used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
achingadjectiveUS /ˈeɪkɪŋ/
causing a dull and steady pain
From this reading The beam from the unknown enemy snapped off as suddenly as it had come on, leaving, like lightning, an aching of the eyes behind it.
anew
From this reading The beam came on again--right overhead this time.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
a native or inhabitant of the United States
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The beam from the unknown enemy snapped off as suddenly as it had come on, leaving, like lightning, an aching of the eyes behind it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something
From this reading Murray Lee swung his tank round, making for the reverse slope of the hill to avoid the light-beam.
beamnounUS /biːm/
a signal transmitted along a narrow path; guides airplane pilots in darkness or bad weather
From this reading The beam from the unknown enemy snapped off as suddenly as it had come on, leaving, like lightning, an aching of the eyes behind it.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading The beam from the unknown enemy snapped off as suddenly as it had come on, leaving, like lightning, an aching of the eyes behind it.
next to; at the side of
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The beam from the unknown enemy snapped off as suddenly as it had come on, leaving, like lightning, an aching of the eyes behind it.
CrackverbUS /kræk/
become fractured; break or crack on the surface only
From this reading Crack!
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
dirtnounUS /dɜːrt/
the part of the earth's surface consisting of humus and disintegrated rock
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
an opposing military force
From this reading The beam from the unknown enemy snapped off as suddenly as it had come on, leaving, like lightning, an aching of the eyes behind it.
opinion or judgment
From this reading The beam from the unknown enemy snapped off as suddenly as it had come on, leaving, like lightning, an aching of the eyes behind it.
farmhousenounUS /ˈfɑːrmhaʊs/
house for a farmer and family
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
start firing a weapon
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
flame-streaked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
flamedverbUS /fleɪmd/
past form of “flame” — shine with a sudden light
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Murray Lee swung his tank round, making for the reverse slope of the hill to avoid the light-beam.
fountainsnounUS /ˈfaʊntənz/
plural of “fountain” — a structure from which an artificially produced jet of water arises
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
plural of “gun” — a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The beam from the unknown enemy snapped off as suddenly as it had come on, leaving, like lightning, an aching of the eyes behind it.
a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Murray Lee swung his tank round, making for the reverse slope of the hill to avoid the light-beam.
HopelessnessnounUS /ˈhoʊpləsnəs/
the despair you feel when you have abandoned hope of comfort or success
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
past form of “leap” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
the act of departing
From this reading The beam from the unknown enemy snapped off as suddenly as it had come on, leaving, like lightning, an aching of the eyes behind it.
LeenounUS /liː/
United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)
From this reading Murray Lee swung his tank round, making for the reverse slope of the hill to avoid the light-beam.
light-beam
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Murray Lee swung his tank round, making for the reverse slope of the hill to avoid the light-beam.
abrupt electric discharge from cloud to cloud or from cloud to earth accompanied by the emission of light
From this reading The beam from the unknown enemy snapped off as suddenly as it had come on, leaving, like lightning, an aching of the eyes behind it.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The beam from the unknown enemy snapped off as suddenly as it had come on, leaving, like lightning, an aching of the eyes behind it.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading Murray Lee swung his tank round, making for the reverse slope of the hill to avoid the light-beam.
misdirectedverbUS /mɪsdɪˈrektɪd/
past form of “misdirect” — corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
MurraynounUS /ˈmɜːri/
British classical scholar (born in Australia) who advocated the League of Nations and the United Nations (1866-1957)
From this reading Murray Lee swung his tank round, making for the reverse slope of the hill to avoid the light-beam.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The beam from the unknown enemy snapped off as suddenly as it had come on, leaving, like lightning, an aching of the eyes behind it.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
being directly across from each other; facing
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
overheadadverbUS /ˈoʊvərˈhed/
above your head; in the sky
From this reading The beam came on again--right overhead this time.
reverseverbUS /rɪˈvɜːrs/
change to the contrary
From this reading Murray Lee swung his tank round, making for the reverse slope of the hill to avoid the light-beam.
precisely, exactly
From this reading The beam came on again--right overhead this time.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading Murray Lee swung his tank round, making for the reverse slope of the hill to avoid the light-beam.
any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
shellnounUS /ʃel/
ammunition consisting of a cylindrical metal casing containing an explosive charge and a projectile; fired from a large gun
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
an elevated geological formation
From this reading Murray Lee swung his tank round, making for the reverse slope of the hill to avoid the light-beam.
snappedverbUS /snæpt/
inflected form of “snap” — utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
From this reading The beam from the unknown enemy snapped off as suddenly as it had come on, leaving, like lightning, an aching of the eyes behind it.
in or at or to some place
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading The beam from the unknown enemy snapped off as suddenly as it had come on, leaving, like lightning, an aching of the eyes behind it.
inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading Murray Lee swung his tank round, making for the reverse slope of the hill to avoid the light-beam.
tanknounUS /tæŋk/
an enclosed armored military vehicle; has a cannon and moves on caterpillar treads
From this reading Murray Lee swung his tank round, making for the reverse slope of the hill to avoid the light-beam.
tanksnounUS /tæŋks/
plural of “tank” — an enclosed armored military vehicle; has a cannon and moves on caterpillar treads
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading The beam came on again--right overhead this time.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The beam came on again--right overhead this time.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Murray Lee swung his tank round, making for the reverse slope of the hill to avoid the light-beam.
not known
From this reading The beam from the unknown enemy snapped off as suddenly as it had come on, leaving, like lightning, an aching of the eyes behind it.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Hopelessness All along the line of the American tanks the guns flamed; flame-streaked fountains of dirt leaped up around the dark shape on the opposite hill and a burst of fire came from the farmhouse beside it as a misdirected shell struck it somewhere.
