used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A fear of the supernatural came over him, and very quietly he stepped into the shelter of a jutting piece of rock, from which, all unseen, he could take a view of his surroundings.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He realized at once that it was to no mine that he had come, for strange, fantastic figures flitted about in the distance, figures that did not belong to the upper world.
Alan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It showed itself to Alan now.
(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 A fear of the supernatural came over him, and very quietly he stepped into the shelter of a jutting piece of rock, from which, all unseen, he could take a view of his surroundings.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A fear of the supernatural came over him, and very quietly he stepped into the shelter of a jutting piece of rock, from which, all unseen, he could take a view of his surroundings.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The ever present sense of “self-preservation” beats within the breasts of men most strongly at some period or other of their lives.
sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)
From this reading Suddenly several of these figures leapt into the water and with a peculiar roll came swimming towards him at a terrific pace, and with a graceful movement vaulted out of the water and sat on the edge of the bank.
beatsnounUS /biːts/
a United States youth subculture of the 1950s; rejected possessions or regular work or traditional dress; for communal living and psychedelic drugs and anarchism; favored modern forms of jazz (e.g., bebop)
From this reading The ever present sense of “self-preservation” beats within the breasts of men most strongly at some period or other of their lives.
be owned by; be in the possession of
From this reading He realized at once that it was to no mine that he had come, for strange, fantastic figures flitted about in the distance, figures that did not belong to the upper world.
breastsnounUS /brests/
plural of “breast” — the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen
From this reading The ever present sense of “self-preservation” beats within the breasts of men most strongly at some period or other of their lives.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading A fear of the supernatural came over him, and very quietly he stepped into the shelter of a jutting piece of rock, from which, all unseen, he could take a view of his surroundings.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He realized at once that it was to no mine that he had come, for strange, fantastic figures flitted about in the distance, figures that did not belong to the upper world.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading A fear of the supernatural came over him, and very quietly he stepped into the shelter of a jutting piece of rock, from which, all unseen, he could take a view of his surroundings.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He realized at once that it was to no mine that he had come, for strange, fantastic figures flitted about in the distance, figures that did not belong to the upper world.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading He realized at once that it was to no mine that he had come, for strange, fantastic figures flitted about in the distance, figures that did not belong to the upper world.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading Suddenly several of these figures leapt into the water and with a peculiar roll came swimming towards him at a terrific pace, and with a graceful movement vaulted out of the water and sat on the edge of the bank.
at any time
From this reading The ever present sense of “self-preservation” beats within the breasts of men most strongly at some period or other of their lives.
fantasticadjectiveUS /fænˈtæstɪk/
ludicrously odd
From this reading He realized at once that it was to no mine that he had come, for strange, fantastic figures flitted about in the distance, figures that did not belong to the upper world.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading A fear of the supernatural came over him, and very quietly he stepped into the shelter of a jutting piece of rock, from which, all unseen, he could take a view of his surroundings.
plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading He realized at once that it was to no mine that he had come, for strange, fantastic figures flitted about in the distance, figures that did not belong to the upper world.
flitted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He realized at once that it was to no mine that he had come, for strange, fantastic figures flitted about in the distance, figures that did not belong to the upper world.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He realized at once that it was to no mine that he had come, for strange, fantastic figures flitted about in the distance, figures that did not belong to the upper world.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A fear of the supernatural came over him, and very quietly he stepped into the shelter of a jutting piece of rock, from which, all unseen, he could take a view of his surroundings.
characterized by beauty of movement, style, form, or execution
From this reading Suddenly several of these figures leapt into the water and with a peculiar roll came swimming towards him at a terrific pace, and with a graceful movement vaulted out of the water and sat on the edge of the bank.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He realized at once that it was to no mine that he had come, for strange, fantastic figures flitted about in the distance, figures that did not belong to the upper world.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A fear of the supernatural came over him, and very quietly he stepped into the shelter of a jutting piece of rock, from which, all unseen, he could take a view of his surroundings.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading A fear of the supernatural came over him, and very quietly he stepped into the shelter of a jutting piece of rock, from which, all unseen, he could take a view of his surroundings.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A fear of the supernatural came over him, and very quietly he stepped into the shelter of a jutting piece of rock, from which, all unseen, he could take a view of his surroundings.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He realized at once that it was to no mine that he had come, for strange, fantastic figures flitted about in the distance, figures that did not belong to the upper world.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading A fear of the supernatural came over him, and very quietly he stepped into the shelter of a jutting piece of rock, from which, all unseen, he could take a view of his surroundings.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It showed itself to Alan now.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading It showed itself to Alan now.
