used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading For yonder where the black earth of the swamp heaved in a formless mound she felt the black arms of Elspeth rising from the sod--gigantic, mighty.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Down, down she slipped toward the black slime of the swamp, and the air about was horror--down, down, till the chilly waters stung her knees; and then with one grip she seized the oak, while the great hand of Elspeth twisted and tore her soul.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Down, down she slipped toward the black slime of the swamp, and the air about was horror--down, down, till the chilly waters stung her knees; and then with one grip she seized the oak, while the great hand of Elspeth twisted and tore her soul.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They stole toward her with stealthy hands and claw-like talons.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading For yonder where the black earth of the swamp heaved in a formless mound she felt the black arms of Elspeth rising from the sod--gigantic, mighty.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading They clutched at her skirts.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading For yonder where the black earth of the swamp heaved in a formless mound she felt the black arms of Elspeth rising from the sod--gigantic, mighty.
chillyadjectiveUS /ˈtʃɪli/
not characterized by emotion
From this reading Down, down she slipped toward the black slime of the swamp, and the air about was horror--down, down, till the chilly waters stung her knees; and then with one grip she seized the oak, while the great hand of Elspeth twisted and tore her soul.
claw-like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They stole toward her with stealthy hands and claw-like talons.
clutchedverbUS /klʌtʃt/
past form of “clutch” — take hold of; grab
From this reading They clutched at her skirts.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading She froze and could not move.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Down, down she slipped toward the black slime of the swamp, and the air about was horror--down, down, till the chilly waters stung her knees; and then with one grip she seized the oak, while the great hand of Elspeth twisted and tore her soul.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading For yonder where the black earth of the swamp heaved in a formless mound she felt the black arms of Elspeth rising from the sod--gigantic, mighty.
Elspeth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For yonder where the black earth of the swamp heaved in a formless mound she felt the black arms of Elspeth rising from the sod--gigantic, mighty.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading For yonder where the black earth of the swamp heaved in a formless mound she felt the black arms of Elspeth rising from the sod--gigantic, mighty.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For yonder where the black earth of the swamp heaved in a formless mound she felt the black arms of Elspeth rising from the sod--gigantic, mighty.
formlessadjective
having no definite form or distinct shape
From this reading For yonder where the black earth of the swamp heaved in a formless mound she felt the black arms of Elspeth rising from the sod--gigantic, mighty.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading For yonder where the black earth of the swamp heaved in a formless mound she felt the black arms of Elspeth rising from the sod--gigantic, mighty.
frozeverbUS /froʊz/
inflected form of “freeze” — stop moving or become immobilized
From this reading She froze and could not move.
giganticadjectiveUS /dʒaɪˈɡæntɪk/
so exceedingly large or extensive as to suggest a giant or mammoth
From this reading For yonder where the black earth of the swamp heaved in a formless mound she felt the black arms of Elspeth rising from the sod--gigantic, mighty.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Down, down she slipped toward the black slime of the swamp, and the air about was horror--down, down, till the chilly waters stung her knees; and then with one grip she seized the oak, while the great hand of Elspeth twisted and tore her soul.
gripnounUS /ɡrɪp/
the act of grasping
From this reading Down, down she slipped toward the black slime of the swamp, and the air about was horror--down, down, till the chilly waters stung her knees; and then with one grip she seized the oak, while the great hand of Elspeth twisted and tore her soul.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Down, down she slipped toward the black slime of the swamp, and the air about was horror--down, down, till the chilly waters stung her knees; and then with one grip she seized the oak, while the great hand of Elspeth twisted and tore her soul.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading They stole toward her with stealthy hands and claw-like talons.
heavedverbUS /hiːvd/
past form of “heave” — utter a sound, as with obvious effort
From this reading For yonder where the black earth of the swamp heaved in a formless mound she felt the black arms of Elspeth rising from the sod--gigantic, mighty.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading They stole toward her with stealthy hands and claw-like talons.
intense and profound fear
From this reading Down, down she slipped toward the black slime of the swamp, and the air about was horror--down, down, till the chilly waters stung her knees; and then with one grip she seized the oak, while the great hand of Elspeth twisted and tore her soul.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading For yonder where the black earth of the swamp heaved in a formless mound she felt the black arms of Elspeth rising from the sod--gigantic, mighty.
plural of “knee” — hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella
From this reading Down, down she slipped toward the black slime of the swamp, and the air about was horror--down, down, till the chilly waters stung her knees; and then with one grip she seized the oak, while the great hand of Elspeth twisted and tore her soul.
having or showing great strength or force or intensity
From this reading For yonder where the black earth of the swamp heaved in a formless mound she felt the black arms of Elspeth rising from the sod--gigantic, mighty.
moundnounUS /maʊnd/
(baseball) the slight elevation on which the pitcher stands
From this reading For yonder where the black earth of the swamp heaved in a formless mound she felt the black arms of Elspeth rising from the sod--gigantic, mighty.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading She froze and could not move.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She froze and could not move.
