used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Raising the blade high above her head, the old squaw brought it crashing upon a rock at Carmody's feet.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Raising the blade high above her head, the old squaw brought it crashing upon a rock at Carmody's feet.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There was the sharp ring of tempered steel, and upon the pine-needles lay the broken blade, and beyond the rock the hilt, with a scant inch of blade protruding at the guard.
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading Stooping, the old woman picked up the two pieces of the broken sheath-knife, and, handing the hilt gravely to the astonished man carefully returned the blade to her blanket.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Raising the blade high above her head, the old squaw brought it crashing upon a rock at Carmody's feet.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading There was the sharp ring of tempered steel, and upon the pine-needles lay the broken blade, and beyond the rock the hilt, with a scant inch of blade protruding at the guard.
a statute in draft before it becomes law
From this reading THE PROMISE The silent, shadowy figure swayed toward Bill Carmody, who met the stabbing glare of the black eyes with the steady gaze of his gray ones.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading THE PROMISE The silent, shadowy figure swayed toward Bill Carmody, who met the stabbing glare of the black eyes with the steady gaze of his gray ones.
bladenounUS /bleɪd/
especially a leaf of grass or the broad portion of a leaf as distinct from the petiole
From this reading Raising the blade high above her head, the old squaw brought it crashing upon a rock at Carmody's feet.
blanketnounUS /ˈblæŋkət/
bedding that keeps a person warm in bed
From this reading Stooping, the old woman picked up the two pieces of the broken sheath-knife, and, handing the hilt gravely to the astonished man carefully returned the blade to her blanket.
breathlesslyadverbUS /ˈbreθləsli/
in a breathless manner
From this reading For long, tense moments their eyes held, while the girl watched breathlessly.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading There was the sharp ring of tempered steel, and upon the pine-needles lay the broken blade, and beyond the rock the hilt, with a scant inch of blade protruding at the guard.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading Raising the blade high above her head, the old squaw brought it crashing upon a rock at Carmody's feet.
taking care or paying attention
From this reading Stooping, the old woman picked up the two pieces of the broken sheath-knife, and, handing the hilt gravely to the astonished man carefully returned the blade to her blanket.
Carmody
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE PROMISE The silent, shadowy figure swayed toward Bill Carmody, who met the stabbing glare of the black eyes with the steady gaze of his gray ones.
Carmody's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Raising the blade high above her head, the old squaw brought it crashing upon a rock at Carmody's feet.
crashingadjectiveUS /ˈkræʃɪŋ/
informal intensifiers
From this reading Raising the blade high above her head, the old squaw brought it crashing upon a rock at Carmody's feet.
opinion or judgment
From this reading THE PROMISE The silent, shadowy figure swayed toward Bill Carmody, who met the stabbing glare of the black eyes with the steady gaze of his gray ones.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Raising the blade high above her head, the old squaw brought it crashing upon a rock at Carmody's feet.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading THE PROMISE The silent, shadowy figure swayed toward Bill Carmody, who met the stabbing glare of the black eyes with the steady gaze of his gray ones.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For long, tense moments their eyes held, while the girl watched breathlessly.
a long fixed look
From this reading THE PROMISE The silent, shadowy figure swayed toward Bill Carmody, who met the stabbing glare of the black eyes with the steady gaze of his gray ones.
a young female
From this reading For long, tense moments their eyes held, while the girl watched breathlessly.
glarenounUS /ɡler/
a light within the field of vision that is brighter than the brightness to which the eyes are adapted
From this reading THE PROMISE The silent, shadowy figure swayed toward Bill Carmody, who met the stabbing glare of the black eyes with the steady gaze of his gray ones.
in a grave and sober manner
From this reading Stooping, the old woman picked up the two pieces of the broken sheath-knife, and, handing the hilt gravely to the astonished man carefully returned the blade to her blanket.