juttingadjectiveUS /ˈdʒʌtɪŋ/
extending out above or beyond a surface or boundary
From this reading A fear of the supernatural came over him, and very quietly he stepped into the shelter of a jutting piece of rock, from which, all unseen, he could take a view of his surroundings.
leaptverbUS /lept/
inflected form of “leap” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading Suddenly several of these figures leapt into the water and with a peculiar roll came swimming towards him at a terrific pace, and with a graceful movement vaulted out of the water and sat on the edge of the bank.
plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading The ever present sense of “self-preservation” beats within the breasts of men most strongly at some period or other of their lives.
the force of workers available
From this reading The ever present sense of “self-preservation” beats within the breasts of men most strongly at some period or other of their lives.
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading He realized at once that it was to no mine that he had come, for strange, fantastic figures flitted about in the distance, figures that did not belong to the upper world.
used to form the superlative
From this reading The ever present sense of “self-preservation” beats within the breasts of men most strongly at some period or other of their lives.
a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading Suddenly several of these figures leapt into the water and with a peculiar roll came swimming towards him at a terrific pace, and with a graceful movement vaulted out of the water and sat on the edge of the bank.
not any; not one
From this reading He realized at once that it was to no mine that he had come, for strange, fantastic figures flitted about in the distance, figures that did not belong to the upper world.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He realized at once that it was to no mine that he had come, for strange, fantastic figures flitted about in the distance, figures that did not belong to the upper world.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading It showed itself to Alan now.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The ever present sense of “self-preservation” beats within the breasts of men most strongly at some period or other of their lives.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Suddenly several of these figures leapt into the water and with a peculiar roll came swimming towards him at a terrific pace, and with a graceful movement vaulted out of the water and sat on the edge of the bank.
on one occasion
From this reading He realized at once that it was to no mine that he had come, for strange, fantastic figures flitted about in the distance, figures that did not belong to the upper world.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The ever present sense of “self-preservation” beats within the breasts of men most strongly at some period or other of their lives.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading The ever present sense of “self-preservation” beats within the breasts of men most strongly at some period or other of their lives.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Suddenly several of these figures leapt into the water and with a peculiar roll came swimming towards him at a terrific pace, and with a graceful movement vaulted out of the water and sat on the edge of the bank.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading A fear of the supernatural came over him, and very quietly he stepped into the shelter of a jutting piece of rock, from which, all unseen, he could take a view of his surroundings.
the rate of moving (especially walking or running)
From this reading Suddenly several of these figures leapt into the water and with a peculiar roll came swimming towards him at a terrific pace, and with a graceful movement vaulted out of the water and sat on the edge of the bank.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading Suddenly several of these figures leapt into the water and with a peculiar roll came swimming towards him at a terrific pace, and with a graceful movement vaulted out of the water and sat on the edge of the bank.
an amount of time
From this reading The ever present sense of “self-preservation” beats within the breasts of men most strongly at some period or other of their lives.
a separate part of a whole
From this reading A fear of the supernatural came over him, and very quietly he stepped into the shelter of a jutting piece of rock, from which, all unseen, he could take a view of his surroundings.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading The ever present sense of “self-preservation” beats within the breasts of men most strongly at some period or other of their lives.
with low volume
From this reading A fear of the supernatural came over him, and very quietly he stepped into the shelter of a jutting piece of rock, from which, all unseen, he could take a view of his surroundings.
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading He realized at once that it was to no mine that he had come, for strange, fantastic figures flitted about in the distance, figures that did not belong to the upper world.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading A fear of the supernatural came over him, and very quietly he stepped into the shelter of a jutting piece of rock, from which, all unseen, he could take a view of his surroundings.
move by turning over or rotating
From this reading Suddenly several of these figures leapt into the water and with a peculiar roll came swimming towards him at a terrific pace, and with a graceful movement vaulted out of the water and sat on the edge of the bank.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Suddenly several of these figures leapt into the water and with a peculiar roll came swimming towards him at a terrific pace, and with a graceful movement vaulted out of the water and sat on the edge of the bank.
self-preservationnoun
preservation of yourself from harm; a natural or instinctive tendency
From this reading The ever present sense of “self-preservation” beats within the breasts of men most strongly at some period or other of their lives.
a general conscious awareness
From this reading The ever present sense of “self-preservation” beats within the breasts of men most strongly at some period or other of their lives.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading Suddenly several of these figures leapt into the water and with a peculiar roll came swimming towards him at a terrific pace, and with a graceful movement vaulted out of the water and sat on the edge of the bank.
a structure that provides privacy and protection from danger
From this reading A fear of the supernatural came over him, and very quietly he stepped into the shelter of a jutting piece of rock, from which, all unseen, he could take a view of his surroundings.
