed in an accident
From this reading Hastily throwing on whatever clothes came first, the two boys rushed out of the wrecked room.