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading THE PROMISE The silent, shadowy figure swayed toward Bill Carmody, who met the stabbing glare of the black eyes with the steady gaze of his gray ones.
a person who keeps watch over something or someone
From this reading There was the sharp ring of tempered steel, and upon the pine-needles lay the broken blade, and beyond the rock the hilt, with a scant inch of blade protruding at the guard.
handingverbUS /ˈhændɪŋ/
-ing form of “hand” — place into the hands or custody of
From this reading Stooping, the old woman picked up the two pieces of the broken sheath-knife, and, handing the hilt gravely to the astonished man carefully returned the blade to her blanket.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Raising the blade high above her head, the old squaw brought it crashing upon a rock at Carmody's feet.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading For long, tense moments their eyes held, while the girl watched breathlessly.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Raising the blade high above her head, the old squaw brought it crashing upon a rock at Carmody's feet.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Raising the blade high above her head, the old squaw brought it crashing upon a rock at Carmody's feet.
hiltnounUS /hɪlt/
the handle of a sword or dagger
From this reading There was the sharp ring of tempered steel, and upon the pine-needles lay the broken blade, and beyond the rock the hilt, with a scant inch of blade protruding at the guard.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading THE PROMISE The silent, shadowy figure swayed toward Bill Carmody, who met the stabbing glare of the black eyes with the steady gaze of his gray ones.
inchnounUS /ɪntʃ/
a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot
From this reading There was the sharp ring of tempered steel, and upon the pine-needles lay the broken blade, and beyond the rock the hilt, with a scant inch of blade protruding at the guard.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Raising the blade high above her head, the old squaw brought it crashing upon a rock at Carmody's feet.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading There was the sharp ring of tempered steel, and upon the pine-needles lay the broken blade, and beyond the rock the hilt, with a scant inch of blade protruding at the guard.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading For long, tense moments their eyes held, while the girl watched breathlessly.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Stooping, the old woman picked up the two pieces of the broken sheath-knife, and, handing the hilt gravely to the astonished man carefully returned the blade to her blanket.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading THE PROMISE The silent, shadowy figure swayed toward Bill Carmody, who met the stabbing glare of the black eyes with the steady gaze of his gray ones.
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading For long, tense moments their eyes held, while the girl watched breathlessly.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE PROMISE The silent, shadowy figure swayed toward Bill Carmody, who met the stabbing glare of the black eyes with the steady gaze of his gray ones.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Raising the blade high above her head, the old squaw brought it crashing upon a rock at Carmody's feet.
plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number
From this reading THE PROMISE The silent, shadowy figure swayed toward Bill Carmody, who met the stabbing glare of the black eyes with the steady gaze of his gray ones.
past form of “pick” — select carefully from a group
From this reading Stooping, the old woman picked up the two pieces of the broken sheath-knife, and, handing the hilt gravely to the astonished man carefully returned the blade to her blanket.
plural of “piece” — a separate part of a whole
From this reading Stooping, the old woman picked up the two pieces of the broken sheath-knife, and, handing the hilt gravely to the astonished man carefully returned the blade to her blanket.
pine-needles
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was the sharp ring of tempered steel, and upon the pine-needles lay the broken blade, and beyond the rock the hilt, with a scant inch of blade protruding at the guard.
make a promise or commitment
From this reading THE PROMISE The silent, shadowy figure swayed toward Bill Carmody, who met the stabbing glare of the black eyes with the steady gaze of his gray ones.
protrudingadjectiveUS /proʊˈtruːdɪŋ/
extending out above or beyond a surface or boundary
From this reading There was the sharp ring of tempered steel, and upon the pine-needles lay the broken blade, and beyond the rock the hilt, with a scant inch of blade protruding at the guard.
the event of something being raised upward
From this reading Raising the blade high above her head, the old squaw brought it crashing upon a rock at Carmody's feet.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading Stooping, the old woman picked up the two pieces of the broken sheath-knife, and, handing the hilt gravely to the astonished man carefully returned the blade to her blanket.
sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading There was the sharp ring of tempered steel, and upon the pine-needles lay the broken blade, and beyond the rock the hilt, with a scant inch of blade protruding at the guard.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading Raising the blade high above her head, the old squaw brought it crashing upon a rock at Carmody's feet.
scantadjectiveUS /skænt/
less than the correct or legal or full amount often deliberately so
From this reading There was the sharp ring of tempered steel, and upon the pine-needles lay the broken blade, and beyond the rock the hilt, with a scant inch of blade protruding at the guard.