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading It showed itself to Alan now.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The ever present sense of “self-preservation” beats within the breasts of men most strongly at some period or other of their lives.
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading A fear of the supernatural came over him, and very quietly he stepped into the shelter of a jutting piece of rock, from which, all unseen, he could take a view of his surroundings.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading He realized at once that it was to no mine that he had come, for strange, fantastic figures flitted about in the distance, figures that did not belong to the upper world.
with strength or in a strong manner
From this reading The ever present sense of “self-preservation” beats within the breasts of men most strongly at some period or other of their lives.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading Suddenly several of these figures leapt into the water and with a peculiar roll came swimming towards him at a terrific pace, and with a graceful movement vaulted out of the water and sat on the edge of the bank.
supernaturalnounUS /ˌsuːpərˈnætʃərəl/
supernatural forces and events and beings collectively
From this reading A fear of the supernatural came over him, and very quietly he stepped into the shelter of a jutting piece of rock, from which, all unseen, he could take a view of his surroundings.
surroundingsnounUS /sərˈaʊndɪŋz/
the environmental condition
From this reading A fear of the supernatural came over him, and very quietly he stepped into the shelter of a jutting piece of rock, from which, all unseen, he could take a view of his surroundings.
swimmingnounUS /ˈswɪmɪŋ/
the act of swimming
From this reading Suddenly several of these figures leapt into the water and with a peculiar roll came swimming towards him at a terrific pace, and with a graceful movement vaulted out of the water and sat on the edge of the bank.
carry out
From this reading A fear of the supernatural came over him, and very quietly he stepped into the shelter of a jutting piece of rock, from which, all unseen, he could take a view of his surroundings.
terrificadjectiveUS /tərˈɪfɪk/
very great or intense
From this reading Suddenly several of these figures leapt into the water and with a peculiar roll came swimming towards him at a terrific pace, and with a graceful movement vaulted out of the water and sat on the edge of the bank.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He realized at once that it was to no mine that he had come, for strange, fantastic figures flitted about in the distance, figures that did not belong to the upper world.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The ever present sense of “self-preservation” beats within the breasts of men most strongly at some period or other of their lives.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The ever present sense of “self-preservation” beats within the breasts of men most strongly at some period or other of their lives.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Suddenly several of these figures leapt into the water and with a peculiar roll came swimming towards him at a terrific pace, and with a graceful movement vaulted out of the water and sat on the edge of the bank.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It showed itself to Alan now.
in the direction of
From this reading Suddenly several of these figures leapt into the water and with a peculiar roll came swimming towards him at a terrific pace, and with a graceful movement vaulted out of the water and sat on the edge of the bank.
unseenadjectiveUS /ənˈsiːn/
not seen or perceived
From this reading A fear of the supernatural came over him, and very quietly he stepped into the shelter of a jutting piece of rock, from which, all unseen, he could take a view of his surroundings.
the topmost one of two
From this reading He realized at once that it was to no mine that he had come, for strange, fantastic figures flitted about in the distance, figures that did not belong to the upper world.
vaultedadjectiveUS /ˈvɔːltɪd/
having a hemispherical vault or dome
From this reading Suddenly several of these figures leapt into the water and with a peculiar roll came swimming towards him at a terrific pace, and with a graceful movement vaulted out of the water and sat on the edge of the bank.
precisely as stated
From this reading A fear of the supernatural came over him, and very quietly he stepped into the shelter of a jutting piece of rock, from which, all unseen, he could take a view of his surroundings.
a way of regarding situations or topics etc.
From this reading A fear of the supernatural came over him, and very quietly he stepped into the shelter of a jutting piece of rock, from which, all unseen, he could take a view of his surroundings.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He realized at once that it was to no mine that he had come, for strange, fantastic figures flitted about in the distance, figures that did not belong to the upper world.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading Suddenly several of these figures leapt into the water and with a peculiar roll came swimming towards him at a terrific pace, and with a graceful movement vaulted out of the water and sat on the edge of the bank.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading A fear of the supernatural came over him, and very quietly he stepped into the shelter of a jutting piece of rock, from which, all unseen, he could take a view of his surroundings.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Suddenly several of these figures leapt into the water and with a peculiar roll came swimming towards him at a terrific pace, and with a graceful movement vaulted out of the water and sat on the edge of the bank.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading The ever present sense of “self-preservation” beats within the breasts of men most strongly at some period or other of their lives.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading He realized at once that it was to no mine that he had come, for strange, fantastic figures flitted about in the distance, figures that did not belong to the upper world.
