used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
agileadjectiveUS /ˈædʒəl/
moving quickly and lightly
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
ain't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Blow me!” muttered Don, unconsciously echoing the phrase he had so often heard on the captains lips, “if this ain't the purtiest go as ever I see!”
(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 Which assertion was purely figurative; for as he was only too well aware it was “no go” at all, so far as the pit was concerned.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Scarce a handbreadth of rock lay between the smooth-cut upper wall and the perpendicular face of the pit.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
assertionnounUS /əˈsɜːrʃən/
a declaration that is made emphatically (as if no supporting evidence were necessary)
From this reading Which assertion was purely figurative; for as he was only too well aware it was “no go” at all, so far as the pit was concerned.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
(sometimes followed by “of”) having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception
From this reading Which assertion was purely figurative; for as he was only too well aware it was “no go” at all, so far as the pit was concerned.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading Scarce a handbreadth of rock lay between the smooth-cut upper wall and the perpendicular face of the pit.
exhale hard
From this reading “Blow me!” muttered Don, unconsciously echoing the phrase he had so often heard on the captains lips, “if this ain't the purtiest go as ever I see!”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
captainsnounUS /ˈkæptənz/
plural of “captain” — an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading “Blow me!” muttered Don, unconsciously echoing the phrase he had so often heard on the captains lips, “if this ain't the purtiest go as ever I see!”
feeling or showing worry or solicitude
From this reading Which assertion was purely figurative; for as he was only too well aware it was “no go” at all, so far as the pit was concerned.
an effort that is inconvenient
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
a Spanish gentleman or nobleman
From this reading “Blow me!” muttered Don, unconsciously echoing the phrase he had so often heard on the captains lips, “if this ain't the purtiest go as ever I see!”
echoingadjectiveUS /ˈekoʊɪŋ/
(of sounds) repeating by reflection
From this reading “Blow me!” muttered Don, unconsciously echoing the phrase he had so often heard on the captains lips, “if this ain't the purtiest go as ever I see!”
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
at any time
From this reading “Blow me!” muttered Don, unconsciously echoing the phrase he had so often heard on the captains lips, “if this ain't the purtiest go as ever I see!”
of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Scarce a handbreadth of rock lay between the smooth-cut upper wall and the perpendicular face of the pit.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading Which assertion was purely figurative; for as he was only too well aware it was “no go” at all, so far as the pit was concerned.
figurativeadjectiveUS /ˈfɪɡjərətɪv/
(used of the meanings of words or text) not literal; using figures of speech
From this reading Which assertion was purely figurative; for as he was only too well aware it was “no go” at all, so far as the pit was concerned.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “Blow me!” muttered Don, unconsciously echoing the phrase he had so often heard on the captains lips, “if this ain't the purtiest go as ever I see!”
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading “Blow me!” muttered Don, unconsciously echoing the phrase he had so often heard on the captains lips, “if this ain't the purtiest go as ever I see!”
handbreadthnoun
any unit of length based on the breadth of the human hand
From this reading Scarce a handbreadth of rock lay between the smooth-cut upper wall and the perpendicular face of the pit.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Blow me!” muttered Don, unconsciously echoing the phrase he had so often heard on the captains lips, “if this ain't the purtiest go as ever I see!”
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading “Blow me!” muttered Don, unconsciously echoing the phrase he had so often heard on the captains lips, “if this ain't the purtiest go as ever I see!”
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Blow me!” muttered Don, unconsciously echoing the phrase he had so often heard on the captains lips, “if this ain't the purtiest go as ever I see!”
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “Blow me!” muttered Don, unconsciously echoing the phrase he had so often heard on the captains lips, “if this ain't the purtiest go as ever I see!”
impossibilitynounUS /ˌɪmpɔːsɪˈbɪlɪti/
incapability of existing or occurring
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Which assertion was purely figurative; for as he was only too well aware it was “no go” at all, so far as the pit was concerned.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Scarce a handbreadth of rock lay between the smooth-cut upper wall and the perpendicular face of the pit.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
ledgenounUS /ledʒ/
a projecting ridge on a mountain or submerged under water
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading “Blow me!” muttered Don, unconsciously echoing the phrase he had so often heard on the captains lips, “if this ain't the purtiest go as ever I see!”