shadowyadjectiveUS /ˈʃædoʊi/
filled with shade
From this reading THE PROMISE The silent, shadowy figure swayed toward Bill Carmody, who met the stabbing glare of the black eyes with the steady gaze of his gray ones.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading There was the sharp ring of tempered steel, and upon the pine-needles lay the broken blade, and beyond the rock the hilt, with a scant inch of blade protruding at the guard.
sheath-knife
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Stooping, the old woman picked up the two pieces of the broken sheath-knife, and, handing the hilt gravely to the astonished man carefully returned the blade to her blanket.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading THE PROMISE The silent, shadowy figure swayed toward Bill Carmody, who met the stabbing glare of the black eyes with the steady gaze of his gray ones.
squawnoun
derogatory terms for an American Indian woman
From this reading Raising the blade high above her head, the old squaw brought it crashing upon a rock at Carmody's feet.
stabbingadjectiveUS /ˈstæbɪŋ/
causing physical or especially psychological injury
From this reading THE PROMISE The silent, shadowy figure swayed toward Bill Carmody, who met the stabbing glare of the black eyes with the steady gaze of his gray ones.
make steady
From this reading THE PROMISE The silent, shadowy figure swayed toward Bill Carmody, who met the stabbing glare of the black eyes with the steady gaze of his gray ones.
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading There was the sharp ring of tempered steel, and upon the pine-needles lay the broken blade, and beyond the rock the hilt, with a scant inch of blade protruding at the guard.
StoopingadjectiveUS /ˈstuːpɪŋ/
having the back and shoulders rounded; not erect
From this reading Stooping, the old woman picked up the two pieces of the broken sheath-knife, and, handing the hilt gravely to the astonished man carefully returned the blade to her blanket.
swayedverbUS /sweɪd/
past form of “sway” — move back and forth or sideways
From this reading THE PROMISE The silent, shadowy figure swayed toward Bill Carmody, who met the stabbing glare of the black eyes with the steady gaze of his gray ones.
temperedadjectiveUS /ˈtempərd/
made hard or flexible or resilient especially by heat treatment
From this reading There was the sharp ring of tempered steel, and upon the pine-needles lay the broken blade, and beyond the rock the hilt, with a scant inch of blade protruding at the guard.
tensenounUS /tens/
a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time
From this reading For long, tense moments their eyes held, while the girl watched breathlessly.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE PROMISE The silent, shadowy figure swayed toward Bill Carmody, who met the stabbing glare of the black eyes with the steady gaze of his gray ones.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading For long, tense moments their eyes held, while the girl watched breathlessly.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was the sharp ring of tempered steel, and upon the pine-needles lay the broken blade, and beyond the rock the hilt, with a scant inch of blade protruding at the guard.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Stooping, the old woman picked up the two pieces of the broken sheath-knife, and, handing the hilt gravely to the astonished man carefully returned the blade to her blanket.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading THE PROMISE The silent, shadowy figure swayed toward Bill Carmody, who met the stabbing glare of the black eyes with the steady gaze of his gray ones.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Stooping, the old woman picked up the two pieces of the broken sheath-knife, and, handing the hilt gravely to the astonished man carefully returned the blade to her blanket.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Stooping, the old woman picked up the two pieces of the broken sheath-knife, and, handing the hilt gravely to the astonished man carefully returned the blade to her blanket.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Raising the blade high above her head, the old squaw brought it crashing upon a rock at Carmody's feet.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was the sharp ring of tempered steel, and upon the pine-needles lay the broken blade, and beyond the rock the hilt, with a scant inch of blade protruding at the guard.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading For long, tense moments their eyes held, while the girl watched breathlessly.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading For long, tense moments their eyes held, while the girl watched breathlessly.
which person or people
From this reading THE PROMISE The silent, shadowy figure swayed toward Bill Carmody, who met the stabbing glare of the black eyes with the steady gaze of his gray ones.
in the company of; together with
From this reading THE PROMISE The silent, shadowy figure swayed toward Bill Carmody, who met the stabbing glare of the black eyes with the steady gaze of his gray ones.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Stooping, the old woman picked up the two pieces of the broken sheath-knife, and, handing the hilt gravely to the astonished man carefully returned the blade to her blanket.
