abruptadjectiveUS /əˈbrʌpt/
marked by sudden changes in subject and sharp transitions
From this reading As soon as Valentine was suspended from the abrupt edge of the precipice, and obliged to ascertain carefully where to place his foot, his excitement was dispersed to give place to the cool and lucid determination of the brave man.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The task he had undertaken was not an easy one.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading As soon as Valentine was suspended from the abrupt edge of the precipice, and obliged to ascertain carefully where to place his foot, his excitement was dispersed to give place to the cool and lucid determination of the brave man.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As soon as Valentine was suspended from the abrupt edge of the precipice, and obliged to ascertain carefully where to place his foot, his excitement was dispersed to give place to the cool and lucid determination of the brave man.
ascertainverbUS /ˌæsərˈteɪn/
establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study
From this reading As soon as Valentine was suspended from the abrupt edge of the precipice, and obliged to ascertain carefully where to place his foot, his excitement was dispersed to give place to the cool and lucid determination of the brave man.
BARRANCA
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading LA BARRANCA.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading In his perilous descent his eyes became useless to him; his hands and feet were his only guides.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Often did he feel the stone upon which he thought he had placed his foot firmly crumble as he began to trust his weight to it, and the branch he had seized break in his grasp.
a division of some larger or more complex organization
From this reading Often did he feel the stone upon which he thought he had placed his foot firmly crumble as he began to trust his weight to it, and the branch he had seized break in his grasp.
possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching
From this reading As soon as Valentine was suspended from the abrupt edge of the precipice, and obliged to ascertain carefully where to place his foot, his excitement was dispersed to give place to the cool and lucid determination of the brave man.
terminate
From this reading Often did he feel the stone upon which he thought he had placed his foot firmly crumble as he began to trust his weight to it, and the branch he had seized break in his grasp.
taking care or paying attention
From this reading As soon as Valentine was suspended from the abrupt edge of the precipice, and obliged to ascertain carefully where to place his foot, his excitement was dispersed to give place to the cool and lucid determination of the brave man.
neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat
From this reading As soon as Valentine was suspended from the abrupt edge of the precipice, and obliged to ascertain carefully where to place his foot, his excitement was dispersed to give place to the cool and lucid determination of the brave man.
crumbleverbUS /ˈkrʌmbəl/
fall apart
From this reading Often did he feel the stone upon which he thought he had placed his foot firmly crumble as he began to trust his weight to it, and the branch he had seized break in his grasp.
descentnounUS /dɪˈsent/
An action of moving downward, dropping, or falling into a deeper place.
From this reading In his perilous descent his eyes became useless to him; his hands and feet were his only guides.
determinationnounUS /dɪˌtɜːrməˈneɪʃən/
the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation
From this reading As soon as Valentine was suspended from the abrupt edge of the precipice, and obliged to ascertain carefully where to place his foot, his excitement was dispersed to give place to the cool and lucid determination of the brave man.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Often did he feel the stone upon which he thought he had placed his foot firmly crumble as he began to trust his weight to it, and the branch he had seized break in his grasp.
dispersedadjectiveUS /dɪˈspɜːrst/
distributed or spread over a considerable extent
From this reading As soon as Valentine was suspended from the abrupt edge of the precipice, and obliged to ascertain carefully where to place his foot, his excitement was dispersed to give place to the cool and lucid determination of the brave man.
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading The task he had undertaken was not an easy one.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading As soon as Valentine was suspended from the abrupt edge of the precipice, and obliged to ascertain carefully where to place his foot, his excitement was dispersed to give place to the cool and lucid determination of the brave man.
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading As soon as Valentine was suspended from the abrupt edge of the precipice, and obliged to ascertain carefully where to place his foot, his excitement was dispersed to give place to the cool and lucid determination of the brave man.
opinion or judgment
From this reading In his perilous descent his eyes became useless to him; his hands and feet were his only guides.
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading Often did he feel the stone upon which he thought he had placed his foot firmly crumble as he began to trust his weight to it, and the branch he had seized break in his grasp.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading In his perilous descent his eyes became useless to him; his hands and feet were his only guides.
with resolute determination
From this reading Often did he feel the stone upon which he thought he had placed his foot firmly crumble as he began to trust his weight to it, and the branch he had seized break in his grasp.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading As soon as Valentine was suspended from the abrupt edge of the precipice, and obliged to ascertain carefully where to place his foot, his excitement was dispersed to give place to the cool and lucid determination of the brave man.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading As soon as Valentine was suspended from the abrupt edge of the precipice, and obliged to ascertain carefully where to place his foot, his excitement was dispersed to give place to the cool and lucid determination of the brave man.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading As soon as Valentine was suspended from the abrupt edge of the precipice, and obliged to ascertain carefully where to place his foot, his excitement was dispersed to give place to the cool and lucid determination of the brave man.
hold firmly
From this reading Often did he feel the stone upon which he thought he had placed his foot firmly crumble as he began to trust his weight to it, and the branch he had seized break in his grasp.
guidesnounUS /ɡaɪdz/
plural of “guide” — someone employed to conduct others
From this reading In his perilous descent his eyes became useless to him; his hands and feet were his only guides.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The task he had undertaken was not an easy one.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading In his perilous descent his eyes became useless to him; his hands and feet were his only guides.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The task he had undertaken was not an easy one.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading In his perilous descent his eyes became useless to him; his hands and feet were his only guides.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading As soon as Valentine was suspended from the abrupt edge of the precipice, and obliged to ascertain carefully where to place his foot, his excitement was dispersed to give place to the cool and lucid determination of the brave man.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In his perilous descent his eyes became useless to him; his hands and feet were his only guides.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Often did he feel the stone upon which he thought he had placed his foot firmly crumble as he began to trust his weight to it, and the branch he had seized break in his grasp.