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Blow me!” muttered Don, unconsciously echoing the phrase he had so often heard on the captains lips, “if this ain't the purtiest go as ever I see!”
being nothing more than specified
From this reading The ledge was a mere thread.
monkeynounUS /ˈmʌŋki/
any of various long-tailed primates (excluding the prosimians)
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
past form of “mutter” — talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice
From this reading “Blow me!” muttered Don, unconsciously echoing the phrase he had so often heard on the captains lips, “if this ain't the purtiest go as ever I see!”
not any; not one
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
many times at short intervals
From this reading “Blow me!” muttered Don, unconsciously echoing the phrase he had so often heard on the captains lips, “if this ain't the purtiest go as ever I see!”
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
and nothing more
From this reading Which assertion was purely figurative; for as he was only too well aware it was “no go” at all, so far as the pit was concerned.
being directly across from each other; facing
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
perpendicularnounUS /ˌpɜːrpənˈdɪkjələr/
a straight line at right angles to another line
From this reading Scarce a handbreadth of rock lay between the smooth-cut upper wall and the perpendicular face of the pit.
phrasenounUS /freɪz/
an expression consisting of one or more words forming a grammatical constituent of a sentence
From this reading “Blow me!” muttered Don, unconsciously echoing the phrase he had so often heard on the captains lips, “if this ain't the purtiest go as ever I see!”
pitnounUS /pɪt/
A large hole in the ground, or an abyss of darkness and peril.
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
purelyadverbUS /ˈpjʊrli/
restricted to something
From this reading Which assertion was purely figurative; for as he was only too well aware it was “no go” at all, so far as the pit was concerned.
purtiest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Blow me!” muttered Don, unconsciously echoing the phrase he had so often heard on the captains lips, “if this ain't the purtiest go as ever I see!”
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading Scarce a handbreadth of rock lay between the smooth-cut upper wall and the perpendicular face of the pit.
only a very short time before
From this reading Scarce a handbreadth of rock lay between the smooth-cut upper wall and the perpendicular face of the pit.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading “Blow me!” muttered Don, unconsciously echoing the phrase he had so often heard on the captains lips, “if this ain't the purtiest go as ever I see!”
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
skirtingadjectiveUS /ˈskɜːrtɪŋ/
being all around the edges; enclosing
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
smooth-cut
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Scarce a handbreadth of rock lay between the smooth-cut upper wall and the perpendicular face of the pit.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “Blow me!” muttered Don, unconsciously echoing the phrase he had so often heard on the captains lips, “if this ain't the purtiest go as ever I see!”
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
a special situation
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “Blow me!” muttered Don, unconsciously echoing the phrase he had so often heard on the captains lips, “if this ain't the purtiest go as ever I see!”
threadverbUS /θred/
to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course
From this reading The ledge was a mere thread.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Which assertion was purely figurative; for as he was only too well aware it was “no go” at all, so far as the pit was concerned.
unconsciouslyadverbUS /ˌʌnˈkɑːnʃəsli/
without awareness
From this reading “Blow me!” muttered Don, unconsciously echoing the phrase he had so often heard on the captains lips, “if this ain't the purtiest go as ever I see!”
the topmost one of two
From this reading Scarce a handbreadth of rock lay between the smooth-cut upper wall and the perpendicular face of the pit.
articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading Which assertion was purely figurative; for as he was only too well aware it was “no go” at all, so far as the pit was concerned.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
in the company of; together with
From this reading To be sure, skirting the end wall on the extreme left was a ledge along which the agile monkey made his way to the opposite side of the pit with little or no difficulty; but, as for following him, by that road at least, why, the thing was an utter impossibility.