oaknounUS /oʊk/
the hard durable wood of any oak; used especially for furniture and flooring
From this reading Down, down she slipped toward the black slime of the swamp, and the air about was horror--down, down, till the chilly waters stung her knees; and then with one grip she seized the oak, while the great hand of Elspeth twisted and tore her soul.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading For yonder where the black earth of the swamp heaved in a formless mound she felt the black arms of Elspeth rising from the sod--gigantic, mighty.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Down, down she slipped toward the black slime of the swamp, and the air about was horror--down, down, till the chilly waters stung her knees; and then with one grip she seized the oak, while the great hand of Elspeth twisted and tore her soul.
advancing or becoming higher or greater in degree or value or status
From this reading For yonder where the black earth of the swamp heaved in a formless mound she felt the black arms of Elspeth rising from the sod--gigantic, mighty.
past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab
From this reading Down, down she slipped toward the black slime of the swamp, and the air about was horror--down, down, till the chilly waters stung her knees; and then with one grip she seized the oak, while the great hand of Elspeth twisted and tore her soul.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For yonder where the black earth of the swamp heaved in a formless mound she felt the black arms of Elspeth rising from the sod--gigantic, mighty.
skirtsnounUS /skɜːrts/
plural of “skirt” — cloth covering that forms the part of a garment below the waist
From this reading They clutched at her skirts.
slimeverbUS /slaɪm/
cover or stain with slime
From this reading Down, down she slipped toward the black slime of the swamp, and the air about was horror--down, down, till the chilly waters stung her knees; and then with one grip she seized the oak, while the great hand of Elspeth twisted and tore her soul.
inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily
From this reading Down, down she slipped toward the black slime of the swamp, and the air about was horror--down, down, till the chilly waters stung her knees; and then with one grip she seized the oak, while the great hand of Elspeth twisted and tore her soul.
sodnounUS /sɑːd/
surface layer of ground containing a mat of grass and grass roots
From this reading For yonder where the black earth of the swamp heaved in a formless mound she felt the black arms of Elspeth rising from the sod--gigantic, mighty.
the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life
From this reading Down, down she slipped toward the black slime of the swamp, and the air about was horror--down, down, till the chilly waters stung her knees; and then with one grip she seized the oak, while the great hand of Elspeth twisted and tore her soul.
stealthyadjectiveUS /ˈstelθi/
marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed
From this reading They stole toward her with stealthy hands and claw-like talons.
a wide scarf worn about their shoulders by women
From this reading They stole toward her with stealthy hands and claw-like talons.
stungadjectiveUS /stʌŋ/
aroused to impatience or anger
From this reading Down, down she slipped toward the black slime of the swamp, and the air about was horror--down, down, till the chilly waters stung her knees; and then with one grip she seized the oak, while the great hand of Elspeth twisted and tore her soul.
swampverbUS /swɑːmp/
drench or submerge or be drenched or submerged
From this reading For yonder where the black earth of the swamp heaved in a formless mound she felt the black arms of Elspeth rising from the sod--gigantic, mighty.
talonsnounUS /ˈtælənz/
plural of “talon” — a sharp hooked claw especially on a bird of prey
From this reading They stole toward her with stealthy hands and claw-like talons.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading For yonder where the black earth of the swamp heaved in a formless mound she felt the black arms of Elspeth rising from the sod--gigantic, mighty.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Down, down she slipped toward the black slime of the swamp, and the air about was horror--down, down, till the chilly waters stung her knees; and then with one grip she seized the oak, while the great hand of Elspeth twisted and tore her soul.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They stole toward her with stealthy hands and claw-like talons.
up to a particular time
From this reading Down, down she slipped toward the black slime of the swamp, and the air about was horror--down, down, till the chilly waters stung her knees; and then with one grip she seized the oak, while the great hand of Elspeth twisted and tore her soul.
commonly the lowest molding at the base of a column
From this reading Down, down she slipped toward the black slime of the swamp, and the air about was horror--down, down, till the chilly waters stung her knees; and then with one grip she seized the oak, while the great hand of Elspeth twisted and tore her soul.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading They stole toward her with stealthy hands and claw-like talons.
twistedadjectiveUS /ˈtwɪstɪd/
having an intended meaning altered or misrepresented
From this reading Down, down she slipped toward the black slime of the swamp, and the air about was horror--down, down, till the chilly waters stung her knees; and then with one grip she seized the oak, while the great hand of Elspeth twisted and tore her soul.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Down, down she slipped toward the black slime of the swamp, and the air about was horror--down, down, till the chilly waters stung her knees; and then with one grip she seized the oak, while the great hand of Elspeth twisted and tore her soul.
United States actress and singer (1896-1977)
From this reading Down, down she slipped toward the black slime of the swamp, and the air about was horror--down, down, till the chilly waters stung her knees; and then with one grip she seized the oak, while the great hand of Elspeth twisted and tore her soul.
in or at the place that
From this reading For yonder where the black earth of the swamp heaved in a formless mound she felt the black arms of Elspeth rising from the sod--gigantic, mighty.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading Down, down she slipped toward the black slime of the swamp, and the air about was horror--down, down, till the chilly waters stung her knees; and then with one grip she seized the oak, while the great hand of Elspeth twisted and tore her soul.
in the company of; together with
From this reading They stole toward her with stealthy hands and claw-like talons.
distant but within sight (“yon” is dialectal)
From this reading For yonder where the black earth of the swamp heaved in a formless mound she felt the black arms of Elspeth rising from the sod--gigantic, mighty.