a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth
From this reading LA BARRANCA.
lucidadjectiveUS /ˈluːsəd/
(of language) transparently clear; easily understandable
From this reading As soon as Valentine was suspended from the abrupt edge of the precipice, and obliged to ascertain carefully where to place his foot, his excitement was dispersed to give place to the cool and lucid determination of the brave man.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading As soon as Valentine was suspended from the abrupt edge of the precipice, and obliged to ascertain carefully where to place his foot, his excitement was dispersed to give place to the cool and lucid determination of the brave man.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The task he had undertaken was not an easy one.
under a moral obligation to do something
From this reading As soon as Valentine was suspended from the abrupt edge of the precipice, and obliged to ascertain carefully where to place his foot, his excitement was dispersed to give place to the cool and lucid determination of the brave man.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading As soon as Valentine was suspended from the abrupt edge of the precipice, and obliged to ascertain carefully where to place his foot, his excitement was dispersed to give place to the cool and lucid determination of the brave man.
many times at short intervals
From this reading Often did he feel the stone upon which he thought he had placed his foot firmly crumble as he began to trust his weight to it, and the branch he had seized break in his grasp.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The task he had undertaken was not an easy one.
and nothing more
From this reading In his perilous descent his eyes became useless to him; his hands and feet were his only guides.
perilousadjectiveUS /ˈperələs/
fraught with danger
From this reading In his perilous descent his eyes became useless to him; his hands and feet were his only guides.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading As soon as Valentine was suspended from the abrupt edge of the precipice, and obliged to ascertain carefully where to place his foot, his excitement was dispersed to give place to the cool and lucid determination of the brave man.
situated in a particular spot or position
From this reading Often did he feel the stone upon which he thought he had placed his foot firmly crumble as he began to trust his weight to it, and the branch he had seized break in his grasp.
precipicenounUS /ˈpresəpəs/
a very steep cliff
From this reading As soon as Valentine was suspended from the abrupt edge of the precipice, and obliged to ascertain carefully where to place his foot, his excitement was dispersed to give place to the cool and lucid determination of the brave man.
past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab
From this reading Often did he feel the stone upon which he thought he had placed his foot firmly crumble as he began to trust his weight to it, and the branch he had seized break in his grasp.
in the near future
From this reading As soon as Valentine was suspended from the abrupt edge of the precipice, and obliged to ascertain carefully where to place his foot, his excitement was dispersed to give place to the cool and lucid determination of the brave man.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading Often did he feel the stone upon which he thought he had placed his foot firmly crumble as he began to trust his weight to it, and the branch he had seized break in his grasp.
suspendedadjectiveUS /səˈspendɪd/
(of undissolved particles in a fluid) supported or kept from sinking or falling by buoyancy and without apparent attachment
From this reading As soon as Valentine was suspended from the abrupt edge of the precipice, and obliged to ascertain carefully where to place his foot, his excitement was dispersed to give place to the cool and lucid determination of the brave man.
any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
From this reading The task he had undertaken was not an easy one.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As soon as Valentine was suspended from the abrupt edge of the precipice, and obliged to ascertain carefully where to place his foot, his excitement was dispersed to give place to the cool and lucid determination of the brave man.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Often did he feel the stone upon which he thought he had placed his foot firmly crumble as he began to trust his weight to it, and the branch he had seized break in his grasp.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading As soon as Valentine was suspended from the abrupt edge of the precipice, and obliged to ascertain carefully where to place his foot, his excitement was dispersed to give place to the cool and lucid determination of the brave man.
something (as property) held by one party (the trustee) for the benefit of another (the beneficiary)
From this reading Often did he feel the stone upon which he thought he had placed his foot firmly crumble as he began to trust his weight to it, and the branch he had seized break in his grasp.
undertakenverbUS /ˈʌndərteɪkən/
inflected form of “undertake” — enter upon an activity or enterprise
From this reading The task he had undertaken was not an easy one.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Often did he feel the stone upon which he thought he had placed his foot firmly crumble as he began to trust his weight to it, and the branch he had seized break in his grasp.
having no beneficial use or incapable of functioning usefully
From this reading In his perilous descent his eyes became useless to him; his hands and feet were his only guides.
ValentinenounUS /ˈvæləntaɪn/
a sweetheart chosen to receive a greeting on Saint Valentine's Day
From this reading As soon as Valentine was suspended from the abrupt edge of the precipice, and obliged to ascertain carefully where to place his foot, his excitement was dispersed to give place to the cool and lucid determination of the brave man.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading As soon as Valentine was suspended from the abrupt edge of the precipice, and obliged to ascertain carefully where to place his foot, his excitement was dispersed to give place to the cool and lucid determination of the brave man.
the vertical force exerted by a mass as a result of gravity
From this reading Often did he feel the stone upon which he thought he had placed his foot firmly crumble as he began to trust his weight to it, and the branch he had seized break in his grasp.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading In his perilous descent his eyes became useless to him; his hands and feet were his only guides.
in or at the place that
From this reading As soon as Valentine was suspended from the abrupt edge of the precipice, and obliged to ascertain carefully where to place his foot, his excitement was dispersed to give place to the cool and lucid determination of the brave man.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Often did he feel the stone upon which he thought he had placed his foot firmly crumble as he began to trust his weight to it, and the branch he had seized break in his grasp.
