used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A STRENUOUS NIGHT Fortunately, Frank was a quick-witted boy.
aimverbUS /eɪm/
point or cause to go (blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment) towards
From this reading To aim, under the conditions, was out of the question.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Imagine the astonishment of the others, crouching close by, when a flash of flame pierced the darkness, and the crash of Frank's gun was instantly followed by a fierce scream in which both pain and fury were mingled!
the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising
From this reading Imagine the astonishment of the others, crouching close by, when a flash of flame pierced the darkness, and the crash of Frank's gun was instantly followed by a fierce scream in which both pain and fury were mingled!
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He had to depend entirely upon guesswork, or what might be called intuition.
the two together, not just one
From this reading Imagine the astonishment of the others, crouching close by, when a flash of flame pierced the darkness, and the crash of Frank's gun was instantly followed by a fierce scream in which both pain and fury were mingled!
a youthful male person
From this reading A STRENUOUS NIGHT Fortunately, Frank was a quick-witted boy.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Imagine the astonishment of the others, crouching close by, when a flash of flame pierced the darkness, and the crash of Frank's gun was instantly followed by a fierce scream in which both pain and fury were mingled!
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading He had to depend entirely upon guesswork, or what might be called intuition.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading Imagine the astonishment of the others, crouching close by, when a flash of flame pierced the darkness, and the crash of Frank's gun was instantly followed by a fierce scream in which both pain and fury were mingled!
the prevailing context that influences the performance or the outcome of a process
From this reading To aim, under the conditions, was out of the question.
crashverbUS /kræʃ/
fall or come down violently
From this reading Imagine the astonishment of the others, crouching close by, when a flash of flame pierced the darkness, and the crash of Frank's gun was instantly followed by a fierce scream in which both pain and fury were mingled!
crouchingverbUS /ˈkraʊtʃɪŋ/
-ing form of “crouch” — bend one's back forward from the waist on down
From this reading Imagine the astonishment of the others, crouching close by, when a flash of flame pierced the darkness, and the crash of Frank's gun was instantly followed by a fierce scream in which both pain and fury were mingled!
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Imagine the astonishment of the others, crouching close by, when a flash of flame pierced the darkness, and the crash of Frank's gun was instantly followed by a fierce scream in which both pain and fury were mingled!
dependverbUS /dɪˈpend/
be contingent upon (something that is elided)
From this reading He had to depend entirely upon guesswork, or what might be called intuition.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading He had to depend entirely upon guesswork, or what might be called intuition.
marked by extreme and violent energy
From this reading Imagine the astonishment of the others, crouching close by, when a flash of flame pierced the darkness, and the crash of Frank's gun was instantly followed by a fierce scream in which both pain and fury were mingled!
A hot glowing body of ignited gas produced by fire.
From this reading Imagine the astonishment of the others, crouching close by, when a flash of flame pierced the darkness, and the crash of Frank's gun was instantly followed by a fierce scream in which both pain and fury were mingled!
gleam or glow intermittently
From this reading Imagine the astonishment of the others, crouching close by, when a flash of flame pierced the darkness, and the crash of Frank's gun was instantly followed by a fierce scream in which both pain and fury were mingled!
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading Imagine the astonishment of the others, crouching close by, when a flash of flame pierced the darkness, and the crash of Frank's gun was instantly followed by a fierce scream in which both pain and fury were mingled!
FortunatelyadverbUS /ˈfɔːrtʃənətli/
by good fortune
From this reading A STRENUOUS NIGHT Fortunately, Frank was a quick-witted boy.
characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
From this reading A STRENUOUS NIGHT Fortunately, Frank was a quick-witted boy.
Frank'snounUS /fræŋks/
possessive form of “frank” — a member of the ancient Germanic peoples who spread from the Rhine into the Roman Empire in the 4th century
From this reading Imagine the astonishment of the others, crouching close by, when a flash of flame pierced the darkness, and the crash of Frank's gun was instantly followed by a fierce scream in which both pain and fury were mingled!
a feeling of intense anger
From this reading Imagine the astonishment of the others, crouching close by, when a flash of flame pierced the darkness, and the crash of Frank's gun was instantly followed by a fierce scream in which both pain and fury were mingled!
guessworknounUS /ˈɡeswɜːrk/
an estimate based on little or no information
From this reading He had to depend entirely upon guesswork, or what might be called intuition.
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading He had his gun held in such a position that it required only a simple movement to swing it upward.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had his gun held in such a position that it required only a simple movement to swing it upward.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had his gun held in such a position that it required only a simple movement to swing it upward.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading He had his gun held in such a position that it required only a simple movement to swing it upward.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He had his gun held in such a position that it required only a simple movement to swing it upward.
form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading Imagine the astonishment of the others, crouching close by, when a flash of flame pierced the darkness, and the crash of Frank's gun was instantly followed by a fierce scream in which both pain and fury were mingled!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He had his gun held in such a position that it required only a simple movement to swing it upward.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading Imagine the astonishment of the others, crouching close by, when a flash of flame pierced the darkness, and the crash of Frank's gun was instantly followed by a fierce scream in which both pain and fury were mingled!
intuitionnounUS /ˌɪntuːˈɪʃən/
instinctive knowing (without the use of rational processes)
From this reading He had to depend entirely upon guesswork, or what might be called intuition.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He had his gun held in such a position that it required only a simple movement to swing it upward.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading He had to depend entirely upon guesswork, or what might be called intuition.
past form of “mingle” — to bring or combine together or with something else
From this reading Imagine the astonishment of the others, crouching close by, when a flash of flame pierced the darkness, and the crash of Frank's gun was instantly followed by a fierce scream in which both pain and fury were mingled!
a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading He had his gun held in such a position that it required only a simple movement to swing it upward.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading A STRENUOUS NIGHT Fortunately, Frank was a quick-witted boy.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading To aim, under the conditions, was out of the question.
and nothing more
From this reading He had his gun held in such a position that it required only a simple movement to swing it upward.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading He had to depend entirely upon guesswork, or what might be called intuition.
others
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Imagine the astonishment of the others, crouching close by, when a flash of flame pierced the darkness, and the crash of Frank's gun was instantly followed by a fierce scream in which both pain and fury were mingled!
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading To aim, under the conditions, was out of the question.
a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder
From this reading Imagine the astonishment of the others, crouching close by, when a flash of flame pierced the darkness, and the crash of Frank's gun was instantly followed by a fierce scream in which both pain and fury were mingled!
piercedadjectiveUS /pɪrst/
having a hole cut through
From this reading Imagine the astonishment of the others, crouching close by, when a flash of flame pierced the darkness, and the crash of Frank's gun was instantly followed by a fierce scream in which both pain and fury were mingled!
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading He had his gun held in such a position that it required only a simple movement to swing it upward.
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading To aim, under the conditions, was out of the question.
quick-wittedadjective
mentally nimble and resourceful
From this reading A STRENUOUS NIGHT Fortunately, Frank was a quick-witted boy.
necessary for relief or supply
From this reading He had his gun held in such a position that it required only a simple movement to swing it upward.
screamverbUS /skriːm/
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading Imagine the astonishment of the others, crouching close by, when a flash of flame pierced the darkness, and the crash of Frank's gun was instantly followed by a fierce scream in which both pain and fury were mingled!
having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved
From this reading He had his gun held in such a position that it required only a simple movement to swing it upward.
STRENUOUSadjectiveUS /ˈstrenjuːəs/
characterized by or performed with much energy or force
From this reading A STRENUOUS NIGHT Fortunately, Frank was a quick-witted boy.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading He had his gun held in such a position that it required only a simple movement to swing it upward.
swingverbUS /swɪŋ/
move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading He had his gun held in such a position that it required only a simple movement to swing it upward.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He had his gun held in such a position that it required only a simple movement to swing it upward.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading To aim, under the conditions, was out of the question.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He had his gun held in such a position that it required only a simple movement to swing it upward.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading To aim, under the conditions, was out of the question.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading He had to depend entirely upon guesswork, or what might be called intuition.
upwardadjectiveUS /ˈʌpwərd/
directed up
From this reading He had his gun held in such a position that it required only a simple movement to swing it upward.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A STRENUOUS NIGHT Fortunately, Frank was a quick-witted boy.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Imagine the astonishment of the others, crouching close by, when a flash of flame pierced the darkness, and the crash of Frank's gun was instantly followed by a fierce scream in which both pain and fury were mingled!
used to ask for information about something
From this reading He had to depend entirely upon guesswork, or what might be called intuition.
at the time that
From this reading Imagine the astonishment of the others, crouching close by, when a flash of flame pierced the darkness, and the crash of Frank's gun was instantly followed by a fierce scream in which both pain and fury were mingled!
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Imagine the astonishment of the others, crouching close by, when a flash of flame pierced the darkness, and the crash of Frank's gun was instantly followed by a fierce scream in which both pain and fury were mingled!
